"Did you hear? One of the elders of the Hidden Leaf, Shimura Danzo, used to sell his body when he was young!"
"Eh? Who's Shimura Danzo?"
"Nani!? You don't know Elder Danzo-sama? One of the village elders of the Leaf? He's a comrade of Lord Third and a disciple of Lord Second! A guardian of the village who chose to dwell in darkness to protect it!"
"Really? Then why are people saying he used to sell his body?"
"That's what you don't get. To protect the Hidden Leaf, some sacrifices are necessary. Danzo-sama used to be extremely handsome—like, super handsome. So some powerful shinobi and nobles with... peculiar tastes took a liking to him."
"Normally, someone would resist such things, right? But Danzo-sama, in order to fulfill his mission and protect the Leaf, offered up his backside, enduring the abuse of old men—just for the sake of the village!"
"Hiss\~\~\~ T-That's terrifying! A shinobi actually had to go that far!?"
"There was no other way. Back when the Hidden Leaf was just founded, even with the First and Second Hokage around, there were too many gaps to fill. Many shinobi sacrificed themselves to protect the village. Danzo-sama was just one of them."
"I see... Danzo-sama really went through a lot."
"Yeah, and it wasn't just that. Sometimes he had to entertain old, ugly noblewomen and wealthy dowagers—playing with barbed wire, whips, and razor blades. They say the cross-shaped scar on Danzo-sama's chin came from that."
"Hiss\~\~\~ W-What!? Those noblewomen were that wild!? That's terrifying!"
"You're telling me. Those rich folks, once they get old, get real kinky. Oh, and I remember—Danzo-sama even once dressed as a woman to infiltrate a brothel. He became one of the top courtesans there. Then... tsk tsk tsk..."
"Nani!? Hontō ni? Then Danzo-sama must've been really pretty back then?"
"No joke, he was the most beautiful man of his generation. When he cross-dressed, he looked better than most women."
"Hiss\~\~\~ *cough cough* In that case... maybe it's not so bad after all..."
"??? Something's wrong with you!"
...
Listening to this chatter, Nara Shikaku had a cigarette in his mouth, leisurely taking a puff. His mood was... complicated. He wanted to comment, but didn't even know where to begin.
"So this is the Uchiha Clan's counterattack? Terrifying. It's clearly saying you made sacrifices for the village, but somehow\... it's the kind of 'praise' no one could accept."
For a moment, Shikaku actually felt a shred of sympathy for Elder Danzo—whom he'd always disliked from the bottom of his heart.
But only for a moment. If Danzo was being slandered like this, well... he kind of had it coming.
A few days ago, rumors suddenly started spreading in the village targeting the genjutsu game and the Uchiha Clan. Accusations that the game was dangerous and full of problems.
The rumor tactics were low-grade—but highly effective. Ordinary people were easy to incite. Given the Uchiha's reputation in the village, things were bound to spiral out of control. The clan was in a tough spot.
It was a disgusting type of 'open plot.'
In the past, the other clans would've stood by, indifferent. They'd just watch the proud Uchiha suffer and maybe even enjoy it a little.
But now the Uchiha had changed. Their interests were tightly bound with everyone else's. The genjutsu game's sales directly affected all clans' profits.
At current rates, by year-end, each clan could expect at least 100 million ryō in dividends.
And that was just for one year. The profits would keep coming.
So now someone wanted to bury this goldmine, making everyone lose money? Who could tolerate that?
Two days ago, someone from one of the clans approached the Nara Clan—the brains of the village. The Nara gave a solution. Then yesterday, the major clans joined forces and crushed the rumors.
The Uchiha were stunned—and naturally sent people to thank the others. They also came to truly appreciate the genius of Kei's strategy to tie everyone's interests together.
In the past, all the Uchiha could do in such situations was stew silently or lash out aggressively—arresting people and issuing fines, which only made things worse.
But this time, they didn't do a thing—yet people stepped in to help on their own. It was unbelievably satisfying.
The Uchiha leadership's faith in Kei's wisdom only grew stronger. When Kei proposed a plan to strike back at Danzo, they acted immediately.
They didn't retaliate directly. Instead, they sent messengers to each clan, explaining the financial losses caused by the rumors, and declared that if this kind of behavior went unpunished, it would embolden others, causing even greater losses in the future.
The clans agreed. They also supported the idea of retaliation. Only the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Koharu clans were hesitant, worrying that things might get out of hand.
Clearly, these three knew who had started the rumors. Or at least, the three clan heads—who were part of Konoha's so-called "F4"—knew.
This was no surprise to Kei. Everyone knew how deeply connected the Konoha F4 were. They might bicker, but if you seriously went after one of them, the rest would never stand by.
So the Uchiha messengers clarified: the counterattack wouldn't be hostile. It wouldn't truly harm the perpetrators or the village. It was just a statement—of where the Uchiha and the game commerce alliance stood.
The three clans gave tacit approval. They'd never outright agree—but silence was approval.
And so today, the rumors about Danzo appeared.
Technically, they didn't smear him. They told stories of his 'great sacrifices' for the Leaf—tales so heartbreaking they made listeners weep. Some people even admired him. Others... just wanted to see pictures of him in drag.
Starting today, the great Root of the Leaf, the darkness of the shinobi world—Shimura Danzo—had finally become famous. And with how fast these rumors spread, there was a high chance they'd go viral across the entire ninja world.
Everyone would know: Elder Danzo once sold his body, wore women's clothes, entertained rich old ladies, and served as a courtesan.
When this information reached Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage nearly lost his composure on the spot.
And he was sure his old friends Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado wouldn't be able to keep a straight face either.
As for Danzo...
"It's about time..."
Just as he muttered that, the Hokage Office door burst open with a *slam*—and in stormed Shimura Danzo, his face twisted in rage, limping with fury.
"Hiruzen!!! You knew about this, didn't you!? You definitely knew!!! And you still let the Uchiha do this!!!"
His voice was full of anger, desperation, and the betrayal of a once-trusted friend.