At that time, as long as he trained a little more, defeating Fuma, becoming Hokage, and even unifying the ninja world would have been natural steps forward.
During the peak of the Root's power, Root ninjas had spread across every corner of the ninja world, yet they were never able to locate Mount Myoboku or any of the Three Great Sage Lands.
It seemed that the sages who held the secrets of Sage Mode training had their own selection criteria, only choosing those they deemed worthy.
Hearing this, the Third Hokage's expression darkened.
Danzo's words essentially turned Jiraiya's severe injury into a bargaining chip for gaining access to Mount Myoboku, and as Jiraiya's teacher, this left the Third Hokage with an uncomfortable feeling.
But deep down, the Third Hokage had to admit that Danzo had a point.
If gaining access to Mount Myoboku meant establishing a connection between the Toad Sages and Konoha's Hokage faction, then Jiraiya's injury would seem like a small price to pay.
"We'll discuss this after Jiraiya recovers from his injuries. It's too early to make decisions now."
"The priority right now is to focus on two things: first, providing Jiraiya with the best possible medical care; second, monitoring the current situation in the ninja world."
"According to the ANBU's intel, Kirigakure seems to be in the midst of internal conflict. The Third Mizukage might be planning to start a war to divert attention, and while it's still just a possibility, it's something we need to keep an eye on."
"Furthermore, Kumogakure has been unusually quiet since obtaining the Byakugan. Iwagakure is expanding its territory, and Sunagakure's internal situation appears unstable as well."
The Third Hokage listed the latest reports, all of which pointed to a harsh reality: the last conflict between the three major villages was nothing more than the prelude to a true ninja war.
And the most alarming part was that Konoha's performance in the previous war, though impressive, was not enough to deter the other villages from making aggressive moves.
If another war broke out, it could revert to the situation of the First Great Ninja War—four major villages ganging up on Konoha before turning on each other.
Back then, it was only thanks to Tobirama, who led the Senju and Uchiha clans to repel the four villages single-handedly, that the crisis was resolved.
But now, Konoha's internal state was more complicated than the broader ninja world's conflicts. How could they handle a war in this condition?
The Third Hokage habitually pulled out his pipe, glanced at the silent Danzo, and stressed, "Danzo… the Uchiha Clan cannot be touched right now. Even if Fuma were taken away by the Sage of Six Paths himself, the Uchiha are not Konoha's enemies."
"You understand the situation in the ninja world, don't you? We need the Uchiha Clan on the battlefield."
Times had changed. The Uchiha, once tightly restricted within the village and only allowed to fight after Fuma used his influence to secure them a place in battle, had now become an asset the Third Hokage had to carefully persuade to take action.
Danzo wiped the dirt from his face and flung it to the ground with disgust, replying coldly:
"I understand… Hiruzen, let's not talk about the Uchiha anymore. I will send medical ninjas to treat Jiraiya as soon as possible. The current priority should be Mount Myoboku."
"Those toads… they summoned Jiraiya when he was a child through a so-called summoning accident. There must have been a reason behind it."
"So, don't act humble with them. That will only weaken our position in negotiations."
Danzo had always thought it was ridiculous how Jiraiya had ended up in Mount Myoboku as a child through a "failed summoning."
Summoning jutsu was a complex space-time technique. If the hand seals were wrong, the jutsu would simply fail—it wouldn't reverse into a "reverse summoning" that transported someone to Mount Myoboku.
Danzo was convinced that Mount Myoboku had deliberately targeted Jiraiya, selecting him because of his pure heart and natural talent. In Danzo's eyes, this was nothing more than a carefully staged act.
The true intention behind Mount Myoboku's involvement was to use Jiraiya as a walking symbol of their influence in the ninja world.
Danzo's conspiracy-minded nature grew even more certain of this after seeing Jiraiya's rapid progress in such a short period.
"Danzo… I understand your concerns about Mount Myoboku. But for now, you need to focus on stabilizing the Nine-Tails within you.
Don't waste Lady Mito's sacrifice. That sealing technique cost her several years of her life—it's not something to take lightly."
The Third Hokage shifted the conversation.
"Hmph… Just focus on your student. If I had obtained Sage Mode, it wouldn't matter if I faced Fuma—or even Madara himself." Danzo snorted, then turned and strode away, his steps unusually hurried.
The Third Hokage watched Danzo's retreating figure and shook his head with a sigh.
"Madara? Danzo, you really have no fear…"
The Third Hokage sighed and turned to Hatake Sakumo with an apologetic look. "Sakumo, with Jiraiya's current condition, he won't be able to train Kakashi and the others."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you step in as their instructor for now? These kids are geniuses from the ninja academy—we can't afford to waste their potential."
Sakumo's expression darkened.
He, the leader of the ANBU, one of Konoha's top combat forces—was now being asked to babysit a group of kids?
He had initially thought assigning Jiraiya as his son's teacher was a thoughtful gesture, a way to lighten his own workload.
But Jiraiya, apparently blinded by his newfound Sage Mode, had recklessly confronted Fuma and ended up crippled.
And now Sakumo was left with not just Kakashi but four extra students on top of that—and it was all dumped on his lap as a "mission."
Even as a loyal and capable shinobi, Sakumo couldn't help but feel that he was being exploited.
Due to the Nine-Tails incident, Sakumo had already been sidelined from active missions for a while and had grown comfortable with a more relaxed life.
If possible, he would have preferred the routine life of a village guard—tea, a good book, and a peaceful day.
"Fine… Hokage-sama, I'll oversee the training for now. If I make any mistakes in managing ANBU affairs during this time, please bear with me."
Sakumo agreed, not only because of his loyalty as a shinobi but also because he saw the shaken expressions on the young ninjas' faces.
Fear and uncertainty were written all over them. If someone didn't step in soon to help them recover mentally, their futures could be at risk.
"Jiraiya… I hope you recover soon. But honestly, you've put my son in a bad spot here…"
Sakumo sighed, nodded at the Third Hokage, and approached Kakashi and the others.
The Third Hokage glanced at Asuma, who was sitting with his head buried between his knees, looking completely dejected.
Asuma had always idolized Jiraiya. Watching his hero be brutally beaten by Fuma had clearly shaken him to the core.
Jiraiya's reckless actions had disrupted not only the Hokage's strategic plans but even his own family.
"Well… Asuma is a ninja. He'll have to get through this eventually."
The Third Hokage took one last look at Asuma before heading toward Konoha's medical division. He needed to know the full extent of Jiraiya's injuries—whether he could recover or not.
Since Sakumo had taken over the students, that problem was settled. Now, as Hokage, he had to prepare for an internal summit.
It was time to analyze the global situation, prepare for the Third Ninja War, and decide how to handle the growing power of the Uchiha.
He was exhausted.