Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 270: Danzo: It's Fake! It's All Fake!!

Under Shikaku's organizational skills and Asuma's tireless efforts to spread the word, news of Haneda personally leading the charge against Kumogakure, capturing the Fourth Raikage and two Jinchuriki, spread throughout Konoha like wildfire.

Capturing the Fourth Raikage and two Jinchuriki was tantamount to seizing Kumogakure's entire leadership.

For Konoha, still recovering from years of war, this was an enormous morale boost.

It signaled the end of all external conflicts for Konoha and affirmed Haneda's role as the Fifth Hokage, ushering in an era of long-lasting peace.

However, things took a sharp turn when another piece of news swiftly circulated—Haneda had executed the Fire Daimyo on charges of treason.

The common people, upon reading the newspapers, found it outrageous yet oddly justified.

The daimyo had been sending supplies to enemy nations, betraying not just the Land of Fire but also Konoha, which had been waging war against Kumogakure.

Reading all the details—the confessions from the daimyo's ministers and even admissions from Kumogakure—stirred a profound anger among the people.

The daimyo was deemed unworthy of his position as the ruler of the Land of Fire.

Instead, it was the Hokage, who led from the front lines, who truly deserved to lead the nation!

Meanwhile, the retired Third Hokage, now spending his days caring for Danzo, also learned of the matter thanks to Asuma's vigorous efforts to inform him.

A sense of absurdity crept over Hiruzen.

Had they been too deferential to the daimyo in the past?

During the Third Great Ninja War, people in the daimyo's palace had secretly sold supplies for profit—minerals, food, weapons, and even intelligence.

To ensure victory, Hiruzen had turned a blind eye to the corruption.

If he had confronted it back then, perhaps…

Hiruzen shook his head. He realized such thoughts were too reckless in hindsight.

During the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had barely managed to defeat other villages one by one. At its most perilous moments, Konoha had only achieved a one-against-two scenario.

If Haneda had been in charge and taken such drastic actions, it would have surely provoked international outrage, prolonging the wars indefinitely.

However, Haneda had neutralized Kumogakure in advance, and Iwagakure was already crippled by him.

Of the remaining two villages, Sunagakure and Kirigakure, both had been deeply weakened and posed little threat to Konoha.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sound of an alarm interrupted Hiruzen's thoughts.

He realized it was time to prepare Danzo's dinner.

…

Evening, Konoha Prison.

Danzo, after finishing knitting a red scarf, began working on a winter sweater for Hiruzen.

Squinting his remaining left eye and using the fading light of dusk streaming through the small window, he threaded the needle through the yarn.

Tap, tap, tap…

The rhythmic sound of familiar footsteps echoed closer. Danzo instantly recognized the gait—it was Hiruzen visiting him again.

Setting aside his knitting, Danzo dragged his increasingly frail body to fetch a chair for Hiruzen.

When the guards opened the cell door to let Hiruzen in, Danzo immediately asked, his tone heavy, "It's been three days. How is that naturally evil Uchiha brat, Haneda?"

"Has the war with Kumogakure ended?"

Danzo couldn't hide his frustration as he spoke.

A large-scale war required a massive amount of troops and resources.

As someone who had once led Root, he was all too familiar with the logistics involved.

Even a lightning-fast campaign would take at least thirty-six days to prepare and execute, wouldn't it?

But that naturally evil Uchiha brat was acting like an overconfident fool!

Fuming, Danzo muttered angrily:

"Ending a war in three days and boasting about it? Does he think war is child's play?"

"He participated in the Third Great Ninja War, didn't he? How could he be so arrogant?"

"At this rate, under his leadership, Konoha is doomed!"

Hiruzen looked at his old friend's indignant reaction with a mix of complicated emotions.

Even in prison, Danzo still cared deeply for Konoha.

However, his obsession with Haneda had not diminished.

With a sigh, Hiruzen replied, "Konoha won. At the northern slopes of the Hochi Mountains, Haneda single-handedly defeated Kumogakure, capturing the Fourth Raikage and two of their Jinchuriki."

"What? Alone!?"

Hiruzen's words stunned Danzo, his remaining eye filled with disbelief.

