Danzo Forces the Third Hokage to Abdicate

Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

Inside the Hokage Tower.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sat on either side, with Hiruzen Sarutobi in the center.

As for Danzo, he stood between the three of them. He stood tall, his face so gloomy it seemed ready to drip water. His single left eye was fixed firmly on Hiruzen Sarutobi, filled with rage, though hidden deeper within was a trace of relief.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt uncomfortable under his gaze. He set down the large pipe in his hand, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale smoke.

"Danzo, what is it?"

There was a trace of confusion and unease in Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice. Looking at this old partner who had always given him such headaches, he could not help but feel worried.

After hearing the Third Hokage's words, Danzo's lips curled slightly into a cold smile.

Lord Tobirama! Look at him! This is the Hokage you chose!

He cursed the Second Hokage inwardly before tossing a scroll to the three of them.

"Hiruzen! You still have the nerve to ask what's wrong?"

Danzo's voice was hoarse and full of resentment.

"You call yourself Hokage, yet you don't even know that the village's Jinchuriki has been taken!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow and picked up the scroll Danzo had thrown to him, examining it carefully.

It recorded scene after scene, all of them showing Team 7 in the Land of Waves.

"There are two Kakashis? No... That must be the enemy Jiraiya mentioned, the one from a parallel universe!"

"They've been... captured?!"

"Wait! This is..."

The final image showed Nagato's five fingers pressed against the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style on Naruto's abdomen.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, Danzo snorted disdainfully inwardly, though he was quite satisfied with that reaction.

"I suppose you still don't understand. One of them is Kakashi from a parallel universe, and another is Obito, his former teammate from Team Minato. He is also a member of the Uchiha Clan. According to reports from the spies I placed in the Land of Waves, this man was seen using the Mangekyo Sharingan!"

"As for the one attempting to undo the Jinchuriki Seal, he looks exactly like the disciple Jiraiya once took in the Land of Rain. He should also be from a parallel world. Aside from that head of blood-red hair proving that he comes from the Uzumaki Clan, he most likely possesses... Sage Eyes!"

In Danzo's eyes, Naruto had no name. He had only a designation.

Jinchuriki!

That was Naruto's name!

"Y-You... Where did you get these? Are they still in the Land of Waves?"

"Heh. As Hokage, you don't have even the slightest sense of vigilance! This intelligence was relayed by Root's intelligence division. You were the one who sent them to the Land of Waves, weren't you?"

Danzo's tone was rather aggressive.

To tell the truth, he had simply been lucky. He had planted spies in the two nearby countries, disguised as ordinary civilians. Who would have thought that this group from the parallel world and Kakashi's group would happen to be spotted by a spy in the Land of Waves, who had then sent the information back to him?

Of course, the spy had not reported that Kakashi had been captured. That spy merely served as a regular information courier; someone at that level naturally could not have known Naruto's identity or Team 7's circumstances.

What he had seen was Nagato descending from the sky, then constructing a bridge across the sea, as well as Gato's death, which was suspected to have been the work of Konoha ninja. Those were the two main matters he reported.

He had also recorded what those people looked like.

By a stroke of luck, he had happened to witness the scene where the Jinchuriki and the seal were discovered.

Heaven is helping me!

Can't find it by searching the book title? Try searching for the author instead—it may have simply been renamed!

Danzo was somewhat excited inwardly. The Third Hokage was old, and a candidate for the Fifth Hokage had yet to be chosen. Now that Hiruzen had committed such a grave error, if he volunteered to bring back the Jinchuriki, wouldn't the position of Hokage have to be handed over to him?

When the time came, he could put a little pressure on the Daimyo, then discuss it with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

And if that still did not work... the power of this eye was about to recover as well...

The position of Hokage... was within reach!

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea what Danzo was thinking at that moment. He picked up his pipe again and took a deep drag.

"The mission that sent them to the Land of Waves... was indeed approved by me."

"But... it was only a C-rank Mission, and Kakashi was accompanying them the entire time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's feelings were complicated. There was not a trace of expression on his aged, clouded face, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

"A C-rank Mission? Heh. Ever since Jiraiya sent word, the entire village should have been on alert, yet you still allowed them to leave Konoha without a care?"

"Hiruzen! If the Nine-Tails is lost, you cannot escape responsibility!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly made his decision. Rising to his feet, he declared, "I'll arrange for Jiraiya to protect Naruto immediately. Jiraiya will definitely bring him back to the village safely!"

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, there was no way the other party could undo the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style anytime soon. There was still a chance to make up for this!

"Arrange it? By the time you finish making arrangements, I'm afraid the Nine-Tails will already be someone else's prize!"

"During the Nine-Tails' attack, I told you to let me train the Jinchuriki, but you refused!"

"There was no need to wait for your arrangements. I had already led Root's elite onto the road."

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, standing beside him, both relaxed upon hearing this. They cast Danzo approving looks.

"Danzo! You've worked hard! Please make sure to bring the Nine-Tails safely back to the village!"

Danzo nodded.

"Of course. As Root, I am Hidden Leaf Village's final safeguard. But there is something I wish to say in advance. Sometimes, when someone has sat in a position for too long, they become numb. Shouldn't they give the opportunity to someone more capable?"

Having said that, Danzo had already turned to leave.

"Danzo, we have all witnessed your abilities over the years. I am old now, and no longer equal to the task. When you return, I will certainly give the position of Hokage to someone more capable."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice slowly sounded from behind him. Naturally, he had long known what his old friend's goal and wish had always been.

With the invasion from the parallel universe imminent, Hiruzen Sarutobi truly felt increasingly unable to cope. Perhaps putting the ruthless Danzo in power would better allow Hidden Leaf Village to remain stable in these chaotic times.

Of course, an even greater part of the reason was that disaster was coming!

He was already old. If any problem arose again, even stepping forward himself would likely not be enough to resolve it.

Rather than becoming someone burdened by responsibility, a sinner who caused Hidden Leaf Village to suffer grave damage and losses, it would be better to step down early and yield the position to someone worthy.

Old friend, I'm sorry... I may not have achieved much during my years in office, but I have at least worked hard enough. It is time for me to step down...

Danzo, however, had no such hidden calculations. Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's promise, a barely noticeable smile appeared on his face.

He had not expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to be so sensible! His years of taking on every dirty and exhausting job had not been in vain!

In that case, the position of Hokage was already his for certain!

At the thought that he could return in triumph and rightfully become the Fifth Hokage, Danzo could not help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Hiruzen, remember what you said. I hope you will not go back on your word."

With that, Danzo's figure turned into a puff of white smoke and vanished.

It turned out that the one here had only been one of his Shadow Clones!

Cloud Hokage Test: How many eyes on Danzo could be opened?