What the hell is making games in the Ninja World?

"Have you heard? One of Konoha's advisors, Hokage Assistant Shimura Danzo, supposedly sold himself when he was younger!"

"Uh… Shimura Danzo? Who's that?"

"What!? You don't know Lord Danzo, one of Konoha's advisors? He was a companion of the Third Hokage and a disciple of the Second Hokage! He's a guardian of Konoha who chose to dwell in the shadows, sacrificing everything to protect the village!"

"Huh? Is that so? But… why are you saying he sold his body?"

"Well, you might not understand, but to protect Konoha, some sacrifices were necessary. Back then, Lord Danzo was an incredibly handsome young man—a true heartthrob. Naturally, some powerful shinobi and aristocrats with… peculiar tastes took notice of him."

"Normally, anyone in such a situation would resist strongly. But Lord Danzo, for the sake of Konoha and completing his missions, willingly… offered himself. He endured the advances of those older men—all to protect the village!"

"Hissss~~~ Wh-what? That's terrifying! A ninja would go that far!?"

"There was no other way. In the early days of Konoha's founding, even with the First and Second Hokages present, there were still many challenges. Many ninja had to make personal sacrifices to safeguard the village, and Lord Danzo was one of them."

"I see… Lord Danzo really went through a lot."

"Exactly. And it wasn't just that. Lord Danzo also had to entertain older and less attractive noblewomen and wealthy widows. He played along with their twisted games involving steel wool, whips, and razor blades. It's said that the cross-shaped scar on his chin came from one of those encounters."

"Hissss~~~ Wh-what!? Those noblewomen and rich widows were that extreme? That's horrifying!"

"Right? Those wealthy aristocrats really got wild in their later years. Oh, and I just remembered—besides all that, Lord Danzo even disguised himself as a woman to infiltrate a brothel. He became one of the top courtesans there, and then… well, you can imagine."

"What!? Seriously? So… Lord Danzo must have been stunning back then?"

"You wouldn't believe it—he was breathtakingly beautiful, the most handsome man of his time. When he dressed as a woman, he was even more gorgeous than actual women."

"Hissss~~~ Ahem… well, in that case, I suppose it's… not entirely unacceptable…"

"??? Something's wrong with you!"

As Nara Shikaku listened to the bystanders' discussion, he took a drag from the cigarette dangling from his lips. His mood was complicated. 

He felt like he should interject with some snarky comment, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out where to even begin.

"This is the Uchiha clan's counterattack? Truly terrifying. It's supposed to be a gesture of contribution to Konoha, involving great sacrifices, but such 'good words' are probably unacceptable to anyone..."

For a brief moment, Nara Shikaku felt a hint of pity for Shimura Danzō, someone he had once met and instinctively loathed.

But only for a moment—Danzō being slandered like this was nothing less than deserved.

A few days ago, negative rumors about the genjutsu games and the Uchiha clan began circulating in the village. Allegations of significant issues with the games were spreading like wildfire.

These rumor-spreading tactics were crude yet effective because ordinary people were easily swayed. 

Considering the Uchiha clan's reputation within the village, such rumors only escalated and became harder to address.

Essentially, it was a disgusting but clever strategy, an open scheme that couldn't easily be countered.

In the past, when faced with such situations, the major clans would usually stand by and watch, as it didn't concern them directly. They'd just mind their own business, even taking pleasure in seeing the proud Uchiha clan struggle.

But now, things had changed. The Uchiha clan had tied their interests with those of the other clans, and the sales of the genjutsu games were directly tied to everyone's profits.

It was worth noting that, based on the current sales, each family stood to earn at least 100 million ryō in dividends by the year's end.

And this was just for one year. Future profits would continue to roll in indefinitely.

This inexhaustible gold mine was now under threat, with someone trying to bury it and prevent everyone from earning their share. Who could tolerate that?

Two days ago, some clans had proactively approached the Nara clan, known for their wisdom, for a solution. The Nara clan devised a plan, and yesterday, the major shinobi clans took action together, quickly quashing the rumors.

The Uchiha clan was astonished when they learned about this and naturally expressed their gratitude to each of the major clans. They also gained a deeper appreciation for Uchiha Kai's brilliant strategy of tying their interests to those of the other clans.

Once, when faced with situations like this, the Uchiha clan could only endure silently or aggressively capture and fine people, often escalating matters and leaving everyone dissatisfied.

This time, however, before the Uchiha clan even took any action, a large group of people had already stepped in to help. It felt unbelievably refreshing!

As a result, the Uchiha higher-ups became even more resolute in following Uchiha Kai's strategies. When they received his request and plan to counterattack Danzo Shimura, they immediately set it into motion.

The Uchiha clan didn't retaliate directly. Instead, they sent representatives to explain to the major clans the losses caused by the recent rumors. 

They made it clear that such malicious behavior had to be countered; otherwise, if left unchecked, anyone could create trouble in the future, leading to even greater losses for everyone.

The other clans agreed with this perspective and supported the idea of retaliation. However, the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans expressed some concerns, worrying that things might escalate too much.

Clearly, these three clans were aware of who was behind the rumors—or rather, the three Konoha advisors who headed these clans knew. Their worries mirrored those of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Uchiha Kai had already anticipated this reaction. The complex and close ties within the "Konoha Council" were no secret. 

Although there were internal conflicts among them, if anyone targeted one of them too harshly, the others would definitely intervene.

Thus, the Uchiha representatives reassured everyone that their counterattack would not be malicious. It wouldn't harm the mastermind behind the rumors, nor would it damage Konoha. 

It was merely a way to showcase the stance of the Uchiha clan and the Konoha Gaming Company as a whole.

Hearing this, the three clans tacitly approved. They wouldn't openly agree, but sometimes tacit approval is as good as agreement.

Soon after, rumors about Danzo Shimura began to spread unexpectedly.

Interestingly, these rumors didn't contain any negative information about Danzo. Instead, they painted him as someone who had made great sacrifices for Konoha. 

The stories were so touching that listeners were moved to tears, and some were filled with admiration. 

Others, however, became curious about Danzo's younger days and wanted to see him cross-dress.

From this day forward, the great "Root of Konoha," the "Darkness of the Shinobi World," Danzo Shimura, began to gain fame in Konoha. 

With the momentum of these rumors, it was highly likely that he would become famous across the entire shinobi world. 

People would learn how this advisor had once sacrificed everything for Konoha—selling himself, cross-dressing, entertaining wealthy women, and even becoming a courtesan.

When this information reached Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, he was completely dumbfounded. His expression almost broke into pieces.

Hiruzen was certain that his old companions, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, wouldn't be able to keep their composure either.

As for Danzo Shimura...

"Should be about time now…"

Muttering to himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the Hokage office door swing open with a loud bang. 

Immediately after, he saw Danzo Shimura storming in furiously, his face twisted in an expression of utter disbelief and rage, limping as he moved.

"Hiruzen!!! You knew about this, didn't you? You definitely knew about this!!! You knew, yet you allowed the Uchiha clan to do something like this!!"

Danzo's voice carried a mix of anger, frustration, and the bitterness of feeling betrayed by an old friend.

His tone was frantic, filled with rage, agitation, and a hint of madness born from deep-seated grievance.

**********

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