I Want to Be the Protagonist

After a long while, Kakashi spoke. "Even so, we will fight to the very last moment to protect our country and its people!"

"Commendable courage, but utterly foolish!"

Shiraishi Yoshijo said blandly, "Perhaps you know that Peach Country's weakness is its finances. Let me tell you the truth: I have already emptied Peach Country's treasury. But it doesn't matter. As long as we win the war, everything in the Land of Fire will be mine to plunder. No—dragged onto this pirate ship by you, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning won't be able to escape either. After the war, not one of them will get away."

"Forget it, none of that matters. Naruto, I acknowledge your and Sasuke's strength. If the two of you joined forces, I truly wouldn't dare act rashly. But Sasuke has now left the Land of Fire. You alone can't stop me. I may not be able to kill you, but holding you back would be far too easy."

"Of course, that isn't important either."

Shiraishi Yoshijo smiled, pointed toward Konoha, and abruptly changed the subject. "This place was once destroyed by me. I never expected you to rebuild an identical Konoha. You know, back then, if I had wanted to become Hokage, I could have done so at any time. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was a joke. He even wished that I would become Hokage, so Konoha could have a chance to catch its breath."

"Heh, how pathetic. Everything the Third Hokage worked for was in vain. My heart had never lingered in Konoha for even a moment, because I knew that even if I became Hokage, I would have no power to change anything. I would only rot away alongside this village."

Naruto said furiously, "An ambitious person like you