"Have you seen today's newspaper?"
"Yes! Lord Danzo is truly heroic!"
"That's right, thanks to Lord Danzo!"
"Those damn Iwagakure and Kumogakure ninjas are so despicable!"
"Thankfully, we have Lord Danzo!"
"The hero of Konoha, truly well-deserved!"
Early in the morning, the entire village of Konoha was abuzz with discussions.
In every corner of the streets, many people held a copy of the newspaper.
Groups of people gathered together, pointing and commenting on the major events of the village and the nation.
Among them were passionate remarks like "If it were me" or "If I were in charge."
But overall, the villagers expressed admiration for the performance of Danzo and the other Konoha ninjas.
As ordinary villagers, they rarely had the chance to get a glimpse into the lives of the ninja lords.
Now, with the newspaper as a new channel, it naturally sparked widespread discussion.
Not only the villagers, but the ninjas themselves didn't hesitate to spend a little money on the newspaper.
After all, the newspaper didn't just praise Danzo; it also mentioned the contributions of the other Konoha ninjas.
In fact, many ninjas were thrilled to see themselves in the photographs published in the newspaper.
For example...
Might Guy.
"Yay! I made it into the photo!"
Might Guy was holding a newspaper, squeezing onto Kakashi's hospital bed.
"See, Kakashi? I'm in the photo! I'm in the photo with Lord Danzo!"
He couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.
Seeing this, Kakashi could only push him away in frustration and turn his attention back to the newspaper.
Below the headline "Konoha's Heroes Return" was a large black-and-white group photo that took up most of the page.
It must have been taken when the Konoha troops entered the village.
Shisui was pushing Danzo, who was in a wheelchair, at the front.
Behind them were a large number of Konoha ninjas, with cheering villagers and children on both sides.
Even without color, Kakashi could feel the overwhelming momentum and impact of the scene.
"But..."
"Where exactly are you?"
Kakashi carefully examined the photo.
Finally, at the very edge of the photo, he spotted a small green dot.
"That's me! Can't you see? Kakashi, you're my lifelong rival!"
"Who else could be burning with such youthful passion besides me, the Blue Beast of Konoha?"
"Oh, and Lord Danzo too!"
"He's also a great man burning with youthful passion!"
Might Guy exclaimed excitedly.
Seeing Might Guy instantly turn into a chatterbox, Kakashi rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Keep it down. This is a hospital. If Lady Tsunade hears you making noise here, you know what'll happen."
At the mention of "Lady Tsunade," Might Guy immediately covered his mouth.
Kakashi finally had some peace to finish reading the newspaper.
It had to be said, Lord Danzo's methods were truly masterful.
With just a simple newspaper, he had managed to sway the entire village's public opinion.
And with control over the "Shinobi World United Morning Post," the Root could easily use it to their advantage.
It seemed that Lord Danzo would soon be making some big moves.
Thinking this, Kakashi suddenly threw off the blanket and got out of bed, heading for the door.
"Where are you going, Kakashi?" Might Guy asked urgently.
"I'm going to see Lord Danzo."
As soon as Kakashi left the hospital room, he ran into Aburame Ryoma, who was also on his way to meet Danzo.
After going through life-and-death situations together, the bond between the two had grown far beyond ordinary.
With just a glance, they understood each other's thoughts.
And that thought was—
Loyalty!
After this incident, Ryoma's loyalty to Danzo had been completely solidified.
Even if Danzo ordered him to die now, he would do so without hesitation.
Kakashi felt the same.
All his distrust and doubts about Danzo had vanished the moment Danzo said, "They are the heroes of Konoha."
So, a minute later, they both knocked on Danzo's door.
"Come in."
Danzo's voice was always so hoarse and steady.
Seeing Kakashi and Ryoma, Danzo immediately understood what was on their minds.
"How are your injuries?" Danzo asked, holding a freshly printed newspaper.
It wasn't the same one Kakashi and the others had seen, but the latest edition to be printed tomorrow.
Standing beside him was Nono, the acting director of the "Shinobi World United Press."
Seeing that the three had matters to discuss, Nono, as a former Root member, quietly left the room.
After she left, Danzo gestured to the two.
"Take a seat."
Ryoma and Kakashi exchanged a glance, and finally, Ryoma spoke first:
"Lord Danzo, our injuries have fully healed. We're ready to resume our missions."
As Danzo's long-time right-hand man, he knew Danzo disliked beating around the bush, so he got straight to the point.
Danzo first used the Byakugan on his forehead to examine their bodies.
From what he could see, Ryoma and Kakashi had mostly recovered.
After all, with Tsunade, the world's greatest medical ninja, on their side, powerful medical ninjutsu could significantly shorten their recovery time.
Thanks to the ninjas' strong physiques and miraculous medical ninjutsu, what they, as prisoners of war, really needed to worry about were psychological issues, not physical injuries.
Physical wounds could be healed with medical ninjutsu.
But psychological scars were something no one else could help with.
Not even Tsunade.
Her hemophobia was the best proof of that.
"In that case, take a few more days to rest, then report back to the Root."
Seeing their high spirits, Danzo approved their request.
Ryoma immediately said:
"Lord Danzo, I don't need any more rest. I can report to the Root right away."
His eagerness made Danzo chuckle, and he sternly replied:
"That's an order, Ryoma!"
Then he turned to Kakashi:
"Your task is to keep an eye on him, understood?"
Hearing this, Ryoma and Kakashi both knelt on one knee.
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
———————
The newspaper didn't just shake up the villagers.
As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi also immediately realized the importance of this piece of paper.
"The Shinobi World United Morning Post, huh? Quite the bold name."
"But that's just like Danzo."
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, sighing.
His old friend had been coming up with many fresh ideas lately.
Unlike ordinary people.
Ordinary people wondered how the newspaper would affect their lives.
Hiruzen wondered how Danzo would use the newspaper's influence, and how he himself would use it if he were in Danzo's place.
As for Danzo, he was thinking about how to use the newspaper, combined with other measures, to spread the Will of Fire to other villages.
In short, depending on one's identity, status, thoughts, and knowledge, the newspaper's role could be interpreted in many different ways.
But no matter what, no one underestimated its influence.
Hiruzen gazed at the villagers discussing the newspaper's news and silently pondered:
Should I start a newspaper too?
How about calling it the "Hokage Post"?
That way, I could also spread my Will of Fire.
But Danzo's is called the "Shinobi World United Morning Post," representing the entire shinobi world in name.
If mine only represents the Hokage, wouldn't that put me at a disadvantage from the start?
Hiruzen fell into deep thought.
(1.5k Power Stones, LFG)
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