The title "Fifth Hokage" struck a chord deep within Danzo's heart. Hearing those words didn't just please him, they settled over him like a warm blanket. It felt absolutely right.
"Hahahaha..."
Danzo burst into laughter, an unspeakably arrogant sound, reminiscent of a melodramatic villain whose master plan had finally come to fruition.
A heavy sense of foreboding settled over the two Advisors.
'Fifth Hokage?!'
'What kind of scheme is Danzo hatching now?!'
They were both shocked and furious, but Danzo paid their internal turmoil no mind. He strolled leisurely toward the assembled ninja clans and the visiting Daimyos, while the Root operatives behind him melted seamlessly into the larger formation of his forces.
The clearing was effectively split in two factions: the isolated Advisors on one side, and Danzo, backed by Root and the gathered clans, on the other.
"Could it be..." The Advisors dread intensified.
'Impossible,' they thought. 'When did Danzo acquire such influence?'
To have dozens of clans submit to him? If Danzo had possessed such ability earlier, Hiruzen's position would never have been secure.
At this moment, Danzo could no longer suppress the ecstasy swelling in his chest. "The Sunagakure have betrayed the alliance," he announced. "And Hiruzen... the Third Hokage... has tragically met his end."
"However, the village cannot survive a single day without a Kage. Therefore, we must select the Fifth Hokage immediately."
Hearing this, the Advisors hearts skipped a beat.
Danzo paused, scanning the crowd to gauge the reaction of the gathered shinobi. He took a moment to relish the anxious expressions on Koharu and Homura's faces, before continuing with a triumphant sneer:
"I never expected the Daimyo to place such value on an old soldier like me, entrusting the heavy burden of the Fifth Hokage to me."
Danzo had even won over the Daimyo... Since when did he have the political acumen for this?
"However, I feel that a matter as grave as the succession requires careful consideration."
"For the sake of fairness, let us vote by a show of hands."
"Who is in favor? And who opposes?"
Danzo was speaking so bluntly he might as well have shouted that 'he' was the Fifth Hokage.
In terms of subtlety, he simply couldn't compare to the Third.
But being simple and crude had its advantages, it was a sharp blade to cut the Gordian knot and settle matters quickly.
"I object." Naturally, the pair of Advisors stood up in opposition. Homura was the first to speak. "Danzo, you are unfit to serve as the Fifth Hokage."
Despite their usual habit of fence-sitting, saying "Hiruzen is right" one moment and "Danzo is right" the next, they always sided with Hiruzen whenever Danzo gained too much ground.
Especially regarding the issue of the Hokage. It was the unanimous consensus of the Konoha high command that Danzo could not take the seat.
They were praying to anyone who would listen that this had to be a joke. They had been companions for decades, did they not know exactly what kind of person Danzo was?
He lacked the temperament, the capability, and the qualifications.
"We have a more suitable candidate."
"Tsunade is the true successor!"
Even knowing the situation was dire, they had to bite the bullet and stand their ground.
"Very well..." Danzo said, his face reddening.
"I..." The second person to speak was Hattori of the Shipping Company. Under the bewildered gazes of the two Advisors, he declared, "I naturally pledge my full support to Danzo-sama as the Fifth Hokage."
"If financial backing is required, our Shipping Company will be the first to help. We are Konoha's staunchest allies, after all."
Homura and Koharu stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
Following Hattori's declaration, the Daimyos of other nations spoke up one after another.
"We of the Land of Snow also support Danzo-sama becoming the Fifth Hokage."
"Hozuki Castle as well."
"The Land of Demons concurs."
One should never underestimate the weight of foreign allies. A single ally might not mean much, but the support of a dozen was a different matter entirely.
They might not be able to dictate Konoha's internal politics.
But with their support combined with the Fire Daimyo's, Danzo's claim to legitimacy was far stronger than anyone else's.
Next, the ninja Clan Heads expressed their stance one by one.
"The Hyuga Clan stands with him."
"The Akimichi Clan as well."
"..."
The stance of the ninja clans was even more critical, as it represented the unanimous will of Konoha's middle class and military backbone.
As for the lower-class civilians... well, there were no civilians here right now.
Of everyone present, only a few Anbu and the two Advisors had not stated their position, essentially, the isolated attitude of the traditional Konoha high command.
Seeing the tide turn so violently against them, the two fence-sitters immediately prepared to fold.
Unfortunately, they were a step too late.
*Squelch!*
Root blades pierced their hearts from behind. The speed was so fast that almost no one present could track the movement.
"Those who disrespect Danzo-sama... must die!"
Fugaku's voice echoed across the vast clearing.
The two opened their mouths to speak, but could only produce wet, gurgling sounds.
Lightning release paralysis locked their tongues.
Their strength was actually not weak, after all they had been under Tobirama's command and he wouldn't tolerate anyone under Elite Jonin level as his guard, but sitting in high positions for so long had caused them to lose their edge. Coupled with their old age, significantly declined physical condition, and the sheer unexpectedness of a sneak attack by Fugaku, they were silenced in a single strike.
Just as the Anbu attempted to take action, the blades of countless Root ninja were already pressed against their throats.
"What a pity..." Danzo said, his tone dripping with false regret. "I grew tired of you pointing fingers at me long ago."
He felt nothing for the deaths of Koharu and Homura. Anyone who became a stumbling block on his path to the throne had to die. To become Hokage, to sit on that seat, Danzo had become obsessed.
It was the fixation of his entire life.
"It seems the position of Fifth Hokage belongs to none other than me."
His face finally revealed an expression that seemed to say, 'How embarrassing, but I will kill anyone who tries to stop me.'
Danzo formally became the Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
That is, if the current village could still be called Konoha.
With the village unanimously approving Danzo, everything proceeded with terrifying logic.
A crude ceremony, a second-hand Hokage robe (Hiruzen's old robe).
None of these things mattered.
Danzo's trembling hands accepted the Straw Hat inscribed with the kanji for 'Fire'.
In this moment, Danzo's heart burned hot.
A cherished desire of decades was finally being realized today.
Placing the Straw Hat on his head, Danzo proclaimed loudly, "From this day forth, I am the Fifth Hokage."
"Danzo-sama." Just as the ceremony ended, Hattori called out to Danzo and whispered in his ear, "I have one more great gift for you!"
Then Danzo saw him: Hiruzen, clinging to his final breath, his vitality drained.
"Hahaha!"
At this moment, Danzo was incomparably triumphant. He could not wait to show off to his old partner.
He leaned close to Hiruzen's ear and whispered with immense pride, "Hiruzen... I, Danzo Shimura, am the Hokage."
Hiruzen closed his eyes in sorrow, but Danzo interpreted it as an unwillingness to accept the truth, fueling his rampant, maniacal laughter.
"Someone come, escort the Fifth Hokage down to rest."
Immersed in the joy of his ascension, Danzo did not notice the impropriety of Naruto's command, nor did he see the pity in the eyes of the ninja Clan Heads, or the open mockery on the faces of the small nations Daimyos.
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