Danzo was livid. This whole situation was utterly preposterous.
Where do you get off talking like that?
If they had mentioned this beforehand, he might have even accepted it. But the issue was that they had gone off and caused a massive scene without so much as a word, and now they were claiming it was all done so Danzo could become Hokage? They were framing this as "fulfillment of the agreement" and demanding payment?
It was madness. There was no logic to it.
After fuming for a moment, Danzo said in a low, heavy voice, "This so-called 'execution of the agreement' is a farce. Diarmuid didn't consult me beforehand, which led to many unforeseen consequences. In the end, I wasn't even able to make a move. How can you claim the agreement was fulfilled? I cannot provide payment for this."
"From our perspective, Danzo, you are a rather excellent partner. We believed in your capability and assumed you would make the best possible response to the situation. Therefore, this is not our failure. An agreement is an agreement," Orochimaru stated coldly.
"But this is simply absurd!" Danzo retorted without hesitation.
Orochimaru fell silent for a moment. Then, his lips curled into a chilling, predatory smile. "Danzo-sama, I must remind you... to this day, no one has ever successfully defaulted on a payment to the Yorozuya."
Danzo's brow furrowed, a flash of fury crossing his face. "What? Orochimaru, are you threatening me?"
"No," Orochimaru replied, shaking his head. "I am merely stating a fact. Furthermore, Diarmuid anticipated you might offer such excuses. He asked me to pass along a message."
Danzo's expression shifted between dark and uncertain, but eventually, he asked, "What message?"
"He said," Orochimaru laughed with sinister glee, "'If you don't give him the payment, he'll come and collect it from you in person.'"
A simple sentence, yet it sent a chill down Danzo's spine as he recalled Diarmuid's tiger-like, predatory smile. He quickly mentally cataloged the forces at his disposal.
Is there anyone I have who can stand against Diarmuid?
In a heartbeat, he had the answer: No.
It was at this moment that he looked back on his first meeting with Diarmuid. Back then, things had been so pleasant. How had it devolved into this? At the time, Diarmuid had called him "Danzo-sama" with every other breath, leaving Danzo feeling rather smug, convinced he was the dominant party in control of the situation.
Now, in the blink of an eye, Diarmuid dared to send him such blatant threats. The worst part was that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Staring at Orochimaru's cold, wicked smile, Danzo ultimately swallowed his pride and suppressed his rage. "What is the payment he requires?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Heh heh heh..." Orochimaru chuckled. "That's more like it. Partners should fulfill their agreements promptly. That is the only way for cooperation to continue without everyone turning into enemies and making things ugly."
It was another thinly veiled threat, but Danzo didn't respond, merely watching Orochimaru in stony silence. Orochimaru chuckled again before speaking. "Regarding this payment, what the Yorozuya requires is..."
Orochimaru quickly rattled off a list. Most of it consisted of expensive, high-level resources and materials that only Great Nations could possess, essential supplies to be funneled into the future research projects he and Sasori might conduct. Then there were the financial demands from Kakuzu.
Jūzō, for his part, hadn't asked for anything.
Overall, the price was steep, but Orochimaru had calibrated the demands with surgical precision, it was enough to make Danzo wince, but not so much that it was impossible for him to provide.
Watching Danzo's face twist with a look that suggested severe constipation, Orochimaru laughed inwardly.
Finally, after a brief internal struggle, Danzo spoke. "Fine."
Orochimaru nodded, standing up. "Good. Following the usual rules, these items are to be delivered to Amegakure."
He then glanced at Kabuto behind him and said, "Let's go."
Kabuto nodded, maintaining a calm exterior, but his heart was racing with shock.
What kind of organization have I joined?
He knew of the Yorozuya; after all, he was an intelligence operative. However, at this stage, Kabuto's abilities weren't yet top-tier, nor was he a high-ranking official. He only had a superficial understanding of many things.
His impression of the Yorozuya was vague. For instance, he had assumed the Yorozuya was powerful because someone like Orochimaru had joined them. Conversely, he understood the power of Root quite well. He knew exactly how ruthless Danzo was and the terrifying strength Root commanded.
Yet, this Diarmuid, who hadn't even shown his face, had sent a single message through Orochimaru that terrified Danzo into accepting this "agreement payment." The realization shook Kabuto to his core.
Perhaps the power of the Yorozuya far exceeds my imagination? Or rather... is that man I've never met, the legendary Diarmuid, the backbone of the Yorozuya, so powerful that he is beyond my comprehension?
