Chapter 620: Impact

As the news of Danzo Shimura’s death had spread throughout the Ninja World, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply issued a public announcement, confirming the news.

To save some face for Danzo Shimura and to maintain the authority of the higher-ups, Danzo Shimura’s cause of death was not that he was killed during an unauthorized solo mission, but rather that he unfortunately sacrificed himself while investigating intelligence.

This news shook Konoha, and its residents discussed amongst themselves who Danzo Shimura actually was.

Although Danzo Shimura was one of Konoha’s higher-ups, ordinary Konoha residents didn’t really care who the higher-ups were; at most, they knew who the Hokage was.

Furthermore, Danzo Shimura was mainly responsible for the dirty and arduous work behind the scenes and rarely appeared in public, making it even harder for residents to recognize him.

Of course, most Ninja still knew Danzo Shimura.

Besides being the ‘Konoha Pot-Stirrer,’ Danzo Shimura was also a powerful Ninja, and this alone was enough for many Konoha Ninja to have an impression of him.

However, due to various reasons, Danzo Shimura’s overall evaluation in the eyes of most Ninja was quite average.

Regarding the news of Danzo Shimura’s death, most Ninja were not concerned with the death itself, but rather with the potential impact of the event.

Danzo Shimura was, after all, a Konoha higher-up, and a powerful one who controlled the special Root department, involving numerous interests.

Due to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s early preparations upon receiving the news, nothing happened regarding the Village’s internal impact.

The external impact, however, was a bit alarming. Ninja clans with deep foundations, like the Nara, quickly received news of Kumogakure’s movements against Konoha.

Moreover, as the news fermented, someone discovered a problem: the news entering Konoha from outside stated that Sōsuke from the Land of Rain had killed Danzo Shimura, while Hiruzen Sarutobi’s public announcement stated that the investigation was still ongoing.

Various pieces of information created a strange atmosphere within Konoha, no longer as relaxed as before.

Even the training atmosphere in the South Border Forest was slightly affected.

“Lord Danzo is dead…” Yamato sighed, sitting on a large rock.

After spending some time with Muzuki, he realized that Danzo Shimura was not as good as he had imagined, but Yamato was still grateful to Danzo Shimura.

After all, Danzo Shimura had raised him for a considerable amount of time, and Yamato was very grateful for this.

Therefore, Yamato was the only one among Muzuki’s disciples who would feel sad about Danzo Shimura’s death.

“Danzo? That Danzo Shimura? So who was he, anyway? Lots of people in the Village have been discussing him recently,” Obito asked, scratching his head.

He was one of those who would ask who Danzo Shimura was.

Obito hadn’t been born during the years Danzo Shimura was active on the battlefield, and coupled with other factors, Obito wasn’t clear about the information regarding the Ninja named Danzo Shimura.

“He was Konoha’s Hokage Assistant,” Kakashi answered the question for Yamato.

“He was the Hokage Assistant? But I haven’t heard much about him,” Obito said, a bit puzzled.

“Probably because there wasn’t any news worth spreading,” Kakashi replied blandly.

Ninja like Muzuki and Minato Namikaze, who repeatedly achieved great feats on the battlefield, were actually very rare.

Because this not only required strength but also luck and the ability to seize opportunities.

Obito felt that Kakashi was right, and at the same time, he mourned for 0.01 seconds for this unfamiliar Hokage Assistant.

As a Hokage Assistant, he didn’t even have a single accomplishment worth mentioning; it was truly pathetic.

“If I become Hokage, I definitely want to be the kind of Hokage who gets several pages in history books!” Obito thought, clenching his fist.

He found studying incredibly annoying, but the thought of future students having to memorize his deeds made Obito incredibly excited.

As for why he thought it rather than spoke it aloud, Obito knew that the inherently evil Kakashi would surely laugh at him for overestimating himself.

Although he had grand ambitions, Obito knew that his current self was indeed not qualified and he couldn’t refute Kakashi’s mockery.

He wanted to work hard in secret and then amaze everyone.

“Don’t take on any missions recently; wait for my arrangements,” Muzuki reminded his disciples.

From the changes in the Ninja World, Muzuki could sense Uchiha Madara’s impatience.

He was getting old and was eager to find an heir to execute his grand plan of resurrection.

In such circumstances, only in Konoha, by Muzuki’s side, could Obito and Shisui avoid Uchiha Madara’s machinations.

Normally, a Jonin could complete missions alone or lead a team to complete them.