"Are you joking, Hiruzen?"

"Even when that naturally evil Uchiha brat attacked Onoki, didn't he end up retreating in disarray?"

A sudden thought crossed Danzo's mind, and his expression turned scornful.

"I bet Haneda made up this lie to cover up his own incompetence!"

"Lying to his own people, deceiving everyone—Hiruzen, I warned you about this! You should've listened to me back then!"

"Mark my words, you'll regret this someday!!"

Hiruzen sighed heavily. He had expected this reaction from Danzo.

In the past, he too might have doubted such a claim.

But after witnessing Haneda's numerous miracles, Hiruzen instinctively believed him.

"Danzo, whether you believe it or not, the announcement has already been made at the Hokage Building, under the Hokage's name and reputation."

"Further details will be confirmed when Jiraiya returns with intelligence from the Frost Country in three days."

Danzo huffed a few times but fell silent.

Deep down, he was starting to believe Hiruzen.

That naturally evil Uchiha brat dared to make such a bold proclamation under the Hokage's name.

If it were false, not only would Konoha's reputation be tarnished, but Haneda himself would be utterly disgraced.

"There's something else, Danzo," Hiruzen added.

"Haneda executed the daimyo on charges of treason."

Danzo froze, stunned by the absurdity of the news.

But upon recalling Haneda's methods, it somehow made sense.

First, he coerced the ministers to take sides. Then, he executed a few people to establish dominance.

Finally, in an act that was both outrageous yet reasonable, he eliminated the daimyo!

Danzo had orchestrated many similar schemes in the past.

"War won't end here, Hiruzen," Danzo muttered.

"If he doesn't stop, the Fourth Great Ninja War will begin. But…"

This time, Danzo didn't criticize Haneda. He understood one thing clearly:

After defeating Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Konoha could unify the world, even at great cost.

Danzo looked up at Hiruzen.

"Didn't you say earlier that Haneda wrote a book called My Struggle?"

"Do you have a copy with you?"

Hiruzen was pleasantly surprised to hear Danzo express interest in Haneda without his usual animosity.

"Yes, I brought it," Hiruzen said, handing the book to Danzo.

Danzo opened the book to its table of contents, only to see scathing remarks about himself and Hiruzen.

"Hmph! That naturally evil Uchiha brat will never understand the greatness of what we did!"

"I bore all the darkness; you bore all the light. Only that brat would be so shortsighted!"

After a few mocking comments, Danzo began reading.

Initially, he read with disdain, indifferent to its contents.

But as he delved deeper, he was astounded.

The relationship between nations and their daimyos, the pros and cons of the one-country-one-village system—everything was laid bare.

The book was brimming with revolutionary ideas!

"Fake! It's all fake!!" Danzo shouted, trembling.

"There's no way that naturally evil Uchiha brat could be this knowledgeable!"

"I've watched him rise step by step! I know exactly how uneducated he is!"

"This brat never scored above ten on his theory exams!"

"He hates reading! He never brought a book to the academy or the training grounds!"

"He doesn't even handle Hokage duties properly! He dumps everything on Nara Shikaku and the others!"

"Fake! All of it!!"

Danzo tore the book to shreds, scattering the pages across the floor.

Grabbing Hiruzen by the collar, he shouted hysterically:

"Hiruzen! Tell me the truth!"

"Am I trapped in a genjutsu created by that naturally evil Uchiha brat?"

"Did he design this false Konoha to torment me while leading it to prosperity?"

"Tell me, Hiruzen! I can't tell what's real anymore!!"

Hiruzen, seeing Danzo's growing hysteria, grasped his wrist tightly.

"Danzo, isn't it possible that Haneda spent three years reading extensively?"

"Calm down, Danzo. Take a moment and think. Is it truly impossible for Haneda to have spent three years studying diligently, preparing for the future?"

Danzo's breathing was heavy, and his remaining eye darted around the cell as if searching for cracks in his reality.

But deep down, he knew Hiruzen was right.

If Haneda had indeed read enough and surrounded himself with people like Nara Shikaku to refine those ideas, it wasn't entirely impossible.

