Pupet Master in Konoha

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Danzo's Plan



"Then give me a portion of tonkotsu ramen too."

Hideki glanced at the menu on the wall and said casually.

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

While waiting, Hideki saw that Minato had finished a bowl of ramen, so he asked,

"Minato, how is the progress of the points plan? Students keep coming to me to ask when it will be officially implemented."

Previously, Minato felt that the number of prizes that could be redeemed in the points program was too small, which seemed rather underwhelming, so he volunteered to raise sponsorship for the program.

Hideki, naturally relieved, entrusted Minato with the task.

But after several days with no progress, he had to inquire.

Minato, somewhat embarrassed, replied,

"I'm really sorry it took so long...

Because my friends are often out of the village on missions, I have to wait for them to return and convince them one by one, so it's taking a bit of time."

"Besides them, I also hope to get as many ninjas as possible to join this plan, and I'm still trying to convince them, but the progress isn't going smoothly..."

Then, Minato shared his experiences visiting various ninja clans, sounding somewhat frustrated.

Hideki began to understand his difficulties.

In short, most of the current ninja clan leaders are still old-fashioned and conservative, not very receptive to new ideas like the points plan.

Relying on the power of Minato's reputation, it's not hard to get them to donate a little money. However, it's still extremely difficult to convince them to ask their elite members to help guide students or offer valuable rewards.

Seeing Minato's dilemma, Hideki couldn't help but tease him:

"Minato, I didn't expect you to be such a perfectionist."

Minato smiled bitterly, replying,

"Indeed, I was too naive...

We wanted to increase communication and reduce barriers through this plan, but it's not as easy as it sounds."

Hideki couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

In fact, Minato's intentions were not wrong. The idea of diluting the concept of the ninja clans through ninja schools and master-apprentice bonds was a policy that the village had been implementing since its foundation.

The problem, however, was that everyone in the world is driven by profit.

For those old, shrewd clan leaders who won't act until they see a clear benefit, it's useless to simply talk about the Will of Fire like Minato has been doing.

Only by offering tangible benefits can they be persuaded to join the plan voluntarily.

As Hideki thought about it, a lightbulb went off in his head. He began to explain his strategy to Minato...

---

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office at the Root base...

"I've made myself clear about what happened, Shiguro, Ryoma, stand up."

Danzo set down the reports of the two men and spoke in a deep voice,

"Kimura Hideki's strength and the appearance of Namikaze Minato were unforeseen factors. It's not your fault."

Danzo was normally not so lenient, but since Shiguro was his most capable assistant, he had to show some preferential treatment.

"Master Danzo, please give me one more chance. I will definitely defeat Kimura Hideki next time!"

Ryoma stood up quickly, lowering his head as he spoke, his tone filled with frustration.

Danzo shook his head and replied,

"That's not necessary now. I'll inform you when I need you."

Ryoma wanted to protest, but after being met with Shiguro's glare, he quickly lowered his head and muttered,

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

---

Soon after, the two left the office.

Danzo picked up the report again, feeling somewhat troubled.

Since he had no notable accomplishments in the past, he assumed that Hideki Kimura's abilities would be quite average.

However, even when restrained, Hideki had been able to handle Ryoma effortlessly. His strength was definitely not as simple as the intelligence suggested.

That's when Danzo understood why Hiruzen had valued this young man so highly before, even comparing him to Minato.

More importantly, according to Shiguro's account, Kimura Hideki could use mechanisms to simulate wind-style abilities like vacuum waves.

This intrigued Danzo, who was skilled with Wind Release techniques. He felt a sense of mutual respect and began to see Hideki as a valuable asset.

It was unfortunate that the best opportunity was lost due to Minato's interference.

If Danzo made a move now, Hiruzen would surely keep a close eye on Hideki, making it difficult for him to take advantage of the situation.

Since the Root was still in its early stages, Danzo didn't have the strength to confront Hiruzen head-on, so he chose to wait for a better moment.

After all, Hideki Kimura wasn't going anywhere, and sooner or later, there would be an opportunity to bring him under his command.

However, without Hideki's assistance, the financial crisis at the Root had become a serious issue.

Danzo exhaled deeply, casting his eyes over the thick stack of funding applications on the table, his brows furrowed.

Separating the Root from the Anbu was not as simple as relocating offices.

From building a base to purchasing ninja tools, they could no longer rely on the Anbu.

In particular, to build an intelligence network independent of the Anbu, Danzo had spent considerable funds constructing stations across various locations.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated the costs involved.

Intelligence stations had to use legitimate businesses as a cover, but the ninjas trained in the Root had poor management skills, so most of the businesses had been operating at a loss.

Though the losses at each site weren't catastrophic, Danzo's impatience and rapid expansion had caused the funds to deplete quickly.

This was precisely why Danzo needed Hideki.

Then, by chance, his eyes fell on a small notebook next to the stack of funding applications.

It was the market research report that Hideki had written earlier.

This gave Danzo an idea.

Even if he couldn't bring Hideki Kimura to the Root, he could still leverage his business acumen...

"Summon the head of the development department and his best craftsman immediately."

Danzo clapped his hands twice and gave the order,

"Also, go buy every new toy you can find on the market..."

"Yes, Lord Danzo," a subordinate replied quickly before leaving the office.

Danzo picked up the market research report and began reading it again.

The reason he'd given the orders was because he remembered what Hiruzen had once said.

It seemed that the new toys invented by Hideki Kimura would eventually be copied and imitated by other businessmen, causing the prices to drop over time.

In that case, it would be better for the profit to benefit the Root rather than allowing others to take advantage of it.

Danzo couldn't help but grin maliciously.

After all, he believed that neither Hiruzen nor Hideki would have too many objections to his actions.

He was doing this for Konoha.

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