Danzo Stays Behind

"Red, why are you suddenly going to the front line?"

Mitarai Anko asked in confusion. She vaguely knew a little about the war, but the list for the first group had clearly already been finalized. She remembered Red was not on it, so why had she been added afterward?

Anko lived close to Red, and the two shared similarly unfortunate experiences, so they quickly became friends.

Yuhi Kurenai shook her head helplessly and said to Anko, "I’m not sure either. But it’s not just me—many squads received the same order."

The squads of familiar faces like Might Guy and Shiranui Genma had all, like Yuhi Kurenai, suddenly received orders to head to the front line. And once they arrived, they would certainly be broken up and reorganized, reassigned according to their respective fighting styles.

By all rights, people like them should have served as support for the second wave. Sending them with the first wave would make it too easy to expose Konoha’s military strength prematurely.

"But it’s fine. We all have to go to war eventually, so I’ll take the first step."

After giving it some thought, Yuhi Kurenai smiled at Anko. There were still strange aspects to it, but without enough information, she could not make a judgment. Still, judging by the current situation, Anko would most likely join the next support unit.

Since their group had received the orders rather late, Red was still organizing ninja tools and other supplies.

Since Anko did not need to head to the front line, she seemed rather relaxed. She held a plate in one hand and kept popping red bean dumplings from it into her mouth with the other. Before long, she had nearly finished the whole plate.

But Anko had not gained nothing, either. As she ate, she kept watching Red. After a while, Anko suddenly spoke.

"Red, you seem to have been in a much better mood lately. Did something good happen?"

"What?"

Yuhi Kurenai froze at the question. Then her ruby-like eyes gave Anko an irritated look. "I only just got out of the hospital, and now I have to go to war. What good thing could possibly have happened to me?"

"That’s exactly it!"

Anko swallowed the last dumpling, suddenly raised her voice, and said to Yuhi Kurenai with a grin.

"Ever since that day, you’ve changed a lot. You went from being an ice queen who only knew how to train to someone who smiles from time to time."

After hearing Anko’s words, Yuhi Kurenai recalled the matter she had asked Kushina about some time ago. She quickly shook her head and said, "Nothing like that happened. Anko, don’t talk nonsense."

"Nothing? It’s obviously true, and it’s really obvious."

But no matter what Anko said afterward, Yuhi Kurenai refused to respond on that subject. Anko soon found it boring, and after staying for a while, she left.

After Anko left, Yuhi Kurenai went to the mirror and looked at herself. She really was somewhat different from before. Even her mother said so. And now that she had grown up, few in Konoha could compare to her, whether in appearance or otherwise.

Her voluminous long hair and red eyes, combined with her distinctive bandage-like outfit and increasingly curvaceous figure—Yuhi Kurenai examined her charm as a woman. This was probably one of the few advantages she had over Kiyomi.

As for the change in mood Anko had mentioned, it was probably the smile that occasionally appeared on her lips. Because of that, that Sarutobi whatever she had finally shaken off had started hovering around her again. If that guy were not around, she would be in an even better mood.

Yuhi Kurenai shook her head, throwing those messy thoughts out of her mind.

Strength!

Without strength, she would not even have the chance to speak with that person. Although what Lady Kushina had said was most likely meant to comfort her, she still needed to improve her strength if she wanted to get closer to what Lady Kushina had spoken of as soon as possible.

Her Illusion Technique methods and Illusion Technique constructs still needed refinement; those could be used against others. As for Taijutsu, she needed to devote more time to training that as well.

Many others had received the same orders as Yuhi Kurenai. They were all Ninja replacing members of the Anbu and Root.

Because they had learned of the connection between the Uchiha Clan and the Yasunori Trading Company, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to keep Root and the Anbu in the village on alert.

This time, they were targeting the Rain Country, which was cooperating with the Saudi Federation, and the Yasunori Trading Company held considerable influence within the Saudi Federation. If Root had not uncovered this intelligence, then if the fighting at the front line became deadlocked and the Uchiha Clan caused trouble in the rear—

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others did not even dare imagine such a scenario. Once internal strife erupted, Konoha could very well be destroyed because of it.

"Hiruzen, one of us has to go to the front line. Will it be you or me? Why not leave the matters at the front line to me?"

Danzo asked. Shikaku was a fine advisor, but this time even Ōnoki had personally gone to the front line. They had to send someone of sufficient standing; otherwise, if they were set up by the Iwa-nin on the battlefield, they would not be able to make swift decisions.

"I’ll go."

After thinking for a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen made his decision. Both the front line and the village were important. However, he remembered Danzo’s past collusion with Hanzo. Besides, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and his own son and daughter-in-law were still in the village.

There should not be any problem. As long as Shisui could change Uchiha Fugaku’s mind, even if the Uchiha Clan showed signs of rebellion, Sarutobi Hiruzen could quickly return through the Reverse Summoning Technique.

Danzo frowned at that and asked, "As the Hokage, you should remain in the village. Let me go instead."

"There’s no need. Stay in the village and fulfill Root’s duties. Even Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, has gone to the front line. As the Third Hokage, how could I cower in the rear?"

After hearing Danzo’s words, Sarutobi Hiruzen became even more convinced that Danzo wanted to go to the front line to satisfy his own desires. He immediately rejected Danzo’s proposal.

"Hmph. Do as you please."

After leaving those words behind, Danzo snorted and left the Hokage’s Office. But the instant he turned around, the corners of his mouth rose slightly as he thought, Hiruzen, I understand you just as well as you understand me. I already knew you would do this.

Remaining in Konoha was probably Danzo’s most pressing desire at the moment. Ever since witnessing Shisui Uchiha’s Kotoamatsukami, he had constantly hoped to seize those eyes for himself.

If he had not seen those eyes, an ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan truly would not have attracted him more than the war at the front line. But now that he knew of the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had to obtain it.

Especially since the Eye Technique known as Kotoamatsukami was so powerful that it was nearly impossible to counter. With such an Eye Technique in an Uchiha’s hands, Danzo could not rest easy, even if Shisui Uchiha considered matters from the village’s perspective.

In the Rain Country, Yasunori Sakai was planning the details of renovations when he suddenly received a scroll handed over by a subordinate.

Upon seeing the mark on the scroll, Yasunori Sakai knew that Uchiha Tekka had passed it on to him. This was probably the only thing Uchiha Tekka had kept hidden from Fugaku.

Because Uchiha Tekka had certain questions he had never been able to figure out, when he had seen Yasunori Sakai off from Konoha, they had agreed to use this method of "writing letters" to exchange answers and clear up his doubts.

As Yasunori Sakai picked up the scroll, he suddenly felt someone watching him from the side. He turned his head and saw Konan pretending to handle documents.

"Interested in this, Konan?" Yasunori Sakai gestured toward the scroll in his hand and asked her directly.

"I’m not." Konan denied it without changing expression. "I just wanted to check on your progress. I’ll be leaving this place before long, so it would be best to finish the plans before then."

"It seems Konan has great confidence in the war. It hasn’t even begun, yet you’ve already decided that the Rain Country will be rebuilt quickly."

Yasunori Sakai said with a light chuckle. There was no mockery in his smile, and even Konan felt no displeasure at the sight of it.

"As long as you’re not interested in the scrolls. To be honest, this was a question sent by one of my ‘pen pals.’ I only need to spare some time to reply. As for the planning, I’m already nearing the end. In another day, we can begin the renovation work."

Konan let out a cold snort, making it clear that she had no interest whatsoever in those so-called "pen pals."