"Danzo, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Hiruzen abruptly rose to his feet, as if the last fig leaf had been torn away. He pointed straight at Danzo, his face twisted in fury as he roared.
"Not bad acting. Even I, someone who knows you this well, almost believed you were truly broken like White Fang, completely fallen and no longer a threat.
What Homura and Koharu said just now wasn't meant for you to hear, but for me, wasn't it? The three of you really do advance and retreat together. Your coordination is impressive.
Unfortunately, this little performance of yours was all for nothing. Even if I were foolish enough to believe you, your seat as Hokage still wouldn't be secure.
Don't forget, besides me, there's still another candidate for Fourth Hokage… and he was personally nominated by you, Hiruzen!"
After seeing through Hiruzen's pitiful act, Danzo felt not the slightest trace of sympathy. What remained was only disdain.
The Hero of Shinobi was truly old.
Or rather, completely corrupted by power.
After holding absolute authority for so many years, Hiruzen was no longer the man who had surpassed him during the First Great Ninja War.
"..."
The fury on Hiruzen's face froze.
"Your opponent isn't just me. There's also your most beloved disciple.
You'd better think about how to get past him first, before worrying about me!"
Having seen through the act put on by the three of them, Danzo snorted coldly and turned away without looking back.
To hell with sympathy.
The position of Fourth Hokage will definitely be mine. No one can stop it.
That's what I say!
"The plan failed. Hiruzen, what do you think we should do now?"
As soon as Danzo left, Homura spoke anxiously.
He truly hadn't expected that after Konoha defeated the four great ninja villages without even losing many troops, something like this would suddenly spread throughout the ninja world.
That the ninja world should never have had Five Great Ninja Villages, only Konoha, never Five Great Nations, only the Land of Fire.
That it was all because the Senju brothers chose the wrong successor, because Hiruzen lacked ability, that the Five Great Ninja Villages, the Five Great Nations, and the three Great Ninja Wars came to be.
Once this rumor appeared in Konoha, it instantly exploded through the streets and alleys.
In less than half a day, Hiruzen's reputation suffered a devastating blow, and voices calling for a change of Hokage began to emerge.
That was what led to what had just happened.
"We originally planned to stabilize Danzo first, then suppress Orochimaru. Once this storm passed, he wouldn't have another chance.
Hiruzen, you never should have invited Iron Fist to come out.
Now Konoha is saved, but the three of us won't be able to keep our positions."
As she spoke with deep concern, Koharu couldn't help but reproach Hiruzen.
"What's the point of saying that now?
When we asked Iron Fist to come out and save Konoha, both of you agreed.
Now that something's gone wrong, you turn around and blame me together?
Who could have imagined that the four great ninja villages still had a move like this up their sleeves? This is almost certainly Onoki's handiwork."
Hiruzen sat back down, his face ashen as he let out a cold snort.
At this moment, there was no trace of the earlier dejection, no sign of exhaustion.
Clearly, what had just happened was nothing more than an act the three of them put on together for Danzo.
"Even if we know it was Onoki, what good does that do? Killing the Third Tsuchikage right now wouldn't change anything."
Homura shook his head.
"Hiruzen, what are you planning to do?
Don't tell me you really intend to step down and appoint Orochimaru as the Fourth Hokage?
Don't forget, the disciple you raised may not necessarily stand on your side!"
Koharu looked unwilling to accept this.
"Step down… it doesn't seem completely impossible."
Hearing this, Hiruzen's heart stirred.
"You're not seriously planning to step down, are you?"
Homura looked astonished.
No one knew better than him just how obsessed Hiruzen was with the power of the Hokage.
"Yes, I'm stepping down. But as for stepping down in favor of whom… that's something I, as the Third Hokage, get to decide."
As soon as Hiruzen said this, Homura and Koharu both understood the meaning behind it.
"I'll handle Minato's side."
Homura immediately gave his assurance.
"Then what about me?"
Koharu frowned, clearly unhappy that Homura had taken the initiative.
"You? Of course you're coming with me to prepare for welcoming Iron Fist's triumphant return!"
Although Hiruzen felt extremely bitter inside, even if he couldn't keep the Hokage seat, he still had to personally oversee this matter, and make it as grand as possible.
Not to mention that Konoha had indeed benefited greatly from Garp's intervention.
Based solely on Iron Fist's strength and prestige in the ninja world, even if he weren't a member of Konoha, a single word from him would be enough to bring this Third Hokage's tenure to an end.
...
The Land of Rain
Beneath the heavy rain clouds that blanketed the entire country, Madara stood atop a muddy hillside, one foot pressing down on the body of a red-haired youth, letting the torrential rain from the sky soak his clothes.
His face was as aged as before, but the eyes that slowly opened were no longer pitch-black and hollow. Instead, they were a pair of purple eyes rippling with concentric rings.
As the exalted ocular power radiated from those eyes, even the rain clouds over the Land of Rain seemed unable to bear it, as if their altitude had dropped several degrees out of thin air.
"Did you say… the sky over the Land of Water cracked open?"
Madara stared at White Zetsu by his feet, the Rinnegan blazing with scorching battle intent.
"Yes….
Speaking of it, I really disgraced myself in front of you, Madara-sama.
Although I'd already heard you mention this kind of thing more than once, when I actually saw it with my own eyes, I still froze."
White Zetsu nodded, and fear uncontrollably welled up in his yellow eyes.
"It's perfectly normal for you to react like that. After all, that is a scenery only Hashirama and I are qualified to appreciate.
If it weren't for the fact that I've lacked opponents for so long, and that Garp is starting to feel a bit unbearably lonely as well, in this immature era, no one would be qualified to witness such a sight.
But even so, that was merely the beginning of the scenery. What follows will be even more magnificent… and only I am qualified to behold it!"
Madara clenched his right hand into a fist, and an overwhelming, domineering aura burst forth from his aged body.
...
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