This Danzo Is Weird!

It was the rainy season, and heavy clouds blanketed the skies over Konoha, refusing to dissipate.

Similarly, the endless wars had left the villagers and shinobi of Konoha struggling to catch their breath.

On this particular day, the Third Hokage, busy handling various administrative duties, received yet another piece of bad news.

"What? You're telling me the 1,000 ninja Mitokado Homura sent to Kikyo Mountain have been ambushed?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi widened his eyes in disbelief as he stared at the Anbu ninja before him.

The Anbu lowered his head and spoke quietly: "They haven't been wiped out yet, but they are currently trapped in the Valley of Red."

"That's no different from being wiped out!"

Even with Hiruzen's exceptional composure, he couldn't suppress his anger as he roared: "Mitokado Homura is a useless fool!"

That was 1,000 ninja!

Even if they weren't an elite force, 1,000 ninja were more than enough to sway the outcome of a local battle.

And now, they'd been carelessly squandered by that old man Homura!

Hiruzen had long been aware of his old friend's mediocre command skills, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad!

His mind wandered back to Danzo's letter:

"Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane are unreliable. Orochimaru must continue as the commander on the Land of Water front."

The Hokage, one of the most powerful figures in the ninja world, felt a pang of regret.

If only he had ignored Koharu and Homura's advice and kept Orochimaru in charge, the situation would be entirely different now.

With Orochimaru's command, the reinforcements would have maintained their intimidating stance, applying pressure on the enemy instead of walking straight into a trap.

If that had been the case, perhaps the Kikyo Mountain front could have been saved.

However, as Hokage, he couldn't afford to show any sign of regret.

If he himself didn't have confidence in his decisions and judgment, the entire village would spiral into chaos.

Suppressing his frustration, he asked: "Where is Minato?"

"Jōnin Minato has already handed over command of the Earth Country front and is heading to Kikyo Mountain as fast as possible."

"Understood. Dismissed."

Hiruzen waved him off and returned to his desk to continue reviewing documents.

But for some reason, he couldn't calm himself. Frustrated, he walked to the window and lit a cigarette, gazing over the village.

Time passed unknowingly before the Anbu ninja returned.

"More intel?"

He asked directly.

The Anbu wasted no time and quickly reported: "Yes, it's from Kikyo Mountain."

He hesitated briefly, glancing at the Third Hokage before continuing: "Elder Danzo, upon learning the reinforcements were trapped, personally went to the Valley of Red to rescue them."

"What?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened once again.

"How many people did he take?"

"He went alone."

"Alone?"

Hiruzen felt as if the world had turned upside down. Shimura Danzo risking his life to rescue reinforcements by himself?

Was this truly a rescue mission, or was he going there to die?

He prided himself on knowing Danzo's character well. Danzo was ruthless and cunning, but he was not the kind of person who would risk his life for his subordinates.

The passage of time had long eroded their youthful courage. If there was even the faintest glimmer of hope, his old friend would never gamble on such a perilous endeavor.

　　"What is going on here!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the desk and asked again, "What about the defenses at Kikyo Mountain?"

Without Danzo, how could Kikyo Mountain hold against the allied shinobi forces led by the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa?

The Anbu responded carefully: "Before the war began, Elder Danzo used a large amount of funding from Root and the Shimura clan to construct extensive defenses at Kikyo Mountain. Those fortifications might hold off the allied forces."

Hiruzen said nothing.

This was indeed something Danzo would do.

But the fact that Danzo had anticipated the movements of Sunagakure and Kumogakure so early on showed a level of military foresight that put Mitokado Homura to shame.

Even so, Hiruzen held a pessimistic view of Kikyo Mountain's defenses.

No one understood the destructive power of a tailed beast better than he did.

No matter how many defensive fortifications Danzo had built, they would be meaningless in the face of a tailed beast. A single Tailed Beast Bomb would obliterate them all.

"Understood. Dismissed."

Hiruzen waved off the Anbu, his expression dark.

That night, Hiruzen couldn't sleep.

The next morning, his office was knocked upon again.

"Lord Hokage, we've received intel from the Valley of Red battlefield!"

At those words, Hiruzen immediately perked up.

"Quick, tell me—how is Danzo?"

The Anbu ninja struggled to suppress his excitement as he reported, "Elder Danzo arrived at the battlefield in time, used Wood Release to rout the Kumogakure forces, and severely injured A, the Raikage candidate!"

At first, Hiruzen's face lit up with joy, but then he froze in shock.

"What did you just say he used to defeat the Kumogakure forces?"

"Reporting to Lord Hokage, Elder Danzo used the First Hokage's Wood Release!"

This revelation was earth-shattering, as Wood Release carried immense significance in Konoha.

"Is this true?"

Hiruzen's expression immediately turned serious.

Sensing the weight of the situation, the Anbu ninja quickly replied, "Yes, many ninja present on the battlefield saw it with their own eyes."

"Understood."

Hiruzen waved him away, leaning back in his chair, his thoughts in turmoil.

The fact that Danzo had mastered Wood Release was an enormous shock to him.

Years ago, he and Danzo had jointly initiated the Wood Release experiment.

The experiment had been voluntary, with all participants agreeing willingly.

However, due to the high mortality rate and lack of results, Hiruzen, as Hokage, had shut it down.

Whatever experiments Danzo had conducted in secret afterward had nothing to do with him, or so he had believed.

But now, Danzo had not only mastered Wood Release but also used it to decisively turn the tide of an entire battlefield. Hiruzen could no longer ignore this.

"That Danzo... he even kept this from me..."

A strange light flickered in Hiruzen's eyes.

If Danzo truly had the technology to mass-produce Wood Release users, why had he hidden it from him?

Meanwhile, news of Danzo's mastery of Wood Release and his heroics at Kikyo Mountain spread rapidly throughout Konoha.

Though the villagers and shinobi didn't understand how Danzo came to possess Wood Release, his victory at this critical juncture was undeniably inspiring.

For many young ninja, this was their first time hearing the name Shimura Danzo. They began eagerly asking their elders about his deeds.

The elders, however, often responded with evasive expressions, which only fueled the younger generation's curiosity.

Listening to the chatter throughout the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze grew even deeper.

"Just how many secrets are you still hiding from me, Danzo?"

__

This Danzo Is Weird 120 advanced chapters: (5-10 ch updates everyday)

Patreon.com/rashta

Be a member so you can also read:

1. 220 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto

2. 540 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother

3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin

4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)