A squad captain immediately objected.
"The Fourth Hokage has already been chosen. There's no way Danzō could still become Hokage."
Aaron nodded.
"You're right under normal circumstances."
He continued calmly.
"But we all know that Minato Namikaze is the youngest Hokage in shinobi history. Because of that, his appointment was controversial even inside Konohagakure."
"If a new leader starts his tenure with a major political failure, what happens next?"
He paused deliberately.
"There would be calls for impeachment… or pressure to step down."
"In that situation, who benefits the most?"
Aaron looked around the room before finishing his thought.
"And let's not forget, Danzō Shimura is still a Konoha ninja."
"A lifelong one."
"Do you really think someone like that would go out of his way to protect the Hidden Grass?"
The room fell quiet.
The Grass leader hesitated.
Aaron had a point.
At first glance, it seemed as if Danzō Shimura was helping them.
But was he really?
A Konoha elder worrying about the safety of a rival village sounded like the setup to a bad joke.
Seeing the doubt spreading, Aaron pressed the advantage.
"Minato was chosen by Hiruzen Sarutobi. If he's just carrying on the Third Hokage's moderate policies, then nothing changes."
"But if Minato's reputation collapses early in his tenure…"
"…Konoha might end up replacing him with someone far more aggressive."
That implication hung heavily in the air.
The Grass leader studied Aaron for a moment.
In the end, he decided Aaron's argument made more sense.
Morishita was one of their own and had everything to lose if the Hidden Grass suffered.
Danzō, on the other hand, had every reason to manipulate them.
The leader nodded slowly.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Aaron smiled faintly.
"It's simple."
"They warned us that Konoha agents will try to steal the files about the ANBU team we sent."
"So instead of hiding those files…"
"…we make it easy for them to steal."
He raised a finger.
"Only those files."
The ANBU commander immediately caught on.
"That's clever."
"If Konoha steals those documents easily, they'll underestimate us even more."
"And when we add the reparations payment on top of that, they'll assume the Hidden Grass is weak and spineless."
He leaned back thoughtfully.
"Meanwhile, Danzō's plan fails, and Minato continues sitting comfortably in the Hokage's chair."
Aaron looked at the commander with newfound appreciation.
Now that's a teammate, he thought.
Are you secretly a Konoha ninja too?
In truth, the commander wasn't foolish.
No one rose to the position of ANBU commander without sharp instincts.
But he was working with incomplete information.
From the outside, Minato really did look suspiciously like a political puppet.
Even Aaron, who knew the real situation sometimes felt that way.
So it was no surprise that the Hidden Grass leadership reached the same conclusion.
The Grass leader nodded decisively.
"Very well. Morishita, you will handle this operation."
"Tomorrow I'll send you the files on that ANBU squad."
"During this mission, you'll have temporary authority to coordinate with the other three ANBU squads."
He leaned forward slightly.
"But make sure the Konoha agents only see what we want them to see. Our real secrets must remain hidden."
Aaron nodded with a confident smile.
"Leave it to me."
"I'll complete the mission perfectly and none of our real intelligence will leak."
Inside, though, he couldn't help feeling amused.
Running an infiltration mission like this was almost absurd.
The enemy village leader was literally going to hand him the documents he needed.
Aaron wondered if anyone in the shinobi world had ever had an easier espionage assignment.
At this rate, if he kept playing along long enough, he might accidentally become the leader of the Hidden Grass himself.
Of course, he had no interest in that.
His loyalty belonged to Konohagakure.
Even if the Grass leader offered him the position tomorrow, he'd probably decline.
The other three ANBU squad captains looked at Aaron with obvious envy.
Temporary authority over the other squads, even if only during a mission meant the leader was clearly grooming him for greater responsibility.
After the meeting ended, the Grass leader requested another meeting with the two Root operatives.
When they arrived, he spoke coolly.
"We'll take the necessary precautions against the spies."
"You may return now."
The two Root agents looked confused.
Not long ago, the Grass leader had been welcoming and cooperative.
Why had his attitude suddenly turned so cold?
One of them frowned.
"You shouldn't underestimate the agents Konoha sends."
"They're ANBU operatives elite among shinobi. Frankly speaking, your village's ANBU probably can't match them."
The Grass leader sneered internally.
Even a mere Root agent dared to insult the Hidden Grass in front of him.
Just as Morishita had said.
Danzō Shimura truly was the biggest threat to their village.
Compared to him, the aging Hiruzen Sarutobi and the supposedly controllable Minato Namikaze were far safer options.
As long as Konoha remained under their leadership, the Hidden Grass would have time to grow stronger.
If paying compensation could buy that time, then it was worth the cost.
The leader believed firmly that under his guidance, the Hidden Grass would rise quickly.
One day, when the next great war erupted, they might seize the opportunity to rival or even surpass the Five Great Nations.
Despite the irritation simmering in his chest, the Grass leader kept his expression neutral.
"That won't be necessary," he said flatly.
"I trust the ANBU of the Hidden Grass to handle our own security."
Although he harbored grand ambitions, he understood the current reality.
The Hidden Grass still had to tread carefully around Konoha.
The Root agents frowned.
To them, the Grass leader's reaction made no sense.
They had traveled all the way from the Land of Fire to deliver a warning, yet instead of gratitude they were receiving cold hostility.
One of them tried to clarify.
"You don't need to worry about us harming your village."
"If Konoha wanted to destroy the Hidden Grass, we wouldn't need complicated schemes to do it."
"We're genuinely trying to help you avoid war and avoid paying reparations."
The Grass leader's face darkened.
The statement might have been true but hearing it from two mere Root agents was infuriating.
If a Hokage had said those words, he might have tolerated it.
But these two?
He released a wave of killing intent, his chakra pressure filling the room.
"Hidden Grass may be small," he said quietly, "but that doesn't give the two of you the right to lecture us."
"We appreciate the warning."
"And perhaps someday we'll return the favor."
"Now leave."
"Before I have to repeat myself."
The two Root agents' faces stiffened.
Whether from the oppressive killing intent or sheer frustration, their expressions looked equally unpleasant.
In the end, they said nothing.
They simply turned and left the Hidden Grass.
In the shinobi world, strength commanded respect.
The Grass leader was far stronger than they were. Defying him here would be suicide.
And even if they died, it was unlikely Danzō Shimura would seek revenge for them.
Everyone in Root knew the truth.
To Danzō, they were expendable pieces on a board.
He wouldn't risk conflict with an entire hidden village over two ordinary operatives.
Even if it was a smaller one.
At most, he might use the incident later as leverage, squeezing compensation or applying political pressure.
Not out of loyalty.
Simply because it served his interests.
---
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