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'But what should I do…?'
Even he didn't have an answer. In the current situation, Danzō found himself at a loss. If the Uchiha were truly preparing to go to war with the village, the consequences would be catastrophic, and he knew he didn't have the power to protect Konoha on his own.
'If only I were Hokage…' he thought bitterly, frustration simmering within him.
If he had been Hokage, such a situation would never have arisen. He would have crushed the problem at its roots before it ever had the chance to grow. Even now, he believed that if he held the Hokage's seat, he could still manage the crisis.
After all, as Hokage, he could have ordered the entire village to unite against the Uchiha Clan and wipe them out in one decisive strike. Yes, the village would suffer casualties, and the outside nations would likely take advantage of the chaos to launch their own attacks, but at least the internal threat would be eliminated.
Right now, Konoha was facing danger on both fronts, inside and out, and it was entirely Hiruzen's fault. His incompetence and indecisiveness had allowed things to deteriorate this far.
Even after losing his own son, Hiruzen still hadn't learned; he remained the same weak, hesitant fool.
'Tobirama-sensei… you truly made a mistake by choosing Hiruzen as Hokage,' Danzō thought grimly. 'How could someone so indecisive and ineffectual ever lead this village to its true greatness?
He seemed to have completely forgotten that the reason Senju Tobirama chose Hiruzen as his successor was that Hiruzen had been the first to step forward, willing to sacrifice himself so the others could escape. Had it been Danzō who made that choice, Tobirama might have named him Hokage instead.
But Danzō didn't see it that way. In his mind, Tobirama had made a grave mistake, choosing Hiruzen, a man he now considered weak, incompetent, and indecisive.
While it was true that Hiruzen was unworthy of being Hokage, the same could be said for Danzō himself, though he would never admit it. In his mind, no one in the village was more deserving of the title than he.
Once again, the same bitter thought echoed in his heart: 'You should have appointed me as Hokage…'
As those thoughts swirled in his mind, Danzō's eyes suddenly lit up. 'Becoming Hokage… isn't this the perfect opportunity?'
After all, the current Hokage, Hiruzen, was clearly unfit for the role.
With his injuries, he couldn't even manage the village's basic day-to-day affairs, let alone defend it from internal or external threats.
Because of the Uchiha Clan's recent actions, unrest was spreading among all the clans in the village. The Hokage himself seemed powerless to keep the Uchiha under control, and as a result, frustration and dissatisfaction toward Hiruzen were undoubtedly running high.
This was the perfect moment for Danzō to push Hiruzen aside and claim the title of Yondaime Hokage for himself.
The only obstacle was the looming threat of war with the Uchiha Clan, and even Danzō had to admit, the thought of confronting them head-on filled him with unease.
'No… with the entire village united, what is the Uchiha Clan to me?' he reassured himself. If he became Hokage, he could command all of Konoha to rally together and crush the Uchiha swiftly and decisively.
If Kanzou knew the kind of delusions Danzō was entertaining, he would've laughed outright, and probably even encouraged him to try to see for himself the consequences.
But unaware of the reality, Danzō continued to indulge in his fantasies… even daring to covet Kanzō's Mangekyō Sharingan.
'Once the Uchiha Clan is eliminated… Uchiha Kanzou's Mangekyō Sharingan…'
The thought alone stirred a dangerous excitement within him, a burning desire for that kind of power.
The ability to subdue someone as strong as Hiruzen with nothing but a glance… if he could obtain such strength, wouldn't he finally be able to fulfill his dream of uniting the entire shinobi world?
There was also Uchiha Mikoto's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though he didn't know what kind of abilities she had awakened, Danzō still felt it would be worthwhile to claim her eyes as well. After all, the Mangekyō Sharingan was known to lose its light with repeated use, so if Kanzou's eyes ever went blind, Mikoto's could serve as a replacement.
'I'll also need to find a way to resolve the blindness issue once I acquire them,' he thought.
He didn't yet know how to achieve that, but he was confident he could figure it out once those eyes were in his possession.
'Once I have the Mangekyō Sharingan… I'll also be able to control the Nine-Tails myself,' Danzō thought. After all, to achieve his ambitions, he would need that power.
He had always wanted authority over the Nine-Tails, to oversee the Jinchūriki, to train her, and to control her power. But time and again, Hiruzen had denied him that right, restricting his involvement completely. Because of that, even after nearly a decade as the Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina had never managed to tap into the immense power sealed within her.
Danzō firmly believed that if Hiruzen had entrusted the task to him just like he had desired, he would have molded Kushina into an effective weapon, one capable of mastering the tailed beast inside her.
Of course, once again, he was just deluding himself. The Nine-Tails was not a creature that someone like him could control. Under his supervision, things would likely have worsened; Kushina might even have lost control of the beast entirely, resulting in it breaking out of the seal restricting it.
Still, he no longer dwelled on the past or on Hiruzen's repeated refusals. Now that Hiruzen and the two elders were incapacitated, and Jiraiya remained imprisoned, the safety of the village rested entirely on his shoulders. It was time to take control, to change how things were run, and to finally place the matter of the Nine-Tails at the top of his priorities.
It was unfortunate that he didn't have the time to master the Nine-Tails' power properly, but Danzō reassured himself that once he obtained Uchiha Kanzou's Mangekyō Sharingan, he would be able to control the beast, just as Madara once had.
Then another realization struck him. 'The Nine-Tails… the Jinchūriki… no, her safety must be ensured!' Uzumaki Kushina's situation was far from secure.
If the Uchiha Clan really did begin their rebellion, Danzō was certain that Uchiha Kanzou's first move would be to target the Nine-Tails, and he had no doubt whatsoever about Kanzou's ability to control it.
With Hiruzen incapacitated, the responsibility fell on him to secure the Jinchūriki and use her strength against the Uchiha if necessary.
"She needs to be brought to the Root base effective immediately," Danzō murmured aloud before issuing orders to his men. "You, you, you… And you, come with me. The safety of Uzumaki Kushina must be ensured."
For a task this critical, he would handle it personally, bringing along only his most trusted operatives in case a confrontation arose, whether with the Uchiha Clan or Hiruzen's ANBU.
Danzō's subordinates nodded at his orders and immediately set out, intending to bring Kushina to the Root base to ensure her safety, and, if possible, find a way to control her. She would serve as a weapon against the Uchiha Clan should they really decide to rebel.
Only after securing Kushina did Danzō plan to head to the Hokage Building and convene a high-level meeting regarding action against the Uchiha.
However, before he could even leave the Root base, someone appeared, intercepting him in one of the dimly lit passageways of the Root base.
From the shadows emerged a figure with golden, snake-like eyes.
Danzō frowned, looking at the person walking in step-by-step. "Orochimaru… what are you doing here?"
Indeed, it was the Snake Sannin himself. Orochimaru blinked languidly, his lips curling into a faint smile as his gaze swept over Danzō and his men. "Sarutobi-sensei has issued a mission for you and your Root ninjas," he said smoothly. "I'll be cooperating with you on it."
"Hiruzen has issued a mission…?" Danzō asked, his expression tightening. "Has he regained consciousness?"
"That's right… Sarutobi-sensei has regained consciousness," Orochimaru said with a light nod.
Not only had Hiruzen regained consciousness, but he had also, like Danzō, received reports that the Uchiha Clan had erected a barrier formation around their compound.
Of course, that much was obvious to nearly everyone in the village by now.
As for Hiruzen's conclusion, he didn't immediately assume that the Uchiha were rebelling, but he certainly hadn't dismissed the possibility either.
Naturally, Hiruzen also anticipated what Danzō might be thinking and how he would act, and he took precautions accordingly, one of which was assigning him a mission through Orochimaru.
Danzō was seething inside. 'Why? Why did it have to be now?' he cursed inwardly. He had hoped Hiruzen would remain unconscious, or at least too weak to act, but it seemed he had recovered enough to start giving orders again.
Catching the clear signs of irritation that flickered across Danzō's face, Orochimaru smirked before handing him the scroll bearing the Hokage's seal, "Here's the details of the mission…"
Scowling, Danzō unrolled the scroll and quickly scanned its contents before becoming angrier. 'This… he's just keeping me busy with matters outside the village,' he thought grimly.
The mission assigned to him was very frustrating: to ensure that no shinobi from foreign villages discovered the truth about Hiruzen's injuries.
In Danzō's view, with Hiruzen not in a state for combat, he should have been the one handling the Uchiha situation and securing the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. But instead, he was being sent outside the village to manage external affairs.
While he acknowledged that the mission was important, as they needed to avoid the eruption of war given their current situation, it didn't need to be entrusted to him specifically. The meaning was obvious: Hiruzen was deliberately sidelining him.
This infuriated him. 'Hiruzen…!'
Just moments ago, he had been indulging in the thought that the Hokage's seat was finally within his grasp, yet now, all of a sudden, it was slipping away again.
His anger boiled so fiercely that, for a brief moment, the idea of rebelling against Hiruzen, of killing him outright, flashed through his mind.
