Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"Now that Aso Kojiro is dead, we must find out who's behind this,"Shan Jianhe said grimly. "We can't allow anyone with ulterior motives to use ANBU's name to divide Konoha."

As a seasoned special jounin, Shan Jianhe wasn't easily fooled. After the initial shock of Kojiro's death and his final words, he calmed himself and began analyzing the situation.

"This must be reported to the Hokage," Shan Jianhe continued. "Only the Third Hokage has the authority to handle matters involving ANBU."

Two possibilities troubled him. First, rogue shinobi could have infiltrated Konoha, disguising themselves as ANBU to sow discord. Second, and far more dangerous, some ANBU members might have betrayed Konoha from within.

Tracking down such traitors would be difficult. Their knowledge of Konoha's inner workings made them a significant threat.

"Don't worry," Muzan said, his eyes cold as he gazed at Aso Kojiro's lifeless body. "I know exactly who did this. Reporting it to the Hokage won't change much, but this incident will make Danzo think twice before making another move. Kojiro's death will serve as a warning to other factory heads."

Danzo's allies would understand that siding with him carried severe risks. If things went wrong, they'd be the ones to suffer the consequences.

"Shan Jianhe," Muzan continued, "if you trust me, let this matter end here. I'll make sure Danzo pays the price."

The Root organization was filled with spies like Yamanosatsu, and with Jonin-level operatives at his disposal, Muzan had certain advantages.

"If Danzo wants to play dirty, so be it."

He turned to Shan Jianhe. "The priority now is to get these parts ready. After what happened, the other factory heads will fall in line."

The businessmen in Konoha were a tight-knit group, and word of Aso Kojiro's death spread quickly. Fearful of suffering the same fate, they adjusted the size of their deliveries to ensure everything was perfect.

"Hurry up and get those parts ready! I don't want to get caught up in Konoha's internal politics," one of them muttered nervously.

"Yes, yes. Once we're done here, we're leaving Konoha."

"I don't want to die here. Aso Kojiro was just unlucky. He didn't know when to keep his head down."

For a moment, they all felt a shared sense of dread. No matter how wealthy they were, they were at the mercy of the shinobi and could easily become casualties in their power struggles.

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Meanwhile, in an underground lab hidden within the Forest of Death, a masked ninja knelt before Danzo.

"Aso Kojiro is dead. There's no evidence that can trace it back to us."

Danzo nodded. When Root handled business like this, they always posed as ANBU operatives. Even if the Hokage found out, it would be hard to prove anything.

"I didn't expect the Hatake boy to become so formidable," Danzo muttered, his voice laced with frustration. Two missions had failed in quick succession, causing him considerable losses.

Danzo hadn't suffered defeat in a long time, but this marked the third time he'd been bested by the same opponent—Sakumo Hatake.

He clenched his fists as he reviewed the intelligence reports in his hand.

"For now, lay low. The war on the frontlines is heating up. If necessary, I'll send a team to support Orochimaru."

The death of the Third Kazekage had left Sunagakure without leadership, and Kumo's continued aggression had exhausted both villages. But despite this, the two adversaries had reached a truce, seemingly intent on uniting against Konoha.

Joining forces to attack Konoha was a smarter move than battling each other. Kumo's earlier failure to strike directly had cost them valuable time, and the Third Raikage was now wary of fighting on two fronts.

"Orochimaru cannot fail," Danzo whispered to himself. "He must secure victory on the battlefield if he is to become Hokage."

If Konoha were to lose the war, Orochimaru's reputation would be tarnished, and the position of Hokage would slip from his grasp.

With the Third Hokage's influence waning after leading Konoha through two Great Ninja Wars, Danzo planned to rally other influential figures to force Hiruzen to step down, insisting it was time for younger leadership to take charge.

And with Orochimaru as Hokage, Danzo's power would only grow.

---

Unaware of Danzo's machinations, Muzan sought out NobuWei. As a former subordinate of Sakumo Hatake, Nobu had connections throughout Konoha, and it didn't take long for him to assemble a group of shinobi family members for the next assembly.

"This process is so secretive. Even if we handed them a fully-assembled machine, they wouldn't know which parts they had worked on," Nobu muttered, shaking his head.

Shan Jianhe glared at him. "Watch what you say. These parts are going to the frontlines. Remember what happened to Aso Kojiro..."

Muzan gave Nobu a warning look, and he immediately fell silent. Matters involving the Hokage and ANBU were far above his pay grade.

"What are you doing? This all seems so mysterious," Nobu added hesitantly, "but rest assured, the workers are reliable."

Not all shinobi were fortunate enough to survive the battlefield. Many perished on missions, leaving their families behind in the village. Even with the village's support, life without their loved ones was a constant struggle.

Muzan had offered them work, and since this was under the Hokage's directive, there was no reason to doubt its legitimacy.

Seeing the families of his former comrades finding stability again, Nobu felt a deep sense of gratitude. Muzan, in some ways, was doing more for them than Sakumo ever had.

"They're lucky," Nobu said softly.

In this world, surviving was already a blessing. Having someone to protect and provide for you was even better.

"Shan Jianhe, senpai, the only thing left is to gather the blood samples and send them to the frontlines," Muzan said, his voice firm with determination.

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