Accepting the Uchiha's allegiance wasn't a simple matter. Striking the right balance was far from easy.
"What about the Hyuga?"
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were notoriously at odds, even though this rivalry was largely the result of manipulation by the higher-ups.
Currently, the relationship between the two clans was poor. If the Uchiha rose to prominence, the Hyuga would undoubtedly jump in to oppose them.
"Pfft~~~"
Tsunade's mention of the Hyuga was all it took for Takuya to burst out laughing.
Coughing to compose himself, he said, "I wasn't trying to mock you. I'm just laughing at the Hyuga. Where do they get the nerve to challenge the Uchiha? Strength? Connections? Something else?"
In terms of numbers, the Uchiha's ninjas were about three times that of the Hyuga's. As for elite fighters, the Hyuga barely had a third of what the Uchiha could muster. Connections?
Let's not kid ourselves—they're both on the same level.
The difference was that the Uchiha were widely despised, while the Hyuga were not.
But realistically, the Hyuga's position in Konoha wasn't much better.
At best, they could rally a few minor clans to support them, but those clans had little to no real influence.
"..."
Thinking over the Hyuga's situation, Tsunade realized she was overthinking things.
This was a clan centered entirely around its main family. Expecting anything substantial from them was pointless.
The Uchiha, at least, had the audacity to fight and kill when necessary.
The Hyuga? They'd rather curl up and quietly persist, ensuring the main and branch families avoided disruption.
With such a mindset, how could they possibly have any future?
"What about Danzo? Aren't you worried about him escaping?"
"Let him run for now."
The Third Hokage was busy chasing down his "dear old friend." Why should Takuya jump into the fray?
Once Danzo's crimes were thoroughly established, he could deal with him later.
Danzo's escape also marked the end of Nawaki's mission.
However, Nawaki was far from happy. The mission's conclusion came in the form of failure.
"Damn it! The Hokage-sama shouldn't have reassigned a jonin team to assist. None of this would've happened!"
Danzo had been securely locked up. With Nawaki and the ANBU keeping watch, it was tough but at least safe.
For so long, there hadn't been a single issue.
Yet, not long after the Third Hokage sent reinforcements, Danzo managed to escape.
Nawaki couldn't help but suspect the Third Hokage might have intentionally let Danzo go.
Without outside help, Danzo could never have escaped on his own.
Minato sympathetically patted Nawaki's shoulder.
It was impossible not to feel frustrated after such an incident.
If it had been Minato, he might've been swearing up a storm—worse than Nawaki, even.
Don't think the "Little Sun" wouldn't curse. He just hadn't encountered anything infuriating enough.
When that day came, he'd curse just like anyone else—maybe even better, thanks to the lessons he'd picked up from Takuya.
Swearing eloquently, without using a single curse word—that was an art Takuya had mastered.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. No one wanted this to happen."
"No, I wanted it to," Takuya said, laughing heartily.
He wasn't mocking Nawaki; he genuinely wanted Danzo to escape and run.
Minato barely managed to suppress his laughter. It wouldn't do Nawaki any good if he joined in, and it might even provoke him into a scuffle.
To defuse the tension, Minato changed the subject:
"Speaking of which, the Hokage-sama has been out of the village for three days now. Looks like Danzo will be hard to catch."
"Who knows."
Takuya was utterly indifferent. The harder Danzo was to catch, the better.
"I hope they never catch him. That way, we can deal with him later."
The thought of his failed mission made Nawaki gnash his teeth in frustration. After cursing a few more times, he looked up at Takuya.
"By the way, is it you behind all the rumors about Danzo over the past couple of days?"
Although the village had issued a wanted notice and bounty for Danzo, the specifics of his crimes were initially withheld.
But this restraint lasted only a day before the tide turned.
Danzo's countless misdeeds were exposed and spread like wildfire.
The people of Konoha—both shinobi and civilians—were utterly shocked.
Aside from those directly involved, who could have imagined that a former high-ranking advisor had committed so many heinous acts?
The uproar was massive. The outrage against Danzo grew by the day.
His actions became the talk of the village, with every conversation inevitably ending in someone cursing him out.
He wasn't just condemned; even his ancestors were dragged through the mud.
The Shimura clan didn't dare leave their compound, fearing retribution against them for Danzo's actions.
It was a reasonable precaution, but the villagers weren't buying it.
Many of Danzo's deeds had been covertly supported by the Shimura clan.
With Danzo gone, the villagers weren't about to let the Shimura clan off the hook.
Their misfortune also extended to the Sarutobi clan, who were now enduring hard times as well.
"I only provided the evidence. The rest has nothing to do with me," Takuya said with a sly grin.
He'd been waiting for this day for a long time, preparing to ensure Danzo's complete downfall.
If he couldn't kill Danzo outright, he'd at least make him the most despised figure in the village—a public enemy.
I knew it was you.
Nawaki slammed the table in approval.
"Well done!"
"Agreed!" Minato added, clearly pleased to see Danzo turned into a pariah. "Though it seems like plenty of people are eager to pile on now."
Ordinarily, such a scandal involving a senior village official would be swiftly covered up to preserve the village's reputation.
But days had passed, and no one had stepped forward to address the situation.
Tsunade ignored it, and with the Third Hokage out of the village, Danzo's reputation continued to deteriorate unchecked.
What Nawaki and Minato didn't know was that efforts had been made, but they had been utterly ineffective.
As soon as the scandal broke, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado approached Tsunade, urging her to intervene.
They weren't trying to protect Danzo—they were worried about being implicated themselves.
Additionally, having such a scandal circulate about the leadership tarnished the village's image.
However, Tsunade brushed them off with a single sentence:
"The old man will handle it when he gets back."
Left with no choice, the two elders turned to Sakumo Hatake, who now led the ANBU.
Hoping he would use the ANBU to suppress the rumors, they were met with a firm refusal:
"Without a direct order from the Hokage, I won't act."
Tsunade's dismissal they could tolerate.
But Sakumo's blunt rejection, showing them no respect, left them fuming.
With the Third Hokage absent, Tsunade indifferent, and Sakumo beyond their influence, the elders were powerless.
Meanwhile, the Shimura and Sarutobi clans could only watch helplessly as the situation worsened.
Danzo's infamy didn't just shake Konoha; it spread throughout the ninja world.
Spies embedded in Konoha from villages like Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Kirigakure across the sea relayed the news back home.
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DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING