If it were an ordinary person, even someone of noble status, they would have likely gone mad by now. But Danzō, even in his madness, would still be willing to take extreme measures, such as assassinations, for the sake of becoming Hokage.
The problem was, Mito was no ordinary person. She was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
Danzō had never seen her fight with his own eyes, but he had heard about her from his teacher.
Back in the day on the battlefield, Mito, with the innate talent of the Uzumaki clan and her extraordinary sealing techniques, was someone who could slay Kage-level ninjas.
After becoming the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, her strength rose even further. Even Tobirama would not provoke her, because, quite simply, he couldn't defeat her.
Though she was old now, no one knew how much of her former strength she still retained. Besides, even if the assassination succeeded, then what?
What if the Nine-Tails were accidentally released... In Konoha's current weakened state, the village could very well be destroyed. What would be the point of becoming Hokage then?
Alright, even if it didn't come to that, what if she decided to target him out of spite, given that his claim to the Hokage seat was already questionable...
You had to understand, back when Hiruzen was still in power, and their relationship hadn't yet deteriorated, he had once mentioned how formidable Mito was.
Though Hiruzen hadn't shared many specific details, when he spoke of her, it was with gritted teeth.
No, something had to be done.
"Send Homura to see me," he immediately gave the order.
Five minutes later, Homura left the Hokage Building and went to the Senju clan compound.
Ten minutes after that, he returned and had a confidential discussion with Danzō.
When Homura left, Danzō's expression was extremely odd.
What did that mean?
So she really didn't care about any of this?
And when she heard about Tsunade's accident, she merely said, "Every child has their own fate." Although she seemed a bit saddened, her mindset was actually very calm and open.
And here he was worrying for nothing!
But at least this concern was put to rest. Without her interference, becoming Hokage would proceed smoothly.
Was the time finally coming?
And yet, the closer he got to that moment, the more anxious and unsettled him felt.
Because something about this entire situation... felt off. It was all happening too easily.
Had Hiruzen really died? How could a Hokage just die so mysteriously and inexplicably?
Did Mito truly not care about Tsunade's disappearance?
Did Orochimaru really support him? Could it be that Orochimaru actually wanted to become Hokage himself, and was just manipulating him all along?
Even if Orochimaru did support him, what about Fukuyama? And Sakumo?
And what about Shin and Minato...
That person had said, although those two had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and were a bit tricky to deal with, they could still be easily handled. But... was that really true? That was the Flying Thunder God Technique, after all!
Even if that person had the strength to handle them, would he really devote himself wholeheartedly to helping him?
If he was truly on his side, why hadn't he shown up yet?
This feeling of having no one to rely on, of lacking any real assurance, made Danzō feel like he was drowning in terror.
He even started to suspect... Maybe someone had deliberately orchestrated all of this, then used his greed to push him step by step... into a bottomless abyss.
He had suspected more than once that the masked man was behind all this. After all, someone of that level of strength didn't need him to accomplish their goals. The claim that he supported Orochimaru's research to back him didn't quite hold water.
But what was equally strange was, would someone that powerful really waste so much time toying with him? For what purpose?
Even if the masked man was just a fake Madara, he still had the power to shift the entire shinobi world on his own.
Would someone like that really go through all this trouble just to mock him? That didn't make sense, no matter how he looked at it.
A mess of chaotic thoughts cycled endlessly through Danzō's mind, anxiety, fear, ruthlessness, suspicion, obsession, rage... all kinds of emotions churned within him.
This feeling, that one step forward was a bottomless abyss, and one step back was just as hopeless, made him feel like he was losing his mind.
And the root of all this turmoil came down to three things: he lacked prestige, his claim to the position was illegitimate, and both his strength and faction were relatively average.
Only now did he finally understand what his teacher often repeated: "It's not that you become Hokage by sitting in the Hokage's chair. You are Hokage because everyone acknowledges you as Hokage."
Only when everyone accepts you will they follow you, gather around you, and make your position truly unshakable.
No, wait... Several hours later, a sudden flash of insight struck Danzō's mind, and he finally understood everything.
Retreating now would be the real dead end.
He had already instigated a rebellion. He had killed Hiruzen. Whether or not he was truly responsible, it was already seen as a fact in the eyes of others.
If he couldn't become Hokage, then no matter who the next Hokage was, no matter what their relationship had been with Hiruzen, they would not let him off the hook. They would definitely use him as a political scapegoat, kill him to establish authority, and use his death to calm the public.
Only by becoming Hokage himself could he use the power of the office to change the situation.
Even if everything going on now was a trap, he had no other choice. He could only charge forward, throwing caution to the wind. And if he was doomed to die... then he would die as Hokage, with honor.
Not as a coward who, once again, shrank back, filled with regret for the rest of his life.
Countless times in his dreams, he had relived the moment when Tobirama asked among his students who would stay behind to cover the retreat.
He often cursed Hiruzen in his heart for stepping forward, calling him a sycophantic, two-faced manipulator who seized the position of Hokage through flattery and scheming.
But wasn't his hatred also rooted in regret, impotent rage, envy, and jealousy?
How many sleepless nights had he dreamed of being the one to step forward, without fear, without hesitation, and bravely telling their teacher, "I'll stay behind."
And now... wasn't this moment almost the same?
One step back meant a lifetime of regret. One step forward, and he could finally become Hokage.
Those concerns were real, but they wouldn't disappear just because he hesitated. Whether he liked it or not, they were there.
So he had to make the first move, seize control, and deal with the consequences later.
In the end, it was his obsession with the title of Hokage that blinded him and conquered all else.
---
The next day, the Hokage's office issued a new official announcement. The message was simple and easy to understand, summarized in a single sentence: "The village cannot be without a Hokage for even a day. And I, though not particularly gifted, am the student most favored by the Second Hokage. In this time of crisis, I am willing to shoulder the heavy burden and continue contributing all I can for the prosperity of Konoha."
To avoid any complications, Danzō didn't delay, he planned to publicly assume the position of Hokage the very next day.