However, Obito and the others were in a special situation. On one hand, they were too young, so young that they broke Konoha’s Jonin age record, and then there was Muzuki’s interference.

Minato Namikaze had suggested letting Kakashi and the others lead teams on missions, not to have more Jonin teams in Konoha, but to train them through leadership.

Muzuki firmly rejected Minato Namikaze’s proposal and listed several reasons to persuade Minato Namikaze.

All the disciples nodded.

Immediately after, Muzuki called Shisui aside separately and explained the training squad matter to him.

Shisui showed a somewhat conflicted expression.

He could sense the special nature of the training squad; it was an Anbu even more special than Anbu, and it might help him with his plan to change the Uchiha.

But joining such a special department would certainly prevent him from being as carefree as before, and he wouldn’t have as much time to train with Muzuki, Obito, and the others.

“If you want to join, I will arrange a squad leader position for you. If you don’t want to join, then don’t; there’s no need to force yourself. Just choose according to your true feelings,” Muzuki said.

Solving the Uchiha problem required considering both internal and external clan matters, but this external aspect didn’t necessarily mean joining a department like the training squad.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also didn’t say that Shisui absolutely had to join the training squad; he just said that Shisui was a suitable candidate.

As Shisui’s teacher, while he couldn’t solve all of Shisui’s difficulties, helping him weather some storms was certainly not a problem.

“Teacher Muzuki, I’ll join!” Shisui replied with a serious expression.

After careful consideration, Shisui believed he should seize this rare opportunity.

This was an advantage that no other Uchiha Ninja possessed, apart from him and Obito.

Muzuki was the head of this new department, and in this department, as long as they performed meritorious deeds, they would definitely receive their due rewards.

It would be very difficult for other Uchiha to join such a secret department, and even harder to be given important roles.

“Good, I’ll notify you when it’s time to report to the training squad,” Muzuki nodded.

Thanks to Danzo Shimura, although the training squad was a newly established department, it already had its own independent base—the former Root Base.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not go back on his word; apart from some confidential documents useless to the training squad, all other Root assets belonged to the training squad.

Although the training squad currently only had two people besides Shisui, who hadn’t officially joined, the various resources were indeed considerable.

Shisui thanked Muzuki and then began his training.

After the training session ended, Muzuki did not return to his home in the Main urban area but walked over to Yamato’s side.

“Teacher Muzuki?” Yamato looked at Muzuki, puzzled.

“I felt like visiting your home today. Does Yamato not welcome me?” Muzuki said, smiling at Yamato.

“Of course, you’re welcome,” Yamato quickly explained, feeling a little touched.

Muzuki was always like this, able to detect his emotions in time and then provide comfort.

The house Yamato currently lived in was arranged by Danzo Shimura before, located in the furthest outskirts of the suburbs.

Fortunately, the place where Muzuki and the others trained was also quite remote, so Yamato’s home was actually the closest to their usual training spot.

After entering Yamato’s home, Muzuki walked towards the kitchen.

When a disciple is unhappy, of course, he should let him taste delicious Cuisine that can change his mood.

Yamato waved his hand, indicating he didn’t want to trouble Muzuki, but in the end, he was persuaded by Muzuki and obediently sat at the table, waiting for dinner.

“Do you want to go to school?” Muzuki asked after placing the last dish on the dining table.

Ninja Academy generally started at five or six years old; Yamato was already eight, and if his identity weren’t special, he should have gone to Ninja Academy long ago.

Muzuki had long wanted to send Yamato to school, but he couldn’t explain it to Danzo Shimura, so it had never been possible.

“To Ninja Academy?” Yamato replied, restraining himself from looking at the exceptionally tempting Cuisine.

This was food made by Muzuki, and he felt that Muzuki should eat first.

“Yes, once you graduate from Ninja Academy, you’ll be a formal Konoha Ninja,” Muzuki, seeing Yamato’s thoughts, picked up a piece of meat and placed it in his own bowl.

Strictly speaking, Yamato was actually an unregistered person; his identity was arranged by Danzo Shimura.

Yamato’s previous identity as a Root Ninja was not registered in the Root member directory; he was a Ninja only recognized by Danzo Shimura, not a true Konoha Ninja.

Of course, with Danzo Shimura’s power, it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a Ninja identity for Yamato; it was just that Yamato’s strength was too weak, and Danzo Shimura was worried about being discovered by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“How long do I have to study at Ninja Academy to become a Ninja?” Yamato also picked up a piece of meat, and after putting it in his mouth, he immediately scooped up some rice. After chewing for a while, he showed a happy expression.

