Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing before him, Madara Uchiha's eyelid twitched uncontrollably!
This guy had no shame at all!
To think he'd ask Madara to spare him just because he was "young" now?!
Sure, you're young again, but I've seen you as an old geezer before!
Still, seeing how quickly Hiruzen Sarutobi admitted his mistakes, Madara didn't have much of a comeback. He just let out a cold huff.
"Hmph!"
As Madara turned and walked away, Hiruzen let out a long sigh of relief…
"Phew… thank goodness! I'm not gonna die again!"
The farce in the summoning space finally came to an end. After Hiruzen's back-to-back deaths, the resentment some people held toward him had mostly faded.
As they say, death settles all debts. With Hiruzen Sarutobi having died twice, even the biggest grudges should be wiped clean…
In the outside world, Hiruzen's death threw the Hidden Leaf Village into chaos.
Ninjas and teams out on missions received urgent orders to return to the village immediately!
Meanwhile, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado—the three elders—began their scramble for power!
Deep down, all three shared the same thought.
With the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi dead, the elders held the most authority in the village. So, didn't that mean they each had a shot at becoming the next Hokage?!
Hiruzen's body wasn't even cold yet, and the three were already bickering in the Hokage's office!
"Danzo! Why'd you call us here?! The village is a mess right now. As elders, we should be out there taking charge!" Koharu snapped, glaring at Danzo.
Danzo was sitting at the Hokage's desk, right in the Hokage's seat. On the desk sat the Hokage's hat, a crystal ball, and a pipe.
"Exactly, Danzo. What's this about?! As elders, we should be out there calming the ninjas and villagers. After all that chaos, they need us to steady things!" Homura added, clearly annoyed. Danzo sitting at the Hokage's desk? His intentions were crystal clear!
He wanted to be Hokage!
But there wasn't much they could do about it. For one, Danzo was stronger than them. Over the years, Koharu and Homura had been handling logistics, not fighting, so their combat skills had likely fallen far behind Danzo's.
Secondly, Danzo controlled the Root, the village's second-largest organization!
Sure, it was called the "Root" of the Hidden Leaf, but anyone with half a brain knew it was Danzo's Root!
Even the Hokage couldn't command Root's ninjas—only Danzo could.
Danzo sat silently at the desk, his single eye fixed on the pipe…
His mind drifted to memories of his past with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
They'd known each other since childhood.
They'd trained together under the Second Hokage.
Then Hiruzen became Hokage…
While Danzo supported him, becoming the backbone of the village's shadow operations.
Hiruzen…
Don't blame me!
To achieve what I want, I have to become Hokage!
Hiruzen, you got old. You lost the ambition you once had. Under your leadership, the Hidden Leaf only grew weaker!
In times like these, I have to preserve the village's strength!
I will become Hokage!
I'll make the Hidden Leaf strong again!
I'll ensure the Hidden Leaf stands at the top of the shinobi world once more!
Hiruzen… your spirit will be watching, won't it?
Just watch! I'll make it happen!
And when that day comes, I'll come find you!
Hiruzen, everything I do is for the Hidden Leaf!
I'm the one who should be Hokage!
Lost in these thoughts, Danzo zoned out for a moment, instinctively glancing at the Hokage office's door…
But the crash he half-expected never came.
Sighing deeply, Danzo reached out and gently touched the Hokage's hat.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"The Third Hokage is dead. The Hidden Leaf Village needs to select the Fifth Hokage! I believe my strength, status, and reputation are more than enough!
So… I will become the Fifth Hokage!
Koharu, Homura… I hope you'll support me!"
Hearing Danzo's words, Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance, thinking, Here we go.
Their brows furrowed instantly…
"Danzo, now's not the time for this, is it?! The village is still in chaos, and Hiruzen's body hasn't even been laid to rest! Shouldn't we focus on holding a funeral for the Third Hokage?" Homura said, clearly against Danzo becoming Hokage.
Danzo's hunger for power was too intense. If he became Hokage, Homura knew his own authority would be stripped away!
If he couldn't be Hokage himself, he'd rather prop up someone more controllable.
That way, he could still hold onto his position as a high-ranking elder!
Koharu shared the same sentiment…
"Exactly, Danzo. I agree with Homura. Right now, we need to stabilize the village and hold a funeral for the Third Hokage. Plus, we should call back Jiraiya and Tsunade!
Their strength is undeniable, and as disciples of the Third Hokage, having them return to take charge would be good for the village!"
Neither wanted to lose their grip on power!
Homura was trying to delay the Hokage election, while Koharu's words carried a hint of a threat.
She was reminding Danzo: You've got competition. There were still two ninjas in the village who were just as capable as him—and they were Hiruzen's students!
They could easily become the next Hokage!
So Danzo better not get too cocky…
Danzo, an old fox himself, caught the subtext loud and clear.
Slowly, he stood up from the chair…
His single eye glared coldly at Homura and Koharu.
"Heh… I'm not asking for your permission. I'm telling you!"