Fifth Hokage?

Border of the Land of Fire.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting patches of light upon the ground.

Three figures sat in a circle, with some fruit, food, and water placed in the center.

One of the men was exceptionally beautiful, as if he were an existence that gathered all the world's finest qualities, making one feel an involuntary urge to draw close to him.

Zabuza felt a pang of emotion in his heart while he ate.

It's a good thing I'm a man, otherwise I probably wouldn't even be able to eat while sitting with the Leader; I'd just be staring at him. But why has the Leader's image been appearing in my mind so often lately... Could it be that I...

Thinking this, Zabuza hurriedly shook his head, casting that terrifying thought aside.

"Alright, once you've finished eating, let's get moving."

Feng Yao wiped his mouth and put his mask back on. They had reached the border; the Land of Water was surrounded by the sea on all sides, so they would need a boat to cross.

Helping Zabuza was also helping himself. He had considered many locations for the Immortal Organization and ultimately decided on the Land of Water. Its geographical position was excellent—far from the mainland and untouched by large-scale wars.

Because of this, from the Warring States period of the ninja world to the end of the Third Great Ninja War, the country had retained the greatest variety of Kekkei Genkai in the world, and it was famous for this in the ninja world.

What did this mean? It meant a surplus of talent. If he could just capture a few and cultivate them, wouldn't that be fresh blood for the Immortal Organization?

With that, the system missions would be a piece of cake. Thinking of this, Feng Yao couldn't help but feel refreshed, already imagining what divine artifacts the system would reward him with.

Congratulations to the Host for triggering a mission: Subjugate Mei Terumi. Mission Description: Subjugate the Fifth Mizukage. Time limit: Two years.

Slogan: A powerful man must conquer the most powerful woman. Keep it up, young man.

Even though Feng Yao had inherited the Xiaoyao Wise Heart Body, which meant his mental fortitude and endurance were already incredibly strong, he was still so angered by the system that he nearly fell over.

"You really dare to say that? You even called me lecherous before! Subjugate the Fifth Mizukage? Who do you think I am, some kind of sex-crazed ghost?"

Feng Yao wore an expression of righteous indignation, absolutely unwilling to commit such a sordid act.

"What is the Host thinking? I only want you to recruit Mei Terumi into the 'Immortal' organization. You're the one imagining strange things."

"...You were deliberately misleading me just now, weren't you? Ahem, actually, that's what I was thinking too. My Immortal Organization is lacking talent, especially talent with Kekkei Genkai like Mei Terumi."

Feng Yao cleared his name without a blush or a racing heart.

There was a small village on the edge of the border inhabited by ordinary villagers who made their living by fishing. Securing a couple of boats here should be quite easy.

Zabuza and Hideyoshi were responsible for finding boats, while Feng Yao wandered around the village. A piece of paper on a notice board caught his attention.

Although the village was small, news and major national events were sometimes posted there for the villagers' convenience.

This paper was a notice from the Land of Fire.

Due to his advanced age and frail health, the Third Hokage of Konoha has voluntarily resigned from his position. By the decision of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Konoha Elite Committee, Shimura Danzō has been appointed to succeed him as the Fifth Hokage!

At the same time:

A bounty is placed on the S-rank missing-nin Feng Yao. Anyone who kills him will be rewarded with fifty million ryō.

Below this, there was an attached photo of Feng Yao wearing his mask, alongside an old photo from when he was still in Konoha. Because Kakashi had not yet awakened, Team Naruto did not know that Feng Yao was the young ninja they had faced that day, and naturally, they did not know Feng Yao's current true appearance.

Seeing this, Feng Yao sneered. He was quite valuable; it was almost on par with when he had robbed Gato. It was a pity, though, that he was heading to the Land of Water.

Just as he continued reading, the expression on his face froze. A flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes, and his expression turned incomparably gloomy.

It was written below:

Feng Yao's parents, Feng Bo and Feng Miao, have been verified to have had close ties with the traitor Feng Yao and have repeatedly sold intelligence to other countries. They have been executed by the Fifth Hokage.

His heart was filled with a towering rage. With nowhere to vent, he smashed the notice board with a single punch.

His parents were merely ordinary people; how could there be any talk of selling intelligence?

But with his clear mind, he understood immediately. The Third Hokage was a kind-hearted man and naturally would not harm the innocent.

