This Danzo Is Weird!

When Danzo recommended Minato, the others did not show any signs of surprise.

After all, everyone was well aware of the relationship between Lord Danzo and the Hokage. Surely, this must have been something they had already discussed and agreed upon.

As a result, everyone glanced at each other, seemingly accepting the decision without objection.

When a hawkish leader and a dovish leader reach a consensus, the opinions of others hardly seem to matter.

However, it was Minato himself who stepped forward and declined:

"Thank you for your high regard, Lord Danzo, but I am inexperienced, still young, and truly do not dare to take on such a high position."

If someone else had said this, people might have thought they were just being modest while secretly hoping to be persuaded.

But when Minato said it, everyone simply thought, this damn guy is just too humble!

Such was the reputation of a ninja.

By contrast, no matter what good deeds our Lord Danzo did, people would always think he had ulterior motives…

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to display his benevolent image in response to Minato's reluctance, he suddenly heard Danzo speak up:

"Minato, I know you are naturally indifferent to power."

Danzo slowly stood up, grasped Minato's hand in front of everyone, and spoke sincerely:

"Humility is a virtue for young people, but right now, Iwagakure remains silent, and Kumogakure watches us like a tiger eyeing its prey. This is precisely the time when the village needs young people like you to step forward with courage."

"You have time, ideas, and drive!"

"You should take bold action! And even if you make mistakes, we old bones will have your back!"

Danzo's words nearly moved Minato to tears.

Not just Minato—everyone present could not help but be filled with respect.

After all, wasn't this scene of passing the torch the very embodiment of the Will of Fire?

This was the Will of Fire!

This was absolute righteousness!

Under such circumstances, Minato had no choice but to accept.

If he continued to decline, wouldn't that mean he was betraying Danzo's trust in young people?

Wouldn't that imply that the younger generation was afraid to shoulder responsibilities?

Wouldn't that make people think the younger generation lacked ability—or worse, lacked the spirit of sacrifice?

Thus, Minato could only bow his head in humility and address the crowd:

"Since that is the case, I can only accept this position with shame. If I make any mistakes, please do not hesitate to correct me!"

At that moment, the room erupted into applause.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.

He looked at Danzo and felt as if his old friend had become a stranger.

He never used to be like this!

He used to be simple—only scheming from the shadows. When did he become so... amiable?

Unbeknownst to Hiruzen, Danzo was currently closing his eyes and listening to the system's voice:

"Detected Namikaze Minato's gratitude. Skill point +1."

"Drawing skill pack..."

"Congratulations! You have obtained the skill pack: Sealing Jutsu: Four Red Yang Formation (A)."

A barrier technique this time, huh...

Danzo was no stranger to the Four Red Yang Formation.

It was a barrier technique that required four Kage-level ninjas to activate simultaneously. Though it was classified as an A-rank technique, in the original story, four Hokage used it to withstand the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, demonstrating its incredible strength.

All in all, it was a great reward.

Bringing his focus back to the present, the next agenda item was the promotion of other ninjas.

The recently retired Nara Shikasa pulled out a long scroll.

It contained records of the achievements, strength evaluations, and recommended promotions for all surviving ninjas who participated in the battle.

On this matter, there was little room for dispute.

Since Nara Shikasa had already discussed the list with the major ninja clans beforehand, the current discussion was merely a formality—just a symbolic review of the remaining jōnin positions and an official signing process.

Most of these remaining positions were reserved for civilian ninjas.

As expected, under Minato's suggestion, several civilian ninjas who had performed outstandingly in the war successfully made it onto the jōnin list.

At the same time, Danzo's top disciple, Uchiha Shisui, was also promoted to jōnin due to his exceptional performance.

With this topic concluded, the next issue was the list of fallen ninjas and the distribution of compensation funds.

Ultimately, this responsibility fell to Minato.

Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberately wanted to boost Minato's reputation to counteract the growing influence of Danzo.

Distributing compensation funds would be a great opportunity for Minato to gain public favor.

To be honest, Hiruzen's ideal choice for this task would have been one of his own students—the legendary Sannin.

Unfortunately, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya were stationed at other battlefronts.

The only Sannin present, Tsunade, had been revealed to suffer from hemophobia and had not made any significant contributions in this war.

Thus, the honor of handling this task fell to Minato.

After all, Minato was, in some way, part of Hiruzen's lineage—his student's student.

As a grandmaster, Hiruzen could also bask in Minato's success, right?

Danzo had no objections to this arrangement.

Although his public reputation had improved recently, personally distributing compensation funds still didn't align with his character image.

After finishing these relatively non-controversial topics, the meeting became tense once again.

The next discussion was about Konoha's military presence in the Land of Wind, the Land of Water, and even the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain.

