My Journey as Fourth Kazekage

"What does that mean?"

All eyes immediately turned toward the speaker.

"If we can't claim the power of the Uzumaki clan for ourselves, then we must ensure Sunagakure doesn't get it either. Otherwise, where would that leave our village's pride?"

"We understand that, but how exactly do we create trouble? The Kazekage is far beyond our capabilities."

"We may not be strong enough, but there are others who are. Have you forgotten about Konohagakure? With the bond between the Uzumaki clan and Konoha, there's no way they would willingly hand the Uzumaki orphan over to Sunagakure."

Realization flickered in their eyes.

"That's right. Sunagakure wants the Uzumaki girl, likely to harness her clan's power and make her a Jinchuriki. But Konoha would never allow that."

At that moment, the one who had first spoken leaned forward, his voice measured yet firm.

"Sending the news directly to Konoha would take too long. Instead, why not inform Danzo, the leader of Konoha's forces currently engaged with Sunagakure?"

"Why him?"

"It's simple. The Kazekage must pass through either the Land of Rain or the Land of Fire to return from our Land of Grass to the Land of Wind. He will inevitably cross the Land of Rivers—and Danzo is stationed there. He can act on this information faster than anyone."

After a pause, he continued.

"Besides, there's lingering bad blood between Danzo and Sunagakure. Whether it's the Third Kazekage's mysterious disappearance or the failed assassination attempt on the current Kazekage, the tension between them hasn't faded. And let's not forget Danzo himself—his thirst for the Uzumaki clan's power is just as strong as ours."

The logic was sound, and the higher-ups exchanged knowing glances, convinced by the plan.

As Kusagakure frequently dealt with the major nations, they had established covert communication channels with Konoha's ANBU and ROOT.

And so, just over an hour later, ROOT received the message from Kusagakure.

---

Land of Rivers, Tsurumaru Castle

In recent days, it had become clear that, much like during their previous raid on the Land of Fire, Sunagakure had no real intention of going to war with Konoha. As a result, Konoha's frontlines had gradually withdrawn. Along with recalling some of its shinobi, Konoha also made a tactical decision to avoid direct confrontations with Sunagakure's forces whenever possible.

However, due to past experience, Konoha remained cautious, keeping over a thousand troops stationed in the Land of Rivers to prepare for any unexpected conflict.

Despite the lack of major battles, Danzo Shimura, Konoha's commander, had chosen not to return to the village for rest. There was something here that intrigued him far more than a return to Konoha ever could.

"Such remarkable talent… Shisui Uchiha."

Inside Konoha's military encampment, Danzo sat alone, poring over intelligence reports gathered by ROOT on Shisui Uchiha. His normally cold, calculating eyes gleamed with interest.

He had long heard whispers of this young prodigy, but given the deep-seated tensions between himself and the Uchiha clan, he had never paid much attention. However, after a week of direct observation, Danzo had come to a realization—this eight-year-old boy was far beyond ordinary.

In Shisui, he saw traces of an old comrade.

Uchiha Kagami.

Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression darkening.

"Kagami… let's see just how far your bloodline can go."

Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside.

"Danzo-sama!"

"Enter."

The tent flap parted, and one of Danzo's most trusted subordinates, Ryoma Aburame, stepped inside, gripping a small note. His tone was urgent.

"Danzo-sama, ROOT has just received a message from Kusagakure!"

"Kusagakure?"

Danzo's brow furrowed slightly. It was an unexpected source of information. But the look on Ryoma's face told him this was no trivial matter. Taking the note, Danzo's sharp gaze scanned its contents, and his expression grew even colder.

"Has this been verified?"

Ryoma reported what had been confirmed.

"The message came through a special channel—one that only Kusagakure's leader would know. Additionally, we captured several Kusagakure shinobi and used interrogation techniques to confirm the claim. It appears Kusagakure is harboring someone who may possess the Uzumaki clan's bloodline."

Danzo's grip on the note tightened slightly. His voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

"Those grass rats… How dare they hide a survivor of the Uzumaki clan right under our noses."

A tense silence followed before Ryoma cautiously asked,

"What are your orders, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo's mind was already calculating the best course of action.

"How many Jonin can we mobilize here?"

Ryoma took a moment to consider.

"If we include the two Uchiha Jonin and ROOT's elite forces, we can field a total of 38 Jonin."

"The Uchiha, huh?"

Danzo's expression shifted ever so slightly—an unreadable glint in his eyes.

"Gather all of them. Immediately."

"Understood!" Ryoma bowed before vanishing into the night.

---

Such a large-scale mobilization by Danzo couldn't go unnoticed.

As deputy commander, Shibi Aburame quickly detected the unusual movement within the camp. The sudden assembly of Jonin was anything but routine. Without hesitation, he went straight to Danzo.

"Danzo-sama, what is happening? Why are all the Jonin being gathered?"

Danzo had no intention of concealing the truth. Without a word, he handed Shibi the message ROOT had received.

Shibi's eyes scanned the note, and his composed expression faltered—this was no small matter.

Danzo, however, didn't give him time to fully process the information.

"We absolutely cannot allow Sunagakure to obtain the Uzumaki orphan. If they want her, it's undoubtedly to make her their Jinchuriki."

Shibi nodded, his face grave. He did not dispute the logic.

"So, Danzo-sama, are you planning an interception? Should we inform the village?"

"It's too late," Danzo replied without hesitation. "By the time we report to Hiruzen and wait for his response, Sunagakure will have already taken her."

Shibi understood the reasoning. Here in the Land of Rivers, Danzo had full authority over military operations.

"Then, what is your plan?"

Danzo's gaze darkened, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge.

"I will lead the Jonin to intercept them. If everything goes as planned..."

A glint of ruthless intent flashed in his eyes.

"...we might just ensure that this young Kazekage of Sunagakure never makes it back home. Without him, Sunagakure will no longer be a threat."

Shibi stiffened. It was an undeniable opportunity, yet something about it unsettled him. He couldn't shake the memory of the last raid on the Land of Fire—where he had witnessed Sunagakure's young Fourth Kazekage in action firsthand.

A sense of unease crept into his mind. He hesitated before voicing his concern.

"Danzo-sama... could this be a trap?"

"A trap?"

Both Danzo and Ryoma Aburame turned to Shibi in surprise.

"Why would you think that?"

Shibi furrowed his brows, struggling to put his intuition into words.

"I can't say for sure... but this young Kazekage isn't someone to underestimate. Last time, even Minato and Jiraiya-sama struggled against him."

He deliberately invoked the names of Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya, hoping it would add weight to his argument.

Instead, it had the opposite effect.

"Hmph..."

Danzo let out a sharp scoff, his tone laced with disdain. Without a shred of doubt, he issued his final order.

"If you don't know for certain, then don't speak nonsense. Gather the Jonin. I'll take thirty of them. This time... we will capture the Fourth Kazekage alive."