Naruto: I Became a Sword Saint in Konoha

Land of Rain – Defensive Front Camp

Danzo Shimura returned to camp covered in dust, trailed by a group of his subordinates. His face showed no emotion, but the cold, repellent aura around him made it clear: now was not the time to get in his way.

The intelligence exchange had gone horribly wrong.

Their informant had been compromised, and during the handoff, they were ambushed by a Sand shinobi unit.

If his men hadn't risked their lives to break through the encirclement, even he might not have made it back.

While Danzo himself was unharmed, several of his most trusted Root operatives had died in the process—each one a loss he felt deep in his bones.

When he arrived at the camp, Danzo was greeted by the sight of Konoha shinobi looking relaxed and smiling—and that only fueled his rage.

What's the meaning of this?

I just returned from a botched mission, lost elite operatives, and you're all standing here grinning like fools?

You're not even pretending to respect me, are you?

With a sweep of his single visible eye, Danzo gave a signal. One of his Root agents immediately stepped forward and slapped a gatekeeper shinobi across the face.

"This is a battlefield," the Root ninja snapped coldly. "Not a playground. What are you all smiling for? You think enemy shinobi can't strike at any moment?"

The gatekeeper turned red with anger. He looked like he wanted to retaliate, but when he caught sight of the Root agent's mask, he clenched his fists and backed down reluctantly.

"You got a problem with what I said?" the Root ninja sneered.

That was the last straw.

The gatekeeper's patience snapped. Brushing off his comrades' attempts to hold him back, he shouted:

"Why shouldn't we be happy? Hanzō of the Salamander was defeated by Lord Hoshiyomi and the offensive squad! If you're so tough, why don't you go to the front lines like he did, instead of throwing your weight around here!"

"You little—!" the Root operative roared. He was already simmering from the failed mission, and this insult ignited his fury.

He raised his hand again—only to have it caught mid-air.

Furious, he spun around to see who dared interfere with a Root enforcer—only for his expression to freeze when he saw who it was:

Danzo himself.

"L-Lord Danzo… I just couldn't let him insult us like that," the Root ninja stammered, backing away.

Danzo waved him off and turned to the gatekeeper.

"What did you just say?" His voice was low, cold. "You said Gekkō Hoshiyomi and his squad defeated Salamander Hanzō? Are you sure that's accurate?"

The gatekeeper, despite his earlier defiance, dared not challenge the man unofficially in charge of the entire warfront. Bowing slightly, he mumbled:

"It's true… the news came from Lord Hoshiyomi's own squad."

Danzo's expression turned pitch-black.

"Where is Gekkō Hoshiyomi now? Why didn't he report this directly to me, his commanding officer?"

The news was everywhere—Hanzō had been defeated. Everyone in the camp knew. And yet Danzo Shimura, nominally the highest-ranking official in the field… was the last to know.

He wasn't just being ignored.

He was being deliberately bypassed.

Still reeling from his own failed mission, Danzo was now boiling inside.

The gatekeeper, seeing his stormy face, could no longer even speak coherently.

Just then, a calm voice rang out behind him.

"My, Lord Danzo… why so angry?"

Danzo turned—and found Sakumo Hatake standing there, smiling faintly.

Scowling, Danzo waved off the guard and glanced at the gathering crowd of shinobi around them. He took a deep breath and said evenly:

"It's nothing. I was just clarifying something. Let's continue this inside."

Though he was livid, Danzo wasn't stupid. He would never argue with Sakumo in public—not with half the camp watching. No, if there was a reckoning to be had, it would be in private.

With that, he led the way into the command tent. Sakumo followed silently.

Outside, Root operatives began driving people away, provoking muttered curses from the regular shinobi.

Inside the tent, Danzo immediately seated himself at the central command chair, a clear display of dominance.

Sakumo's eyes narrowed briefly, but out of respect for Danzo's seniority, he said nothing and took a side seat.

Danzo wasted no time.

"Well? Let's hear it. What happened?"

Sakumo gave him a cool glance and replied plainly:

"Not much to say. On the offensive front, Hoshiyomi and the others joined forces and defeated Hanzō. They secured a chance to negotiate with Amegakure and returned to the village to report directly to Lord Third."

Danzo slammed the table.

"Absurd!"

He was seething. This was insubordination—his subordinates, acting without consulting him, claiming credit for one of the biggest victories of the war.

But he couldn't say that out loud. Not really.

After all, they had succeeded. Hoshiyomi's team had done everything by the book—except for bypassing him.

Which only made it worse.

Danzo pressed on.

"All of the offensive commanders returned to the village? What if enemy shinobi strike during their absence?"

Sakumo replied calmly:

"Jiraiya stayed behind in a nearby town, collecting intel and inspiration. He'll return immediately if anything happens. Hoshiyomi made all necessary arrangements before leaving. Everything's under control. No need to trouble yourself, Lord Danzo."

That last phrase—"no need to trouble yourself"—was delivered with just enough weight to sting.

Danzo's face twitched.

He had no good comeback. And in truth, he didn't dare openly challenge Hoshiyomi and the others anymore. Their status was no longer below his. And in a real fight… Sakumo might even beat him.

He grit his teeth in silence.

Danzo's self-control wasn't yet what it would become later in life. He was still prone to flashes of temper, and right now his neck was flushed red with frustration.

Sakumo noticed—and was inwardly amused.

Truth be told, he'd disliked Danzo for a long time. As the supposed top commander, Danzo had repeatedly sabotaged his operations from the shadows, limiting his ability to act effectively.

Danzo had also quietly been building a personal power base within the camp—something Sakumo, a man of integrity, found utterly despicable.

But Danzo, as always, was cunning. After a moment, he pivoted.

"Well then. The offensive front still needs leadership. And negotiations with Hanzō should involve someone of my rank. I'll go oversee things personally. You can handle this camp in the meantime. I'm counting on you."

Sakumo thought, As expected… Hoshiyomi was right.

He smiled faintly and replied:

"Leave this side to me. As for the offensive front, we'll leave it to you, Lord Danzo. If you need anything, contact Jiraiya—he's close by and easy to reach."

Author's Note:

I admit this chapter might feel a little abrupt due to a lack of earlier setup, but it's important for what's coming next. Slight spoiler: Hoshiyomi wants Danzo to take over the offensive front so he can plant spies and undermine him in return. Just laying the groundwork.