"Who is that skilled Wood Release ninja who suddenly appeared in Konoha?"
"It's Tenzo. He was originally a member of Root, one of the survivors of Orochimaru's experiments," Rin explained in detail. "Tenzo already had Wood Release abilities, but back then, he wasn't anywhere near this powerful."
"It's like he suddenly got much stronger," she added, recounting Tenzo's history.
Tenzo, of course, is the same person known as Yamato. That was a temporary alias he adopted when he was assigned to lead Naruto and Sasuke's team. Back in Root, his code name was "Kinoe," and when he joined the ANBU, he was given the name "Tenzo." He's had more aliases than most.
Hearing this, Deidara immediately pieced things together. It was obvious to him that Yamato must've received more of Hashirama's cells, which greatly enhanced his Wood Release. And naturally, Obito's involvement couldn't be ruled out in this.
"What about Jiraiya? What's his stance now?"
The question made both Hyuga Kazuto and Rin freeze for a moment before the latter finally replied.
"It's unlikely Lord Jiraiya can be swayed. Even though Danzo is suppressing him heavily, Jiraiya still has a loyal following—not just the Ino-Shika-Cho trio you mentioned earlier."
"Jiraiya-sama's goal now is likely to become the next Hokage. After all, he can't allow Danzo to keep wreaking havoc in the village,"
Deidara clicked his tongue. If that were the case, then they'd need to take as many people as possible with them in the coming chaos. Once Danzo was dead, Jiraiya would surely take the Hokage seat, and with Tsunade's strength—particularly now that both of them had inexplicably reached a power level beyond Kage—it wouldn't be easy to deal with them.
"Got it. That's enough for today."
"Yes!" The two bowed respectfully and disappeared into the shadows.
However, Deidara's clay clone still had unfinished business in Konoha. After all, there were three spies in the village, and the one who'd infiltrated the highest position hadn't made contact yet.
Sneaking toward Konoha's police department, Deidara noticed the area had undergone significant expansion. The last time he visited, the police department building wasn't nearly this extravagant.
He hid in a nearby alley, instructing Sasori to contact Shimura Kiyoto. As for directly infiltrating the building...
Hmph, that wasn't Deidara's style of art.
A few minutes later, a figure that was both unfamiliar and familiar to Deidara hurried toward him.
"Lord Deidara!" Shimura Kiyoto greeted with a sycophantic smile.
"Hmph!" Deidara sneered. Unlike Hyuga Kazuto and Rin, this guy was different. Just a glance at what Kiyoto had been up to in Konoha was enough to see through his false loyalty.
"Shimura Kiyoto, I've been in Konoha for days now. Why haven't you come to greet me?" Deidara questioned sharply.
"I didn't want to risk drawing that old fox Danzo's suspicion!" Kiyoto explained sheepishly. "Without direct orders from you or the others, I wouldn't dare make any reckless moves."
"No need to be so cautious. You're free to act as long as you're prepared for the consequences if you screw up," Deidara warned, his tone icy.
Cold sweat dripped down Kiyoto's forehead. "I wouldn't dare, Lord Deidara! Please don't scare me like that."
"Enough talk." Deidara waved a hand, cutting him off. "First, do you have any intel on Danzo's recent activities? What's he up to?"
Though Deidara didn't have high hopes for a useful answer, Kiyoto surprised him.
"That old fox has been focusing on developing two special ninja units lately."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Not long ago, he extracted a significant amount of Nine-Tails chakra from the jinchūriki. It seems he's trying to create a squad of tailed-beast-enhanced ninja, though many people died in the process."
Typical Danzo, always dabbling in twisted experiments.
"Has he succeeded?"
"He's had some success, but I don't know the exact numbers. He only trusts those in Root."
"And the second unit?"
"The second unit is made up of elite ninja forcibly recruited from the Sunagakure prisoners. They've been subjected to brainwashing and training in Root. Recently, some of them have been sent out on missions, but I don't know the details."
After gathering this intel, Deidara changed the topic.
"I hear your department has gained quite a bit of influence lately."
Kiyoto immediately grew defensive, thinking Rin had snitched on him.
"Lord Deidara, that's not true! I've just recruited a few ordinary ninja. It's nothing significant."
"I'll need you to act as an inside man when the time comes. Is that a problem?"
Realizing Rin hadn't reported him after all, Kiyoto relaxed slightly, though he was still on edge. If the village found out about his betrayal, he'd have no place to run. But refusing Deidara would mean certain death right here and now. Weighing his options, he reluctantly agreed.
"Understood, Lord Deidara!"
"Once it's done, you'll come with me to Amegakure. Don't worry about the future—I'll make you the head of the police department there. And I'll ensure you're rewarded handsomely," Deidara promised, dangling an enticing but likely hollow offer to keep Kiyoto in line.
...
Hokage's Office
Danzo stood by the window, gazing out with satisfaction. Konoha had achieved unprecedented victories under his leadership. With powerhouses like Tsunade and Tenzo under his command, the village had never been stronger.
Hiruzen, do you see this? Konoha is thriving under my guidance.
The soft creak of a door interrupted his thoughts. His deputy, Aburame Ryoma, stepped in and bowed.
"Lord Hokage, everything is in place," Ryoma reported.
"Good!" Danzo exclaimed, momentarily losing his usual composure. If this plan succeeded, dominating the entire ninja world would no longer be a dream. Neither the Akatsuki nor the Cloud Village, even with their mysterious backers, would stand a chance.
"However, the cost has been high," Ryoma cautioned. "Many lives were lost, both from the village and the Sunagakure prisoners. There's significant opposition, especially from Lord Jiraiya."
"Hmph! Foolish idealists," Danzo scoffed, dismissing the concerns.
Compared to the goal of ruling the ninja world, what did a few sacrifices matter? As Konoha approached an unprecedented pinnacle, Danzo believed the short-sighted opposition would only hold them back.
They'll never understand. It's all for Konoha.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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