Regardless, Kabuto found himself feeling a new sense of anticipation regarding his future with the Yorozuya. Perhaps, as Orochimaru had said, this would be a new journey in his life.
However, just as Orochimaru and Kabuto were about to leave Danzo's temporary hideout, Danzo spoke again.
"Wait."
Orochimaru's hand was already on the doorknob. Hearing Danzo's voice, he paused and turned slightly. "What is it?"
"I believe I now have a clearer understanding of Diarmuid's strength. Therefore, there is something I may need your help with. As per the agreement, Diarmuid intends to support my bid for Hokage, does he not?" Danzo asked.
Orochimaru pulled his hand back from the door and turned fully to face Danzo. "What is it?"
As for Danzo's claim about "understanding Diarmuid's strength," Orochimaru found it almost laughable. How could you possibly understand his strength? I've been by his side, researching him for so long, and even I can't determine the true extent of his power.
At times, Orochimaru felt that perhaps even Diarmuid himself didn't know how strong he truly was. In the current shinobi world, there was simply no yardstick left to measure him against.
In truth, this was correct. Diarmuid felt that his strength was likely no longer inferior to Madara or Hashirama in their prime; sometimes, he even suspected he might be stronger. But ultimately, these were just inferences based on the information he had.
In practice, he had no reference point. True strength cannot be determined by mere deduction; it can only be verified through actual combat. It was a pity that both Hashirama and Madara were dead, leaving Diarmuid with no real way to test himself.
Danzo didn't speak immediately. Instead, he glanced at Kabuto, whose eyes were filled with curiosity.
Orochimaru noticed this as well and said softly to Kabuto, "Wait for me outside."
Kabuto sighed inwardly. It seems I haven't earned his full trust yet. But that was to be expected. It would have been stranger if Orochimaru had trusted him immediately. Though he regretted not being able to hear the trade between these powerful figures, Kabuto nodded obediently.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
He opened the door and stepped out. Once the door was shut, Orochimaru looked back at Danzo. "You may speak now."
"Hiruzen has received the endorsement of Konoha's high-ranking officials and has resumed the duties of Hokage," Danzo said.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyes showed a hint of surprise. "I thought that hadn't been finalized yet."
Danzo's expression soured, though he still didn't explain his previous blunder. He continued, "However, while he has the village's approval, there is still one crucial step he hasn't taken..."
"An audience with the Daimyo to receive the formal appointment at the Daimyo Castle," Orochimaru said with a smile.
Exactly. No matter who became the Hokage of Konoha, they needed formal recognition from the Daimyo to be considered legitimate. Otherwise, it wouldn't be rightfully and properly titled.
Hiruzen had been the Third Hokage, but he had stepped down, and his resignation was on file at the Daimyo's office. Thus, while he could serve as Hokage for a short time to restore order, since the village needed a leader, it couldn't last forever. Once Hiruzen straightened out the village's affairs, he would inevitably have to travel to the Daimyo Castle to meet the Daimyo and receive the formal appointment to truly become the current Hokage again.
This was the rule, and no one could change it.
Danzo nodded. "Correct. Theoretically, he is not yet the official Hokage, but merely an Acting Hokage. Therefore, this is my opportunity. In the current Konoha, no one but Hiruzen can compete with me for the position. I have made many preparations for this. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Of course," Orochimaru said naturally, his expression unchanging. Then, he uttered cold words: "You want to kill the old man, don't you?"
Hiruzen was Orochimaru's sensei, yet Danzo spoke of this to Orochimaru as if that relationship were irrelevant. This was based on Danzo's understanding of Orochimaru; he believed Orochimaru wouldn't let sentimentality interfere.
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's eyes. "I take no pleasure in this. After all, Hiruzen and I were... but this is all for the sake of Konoha. He is too weak; he is not fit to be Hokage. Only I can lead Konoha toward a more prosperous future."
To Orochimaru, those words were pure nonsense, merely a justification Danzo used for his own ambition. However, he hadn't expected Danzo to be so ruthless that he would target Hiruzen himself.
Previously, Orochimaru had thought that as former teammates and fellow disciples, even if they had conflicting ideologies and power struggles, they wouldn't resort to lethal force against each other. It seemed he had underestimated Danzo's cruelty.
In truth, in the original story, Danzo had indeed plotted an assassination attempt on Hiruzen after the death of Minato. At the time, he had been gloating in the Hokage's office, only to find that Hiruzen was perfectly fine, had happily received the Daimyo's appointment, and returned to Konoha, leaving Danzo in a very awkward position...
But this time, it seemed he intended to hire the Yorozuya to kill Hiruzen when the moment was right.