The most concerning areas were the Land of Wind and the Land of Water.

As great nations on par with the Land of Fire, these two countries held the highest stakes.

Take the Land of Wind, for example.

It was about securing the mining rights to one-third of the Land of Wind's mineral resources!

The Land of Wind was the largest exporter of mineral resources in the entire ninja world!

Controlling a third of its mines meant securing an output nearly equivalent to the entire Land of Fire's mineral production.

And Konoha had to send personnel to guard this mining region.

This meant that the officials stationed there would control a mineral supply on par with the entire Land of Fire's resources!

The sheer amount of hidden benefits was enough to make anyone drool.

Then there was the Land of Water.

With its numerous coastal trade ports, how many goods were sold there each year?

The numbers were astronomical!

And all of this would be decided in this very meeting.

It was no exaggeration to say that the outcomes of this meeting could determine the rise and fall of certain ninja clans for the next ten years.

That's why the atmosphere was so tense.

That's why Nara Shikasa willingly gave up his position as the jōnin captain.

His old age was one reason, but he also wanted to gain leverage for his clan in this negotiation.

After all, he had been so cooperative—neither the Hokage nor Danzo could completely ignore him when it came time to distribute benefits, right?

It could only be said that no one sitting in this room was a fool.

Danzo observed all these developments without saying a word, letting them continue arguing.

Every clan wanted control over the Wind Country's mining region, but no one was willing to back down.

And, of course, each had their own reasons.

Hyuga, Aburame, Inuzuka: We have strong reconnaissance abilities. We can detect threats early and respond quickly.

Uchiha: We are good at fighting.

Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka: We have seamless teamwork and can handle unexpected situations efficiently.

Uchiha: We are good at fighting.

All the other clans: …

This argument continued for half an hour.

Seeing that they showed no signs of calming down, Danzo finally opened his eyes.

A single cough from him silenced the entire meeting room.

"Since no one can come up with a suitable plan, I will decide the personnel myself."

Danzo's voice was hoarse and not particularly loud, but everyone listened intently, afraid to miss a single word.

Not just because Danzo was Konoha's second-in-command after the Hokage, but more importantly, because he was the commander of this war.

It was no exaggeration to say that the reason they were even sitting here, dividing the spoils, was because Danzo had led his forces to victory on the battlefield.

Thus, everyone present had to respect his judgment.

Under the watchful eyes of the attendees, Danzo shared his decision:

"The Wind Country's mining region is crucial to Konoha. It requires both strong military defense and superior reconnaissance capabilities."

"Therefore, we need to establish a composite defense unit made up of various types of ninjas."

"I propose that Uchiha Fugaku be appointed as the unit captain, with Hyuga Hizashi serving as vice-captain."

"I believe everyone has witnessed their contributions in this war. Entrusting such an important mining region to them should put everyone at ease."

"Of course, other clans and civilian ninjas should also participate and contribute."

Danzo's stance was crystal clear.

The largest share of the mining region's control would go to the Uchiha, with the Hyuga as their second-in-command, and the remaining families taking smaller portions.

Given the Uchiha and Hyuga's wartime achievements, they were bound to receive the largest share of the benefits.

Most of the attendees found this arrangement acceptable.

After all, the Uchiha had contributed significantly to this war, making this decision fair and just.

But the real question was—when did Elder Danzo become so fair and just?

He wasn't suppressing the Uchiha?

Could it be because he had taken in an Uchiha disciple?

Everyone's expressions shifted.

Meanwhile, Konoha's advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, both darkened their expressions.

It seemed Danzo was seriously planning to ease tensions with the Uchiha.

But Danzo's arrangements didn't stop there.

"As for the border trade hubs in the mountainous regions between the Wind Country and the Rain Country, which will serve as crucial logistical support for the mines, I recommend Nara Shikai to oversee their construction and serve as the first city lord."

Danzo placed great importance on this town.

It would be responsible for facilitating Konoha's trade expansion and cultural influence in the Wind Country.

It was also part of Danzo's strategic vision and required someone reliable and sharp to oversee it.

Having previously worked with Nara Shikai at Kikyo Castle, Danzo considered him a solid choice.

This was also a reward for Nara Shikasa, who had willingly stepped down as jōnin captain.

After all, managing a border city controlling trade between two nations was far more profitable than overseeing a single military outpost like Kikyo Castle.

"Additionally, the transit island facing the Water Country, along with four other key port hubs, can be constructed through joint investment by the major clans. The revenue from these ports—aside from the necessary taxes collected by the village—will be distributed among the clans based on their investment shares."

"Each clan may negotiate among themselves regarding their investment percentages and the leadership of the transit island and port hubs."

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This Danzo Is Weird 350 advanced chapters: (5-10 ch updates everyday)

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