'If Hiruzen were gone… then the Hokage's position would naturally fall to me,' he thought darkly as killing intent appeared in his heart.
In fact, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. With Hiruzen so weakened, Danzō felt he could actually do it, strike swiftly, kill Hiruzen before the man could react or fight back, seize control of the village, crush the Uchiha Clan's rebellion by annihilating them completely, and then turn his attention to the other shinobi nations.
It all seemed so simple, deceptively simple. But deep down, he knew it wasn't. Reality was far more complicated, and he forced himself to restrain the murderous impulse rising within him.
After all, if he truly went through with killing Sarutobi Hiruzen, that would mean assassinating the Hokage, an act equivalent to treason against the entire village. No clan or family would ever support a man who killed the Hokage to take the Hokage's seat for himself.
The moment he attacked Hiruzen, he'd be branded a traitor. And once that happened, becoming Hokage would be impossible; he wouldn't even be able to stay in Konoha. He'd have to flee, and everything he had worked for, everything he desired, would crumble to nothing.
For now, he had no choice but to suppress his killing intent.
Still, he couldn't stop himself from cursing Uchiha Kanzou. 'If you were going to attack Hiruzen… why didn't you just kill him?'
If Kanzou had finished the job, he would've been branded the traitor, leaving Danzō free to claim the Hokage's seat without resistance.
In truth, Danzō should count himself lucky that Kanzou wasn't aware of the thoughts swirling in his mind. If Kanzou ever discovered that Danzō was coveting his and Mikoto's Mangekyō Sharingan, or plotting to seize control of Kushina and the Nine-Tails, then forget becoming Hokage, Danzō wouldn't live to see another day.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Danzō forced himself to focus. He turned to Orochimaru, his expression dark and cold. "What is Hiruzen doing about the Uchiha Clan?"
Orochimaru gave a lazy shrug. "How should I know? I was only given this mission, nothing more." Then, with a faint smirk, he added, "Though if I had to guess… knowing Sarutobi-sensei's usual approach, he's probably planning to negotiate."
Danzō clicked his tongue in irritation. Knowing Hiruzen, he found the guess all too believable. In his current weakened state, Hiruzen would undoubtedly try to talk his way out of conflict with the Uchiha Clan, hoping to avoid internal strife rather than face it head-on.
"Is Uchiha Kanzou the kind of man you can reason with? Hiruzen's only shooting himself in the foot," Danzō snorted. Not for a second did he believe that negotiating with the Uchiha Clan was a viable option. The only solution was elimination. If the decision were his, he would've already done it. Unfortunately, that authority rested with the Hokage.
'If only I were Hokage…' he thought bitterly once again, before turning and heading back into the base alongside Orochimaru.
Together, they began discussing strategies to ensure that no foreign village learned the truth about the Hokage's condition and that another war didn't break out.
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Meanwhile, at the Hokage's residence…
Minato walked through the corridors of the Hokage Residence, guided by the Deputy Commander of the ANBU, an officer wearing an eagle mask.
At last, he had been granted an audience with the Hokage, who had personally summoned him for a conversation.
As he made his way down the passage, Minato couldn't help but notice the unusually heavy security. ANBU operatives stood at every corner, their presence far denser than usual.
'Why is the security this tight?' he wondered. Even the Hokage Building didn't usually have this level of protection, yet here, the Hokage Residence was swarming with guards. The atmosphere felt tense, almost suffocating, as if ready for war, and noting this, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest. Something wasn't right.
Before he could think further on it, the masked ANBU leading him stopped before a door and knocked twice.
Knock, knock.
A voice from inside granted permission to enter, and Minato was ushered in.
The sight that greeted him made him freeze. He had expected to find Hiruzen at his desk, surrounded by scrolls and paperwork, calmly overseeing village affairs. Instead, the Sandaime Hokage lay in bed, frail and pale, with several pieces of medical equipment attached to him.
Only then did Minato understand why he hadn't been allowed to meet the Hokage in recent days, despite his repeated requests, and why the security of the Hokage residence had been too strict; it was because Hiruzen's condition was not good.
"This… Hokage-sama," Minato said softly, his expression tightening with concern. "Are you… Are you alright?"
Hearing the concern in Minato's voice, Hiruzen let out a weary sigh. He did feel a little better, well enough to talk and handle light tasks, but he was still far from recovery. Fighting or dealing with anything demanding was out of the question.
Even so, he managed a faint smile and said, "I'm alright…"
Minato could clearly see that Hiruzen was forcing himself to appear composed, and concern filled his voice as he asked, "Hokage-sama… what happened? How could you… end up like this?"
