4 Loyal Dogs
With the dispatched team
"Why the hell do we have to find dead bodies? It's not like those guys will survive a 2v12," complained one of the ninjas.
"Shut up and focus," demanded Captain Hisamao.
An elite Jonin from the Uchiha clan, Hisamao Uchiha, the captain of this dispatched team, was a young man around 27 years old. Despite being a close friend of the current head of the Uchiha clan, he, like the others, had no choice but to follow the orders from the commander. The commander, none other than Orochimaru, one of the Sannin and a disciple of the 3rd Hokage, held absolute authority.
"Captain Hisamao, there seems to be some fighting ahead of us, about half a mile ahead," whispered a ninja who suddenly appeared near Hisamao as he leaped from tree to tree.
With a nod, Hisamao quickly ordered his subordinates to get ready and speed up. Upon arriving, they saw Isotomo and Donji. Isotomo was sitting down while Donji fought the enemy with one arm. The enemy mocked them, teasing with weak ninjutsu, only tiring Donji more. Isotomo also turned very skinny, having lost an arm like Donji.
Upon the Konoha ninjas' arrival, relief washed over Donji and Isotomo's faces, while the Sand ninjas stiffened and frowned upon noticing Hisamao's team.
"Those bastards really sent Hisamao Uchiha for little ol' me! Let's show these Konoha dogs how thankful we are! They gave us the Sharingan as our present!" declared the leader of the group.
Hisamao, well-known for possessing a three-tomoe Sharingan, had a reputation in this era. It was said that he killed more than 20 ninjas on his own when surrounded by the Sand ninjas.
Hisamao scoffed at the Sand ninja and performed a few hand signs to form the Fireball Jutsu, targeting the Sand ninja who was talking.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
With the burst of the giant fireball, the Jonin captain of the Sand quickly got serious and jumped back, avoiding the attack. However, some Genins who were not paying attention were burnt, their last words a cry for help.
"Pathetic. Go kill them all," ordered Hisamao.
The Konoha ninjas engaged in battle, unleashing a combination of swift taijutsu, precise shurikenjutsu, and strategic genjutsu. Hisamao seamlessly weaved through the battlefield, utilizing his three-tomoe Sharingan to predict and counter the Sand ninjas' moves.
Donji, fueled by the arrival of reinforcements, fought with renewed vigor, overpowering his opponents despite his one-armed disadvantage. Isotomo, though weakened, supported his comrades with strategic maneuvers and elemental jutsu.
As the skirmish intensified, the clash of jutsu echoed through the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Hisamao's team demonstrated the prowess of Konoha's finest, forcing the Sand ninjas into a defensive position.
With a determined gaze, Hisamao continued to lead his team, ensuring the Sand ninjas regretted underestimating the power of Konoha's elite.
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After the battle, the Konoha ninjas suffered 4 deaths and 8 casualties, one Jonin being injured. 3 ninjas from the Sand village was taken for interrogation, as they wanted to know why the sand would send a large team.
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Danzo POV
I was suddenly called into a meeting while contemplating ways to influence ninjas to join Root. The ninja who informed me mentioned that the meeting was about the recent team dispatched to confront the 12 ninjas from the Sand village.
As I made my way to the meeting place, I was greeted by a ninja with one arm. A big smile formed on his face when he saw me. Recalling his name as Donji Shimura, one of the Jonins in my clan, I remembered that he didn't display much potential, like most in my clan.
"Danzo-sama! I am glad to see you well!" exclaimed Donji.
'At least he's loyal,' I thought.
"Ah, Donji. What happened to your arm?" I asked with a sad frown, feigning concern.
Though my sad expression was a facade, Donji was moved that I "cared" and even remembered his name.
"Danzo-sama, I fought off 12 ninjas with Isotomo when we rescued you. Those damn bastards even mocked us!" he responded.
'So, he was one of the guys who fought for me. He truly is loyal; I should manipulate him,' I thought.
With a bow, I thanked him with a sorrowful tone, "I thank you sincerely, Donji, and I also apologize. I was the reason why you've lost your arm."
"D-Danzo-sama! Please straighten up! I merely did my duty as a clan member and as a ninja from Konoha!"
"I cannot thank you enough. Do not worry, Donji; I will find a way to heal your arm."
"Thank you, Danzo-sama."