Still, the very thought of it made his stomach churn.

"That brat…" Danzo muttered, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief. "He didn't look like the type to study anything seriously. I remember watching him skip lessons, laze around during training, and take shortcuts whenever possible! A brat like that could never…"

Danzo paused, gripping his chest as if the realization was physically painful.

"…but if he truly planned all of this… Then he's more dangerous than I ever imagined."

Hiruzen placed a hand on Danzo's shoulder, his voice calm yet firm. "Dangerous? Perhaps. But maybe it's time you stopped seeing him as an enemy and started considering the possibility that he may actually succeed where we failed."

Danzo's lips twitched, his gaze sharp as he snapped, "Failed? We didn't fail, Hiruzen. We preserved the will of fire. We ensured Konoha's survival in times of chaos!"

"Yes, we ensured survival," Hiruzen said softly, his voice tinged with regret. "But survival isn't enough. What comes after survival, Danzo? We never thought far enough ahead. Maybe Haneda has."

Danzo didn't respond. He slumped back onto his cot, staring at the shredded pages of My Struggle scattered across the floor.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice hollow. "Even if he succeeds… I can't accept it. A naturally evil Uchiha, leading Konoha into a new era? It's a slap in the face to everything we built, Hiruzen."

Hiruzen chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "You're so stubborn, Danzo. Always so stubborn."

As the cell fell quiet, the two old friends sat in the dim light, one lost in despair and disbelief, the other watching the remnants of their legacy being reshaped by a new generation.

…

Meanwhile, outside the Hokage Office

Haneda leaned back in his chair, legs propped up on his desk as he reviewed a report on Konoha's resource distribution.

The office door creaked open, and Nara Shikaku stepped inside, carrying a stack of documents. "Haneda, we've received confirmation from Jiraiya. The Frost Country's intelligence aligns with our reports. Your victory against Kumogakure has shaken the entire ninja world."

Haneda grinned, lowering the report in his hands. "Good. Let them talk. The more they spread the news, the more time we buy for Konoha to stabilize."

Shikaku placed the documents on Haneda's desk and gave him a pointed look. "And what about the Fire Daimyo? You've sent shockwaves through not just the ninja world but the political one as well. The other daimyos are growing uneasy."

Haneda shrugged, completely unfazed. "Let them be uneasy. The old system was flawed, Shikaku. I'm not here to coddle them. I'm here to ensure Konoha's future."

"You do realize that challenging the daimyos like this could lead to repercussions, right?" Shikaku raised an eyebrow.

Haneda's grin widened. "Let them come. They'll find Konoha more united and prepared than ever before. Besides, you underestimate how scared they are. None of them have the courage to act, not after what I did to the Fire Daimyo."

Shikaku sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're impossible to reason with sometimes. Just remember, Haneda, you may have the strength and vision to lead, but even the strongest leaders need allies. Don't alienate everyone."

Haneda waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, Shikaku. That's why I have you, Kakashi, and the others. To keep me in check if I go too far."

Shikaku's expression softened slightly, though his tone remained firm. "Don't make us regret putting our faith in you, Haneda."

"You won't," Haneda said confidently, standing up and stretching. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on Naruto. He's starting his formal ninja training soon, and I promised to oversee his progress personally."

With that, Haneda grabbed his coat and headed for the door, leaving Shikaku to shake his head in exasperation.

…

In Naruto's Training Ground

Naruto stood in the middle of the training ground, his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to mold chakra into a basic technique.

"Come on, Naruto! You can do it!" Haneda called out from the sidelines, arms crossed as he observed.

Nearby, Sasuke leaned against a tree, arms crossed and an amused smirk on his face. "Give it up, dobe. You'll never get it right at this rate."

Naruto glared at him, determination blazing in his eyes. "Shut up, Sasuke! I'll show you! Believe it!"

Haneda chuckled, shaking his head. "You two never change. Alright, Naruto, focus. Remember what I taught you about controlling your chakra flow."

As Naruto took a deep breath and tried again, Haneda's gaze softened.

For all the chaos and challenges that lay ahead, he knew one thing for certain:

The future of Konoha was in good hands.

(Chapter End)