Chapter 19: The Quarrel in the Hokage Building

The graduation exam, with a little trouble, passed uneventfully, and what followed was the assignment of instructors to the group of little ninjas.

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen casually flipped through the results of the Ninja School. Looking at Uchiha Toba, who remained in first place, he seemed to be thinking about something.

With a bang, the door of the office opened, and a gloomy and stern middle-aged man walked in:
"Hiruzen, I need someone from you!"

"Looking for me for someone? Don't you think the mess you've made isn't big enough, Danzo!"

The Third Hokage looked up and saw his old classmate. He was immediately furious and slammed the table:
"Shouldn't you give me an explanation about what happened to Hatake Sakumo?!!"

Shimura Danzo didn't even have time to say anything before he was scolded by the Third Hokage. Although Danzo was in the wrong regarding Hatake Sakumo, he certainly wouldn't admit it:
"What are you talking about, Hiruzen, what does Hatake Sakumo's situation have to do with me?"

The Third Hokage looked coldly at Shimura Danzo and said calmly:

"How many people in Konoha Village can kill a special jonin in the Anbu? Or do you really think I'm old, blind and deaf, and would believe such nonsense that Kondo Kunihiko is a spy from another ninja village?!!"

"I told you, this has nothing to do with me. I don't know anything about Kunihiko Kondo."

Danzo Shimura refused to admit his mistake. Anyway, the Third Ninja World War was about to begin. Even if the Third Hokage was dissatisfied, it was impossible for him to attack his roots at this time.

As long as he doesn't admit his mistakes, over time, even the Third Hokage won't be able to reverse the situation. Anyway, the Root has done so many excessive things since its inception, and in the end, didn't the Third Hokage just raise the board high and then put it down gently?

Without me as the villain, how could the Third Hokage play the villain? As long as I still have value, I don't need to worry about the Third Hokage dealing with me and the Root.

Things were exactly as Shimura Danzo had thought. The Third Hokage was furious, but he didn't dwell on the issue. He just said coldly:
"Everyone knows this clearly. We are in the war stage now. We will settle the score after the war is over!"

"Also, what about the information about the other ninja villages? You Root can't even do your job well?!"

"Humph, you don't need to tell me about this. I have already collected the information about other ninja villages!"

As Danzo Shimura spoke, he took out a stack of intelligence scrolls. Although the Root was a troublemaker internally, it was indeed a poisonous knife in the dark when facing externally.

The title of Darkness of the Ninja World is not an exaggerated reputation like the strongest Hokage. After all, no one would be willing to operate with such a title.

The fact that it can be called the Darkness of the Ninja World rather than the Darkness of Konoha shows that other ninja villages have definitely suffered at the hands of Danzo.

The Third Hokage picked up the intelligence scroll, flipped through it, and the anger on his face dissipated a lot. No matter what, although his old classmate did something excessive, he still had certain abilities!
Danzo looked up at the change in the Third Hokage's expression and knew that he had passed the test again. Then he spoke again:
"For this information, my troops have suffered heavy losses and need more personnel to replenish them."

The Third Hokage frowned slightly, and finally spoke:
"Okay, I can give you funding for 20 places, and you can recruit people according to the list!" Although the Root will not recruit openly, it also has a personality analysis of all the ninjas in the Konoha Village. Generally speaking, ninjas with extreme or dark personalities, or those whose own ninjutsu are extremely harmful, are on the Root's waiting list.

Danzo snorted coldly: "I don't want those ordinary ninjas, but the real elite!"

The Third Hokage raised his eyebrows. After so many years of partnership, he knew Danzo inside out. He could tell what Danzo was going to say the moment he raised his butt.

"Speak clearly, you bastard! Which ninja have you set your eyes on again!?"

"Hatake Kakashi! I think he has the potential to be a Root Ninja..."

"Stop dreaming here!!! Don't you think Konoha is chaotic enough?!"

The Third Hokage roared, and even the cigarette in his hand was broken by his anger:
"The White Fang incident hasn't even passed yet, and Kondo Kunihiko has been exposed. Now you want to take Kakashi to the Root? What do you mean? Tell us that after the ninjas of Konoha Village die, their children will be taken to the Root and brainwashed into death warriors?"

"Do you believe that after this news gets out, the number of Konoha ninjas defecting will increase several times!!!"

Although the Root has done a lot of things like wiping out entire families, they were all done in dark corners. Now the affairs of Konoha White Fang have become the focus of the entire Konoha Ninja Village, and all the other ninjas are feeling grieving for the loss of their loved ones.

If Kakashi was taken to the Root at this time and saw Konoha's ugly behavior, how could other ninjas still be willing to serve Konoha?

Besides, although the Third Hokage was very indulgent towards his old classmate, it was impossible for him to really support Danzo Shimura without limits. He just wanted Danzo to be a black glove, but he didn't want the Root to dig up Konoha.

Although Danzo's Root looks all-powerful in the comics, a closer look will reveal that there are no real masters in the Root. Danzo is the only one who can be considered a Kage-level powerhouse in his prime, and the others are at most a few elite jonin.

If the potential shown by Kakashi before was only the possibility of entering the Kage level, then after he killed Kondo Kunihiko, this possibility became that he would definitely enter the Kage level ten years later. How could the Third Hokage be handed over to Danzo for such a super genius?

"Hiruzen, don't forget that he is the son of White Fang. How can you be sure that he won't secretly bear a grudge against you because of what happened to White Fang?"

"Leave Kakashi to me. I will train him to be the sharpest sword in Konoha..."

"enough!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen almost laughed out of anger. Why would Kakashi hold a grudge against him? Isn't it because you, Danzo, went too far? Now you have the nerve to tell me this!
"Kakashi no! If you want a genius, the first place graduate of this ninja school can be given some root training!"

(End of this chapter)