"Use!"
The next moment, the Versus Points Exchange Card floated in the air, names appearing one after another.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Ebizo.
Danzo Shimura.
Onoki.
Yagura Karatachi.
Killer B.
Still six names. Slightly different from last time.
But as long as Danzo Shimura was still breathing, Rasa had no reason to pick anyone else.
No other reason—Danzo was just too easy to piss off.
Drop one little story in the newspaper, curse him out, and 2,000 emotion points dropped straight into Rasa's pocket.
"I choose Danzo Shimura!"
The other names vanished. Danzo's name locked into the card. It flashed into a streak of light and disappeared.
When it reappeared, it was already inside Konoha.
The light sank straight into Danzo's body.
Ebizo's people moved fast.
After two successful rumor campaigns, Ebizo had built a system. He even created a special unit.
The Rumor Squad.
Right now, the truth behind the Kirigakure Anbu attack on the Konoha team was still up in the air.
All the major villages had quietly agreed to blame the Uchiha and Takechi clans.
Yagura had returned to Kirigakure and launched a full investigation.
The results shocked him.
This wasn't an order from the village leadership. The Anbu had acted on their own. But Anbu never moved without orders.
Someone had to be controlling them.
"Who?"
Yagura's eyes narrowed.
"Iwagakure?"
"Sunagakure?"
"Or was it really the Uchiha and Takechi clans?"
That was when Ebizo's rumors began spreading across the ninja world.
A report landed in Yagura's hands.
He opened it. His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"Konoha!"
"I knew it!"
"Those lying sons of bitches!"
"Konoha ninja just got hit, and Danzo immediately ran to Rasa begging for a peace treaty. Same damn time!"
"Don't tell me Danzo can see the future now?"
"There's only one explanation. Danzo already knew before the Mist Anbu attacked."
The rumors Rasa ordered were built on real events.
Only the timing had been… adjusted.
Danzo's trip to the Sand camp had been moved up a little.
Of course Konoha could deny it.
But not everyone would believe them.
And when believers and doubters started fighting in the streets, Rasa would win.
More discussion. Faster spread. More points.
"Danzo!"
Venom filled Yagura's eyes.
"The whole plan was probably his idea."
"After already pissing off Rasa, why would he go crawling to him and put himself in danger? Danzo's not that stupid."
"That's why he brought Orochimaru with him."
Yagura snorted.
"Konoha claims the Uchiha used Sharingan genjutsu to control our Anbu."
"But Konoha still has Uchiha of their own. And they've got the Yamanaka clan."
"Controlling Mist Anbu with Yamanaka techniques? Child's play."
The more Yagura read, the more certain he became.
"This was Konoha staging the whole thing."
"Our Anbu would never betray the village. They're loyal to the bone."
"So the only way to control them is ninjutsu or genjutsu."
"Sunagakure and Iwagakure don't have that kind of power."
"The Uchiha could've done it. The Takechi clan might even know where the Three-Tails revived. But why would the Uchiha pick a Konoha ninja to seal the Three-Tails into?"
"They could've used one of our own. Easier. Higher success rate. Way more damage to Konoha."
Yagura's answer was clear.
"It had to be Konoha."
"They wanted it to look real, but they didn't want to hurt their own village too badly."
"So they picked one of Minato Namikaze's students. Weak enough that her death wouldn't matter much… but important enough because she was his student to cause maximum chaos."
"This is the only answer that makes sense!"
"Konoha!"
Yagura's teeth ground together.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you shameless bastard."
"Danzo, you filthy snake."
"You took everything from Kirigakure and this is how you repay us?!"
Yagura slammed his fist on the desk.
"Spread the announcement. Let the entire ninja world see Konoha's true face!"
He wasn't doing this just for revenge.
If Konoha had no honor, then Kirigakure didn't have to play nice either.
And a public announcement would help restore some of Kirigakure's reputation.
Instead of the world calling them losers, they'd call them the poor bastards Konoha screwed over.
It was worth it.
The announcement went out.
It spread like wildfire.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard the news, he was completely stunned.
"What the hell is wrong with Kirigakure?!"
"Didn't we all agree to blame the Uchiha and Takechi clans?!"
"We didn't even come after them for our losses, and now they're biting us back?!"
"We haven't even demanded compensation from them yet!"
Right then, someone burst into the Hokage Tower.
Danzo's face was dark as thunder.
"Hiruzen, have you heard the rumors? Someone's spreading lies that I planned the Mist Anbu attack. They're saying it was either Sunagakure or Iwagakure pulling the strings."
"Those two villages love dirty tricks like this."
"Konoha needs the same kind of weapons to fight back."
"Leave this to Root."
Hiruzen shook his head and slid a report across the desk.
"It's not Iwagakure. It's not Sunagakure either. The one spreading the rumor that you're the mastermind… is Kirigakure. This is Yagura's official announcement."
"Read it."
Danzo snatched the paper. One glance and his face twisted in fury.
"Yagura is talking out of his ass!"
"You're slandering me!"