They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 162 The arrow from four years ago will finally be shot.

That's right, Hozuki Shingetsu's stated intention was to implement these plans and schemes free of charge, without requiring Shimura Danzo to pay any price.

The saying goes that what's free is the most expensive. With Shingetsu Hozuki's various highly feasible plans, Danzo Shimura has completely stirred up his desire to become Hokage.

In this situation, as long as the conditions aren't too outrageous, Shimura Danzo would usually agree to Hozuki Shingetsu's conditions.

After all, he knew that Hozuki Shingetsu wouldn't do anything without a reason, and it was impossible for him to be so enthusiastic about showing him love.

If he were in a different position, and he had such leverage over Hozuki Shingetsu, he would be crazy not to bleed Kirigakure dry!

However... the only things Konoha can currently afford to take a liking to are advanced ninjutsu, bloodstains, and Hashirama cells. As for things like money and benefits, Konoha, which is in dire need of rebuilding, simply cannot produce them.

However, the key is that Hozuki Shingetsu could rely on Black Zetsu to steal these ninjutsu, bloodstains, and Hashirama cells. Moreover, to be honest, Hozuki Shingetsu wasn't sure if there was any trickery involved in getting these things from Shimura Danzo.

After all, whether or not one can master ninjutsu sometimes really depends on talent, like the Flying Thunder God Technique. If you get it but can't master it, it's impossible to know whether it's a problem with the ninjutsu or with the person.

The same goes for the other bloodstains and Hashirama cells. Danzo Shimura had no idea what he had done to them, and given Danzo Shimura's personality, it was almost certain that he would have done something to them.

Therefore, instead of scheming against Shimura Danzo on this matter, it's better to be open and make his stance clear. The reason Hozuki Shingetsu is so concerned about this is that he intends to disrupt the situation in Konoha, sow discord within Konoha, and watch Konoha descend into internal strife.

This kind of "sincere" reason was more easily accepted by Danzo Shimura.

Therefore, when Shimura Danzo asked him what price he needed to pay, Hozuki Shingetsu directly stated his thoughts without any concealment, which was his attitude.

He wanted to see Konoha suffer internal strife and wanted to weaken Konoha by any means necessary.

Faced with Hozuki Shingetsu's straightforward reasoning, Shimura Danzo was completely convinced. Although he was still relieved that Hozuki Shingetsu hadn't taken advantage of the situation, his most basic doubts were gone.

"So, what's the first point? How do you plan to force Hiruzen to step down?"

Now that he had completely opened his heart, Shimura Danzo didn't hold back and directly asked Hozuki Shingetsu how to get his old teammate out of office.

Seeing this, Hozuki Shingetsu smiled gently and began to explain his thoughts.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is just over forty years old, in the prime of his life, and has a lot to achieve. So from his own perspective, he certainly won't step down voluntarily anytime soon."

"Moreover, given Hiruzen Sarutobi's achievements over the years, even though his performance in this Shinobi World War was disappointing and caused heavy casualties to Konoha, these alone are still not enough to bring him down."

"Therefore, there must be a sudden event, a sudden event that can directly destroy his years of prestige and force him to abdicate! Moreover, this event must be closely linked to him, Hiruzen Sarutobi, so that he cannot extricate himself from it!"

"A sudden incident involving someone with a close relationship to him?"

Following Hozuki Shingetsu's rhythm closely, Shimura Danzo couldn't help but show a look of confusion on his face. What was this sudden event all about?

Given the current situation in Konoha, there are probably only a handful of major events that could affect the Hokage, right? And if we're going to deduce things based on Hozuki Shingetsu's track record, could it be... the Uchiha clan?

Given Konoha's current situation, if the Uchiha clan were to encounter further trouble due to Hiruzen Sarutobi's issues, causing a breakdown in their relationship with the village and leading them to consider relocating elsewhere, it would be a serious matter.

If the fault lies with Hiruzen Sarutobi, then Konoha might actually use Hiruzen Sarutobi's abdication as leverage to retain the Uchiha clan before resorting to force.

After all, whether from the perspective of the village's founder or from the perspective of the Uchiha's military strength, the village could not allow the Uchiha clan to leave.

So, in the era after the Hokage Oath at the Rock, if Hiruzen Sarutobi really made some serious mistake, this situation might actually happen.

As for the possibility of such a thing happening... Konoha hasn't forgotten the mysterious kaleidoscope that appeared on the battlefield in the Land of Rain before!

Previously, it was simply because the war was intense, and the village leadership tacitly kept quiet about it, considering both the overall situation within the village and the need for the Uchiha's military strength.

But now that the war is over, Konoha will inevitably investigate the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Uchiha clan once they recover. If Hozuki Shingetsu were to intervene at this time…

hiss~

Danzo Shimura gasped, suddenly gaining a new understanding of Shingetsu Hozuki's sinister and ruthless nature.

Hozuki Shingetsu, of course, had no idea that Shimura Danzo was imagining such a dramatic scene. He looked at Shimura Danzo with a puzzled expression, wondering why he was suddenly breathing heavily.

Hozuki Shingetsu's plan was quite simple. Given the current situation in Konoha, if he wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen to step down, he would have to do something in a high-profile manner that would ruin Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation, something that he himself could not refute.

This incident, of course, has nothing to do with the Uchiha clan. After all, the Uchiha clan is too unpredictable, and for such a major event, the fewer variables there are, the better.

The key to this matter lies in Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality.

Hozuki Shingetsu had been planning this day for a long time. The Konoha Yellow Ballad incident four years ago was not only to smear Hiruzen Sarutobi's image, but also to further deepen the impression that Hiruzen Sarutobi was a lecher in front of the various countries of the ninja world.

After more than four years of persistent and unremitting efforts, the image of Konoha Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who is outstanding in ability but also a womanizer, has been deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people of the ninja world.

Of course, mere lust wouldn't be enough to bring down Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But what if he "forces himself" on someone because of his lust, and that person's identity is extremely sensitive?

For example, the widow of a martyr?

Or perhaps, in an extremely special occasion, such as at the martyr's memorial service, the martyr's widow, after recounting Hiruzen Sarutobi's "evil deeds," took her own life on the spot to prove her innocence?

Faced with such a surging tide, could Hiruzen Sarutobi still protect himself?

It should be known that since ancient times, the best way to sow discord and spread rumors has been through "suicide spies".

With this incident, if Hiruzen Sarutobi had any sense of shame, he would inevitably have to step down and retreat into the background. Combined with the various schemes that Shingetsu Hozuki had previously taught Danzo Shimura, wouldn't it be a natural progression for Danzo Shimura to become Hokage?

As for the key to this series of events, the identity of the martyr's widow...

"His hero was my enemy, Sakumo Hatake, may you rest in peace!"

(End of this chapter)