The Temptation of the Hokage's Seat

An alliance definitely had to be formed, but he also did not want to see the Third Raikage truly seize complete control.

Only an ally who always relied on him and needed something from him was a good ally.

There was a balance to this. Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to weigh it carefully and understand the current situation in the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure.

So Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "What does the Raikage want?"

Chiba Shun said delightedly, "Lord Hokage, the Land of Lightning is barren, and Kumogakure receives too little funding. We have not even completed our postwar reconstruction."

"We hope Konoha can provide military funding. We Kumogakure shinobi are willing to make concessions when certain missions between our sides conflict."

Having said that, Chiba Shun looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Seeing that he did not immediately object, he continued, "Lord Raikage hopes to obtain the Konoha Ninja Academy's experience—real, practical experience."

"Only by controlling the channels for training ninja can one control power."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly. He agreed with that view. It was precisely how he had taken power from the ninja clans.

Thus, he said on the surface, "I agree to both points. However, I hope to discuss the specifics with the Raikage in person."

"Or both sides can send senior officials for talks."

The implication was that Chiba Shun, a mere Chunin, was nowhere near qualified. He was only a messenger. Now that the message had been delivered, his task was complete. The Raikage or senior officials should handle the subsequent discussions.

Chiba Shun had no objections. He said he would relay the matter, then prepared to take his leave.

Unexpectedly, Hiruzen Sarutobi then said in a casual tone, "I heard you wanted to meet Konoha's Advisor Danzo?"

Chiba Shun stiffened, then swallowed. "Lord Hokage, we have been in Konoha for a long time, yet we have never met the Hokage. So I wanted to seek an audience with the Hokage through a Konoha advisor."

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not believe him, but he did not want to damage the alliance with Kumogakure over a Chunin.

So he did not pursue the matter. He merely gave Chiba Shun a subtle warning, then allowed him to return to his lodging.

After leaving the Hokage Building and returning to his room, Chiba Shun's heart stirred. Someone was here!

Without betraying anything, he exercised as usual for a while before entering the room.

On the wall opposite his bed, a line had been written in marker: You can speak freely!

Chiba Shun grinned. Danzo, you finally came.

Before that, however, he still needed to confirm the other party's identity. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Who are you?"

Soon, a line appeared on the wall: I am Danzo.

Chiba Shun continued, "So it is Advisor Danzo. May I ask why you sought me out? If you had business with me, why not meet formally during the day?"

Another line quickly appeared on the wall: Stop playing your little tricks. These past few days, you have been wandering all over the village and hinting that you wanted to see me. If you have something to say, say it!

Chiba Shun did not care about Danzo's wording. He continued playing dumb. "What do you mean, Advisor Danzo? I have never been in contact with you, so why would I seek to meet you?"

"I merely admired Advisor Danzo's great reputation, so I asked Minato Namikaze about you. There was no other meaning."

After a while, Danzo's words appeared on the wall again: "Matsuda Shan."

Upon seeing the three characters Matsuda Shan, Chiba Shun finally confirmed that the person using the Illusion Technique to speak with him was indeed Danzo.

Matsuda Shan was clearly a Root operative. Hiruzen Sarutobi probably did not know about such a trivial matter as a Root ninja being exposed in Kumogakure.

However, Chiba Shun was somewhat envious of Konoha's deep foundations.

The person currently transmitting information for Danzo should be a ninja from the Kurama Clan.

They could manipulate the five senses and affect reality.

The other party was painting somewhere unknown, causing the words to appear on the wall before him.

And the reason the ANBU monitoring him outside could not hear him speak was likely also due to the Kurama Clan's ability to manipulate the five senses.

Chiba Shun found it somewhat strange. In the original story, the Kurama Clan had already declined, with only one person possessing an awakened Kekkei Genkai.

He had not expected that, in this era, the Kurama Clan still had a ninja with an awakened Kekkei Genkai who had joined Root. Then how many others had not joined Root?

After thinking for a moment, Chiba Shun finally said seriously, "Advisor Danzo, Lord Raikage asked me to deliver a message to you. He is willing to support you in becoming the Fourth Hokage!"

At that moment, in a basement dozens of meters from Chiba Shun's lodging, Danzo—who should have been sent away from Konoha by Hiruzen Sarutobi—suddenly narrowed his eyes.

Hokage!

What an intoxicating title!

But if he, Danzo, was to become Hokage, since when did the Third Raikage get to interfere?

Danzo was about to end the conversation and directly send someone to kill Chiba Shun.

Yet the order lingered in his throat for a long time, and in the end, he still could not say it.

A moment later, just as Chiba Shun thought negotiations with Danzo had fallen apart, Danzo spoke again.

"Report the Raikage's plan!"

Chiba Shun curled his lips. Danzo truly was arrogant, but he did not care. "Advisor Danzo, Konoha's current Hokage is Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Only if Hiruzen Sarutobi makes a mistake can the selection process for the Fourth Hokage begin."

"Lord Raikage cannot help Advisor Danzo with that, but..."

