Chapter 119 - 19

Chapter 19: Danzo's Disappointment, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu Training SuccessThe intense words Danzo Shimura was about to blurt out were stuck in his throat by this realistic question.His single eye blinked rapidly, and his brain calculated at lightning speed: Uchiha Fugaku, that man was suspected of possessing a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, his strength unknown; those Jonin and Chunin of the Uchiha Clan, with the boost of the Sharingan, had combat power that could not be underestimated; the clan grounds were easy to defend and difficult to attack...The losses of the Root, the losses of the Anbu, and the need to mobilize the power of other clans—but would those other clans go all out? Post-conflict pacification, reconstruction... indeed, the price would be extremely heavy.He fell into silence, the veins on the back of his hand gripping his cane becoming visible."Fugaku, and those old fogies in the Uchiha Clan, are mostly just complaining and watching from the sidelines right now."Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice lowered, carrying the shrewdness and exhaustion of a politician, "Judging from the fact that they meet frequently but have never truly taken that step, they are hesitating, they are afraid—afraid of the Village's power, and afraid that if they fail, the Uchiha will be doomed forever.""Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolutely not loyalty!"Danzo squeezed these words out through his teeth, "Hesitation is the beginning of betrayal! My Root, combined with your direct Anbu, and joined by the Ino–Shika–Chō and other clans, definitely has the certainty to completely eradicate them! We cannot delay any longer!"He continued to incite, his mind already conjuring images of the Uchiha Clan grounds stained red with blood, while he strolled through them, collecting those crimson eyeballs that had just lost their luster and still retained shock and unwillingness.Soon, it would be soon..."Hoo—" Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long cloud of thick smoke, the smoke blurring the expression on his face."And then what?"His voice suddenly turned cold, causing Danzo to startle."Then, civil war in Konoha, rivers of blood! The Uchiha clansmen who happen to survive will scatter and flee, becoming mortal enemies of the Village, perhaps even defecting to other great nations.The Ino–Shika–Chō, Hyuga, Aburame... all the clans will see it, and they will think: today it could be the Uchiha, will it be their turn tomorrow? The foundation of trust in the Village will collapse! There will be panic within Konoha, and division will be imminent."Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window, and with his back to Danzo, looked at the Villagegradually shrouded in twilight outside, where lights were beginning to flicker on one by one."And Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Hidden Mist... those spying eyes watching like tigers will swarm in like sharks smelling blood... they will spare no effort to fan the flames, provide support, or even intervene directly!By then, the 'Uchiha Rebellion' could very well evolve into... the fuse for the Fourth Ninja WorldWar!Danzo, do you want to see Konoha like that?"That would be perfect!This thought popped into Danzo's mind almost like a conditioned reflex.As the saying goes—heroes are born in troubled times!Only when the Village falls into crisis and the Hokage is unable to cope, will he, Danzo Shimura, the Root of Konoha, have the opportunity to step onto the stage, display his iron fist and power, and logically take over the Hokage's hat!Hiruzen's indecisiveness will become his foil!Of course, he could never say these words out loud...The muscles on Danzo Shimura's face twitched, his mouth under the bandages pressed tightly shut; after all, all these "decisions" nominally required the Hokage to make them, and he was just a "loyal" Advisor and assistant.He watched as Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down in his chair, picked up the crystal ball he always carried for monitoring the Village, and began to inject Chakra into it, causing blurry images to appear within the sphere.Danzo knew that this argument would end with his concession once again; he did not yet have enough power or certainty to directly challenge the authority of this old friend who was once known as the "Shinobi Hero".But...What if he could privately contact more clans and high-ranking officials who were dissatisfied with the Uchiha or dissatisfied with Hiruzen's policies?What if he could obtain more powerful strength...He took a deep, silent breath, pushing all his calculations, unwillingness, and desires back into the deepest part of his heart. The single exposed eye cast one last cold glance at Hiruzen Sarutobiand the crystal ball, then, leaning on his cane, he turned and left the Hokage Office without a word.The heavy wooden door closed silently behind him, shutting out the last rays of the setting sun and the encroaching twilight.The evening breeze brought the damp, grassy scent unique to the forest, dispersing the mugginess of the day and slightly soothing the ripples remaining in Naruto's heart from that dangerous conversation with Itachi.He stood in a clearing in the forest; this was a secluded training spot he had recently discovered, with tall trees, flat ground, and far away from human habitation."Success!!!"Looking at the figure in front of him that was exactly like himself, with the same blond hair and blue eyes, and even the whisker-like marks on his face identical, a flash of uncontrollable surprise and joy burst out in Naruto's eyes.He couldn't help but circle around this "himself" twice, reaching out to poke the other's cheek—it felt warm and elastic, and he could even feel the slight twitch of the muscles beneath the skin."So... this is what I look like to others."Naruto muttered to himself, this feeling both novel and somewhat subtle: the Shadow Clone in front of him also looked back at him curiously, its eyes lively, not at all like a mindless Chakra construct."Then, let's begin the test!"A sharp light flashed in Naruto's eyes, and the original body and the Shadow Clone moved almost simultaneously!"Bang! Bang! Bang!"The muffled sounds of fists and feet colliding instantly broke the silence of the forest.Two golden figures crossed and collided at high speed in the clearing, their movements swift and sharp, stirring up gusts of wind and sweeping up the fallen leaves and dust on the ground.They were both using the most basic Taijutsu moves, but their speed and power were far beyond that of an ordinary Genin; every block and every punch carried a clear sound of breaking through the air.After sparring for about a quarter of an hour, Naruto called a halt.The Shadow Clone immediately sat cross-legged, his hands forming the seal to refine Chakra, while Naruto's original body stood guard on the side, feeling carefully at the same time.He could clearly perceive that the Chakra within the clone was circulating and refining meticulously, following the experience and paths of the original body; the efficiency seemed... almost identical to when the original body was training with full effort!Next was ninja tool throwing, simple trap setting, and even attempting to use the Shadow Clone to observe the flaws in the original body's movements from the opposite side...The sun gradually set in the west, and the light in the forest became dim.The clearing was already a mess, covered in footprints, broken shrub branches swept by the force of their punches, and fresh marks left on the tree trunks by Kunai and shuriken.Naruto panted as he dispelled the Shadow Clone.With a soft "poof," the clone turned into white smoke and disappeared.At the same time, a clear stream of memories regarding the training just now—including the sensation of muscle exertion during Taijutsu sparring, insights during Chakra refinement, and even the grasp of the angle and force at the moment of throwing ninja tools—rushed into Naruto's mind like a tide, quickly merging and settling with his existing experience."Ha... ha..." Naruto supported himself with his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his chin, soaking the soil beneath his feet.But his face was full of excitement and satisfaction