The Man Who Wants to Be Hokage

"Big Brother Kizaru, were you too tired from training yesterday?"

"You really scared me today, Big Brother Kizaru!"

"Oh, right, Big Brother Kizaru! I took notes on everything today, do you want to take a look?"

Walking home with the three youngsters of the Shimura Clan, the chatterbox Shimura Yoshihiko clung to Kizaru's side, his mouth moving like a machine gun, never once stopping.

Kizaru dealt with them with simple, perfunctory replies while quickening his pace, soon returning to the main residence of the Shimura Clan.

"You guys head back first! I need to see the Clan Head." Pushing open the gate and stepping into the courtyard, Kizaru spoke immediately.

"Big Brother Kizaru—"

Before Shimura Yoshihiko could continue, he was forcibly dragged away by Shimura Yuki and Shimura Tanin.

"Goodbye, Big Brother Kizaru!"

The two smiled, one hand gripping the oblivious Shimura Yoshihiko while the other waved at Kizaru.

"See ya!"

Watching the trio walk away, Kizaru let out a sigh of relief. He picked at his ear with his pinky, then dropped his hands into his pockets and headed toward the courtyard where Danzo resided.

Kizaru saying he was going to see Danzo wasn't just an excuse to shake off Shimura Yoshihiko; it was at Danzo's request.

The instruction at the Ninja Academy was too gentle and low-level to be of much help to Kizaru, so Danzo required him to come for training every day after class.

Kizaru had no objections to Danzo's demands; he knew deep down that all privileges and benefits stemmed from strength.

This held true within the clan, the village, and even the entire Shinobi World.

Therefore, Kizaru rarely voiced opinions regarding the training arrangements the family made for him.

Danzo's residence was located in the center of the main compound, only a few hundred meters from the front gate.

When Kizaru pushed open the wooden gate and entered the courtyard of Danzo's home, Danzo was standing alone in the center.

"I don't think I'm late, am I, Clan Head?" Kizaru said with a grin as he walked into the yard, facing the stern-looking Danzo.

Danzo had always taken issue with Kizaru's lack of seriousness and had brought it up many times, but to no avail.

Having been protected by the three elders for so long, Kizaru maintained a habit of listening intently to lectures while never actually changing his attitude, which gave Danzo a massive headache.

Too lazy to correct Kizaru's attitude, Danzo turned and walked toward the house.

"Follow me!"

Kizaru followed Danzo inside, walked to the tea table, and the two sat opposite each other.

"I heard from Isshin that you were sleeping and daydreaming in class today?"

"Uncle Isshin really, does he have to report even that?" Kizaru rubbed his head, complaining with a smile.

Kizaru wasn't surprised that Danzo knew his situation; after all, he had always been aware that the clan had assigned a Jonin to protect him from the shadows.

"Those classes have nothing for you to listen to anyway, so getting some extra rest is fine!"

To Kizaru's surprise, Danzo, who usually loved to pick at every minor detail and issue to lecture him, didn't blame him this time.

"Don't be surprised. I don't want you listening to those ideological classes either; they're meant for the people below," Danzo continued.

"Kizaru, you are different from those mediocre people. You possess the potential to bring change to the entire Shinobi World, just like the First Hokage. You are a natural-born powerhouse! A leader! You should think about this world with the mindset of a powerhouse, the mindset of a ruler!" Danzo stared directly into Kizaru's eyes, speaking with extreme seriousness.

"A ruler? That sounds like a lot of trouble," Kizaru replied with a smile. "My ideal is to find a job with high pay, little work, and high status, and live out my life happily."

Danzo didn't get angry at Kizaru's answer; instead, he laughed.

"Isn't the Hokage exactly that kind of job?"

"I don't feel that way!"

"That guy Hiruzen is living the life you want right now. The thing he does most every day is probably hiding in his office, peeping at the women's bathhouse with his crystal ball!" Danzo said with a laugh.

"Hey, hey, hey! Clan Head, I'm going to tell the Hokage about this!"

"Go right ahead! While you're at it, you can ask him how much money he makes every year after becoming Hokage!"

Danzo was very confident in his old friend; the relationship between the two was the closest and most intimate in the village.

Back when Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to the village with his teacher's final words to inherit the title of Hokage, the various factions in the village hadn't exactly accepted him.

If not for the support of Mito and his own full backing of Hiruzen with the Shimura Clan, Hiruzen—supported only by the Sarutobi Clan—would never have been able to sit in the Hokage's seat so easily.

For over a decade, if not for their collaborative efforts between the light and the dark, how could Hiruzen have grasped the power of the Hokage so effortlessly?

The Hokage was just a title, a status. Becoming Hokage didn't mean one had truly become the leader of the village.

Only by truly mastering the village's military and financial power could a Hokage be considered a real Hokage.

"You and Uncle Hiruzen really have a great relationship, Uncle!" Kizaru exclaimed.

A reserved yet smug smile appeared on Danzo's face as he nodded slightly. "It's nothing much!"

"Kizaru, I know you don't like troublesome things, but you must understand that trouble always finds its way to you! So, you don't have to like trouble, but you must possess the ability to resolve it," Danzo continued his lesson. "Great strength can solve the vast majority of trouble, but the process of using strength to solve trouble is, in itself, a trouble. What do you think?"

"Yes," Kizaru agreed.

"That is why you must have your own faction and delegate trouble to your subordinates. That is the easiest way to resolve trouble," Danzo said, guiding him step by step.

"So, you still want me to compete for the position of Hokage in the future," Kizaru said.

Nodding, Danzo's expression turned resolute. A hint of ruthlessness flickered deep within his eyes as he stated with absolute certainty, "Not compete. In the future, the position of Hokage will be yours! That is my promise to you!"

This was the first time Kizaru had seen Danzo display such an ambitious, warlord-like expression. Instead of feeling afraid, he felt a sense of growing favor toward the man. After all, no matter how poor his reputation was among fans of the series in his past life, at least for now, he was looking out for his best interests.

Kizaru knew that this goodwill was laced with Danzo's own interests and ulterior motives, but in this world, how much goodwill existed that was truly selfless and devoid of any benefit?

"Fine, I, Kizaru, will be the man who becomes Hokage in the future!" Kizaru said, playing along.

Come to think of it, how old was Tsunade when she became Hokage? Could this soft rice be eaten the hard way?

While his mouth spoke the words, Kizaru's thoughts drifted away in an instant.

Seeing Kizaru's stance, Danzo revealed a look of satisfaction, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smile.