He gave me a smile and thanked me for saying that I would heal his arm, even though he thought it would be impossible, as not even Tsunade could do it. Although he might be useless right now, if I could experiment on him and get him his arm back, I would be able to test my methods before applying them to myself. Contemplating the future made me smile a bit; now that I'm forming Root, I need the first member to be Donji, as he is already a loyal follower and will only require a bit of generosity and attention to hook him in.
"Come with me, Donji," I ordered.
"Where to?"
"To the meeting."
"B-But sir... The meeting can only be attended by high-level officials."
"That's right, but you will be my guard. You can stay outside to represent me and the Shimura clan."
His face started to tear up a bit, and snot came out of his nose, which made me quickly head in the direction of the meeting camp with a disgusted face. I can understand why he's crying, as being a guard for an elder who can oversee the outside of the camp is an honor, and it also signifies that I place a lot of trust in Donji's capabilities as a ninja.
"Thank you," he murmured.
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Inside the meeting camp
Inside the meeting camp, high-level figures could be seen inside the camp. Ninjas like Tsunade, Orochimaru, Hisamao, the 3 ninjas that represented the Ino–Shika–Chō, and other Jonin level ninjas from different clans, while Danzo held the highest position in the room.
With a sinister smile, Orochimaru started the meeting with the announcement of the 12 ninjas from the Sand, "Let us start. The Sand Village had sent 12 ninjas, including 3 Jonin ninjas, 1 being an elite Jonin. We sent an elite team that took care of these ninjas and captured some. With the help of the Yamanaka clan, we have been informed that the Sand Village has been in contact with a spy."
"What?!"
Angry shouts could be heard in every corner of the meeting camp.
"Silence!" Shouted Danzo.
Everyone stopped their momentary shock and looked at Danzo, who was staring at them with his intense gaze. Just that gaze alone made everyone, except a few, sweat.
"Continue Orochimaru. Do we know who the spy is?" Questioned Danzo.
"Currently, we do not," answered Orochimaru.
"How do we not know who the spy is?! Didn't the Yamanaka clan go through their memories?!" Yelled Tsunade.
"I apologize, Lady Tsunade, but the spy was wearing a mask every time they interacted with the Sand ninja," the ninja representing the Yamanaka clan quickly responded.
"A mask? What will we do now?" asked one of the ninja.
The Nara clan representative quickly raised his hand and said, "I suggest we attack the Sand Village head-on tomorrow so we can be fast and change the plan that is now known by the Sand Village."
"That's a stupid idea! I can't believe this is coming from a Nara clan member!" said one of the random ninjas.
The idea itself was a stupid one, but some smart ninjas in the room figured out what the Nara ninja was trying to do.
"I agree with that plan," said Danzo with a smile on his face.
"I also agree," added Orochimaru.
Tsunade, Hisamao, the Ino–Shika–Chō, and some others also agreed, making the dumb ninjas question the reasoning of the agreement.
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After a few minutes of arguing, the meeting was finally coming to an end until Danzo announced his retirement to the battlefield, "Everyone, listen. I, Danzo Shimura, will hand over my position to Orochimaru in this war. I will be going back to the village in 3 days."
Everyone understood why he was leaving the battlefield. It was because he had lost his right arm and his right eye, making him only a liability in the battlefield. Giving the position to Orochimaru is also a smart idea, as Orochimaru could lead them and was strong enough to take on the Kazekage.
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After the meeting, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Danzo, and the Nara ninja were in a secret meeting inside Orochimaru's tent.
"Riraku, I haven't thanked you for saving my life," thanked Danzo.
Everyone was shocked when Danzo said thank you to Riraku, as he would have never thanked anyone, not even the Hokage.
"Ah- Do not mention it, Lord Danzo. I merely did my job," replied Riraku.
"Anyway, what's your plan, Riraku?" asked Tsunade.
Riraku only mentioned attacking the Sand village tomorrow because he didn't fully trust everyone in the meeting. Telling his plan right on the spot could potentially inform the spy about his plan. He also set up a timed day so that the spy would feel pressure and would try to inform the Sand Village as soon as possible.
"So what's your plan?" asked Tsunade.
"Right now, I have sent out ninjas from my Nara clan to scout ninjas that are leaving and acting suspicious. The Yamanaka clan and the Akimichi clan members have also dispatched ninjas to find the spy. I suggest that we send a few more ninjas to scout and falsely inform our ninjas to get ready to attack the Sand Village tomorrow, making the lies more realistic."
"As expected of the Nara clan. I will inform our ninjas that there will be a conflict tomorrow," said Orochimaru.