“If you’re fast, a month or even two weeks is possible; if you’re slow, six years. I personally recommend you stay for at least two years,” Muzuki thought for a moment and said.

Yamato was one of the more unfortunate among his disciples. First, he was captured and became an experimental subject for the deadly Hashirama cells experiment.

He barely survived, losing his memories, and was then picked up by Danzo Shimura, who continuously manipulated him with his twisted ideology.

Therefore, Muzuki hoped Yamato could have a joyful school life.

With Yamato’s current strength, going to Ninja Academy would be a complete dimensional crush, purely like a novel’s protagonist.

When Yamato heard the number six years, his eyes widened slightly. His life had only been a little over one and a third of six years.

“Teacher Muzuki, do I have a chance to become a Wood Release Ninja like First Hokage-sama?” Yamato suddenly asked, not answering the question he hadn’t posed.

“It’s very difficult, almost impossible,” Muzuki replied as tactfully as possible.

What was abnormal about Senju Hashirama wasn’t his Wood Release, but his terrifying Chakra.

The Chakra of a normal Tailed Beast was already terrifyingly beyond the reach of ordinary Ninja, and compared to the Nine-Tailed, a normal Tailed Beast’s Chakra was quite a bit less.

But compared to Senju Hashirama, the Nine-Tailed could only step aside a bit, which showed how terrifying Senju Hashirama’s Chakra volume was.

“So there’s still a small possibility? I want to become a Ninja like First Hokage-sama, who can protect the Village and stop wars,” Yamato said with a resolute expression.

“I want to go to Ninja Academy, graduate as quickly as possible, and become a Ninja. Then, Teacher Muzuki, please train me even more strictly!”

Danzo Shimura’s death made him somewhat sad, but what made Yamato more uneasy was the future. If Muzuki also sacrificed himself like Danzo Shimura… he wanted stronger power, power that could protect the people and things he cared about.

Muzuki showed a somewhat helpless expression. Sometimes, being precocious wasn’t a good thing. Why were they all so responsible? Children under ten should just enjoy life.

“Even if you want to become a Ninja like the First Hokage, it’s not something that happens overnight. You’ll have to study in the Ninja Academy for at least a year,” Muzuki said, tapping Yamato with his index and middle fingers… Land of Hot Springs, Konoha Ninja Force Base.

“So he died just like that? What a pity,” Orochimaru said, putting down the documents in his hand. His usually expressionless face showed a slight ripple.

He had received news of Danzo Shimura’s death, not only through Konoha’s official announcement but also through some information circulating in the Ninja World.

“The experiment can only be paused…” Orochimaru sighed softly.

He felt no sadness over Danzo Shimura’s death. Just as Danzo Shimura only saw him as a tool for experiments, Orochimaru likewise only regarded Danzo Shimura as a useful partner, not a comrade like Jiraiya or Tsunade.

What worried Orochimaru was whether his experiments could proceed smoothly and whether his cooperation with Danzo Shimura had been exposed.

They had done too many things that crossed the line together. If exposed, Orochimaru would not only lose his chance to compete for Hokage, but Hiruzen Sarutobi sparing his life would be considered an act of old sentiment.

Orochimaru had originally planned to return to Konoha to eliminate any information that might expose him, but Kumogakure’s sudden actions thwarted his objective.

Replacing a commander before a war was a major taboo. Without a suitable reason, Konoha’s higher-ups would not allow him to return to Konoha at this time.

After realizing the difficulty of returning to Konoha, Orochimaru simply didn’t apply, knowing it wouldn’t be approved anyway.

Orochimaru now desperately hoped that Danzo Shimura had handled the traces well; if exposed, he would only have the path of defection.

Orochimaru did not sit idly by. He actively sought ways to contact his subordinates in Konoha, wanting to understand the situation in Konoha and the impact of Danzo Shimura’s death on the Village.

He was not greedy for his power in Konoha; neither power nor money were anything more than means to achieve his goals. He was not infatuated with power and money themselves.

But for Orochimaru to abandon everything in Konoha, he couldn’t bear it. He had worked for many years to achieve his current results; if he defected, he would have to start from scratch, which would waste a lot of time again.

A person’s energy is always limited, even for a genius like Orochimaru.

When he focused his energy on Danzo Shimura and his affairs, and on the war with Kumogakure, he didn’t have as much energy to analyze.

Thus, Kumogakure’s Ninja Force quietly arrived in the Land of Rice Fields by boat and began their operation.