This Danzo Is Weird!

It must be said, as a member of the Nara clan, Nara Shikai's arrangements on Kikyo Mountain were already quite impressive.

The only problem was the severe lack of ninja stationed here!

Currently, Kikyo Castle had only 600 ninjas, most of whom were genin and chunin, with only 14 jonin among them.

With such a force, even with the advantage of terrain, it was absolutely impossible to hold off both Sunagakure and Kumogakure.

After all, the AB Duo from Kumogakure included an Eight-Tails Jinchuriki—one who was a perfect Jinchuriki at that!

Kikyo Mountain might be able to fend off ordinary ninjas, but in the face of a Tailed Beast Bomb, it likely wouldn't last more than a few hits.

Based on the power displayed in the original story, a single Tailed Beast Bomb could easily flatten a small mountain.

On top of that, they had to contend with the physically overwhelming Fourth Raikage, whose speed rivaled that of the Yellow Flash. The defensive pressure on Kikyo Castle was unimaginable.

Not to mention the added support of Sunagakure.

Thus, the burden on Danzo's shoulders was exceptionally heavy.

His current priority was to fortify the defenses of Kikyo Castle to the greatest extent possible before the inevitable joint assault from Sunagakure and Kumogakure.

Even if they couldn't stop the attack, they had to make the enemy pay a heavy price!

Over the next few days, Danzo, under Shikai's guidance, actively engaged with the grassroots.

He met with Kikyo Castle's mayor and representatives of the residents, inquiring about their recent living conditions and promising that the Konoha forces, guided by the Will of Fire, would protect the people of the Land of Fire.

Of course, Danzo didn't forget to ask them to lead the residents in assisting the ninjas with the construction of defensive structures.

He then personally inspected various defense lines, rewarding those who performed outstandingly and showed dedication to their duties.

He even went to the front lines himself, delivering food and water to the ninjas and workers. This rapidly boosted Danzo's reputation.

Watching Danzo blending so well with the ninjas, Shikai's face was full of confusion.

When did Danzo become so benevolent?

The key point was that he could tell Danzo's smile was completely genuine, not an act or a show!

What on earth was going on in this world?

Shikai, of course, couldn't understand. After all, the smile on Danzo's face wasn't just because of the ninjas and workers—it was also due to the constant notification sounds in his mind:

"Skill Point +1"

"Skill Point +1"

"Skill Point +1"

...

Hearing this endless stream of notifications, Danzo's smile was brimming with genuine joy—there was no pretense whatsoever!

It had to be said: being a leader had its perks.

Danzo didn't even have to go to extreme lengths. Simply being a little kinder to his subordinates earned their goodwill effortlessly.

In just two days, Danzo had amassed over 700 skill points.

And as his reputation for caring about his subordinates and being approachable continued to spread, the skill points kept flowing in.

Given a few more days, he would likely surpass 1,000 points easily, at which point his physical attributes would undergo a massive and comprehensive enhancement.

Suddenly, Aburame Ryoma appeared.

With him were two ninjas: one tall, one short; one with black hair, one with white hair; both wearing animal masks.

"Lord Danzo, the people you requested have arrived."

Aburame Ryoma, knowing how much his superior valued these two individuals, brought them over as soon as they arrived.

"Lord Danzo."

The two greeted him in unison.

As they bowed, they also observed the situation at the scene.

After all, they had been temporarily reassigned from other battlefields, and their new leader had a reputation as the infamous Danzo Shimura of Konoha. It was only natural to remain cautious.

What if they were sent to their deaths as disposable pawns?

However, what they saw on the ground seemed quite different from what they had expected.

　　Danzo was kindly holding the hand of an elderly worker, his face full of smiles, embodying the image of unity between the military and civilians.

When he saw the two arrive, Danzo made no attempt to hide his excitement.

"You two have finally arrived!"

He quickly walked up to them, grabbing each of their hands, and said repeatedly, "It's good that you're here, it's good that you're here!"

His emotional display was so heartfelt that anyone unaware of the situation might have thought they were his grandchildren.

The white-haired ninja was immediately confused, while the black-haired ninja felt a surge of warmth. Could it be that Lord Danzo was actually this approachable? Were all the rumors he'd heard in the past just fabrications?

Usually, figures of Danzo's stature—or even members of the ninja clans—were far more aloof.

Especially outside the village, this kind of arrogance was even more pronounced.

Shisui had witnessed ninjas bullying civilians arrogantly, only to grovel like lapdogs in front of wealthy nobles moments later.

But someone like Danzo, who could connect so effortlessly with civilian workers, was incredibly rare—practically nonexistent!

Danzo's sincerity, of course, was genuine.

Even though both ninjas wore masks, the distinctive white hair gave them away immediately. In all of Konoha, only Sakumo Hatake and Kakashi Hatake had that hair color.

As for the other ninja, it was also easy to guess. If Ryoma had brought him over so respectfully, it had to be either Kakashi or Uchiha Shisui.

Kakashi was Konoha's most famous prodigy of recent years, graduating from the Ninja Academy at age five, becoming a chunin at six, and a jonin at twelve—a record-breaking genius.

Shisui, though slightly younger, had also earned great renown during the Third Shinobi World War with his title of "Shisui of the Body Flicker."

Later, in the original timeline, he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and the famed genjutsu Kotoamatsukami, known as the strongest illusion technique.

Both were key figures in Danzo's plans for cultivation, especially Shisui. At his current age, Shisui was pure-hearted and kind, dedicated to protecting the village.

In simpler terms, he was easy to manipulate.

For example, right now...

"Uchiha Shisui believes you're a good person. Skill Point +1. Gained Skill Package: Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."

A wave of knowledge surged into Danzo's mind, instantly teaching him how to use the Great Fireball Jutsu.

Almost immediately, Shisui noticed that his new leader's gaze toward him had grown even more fervent.

Danzo, like a kind elder, patted both of their shoulders.

"You must be tired after such a long journey. Go rest!"

Kakashi and Shisui exchanged a glance and both nodded in agreement.

Danzo, meanwhile, continued mingling with the civilians.

---

On their way to the camp, Shisui asked, "Kakashi-senpai, do you know much about Lord Danzo?"

Kakashi shook his head coldly. "I've only heard that he's the dark side of Konoha—a ninja who has abandoned emotions and the light."

Shisui nodded. "I see. But Lord Danzo seemed quite approachable today."

Kakashi's gaze lingered on Shisui's eyes for a moment before quickly returning to his usual indifference.

"I don't know. As long as we complete the mission, I don't care what kind of person Danzo is."

With that, he quickened his pace, leaving only his back visible.

"Still not over his trauma, huh?"

Shisui murmured, staring at Kakashi's retreating figure.

He had, of course, heard about the genius's tragic story:

A father's suicide, a friend's death during a mission, and being left with a single Sharingan...

"What a pity, Kakashi-senpai," Shisui said softly.