The Hokage is the very symbol of power, its pinnacle of strength that a ninja can have… and Sarutobi Hiruzen is the strongest shinobi in Konoha.
But seeing the strongest shinobi of Konoha in such a frail state struck him deeply, filling him with a heavy sense of sorrow and unease.
"Let's not talk about that… just an old man's injury, nothing worth worrying about," Hiruzen said faintly, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter.
In truth, it was far too humiliating to admit that his current condition had been caused by Uchiha Kanzou. He was supposed to be the strongest shinobi in Konoha, the God of Shinobi, the most powerful Hokage. To confess that a mere gaze from Kanzou had reduced him to this state would shatter his image and dignity.
So, rather than dwell on it, he chose to steer the conversation elsewhere. Turning his tired eyes toward Minato, he said, "I was told you wished to speak with me. You've been trying to see me quite persistently, haven't you?"
"About that… I wanted to speak with you about how to get Jiraiya-sensei and my two squadmates released from prison," Minato said honestly.
Hiruzen wasn't surprised by the request, he had already been informed, but even he felt powerless to do anything about it. He truly wanted to free Jiraiya, yet would Uchiha Kanzou ever agree to it? Especially now, when the Uchiha Clan seemed to be on the verge of rebellion…
'But then… how was Minato released?' Hiruzen wondered, his brow furrowing. "Minato, how did you manage to get released so easily?" he asked, then added cautiously, "Did you give the Uchiha Police… something in return?"
By something, he clearly meant the Flying Raijin, and the concern in his voice was unmistakable.
Uchiha Kanzou was a serious problem as it is. If he somehow obtained the Flying Raijin and managed to master it, it would become a complete nightmare. True, that technique wasn't something just anyone could use, but even so, Hiruzen couldn't shake his worry.
Minato quickly shook his head. "No… nothing like that," and added, "They just told me the investigation was over and that I wasn't found guilty, so they released me."
Hearing that Minato hadn't given them anything in exchange, Hiruzen let out a quiet breath of relief. 'Thankfully…'
If he knew that Kanzou had already obtained and mastered the Flying Raijin, Hiruzen would have been utterly devastated.
Still, the ease of Minato's release weighed heavily on his mind. His expression darkened slightly as he asked, "They released you… just like that?"
Minato scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Although the outcome made sense, he hadn't been guilty in the first place, he still couldn't shake the feeling that the Uchiha Clan had let him go far too easily. That wasn't how they usually operated.
"In fact…" he added, glancing at Hiruzen, "I was wondering if you were the one who arranged my release, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen pursed his lips and sighed softly. "Unfortunately… that's not the case," he admitted. "I haven't been in any condition to handle such matters these past few days. I'm sorry, Minato. If only I weren't in this state… I would have tried to get you out sooner…"
Minato quickly shook his head. "Hokage-sama, you don't need to apologize. You're already doing everything you can to lead the village even in your current condition. Compared to that, this isn't important." He meant only to reassure Hiruzen that he took no offense over being overlooked.
But Hiruzen shook his head. "No, Minato. Every shinobi of Konoha is important, and that includes you. As Hokage, failing to secure your release from the Uchiha prison is a failure on my part. I owe you an apology."
Minato's eyes softened, deeply moved by Hiruzen's words.
Despite having every excuse not to blame himself, the Hokage still took responsibility. To Minato, it only deepened his respect, making Hiruzen seem even more dignified, even more worthy of admiration.
Catching that look, a faint glint passed through Hiruzen's eyes. He knew the value of loyalty, and shaping the hearts of the next generation was just as crucial as guiding their strength. A shinobi like Minato had to be devoted to the Hokage completely; resentment could never be allowed to take root.
Naturally, Minato didn't sense what Hiruzen was doing, but the older man could see the effect clearly, and that left him quietly satisfied.
At the same time, Hiruzen couldn't help but grow uneasy. 'Minato didn't give the Uchiha Clan anything for his release… and I certainly didn't arrange it. Then how did it happen?'
He certainly didn't believe that Uchiha Kanzou would release Minato out of a sense of justice or honesty. Kanzou wasn't the type to act simply because someone was innocent; he must have gained something from it. The only question was what that benefit was, and who had given it to him.
There were only two possible explanations: either Jiraiya, who was still imprisoned and unable to act, or Kushina. Between the two, Hiruzen found the latter far more likely.
'Did Kushina arrange for Minato's release?' He wondered, a flicker of apprehension crossing his face.
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Read up to 60+ Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]