"We've already been surrounded by enemies..." The Second intoned gravely.
"There are only seven of us left — we can't possibly handle this!"
"Don't say such discouraging things! If we have no choice, we'll make our last stand here!"
Everyone was filled with outrage, except for Danzo, whose expression turned strange. Why did he feel like... he'd heard these words twice before?
"In a situation like this, someone has to act as bait..."
Danzo instinctively wanted to volunteer himself, yet for some unknown reason, a scene suddenly appeared in his mind — after he volunteered, the Second would kindly pat his shoulder with a friendly smile and say, "Great. You go sacrifice yourself while the Fire Shadow takes over!"
Danzo shuddered involuntarily. Before he could speak again, he heard Hiruzen say, "Let me be the bait!"
"Damn it! I still lost to him!" Danzo felt his heart sink. "According to the Second's personality, he'd definitely choose himself as bait. This was clearly a test. I could predict it, yet still couldn't do it?"
Sure enough, the Second said gravely, "Obviously, I am the one who should go as bait. You young inheritors of the Will of Fire still have a long road ahead. From now on, you must protect the village and cultivate the children who can be entrusted with the next era! Danzo, starting tomorrow, you will become the Hokage!"
Danzo was immersed in self-pity when he suddenly heard this news. He couldn't believe his ears. He looked up, pointing at himself in shock, "Me? Hokage?"
The Second nodded earnestly, "I can tell you intended to sacrifice yourself immediately at first — that's courage. But then you hesitated, sensing my test — that's wisdom. And when Sarutobi volunteered, you gave up your idea decisively — that's righteousness! With these three virtues, you're undoubtedly the best choice for Hokage!"
Danzo looked utterly bewildered. Was I really thinking like that?
Hiruzen patted him on the back, saying, "Congratulations, Danzo!"
The others looked on with admiration, "Danzo, you becoming Hokage is absolutely deserved!"
Barely suppressing his excitement, Danzo restrained himself and said, "I will lead Konoha to its peak!"
After the Second Hokage's sacrifice, Danzo stabilized the critical situation and salvaged the collapsing structure. He not only pulled Konoha back from the brink but also threw himself into rebuilding the village. Within twenty years, he gradually defeated the Four Great Ninja Villages one by one, finally accomplishing the great feat of unification.
At the grand victory celebration:
"Thank goodness the Second didn't choose me back then!" Hiruzen worshiped, "Compared to you, Danzo, I'm far from matching up!"
The other four subdued Kages fawned over him.
"Having the Hokage-sama is truly a fortune for the shinobi world!"
"Still calling him Hokage-sama? Danzo's achievements have long outgrown such a title!"
"Then what should we call him?"
"Of course, he should be called the Ninja God!"
"Haha... ha..." Danzo was laughing loudly when suddenly he felt like he'd tasted something foul upon hearing a certain title.
Noticing his expression, Tatsuma asked carefully, "Hokage-sama, are you alright?"
"Don't let them use the title 'Ninja God' anymore! Although I don't know why, it just feels unpleasant to my ears!" Danzo showed clear displeasure.
"Then how about 'Light of Konoha'?"
Tatsuma asked cautiously.
Danzo: (▼皿▼#)
Another thirty years passed. He was reborn instead of dying.
As Danzo lay dying on his sickbed, everything suddenly blurred before his eyes, and he found himself facing the scene most deeply etched in his memory.
"…Someone must be the bait!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Danzo realized with a start, "I've been reincarnated? Perfect! There were still regrets in my last life!"
At that moment, he heard Hiruzen say, "I'll be the bait!"
A jolt struck Danzo's heart. "Oh no! I forgot to act self-sacrificing! History is about to change!"
Just as he was overwhelmed with anxiety, he suddenly heard The Second deliver the final words, "...Danzo, from tomorrow onward, you shall be the Hokage!"
Danzo pointed at himself in disbelief. "Huh? Me again?"
Another legendary life unfolded. When Danzo closed his eyes and opened them again, it was already his third reincarnation.
"...Danzo, from tomorrow onward, you shall be the Hokage!"
Internally exhilarated, Danzo thought, "It's definitely my destiny to become Hokage! Just watch me shine again!"
The fiftieth reincarnation.
Danzo furrowed his brow slightly. He was starting to get bored.
The hundredth reincarnation.
He started getting tired.
The two-hundredth reincarnation.
He voluntarily stepped down as Hokage.
"Finally time for a little rest..." Danzo happily squatted inside a toilet stall, but the next moment, the stall door swung open.
Led by Hiruzen, everyone dropped to one knee: "We humbly welcome back the Hokage!"
The fiftieth reincarnation.
Danzo went into hiding. He changed his name and disguised his identity.
"I've worked for Konoha across fifty lives—why shouldn't I cut loose now?" Danzo comforted himself. This life, he vowed, would be all about enjoyment—starting with finding a woman!
On his wedding night.
He suppressed his sudden youthful excitement, lifted the bride's veil, and immediately recoiled back four or five steps in horror.
Before him stood none other than Hiruzen!
Then, "Bride" Hiruzen led the others who had suddenly appeared inside the bridal chamber, each kneeling on one knee: "We humbly welcome back the Hokage!"
Danzo clutched his chest and coughed up blood violently.
The hundredth reincarnation.
"Danzo, starting tomorrow..."
"Ugh!" Danzo trembled violently and vomited uncontrollably. "Don't say those words! They make me sick!"
The two-hundredth reincarnation.
"Danzo, starting tomorrow..."
"Goddamn it, I've put up with you for too long!" Danzo roared in fury, striking The Second hard across the head.
Stunned from the blow, The Second looked at Danzo with admiration. "Daring to strike me—what an unprecedented feeling! The Hokage position is definitely yours!"
"Ugh!"
The 500th rebirth.
"Danzo, from tomorrow..."
Completely unhinged, Danzo screamed, "I'm the one who attracted the enemy! I'm a traitor! Kill me already!"
Yet Hiruzen became deeply moved. "To sacrifice your own honor just to serve as bait—how selfless of you, Danzo!"
The others teared up. "No wonder Danzo is the most selfless among us!"
The Second nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed, the Hokage title truly belongs to no one else!"
The thousandth reincarnation.
"From..."
"Heh..." Danzō's eyes turned glassy as he instinctively drove a kunai into his own abdomen.
After what seemed like countless repetitions, Danzō opened his eyes, now filled with deep weariness.
Seeing that Danzō hadn't been controlled or passed out, Tatsuma said excitedly, "Looks like Hokage-sama has won..."
"Ugh!" Danzō convulsed violently and started vomiting uncontrollably.
Tatsuma was horrified. "Hokage-sama, what's wrong with you?"
Danzō fell to his knees, vomiting as he shouted, "Don't... don't mention those two words!"
"Which two words?" Tatsuma cautiously ventured, "Hokage..."
"Ugh!" Danzō vomited even more violently. "Never again... never mention those two words to me!"
"What exactly happened?" The onlookers murmured with curiosity and Eight Trigrams, yet all felt chilled with fear — including Tatsuma.
Everyone had clearly seen Danzō's relentless pursuit of the Hokage title. Yet now? After being trapped in that Genjutsu, he'd become a completely different man. It was terrifying!
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