"However, Lord Raikage can help Advisor Danzo eliminate his greatest competitor!"

Killing intent rose from Danzo as he coldly asked his subordinate, "Who?"

The Root member from the Kurama Clan immediately erased the previous words from one wall on the drawing board, then wrote the character "who," relaying Danzo's words to Chiba Shun.

He truly did not want to face Danzo's killing intent.

The Kurama Clan was merely a declining minor ninja clan. Even their only ninja with a Kekkei Genkai had been forced to join Root.

Everyone knew that once you joined Root, you belonged to Root for life!

To leave Root, death was the only option!

Chiba Shun had been wrong about this. It was not that the Kurama Clan had so many ninja with a Kekkei Genkai that Hiruzen Sarutobi had given one to Danzo.

Rather, Danzo had intercepted this Kurama Clan ninja before Hiruzen Sarutobi learned of him.

Even now, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know that Danzo had such a person under his command.

After seeing the character for "who" appear on the wall, Chiba Shun answered, "White Fang!"

Danzo gave a cold laugh, murderous intent radiating from his entire body. "Will the Raikage act personally?"

Chiba Shun said, "Advisor Danzo misunderstands. We do not intend to kill White Fang. We merely want to ruin his reputation and make him withdraw from the competition for Fourth Hokage!"

Upon hearing that, Danzo's killing intent subsided considerably.

If the Raikage wanted to use him to get rid of White Fang, then no matter what, Danzo would never agree!

It was not that Danzo had any scruples. Rather, the lives and deaths of Konoha ninja could only be controlled by him, Danzo!

Tolerating Hiruzen Sarutobi sharing his power was already his limit. Now even the Raikage dared touch his bottom line?

Fortunately, the Raikage did not want White Fang's life.

So Danzo asked, "State your plan immediately!"

Chiba Shun smiled lightly. "Have White Fang leave the village to carry out a mission. Kumogakure shinobi can make him choose between continuing the mission and rescuing his companions..."

Chiba Shun did not continue. He believed Danzo would definitely understand!

Sure enough, Danzo did not ask any further questions.

After a long while, Danzo finally said, "What about the others?"

Chiba Shun sneered. "So Advisor Danzo is not even second in line for the Fourth Hokage. It seems Lord Raikage chose the wrong partner!"

"Oh, right, Advisor Danzo. I believe you are already well aware of my strength."

"Yet a newly promoted Chunin like me was able to survive against a three-man Root squad led by a Special Jonin, and even kill one of them."

"This shows Root is nothing special! I suppose just a few loyal subordinates of White Fang could easily suppress Root!"

Danzo slammed his palm down, shattering the table before him. The killing intent in his eyes made the Kurama Clan member tremble.

Yet what puzzled the Kurama Clan member was that Danzo did not order Chiba Shun, who had offended him, to be killed.

Instead, he quickly restrained his anger, seemingly deep in thought.

Chiba Shun had accurately grasped Danzo's mindset. Danzo could indeed get rid of Chiba Shun at any time, but he cared more about the Hokage's seat.

Chiba Shun's seemingly provocative words were actually meant to make the flames of Danzo's desire for the Hokage's seat burn even hotter.

That was right. Since when was he not even second in line for Hokage?

Back then, he had merely been one step slower than Hiruzen Sarutobi, which was why he had missed the Hokage's seat!

And now White Fang, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had all risen ahead of him. Even Jiraiya, that unreliable civilian ninja, was more popular than him!

If he waited any longer, another generation of ninja would grow up. In the eyes of those ignorant villagers, perhaps his ranking would fall even further!

A moment later, the Root member from the Kurama Clan seemed to hear Danzo mutter, "White Fang's subordinates?"

Then Danzo spoke. "When do we act?"

Upon seeing those words, Chiba Shun laughed soundlessly for a while, then said, "We cannot carry it out for now. We lack money!"

Danzo's eyes flashed. "What does the Raikage want?"

The claim of lacking money was naturally impossible. The Third Raikage clearly wanted him, Danzo, to pay up.

Chiba Shun smiled. "We will arrange for an intelligence ninja planted in Konoha. He will steal fifty of Konoha's ninjutsu."

"Thirty B-rank techniques, fifteen A-rank techniques, and five S-rank techniques."

"Advisor Danzo can arrange for White Fang to recover these ninjutsu!"

Danzo narrowed his eyes, his anger nearly flaring up again. He snapped, "The Raikage has quite the appetite!"

Of course Danzo understood what Chiba Shun meant. Chiba Shun was telling him to provide fifty ninjutsu in exchange for Kumogakure shinobi's cooperation.

In truth, Danzo could handle this himself.

But if he did, the motive would be too obvious, and others would surely suspect him afterward.

However, if Kumogakure shinobi actively cooperated, it would be different.

Although Danzo specialized in taking the blame, since Kumogakure shinobi were willing to take it for him this time, he was happy to let them.

He still wanted to step into the light. After all, he was destined to become the Fourth Hokage.