Knock, knock! At the sound of two crisp taps, Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out and lightly rapped his fingers against the desk in front of him.
At that moment, the people in the room, each wearing a different expression, all turned their eyes toward Hiruzen Sarutobi when they heard the sound.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked solemn as he said, "All right. Since the Uchiha Clan has proven its innocence, we'll set aside the matter of the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes for now. Our most urgent task is to consider how to deal with the Masked Man. Shikaku, what do you think?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's gaze snapped toward Shikaku Nara.
Feeling their expectant eyes on him, Shikaku Nara remained calm on the surface, but inwardly he was at a loss. Although he understood the Masked Man's abilities, he couldn't think of a good plan on the spot.
After a moment's thought, Shikaku Nara finally spoke. "Third, the enemy may not yet know that his identity has been exposed. We could keep this information under wraps for now and pretend we know nothing.
"We lost a great many people in this battle. We can use this time to let Konoha recover.
"As for the villagers, we can tell them that the Fourth Hokage died after sealing the Nine-Tails, having exhausted his chakra after successfully killing the enemy. What do you think?"
At Shikaku's suggestion, Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow slightly and fell silent in thought. As the seconds passed, an oppressive atmosphere filled the entire meeting room.
At last, Hiruzen Sarutobi broke the silence. He looked firmly at Shikaku Nara and signaled that he agreed with the proposal.
This disaster had claimed too many lives, and the entire village was shrouded in boundless grief.
Though this approach might not truly give the villagers an outlet for their anger, at least they would believe the Fourth Hokage had avenged them.
Even if it was only false comfort, under the circumstances, it might help the village get through its darkest hour.
That would also conceal the truth about who the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside. No one would know.
Then, one day in the future, once Naruto had grown a little older, they could reveal that he was the orphan of the Fourth Hokage.
After many years had passed, the villagers would have had time to find some emotional peace, and their hatred of the Nine-Tails would have lessened accordingly.
At least until Naruto's identity as a Jinchūriki was revealed, he could enjoy the protection of Minato's legacy.
Besides, even if Naruto's identity as a Jinchūriki was eventually exposed, it wouldn't matter.
After so many years, even if people still resented the Nine-Tails, they would restrain themselves somewhat out of respect for the orphan of the Fourth Hokage.
After all, time was the best medicine for healing wounds. Hiruzen hoped that, as time passed, the villagers would gradually let go of their hatred.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had given Naruto's future long and careful thought. He never imagined that Naruto, who should have grown up as he had in the original story, would have his fate changed by Pot Kage's actions.
Sadly, under Pot Kage's arrangements, Naruto's identity as a Jinchūriki soon became known throughout the village. Meanwhile, the deaths of several people close to Hiruzen during the Night of the Nine-Tails had shattered his spirit and made him increasingly weak. The elders blocked him from revealing Naruto's true identity as the Fourth Hokage's orphan in time.
And so, the villagers found an outlet for their anger and mercilessly turned it on the helpless orphan they resented, forging Naruto's wretched childhood—a past he could never bear to look back on.
But things were very different now.
After all, with Uchiha Chen's orders, Danzo naturally wouldn't dare take such actions again. Kushina was alive, too, so Naruto's childhood would surely be many times better than it had been in the original story.
Seeing that his suggestion had been accepted, Shikaku Nara spoke again. "Third, there's another urgent matter we need to deal with.
"The Third Shinobi World War has only just ended, and the village suffered a devastating blow from the Nine-Tails' rampage yesterday. To keep our weakness and true condition from being exposed under the close scrutiny of the other four great ninja villages, I ask you to resume the Hokage Position, or choose a Fifth Hokage immediately. That will deter the others and protect Konoha."
"Alas! I'm old, and my health is far worse than it used to be. I can no longer bear the immense pressure that comes with the Hokage Position.
"So we must choose a Fifth Hokage as soon as possible, so that the village can continue to develop in stability. Does anyone have a candidate in mind?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke gravely. His gaze swept slowly across those present, then came to rest on Shikaku Nara and Shimura Danzō, fixing them with a meaningful look.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Shikaku Nara, there was a hint of expectation in his eyes. He hoped that the shinobi renowned for his wisdom could offer constructive advice and help him find a suitable successor. When he looked at Shimura Danzō, however, his expression held a trace of warning and caution. He hoped Danzō wouldn't presume to nominate himself; after all, everyone knew of his ambition and methods.
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Shikaku Nara fell into deep thought. He knew how important this question was and that he had to consider it carefully. Various candidates flashed through his mind, but after weighing them, he found that very few were truly suited to become the Fifth Hokage.
The Third, who had just declined, was out of the running. Among those who remained, Jiraiya and Tsunade were undoubtedly the best choices. As for Danzō... Shikaku couldn't help grumbling to himself. Just imagining him becoming Hokage gave him chills. Ugh! He quickly shook his head and banished the dreadful thought.
Once he had gathered his thoughts, Shikaku Nara raised his head without hesitation and met Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze directly. He said solemnly, "Lord Hokage, in my view, Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade are both powerful and highly respected candidates. Either of them would be qualified to take the Fifth Hokage's Position. We should summon them both back at once and begin the succession ceremony."
Everyone present understood that these two candidates were the best choices, and they nodded in agreement. Seeing that they all approved, Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to give his assent when a dissenting voice rang out.
"Wait! Third, I don't think that's appropriate."
At these words, everyone frowned and began murmuring among themselves, wondering who was bold enough to publicly object to two of the legendary Sannin becoming Hokage. They all turned their searching gazes toward the source of the voice.
Uchiha Chen raised his arm, then slowly stood. His gaze swept firmly across everyone before settling on Hiruzen Sarutobi. He met Hiruzen's eyes while the others looked at him as if he were a clown.
Uchiha Chen spoke again, his voice resolute. "I don't think summoning those two back is our top priority right now."