Chapter 85: Teacher, Don't You Have Any Interest in the Hokage Position?
A few seconds later, the tent flap lifted and Hiruko strode out, his eyes bright and piercing, his entire body's aura surging powerfully like a violently burning human furnace.
Even without the Byakugan—
Ritsu could feel Hiruko's chakra fluctuations so abundant they were nearly overflowing.
"Teacher, how do you feel?"
Ritsu asked aloud.
He didn't activate his Byakugan to look. He respected Teacher Hiruko greatly and wouldn't so casually open his Byakugan to peek.
"Unprecedentedly good."
The corners of Hiruko's mouth were like an AK—impossible to suppress. He looked at Ritsu. "My design was perfect. Though I still lack the final link, the Senju clan bloodline is even more formidable than I anticipated. This vitality is so vigorous it's simply inconceivable. Even though my Chimera Technique isn't complete, my current condition is still excellent. Moreover... Ritsu, you've also mastered Wood Style, haven't you?"
He kept his voice very low for that last sentence.
Only the two of them, teacher and student, could hear.
"Teacher, that thing is too conspicuous. Explaining it would be rather troublesome—nine out of ten times it would become an excuse for certain people to strike at us. I think unless absolutely necessary, we'd best not use this technique. When we've thoroughly grasped the village in our hands, then we'll have no more concerns."
Ritsu spoke softly.
"That's the reasoning. But Ritsu, are you truly planning to seize the village's great authority?"
"Teacher, don't you have even the slightest interest in the Hokage position?"
"What ninja in the village hasn't fantasized about becoming Hokage? However, ninety-nine percent realize after growing up that fantasies remain only fantasies. Speaking of which, Ritsu, aren't you supposed to support Orochimaru in competing for Fourth Hokage? Are you deceiving Orochimaru?"
"How could that be? I don't like doing things that break my word. Having promised to support Lord Orochimaru, I'll certainly spare no effort supporting him."
"Then you..."
"Even with my full support, that doesn't necessarily mean Lord Orochimaru will definitely become Fourth Hokage. Lord Orochimaru's personal aspirations and pursuits actually run counter to the Hokage position. In any case, Teacher, the future is variable and unknowable. We just need to actively work hard accumulating merit and prestige. As long as opportunities arise in the future, we can immediately seize them."
"Even if we can't wait for opportunities, we can find ways to create them."
Ritsu spoke softly.
He was full of anticipation for the future.
He still didn't know that Uchiha Obito had actually already been dealt with. Whether the future Nine-Tails incident would occur had become completely uncertain.
But then again, as long as Black Zetsu—this troublemaker active for a thousand years—existed, even without Uchiha Obito, there's still other Uchiha, or even chess pieces from non-Uchiha clans being utilized by him.
Konoha Village would absolutely not become disaster-free just because of Uchiha Obito's death.
"Accumulate merit and prestige?"
Hiruko narrowed his eyes. These words made sense.
Nobodies couldn't possibly become Hokage. As long as your merit was great enough, your prestige high enough, your strength powerful enough, then once the Hokage position became vacant, everyone would naturally think of your name first.
Of course—
Too much fame wasn't necessarily a good thing either. White Fang's suicide was the most typical example.
He'd merely abandoned a mission to save his comrades without causing the village any losses, yet immediately rumors spread throughout the village. The atmosphere at that time was so vicious it seemed like all the Konoha ninja who'd died in battle were White Fang's fault.
"Ritsu, don't forget White Fang's lesson."
Hiruko cautioned.
"Teacher, relax! We teacher and student are different from White Fang. The Hatake clan is small in numbers, weak in influence—they couldn't give Hatake Sakumo the slightest support. But my Hyuga clan can't be compared to the Hatake clan. We two have sufficient confidence and strength to accumulate merit and prestige."
"..."
Hiruko was speechless.
He'd indeed overlooked this aspect.
Moreover, hearing Ritsu put it this way, he discovered that if he truly wanted to compete for the Hokage position, he'd immediately receive the full support of the Hyuga clan behind him. This already surpassed the vast majority of competitors.
At this moment—
Ritsu suddenly raised his eyebrows, a smile appearing on his face as he said: "Teacher, Lord Orochimaru has already decided to gather the camp's elite forces and launch a counterattack against the Mist ninja in half an hour."
"Teacher, the opportunity to accumulate merit and prestige has arrived!"
He looked at Hiruko.
Hiruko took a deep breath. "Let's go! Find Orochimaru!"
---
On an island not far from the coast, shrouded in dense fog, orderly and heavily guarded, in the Mist Village ninja camp capable of accommodating thousands, the atmosphere was currently heavy and oppressive.
Fourth Mizukage Yagura sat high in his seat.
That childlike face was full of gloom. His emotions could be said to be at rock bottom—he didn't even want to say superfluous words. The entire tent was filled with deathly silence.
Not until the sky outside darkened did someone finally ask outside the tent: "Mizukage-sama, dinner is prepared. Shall we serve it now?"
"It's already this time?"
Yagura seemed to just come back to his senses. He looked at the empty tent and spoke: "Bring dinner in, and notify Mangetsu to come over."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama."
The Mist ninja outside responded.
One minute later, dinner was brought in—two rice balls, one grilled fish, one dish of pickles. Though noble as Mizukage, his meals maintained the same standard as the jonin.
He'd only picked up his chopsticks and eaten two bites when Mangetsu Hozuki hurriedly rushed over.
"Mizukage-sama, you wanted me?"
"Have the retreat orders all been conveyed properly?"
Yagura swallowed the food in his mouth, placed his chopsticks on the dish, and stared at Mangetsu Hozuki as he questioned.
"Mizukage-sama, they've all been conveyed. If nothing unexpected happens, by eight o'clock tomorrow morning, all squads executing missions outside will have withdrawn to the main camp."
Mangetsu Hozuki answered quickly.
"It has to wait until sunrise?"
Yagura sighed lightly, then asked: "How is morale in the main camp?"
"Not very good. Fighting spirit is low."
Mangetsu Hozuki spoke truthfully.
"...Kirishima Shinya, detestable! Suikazan Fuguki, worthless!!" After several seconds of silence, Yagura cursed angrily.
Mangetsu Hozuki didn't speak, but his heart was full of agreement.
If not for these two old things Kirishima Shinya and Suikazan Fuguki being incompetent, failing to scheme against Konoha and instead being utterly defeated by that White Yaksha, they wouldn't need to retreat so desperately and hastily.
Hoshigaki Kisame and Ringo Ameyuri, the two survivors, had fled back to camp at noon today, bringing the terrible news that Kirishima Shinya, Suikazan Fuguki, Biwa Juzo, Kaguya Daizo, and numerous other jonin had been defeated, killed, or captured.
After carefully questioning both Kisame and Ameyuri, Yagura immediately issued the order for full army retreat, formally declaring this attack on Konoha a failure.
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