However, with Danzō's ascension—a man of suspicious nature and ruthless methods who could not tolerate the slightest oversight—the village needed to restore order and capture him above all else.

Thus, Danzō had used his parents as a target. Whether or not they had ties to him, they had to die, because it would appease the people of Konoha and the Land of Fire, express his stance, and prove that he, Danzō, had the capability to serve as the Fifth Hokage.

"Danzō! I! Will! Definitely! Kill! You!"

Feng Yao spat the words out, one by one, through gritted teeth.

Though he had some estrangement from his parents, they had raised him for twelve years. People are not made of wood or stone; how could they be without emotion? Especially when it came to the people who gave him life and raised him.

Despite his immense fury, the Xiaoyao Wise Heart Body allowed him to maintain rational thought. He immediately turned around to find Zabuza and Hideyoshi.

The two had already purchased a fishing boat and were preparing to leave. Feng Yao walked up to them and said, "I have matters to attend to and cannot go to the Land of Water for the time being. You two go ahead, get settled there, and wait for my orders." His tone left no room for question.

Hideyoshi felt that Feng Yao must be about to do something major and was just about to volunteer himself when he saw the murderous intent filling Feng Yao's deep blue pupils.

Frightened, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips. Zabuza felt as if the Feng Yao before him was a primordial beast.

"This... since the Leader has commanded it, we shall obey. We will establish a foothold in the Land of Water and await the Leader's arrival."

After giving these instructions, Feng Yao turned and left, his mind occupied by a single thought.

He had to kill Danzo!

He activated Sage Mode and sprinted through the forest; at his current speed, he would likely return to Konoha in less than a week.

"Host, while I do not intend to stop you from seeking revenge, I must remind you that in three days, the six-month period will conclude. At that time, the next random draw will occur, and you will be unable to enter Sage Mode or utilize senjutsu."

Hearing this, Feng Yao was forced to halt on a tree branch, cursing the system hundreds of times in his heart. Although he felt the system was infuriating, he could only vent his impotent rage; he had no idea what kind of ninjutsu or school of thought he would randomly draw next.

He certainly could not head straight to Konoha anymore.

Though Feng Yao craved vengeance, he was not so blinded by fury that he would recklessly charge in to fight Danzo to the death.

He approached every action with rational thought. In his current Xiaoyao Wise Heart Body state, activating Sage Mode combined with the boosted power of his senjutsu gave him the confidence to kill Danzo and escape unscathed, but now...

Revenge was a must, but he would not throw his life away for it; such behavior was that of a brute.

"You really drop the ball at the most critical moments," Feng Yao snapped at the system, immediately changing direction. He had already conceived a different plan, and for that, he needed an ally.

Meanwhile, inside Konoha Ninja Village.

Danzo wore a white Hokage robe over his red ninja attire, a Hokage hat atop his head. He had finally realized his ambition: he had become the Hokage of Konoha.

He could now implement his own will and use iron-fisted methods to protect Konoha.

"Lord Hokage, the news has been disseminated. What is our next step?"

Kneeling on the ground was none other than Tankyu, the Anbu member who had previously hunted Feng Yao; in truth, he was a man of Root.

"You have done well. It is thanks to your initial report that I was able to topple Hiruzen today. This brat named Feng Yao truly exceeded my expectations."

Danzo spoke in a flat tone, holding Feng Yao's file in his hand.

Ever since Feng Yao defected from the village, Danzo had received the news. Logically, a rogue ninja appearing was a dereliction of duty by the Third Hokage. He had wanted to seize the opportunity to strike, but the villagers remained fiercely loyal to the Third.

Danzo had no choice but to wait for an opportunity, ordering Tankyu to eliminate the old physician—in his eyes, killing a commoner was of no consequence, and it was a precaution in case Feng Yao had any ties to the man. He also ordered those in the vicinity to report any developments to Konoha immediately.

Finally, he had waited for Feng Yao to return. A merchant had reported that someone was inquiring about the physician and was accompanied by a ninja. He leaked this information to the Third Hokage, leaving him to handle it.

In truth, even if Feng Yao had failed, Danzo would have found a way to pin the blame on the Third; he would stop at nothing to become Hokage.

Danzo tightened his grip on Feng Yao's file. Now, all he had to do was eliminate this pest that threatened Konoha.