Hiruzen Sarutobi's Strategist

"Think about your wives and children!"

"Does being a rogue ninja have any future? It'll only make your children unable to hold their heads up for the rest of their lives!"

"Even if you have no wife or children and are all alone, don't you want to find a girl from one of the major villages? With a dead-end career like being a rogue ninja, could you marry someone from Konoha Village?"

Masaichi was helping Orochimaru recruit troops on the Hidden Cloud Village front.

As the rogue ninjas listened to Masaichi, they felt immense pressure, as though someone had suddenly placed a moral shackle around them. If they did not marry and have children, their family lines would end...

Before Masaichi said this, the rogue ninjas had never felt ashamed. They had even thought being rogue ninjas was great—free and unfettered, with no one controlling them.

But just as Masaichi had said, if they wanted to marry girls from major villages, they really had to cast off their identities as rogue ninjas first and obtain legitimate, stable residency in a major village.

There were countless rogue ninjas in the Ninja World: some had committed crimes and fled in fear of punishment, some had been betrayed by their villages and forced to defect, some had failed in their attempts to seize leadership of their villages and fled after being squeezed out... There were all kinds.

These were the people Masaichi needed to recruit, to give those with nowhere to go a place to belong.

With Konoha at their backs! Once they came, they could get Konoha residency. Who would not be tempted?

In the past, Hiruzen Sarutobi had feared offending people and damaging Konoha's reputation, so he had not dared accept rogue ninjas at all.

But who was he? Who was Danzo? Who was Orochimaru?

Did they have any reputation to speak of?!

The split between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru in Konoha Village had long ceased to be obscure news. After the Land of Fire's daimyo stepped in several times to mediate and found it useless, he could only let them do as they pleased.

Orochimaru's current goal was to challenge for the position of Hokage!

There were no shortage of rogue ninjas dreaming of joining Orochimaru's camp and soaring to prominence through the merits of backing the future Hokage!

Ninety percent of the wealthy citizens' tax had already been collected.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not dare do anything that would offend people, so he could only listen to Root's reports regarding how much had actually been collected.

Orochimaru and Danzo had lined their own pockets. For quite some time, neither of them had lacked money.

Orochimaru's camp developed rapidly.

Before anyone noticed, it had grown from 1,200 people to 1,300, and the number was still increasing by several every day.

"Lord Third, you should call Masaichi back! Don't let him go out again." Nara Shikaku went directly to the Third Hokage's home that day.

What could Hiruzen Sarutobi do?

During the days Masaichi had been away, Orochimaru and Danzo's fighting strength had clearly declined considerably.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, those two were still easy to deal with.

As long as he deliberately acted furious, put on a helpless expression, and shot them a resentful glare, Orochimaru and Danzo would immediately become smug and lower their guard against him.

When all was said and done, those two might appear gloomy and cold, like highly intelligent people, but honestly, neither of them had political instincts as gifted as Minato's.

Minato > Danzo > Orochimaru. Orochimaru had devoted all his intelligence to experiments.

That was roughly how Hiruzen Sarutobi ranked them in his heart.

"But we can't just watch Orochimaru take control of the northeast of the Land of Fire, Lord Third." Nara Shikaku had watched Masaichi recruit troops, then watched him fleece the local nobles.

Logically speaking, ninjas all held a degree of awe and inferiority toward nobles.

After all, villages needed nobles to issue missions and earn money, and needed noble funding to survive.

Yet Orochimaru, Masaichi, and Danzo treated nobles with less and less hesitation. Nara Shikaku did not know whether the three truly had confidence or simply did not understand the consequences.

"If this continues, with one side waning while the other rises, Minato's advantage in becoming Hokage will gradually disappear. Lord Third, it seems we can't hesitate any longer."

"If we don't settle this now, then a year from now, Orochimaru's power will have become a towering tree. He'll have his people inside the village and his troops outside it. Even if Minato becomes Hokage, do you think he'll be able to command Orochimaru?"

Nara Shikaku's analysis was exceptionally thorough.

Everything Orochimaru's faction was doing now was reasonable expansion.

If they did not snuff out the beginnings of Orochimaru's rise now, then in the future...

Nara Shikaku meant that they should hold the Hokage election now, then have Minato personally lead an expedition as Hokage and end the Third Shinobi World War with his own hands!

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a breath. He understood all this as well. "But, Shikaku, with Minato's current prestige, I can't guarantee that he'll defeat Orochimaru with absolute certainty."

After all, Orochimaru had participated in the Second Shinobi World War. His seniority was right there. If Orochimaru used seniority to suppress Minato, there was a strong chance Minato would lose.

He wanted to play it safe.

Minato had to achieve a complete victory first. With his help as well, Minato would certainly win.

"I see." Nara Shikaku nodded helplessly. Indeed, back then, Minato and he had still been in school, while Orochimaru had already achieved repeated military successes.

Wait...

In an instant, Nara Shikaku thought of a countermeasure.

"Lord Third, what if we persuade Jiraiya to compete with Orochimaru for the position of Hokage?"

"Him?" Hiruzen Sarutobi clicked his tongue and shook his head. It would be a miracle if the carefree Jiraiya agreed to become Hokage.

"Not exactly, Lord Third. Jiraiya can compete with Orochimaru for the Fourth Hokage position, but only hold the post in name. You can still personally teach Minato how to handle political affairs. After two or three years of transition, Jiraiya can pass the Hokage position to Minato."

"This has many benefits."

"First, if Jiraiya becomes Hokage, Minato will be the Fourth Hokage's direct disciple. It will be difficult for Orochimaru to compete against the Fourth Hokage's direct disciple."

"..."

"Sixth, Jiraiya has prestige of his own, as well as Minato's and your support. Orochimaru's advantage in seniority will not be enough."

After hearing Nara Shikaku explain it like that, Hiruzen Sarutobi was instantly enlightened.

That was right!

Jiraiya only needed to get his face carved onto Hokage Rock and provide Minato with greater legitimacy in the competition.

"Just as expected of you, Shikaku!" Hiruzen Sarutobi praised.

Everyone needed a strategist, after all. Shikaku was clearly several times better than Masaichi. Pair Shikaku with Minato—one civil, one martial—and Konoha would enjoy several more decades of prosperity.

"Not at all. You flatter me, Lord Third."

Since Nara Shikaku had practically thrown the strategy for making Minato Hokage in his face,

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was Taking Advice, took advantage of this period of peace in the Ninja World to urgently recall the Jonin stationed outside.

As for Jiraiya's opinion! It was not important.

It was not like they were asking him to sit in an office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still found Jiraiya somewhat distasteful. If it were not for Minato, would he carve that unlucky bastard who frequented pleasure districts every day onto Hokage Rock? It would be utterly humiliating for Konoha.

He was only afraid that some woman from a pleasure district would lead a child over, point at the Fourth Hokage on Hokage Rock, and say, "Child, that's your father."