At the Land of Fire daimyo's residence, discussions were underway over the reconstruction of Konoha.
A long table stood in the grand hall.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire, Akechi Mitsuhide, sat at the southern end.
On the eastern side sat five Daimyo Councilors wearing tall, dark hats.
On the western side sat five representatives from Konoha: the village advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, an Anbu squad captain wearing a white cloak and an animal mask, the representative of Konoha's Jōnin, Shikaku Nara, and the leader of Root... Shimura Danzō.
Mitokado Homura said, "We and the Allied Nations intend to continue enforcing our policy toward the Akatsuki..."
Across from Homura, the bespectacled, scholarly-looking head councilor said, "With the village in this state, we in the Land of Fire will fully support its reconstruction. First comes the budget... after that, we must begin repairing our strained relations with other nations."
At that point, Danzo steered the discussion in another direction. "There is something more urgent than any of that: choosing the next Hokage!"
Shikaku Nara immediately went on guard. Just as I thought... here it comes!
Before the meeting, as the representative of Konoha's Jōnin, he had proposed that Kakashi succeed as Hokage... but he knew there was another man coveting the seat: Shimura Danzō!
There were still obstacles standing between Kakashi and the position.
The daimyo of the Land of Fire toyed with his little fan. "Wouldn't it be better to wait for Tsunade to recover?"
Utatane Koharu said, "Lord Daimyo, Tsunade remains unconscious, and we do not know when she will wake. With the village in its current state, effectively implementing our decisions would likely prove difficult. Besides, she bears some responsibility for the village's destruction..."
The responsibility Koharu spoke of was Tsunade's decision to hide Naruto on the secluded Mount Myōboku, which had forced Pain to invade Konoha to demand his whereabouts.
The daimyo said, "I had originally wanted to choose Jiraiya. I thought very highly of him. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. Are there any other candidates, then?"
Danzo spoke up. "In that case..."
"I nominate Kakashi Hatake!" Shikaku Nara cut Danzo off forcefully, ignoring the icy sidelong glance the latter gave him.
"Oh! White Fang's son? Yes, that sounds good!" Delighted, the daimyo turned toward the councilors. "What do you all think?"
"His reputation, strength, and character are all outstanding!"
"But isn't he still too young?"
"Come to think of it, wasn't the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, even younger at the time...?"
The councilors voiced their opinions one after another, and the situation began to favor Kakashi.
Then the bespectacled head councilor asked, "Whose student was Kakashi Hatake?"
Mitokado Homura said, "He was a student of the Fourth Hokage!"
The daimyo clapped his hands. "The Fourth Hokage was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was the Third's. Yes, I see no problems, then. Very well..."
Seeing the discussion slip out of his control, Danzo abruptly said, "The Third Hokage's teachings did nothing but lead the village toward destruction!"
"..." Startled by Danzo's gaze, the daimyo hurriedly hid half his face behind his little fan.
Danzo pressed his advantage. "The leader of the Akatsuki who destroyed the village once studied under Jiraiya. This is the bitter fruit of sympathizing with outsiders and teaching them our skills. Utterly naive!"
"It was precisely this naivety, passed down through the generations, that led to our allied nation's betrayal and, in turn, gave Orochimaru the opportunity to attack the village!"
"And the Akatsuki's rising members are led by none other than Sasuke Uchiha, a remnant of the Uchiha Clan and a rogue ninja..."
As Shikaku Nara listened to Danzo's speech, his expression grew grave.
Suddenly... a calculating smile curled at the corners of Danzo's mouth, and he dropped another bombshell. "But the greatest failure of all was another of Jiraiya's students, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. He has betrayed the village!"
"!!" At those words, Shikaku Nara's expression changed sharply, and the entire room erupted!
The head councilor said, "Wait. Isn't this Naruto the hero who defeated the Akatsuki's leader? Isn't he resting now, basking in that honor?"
"Heh." Danzo glanced at Shikaku with a sneer. "For that, you will have to ask the Jōnin representative, Shikaku Nara..."
The daimyo turned to Shikaku. "Shikaku, what exactly is going on?"
Sweat trickled down Shikaku's face.
So this really hadn't escaped Danzo's eyes and ears!
But he quickly regained his composure. "Lord Daimyo... Naruto indeed did not return to the village after the battle, but we cannot yet conclude that he has betrayed us!"
Danzo, however, spun a baseless claim. "We have received crucial intelligence suggesting that Naruto Uzumaki is in contact with the Akatsuki's second-in-command, plotting against the village..."
Everyone frowned. "Is this intelligence reliable?"
Danzo embellished his story. "Largely reliable... I even suspect that Nagato's attack on Konoha was a conspiracy coordinated with Naruto Uzumaki from within..."
The daimyo pondered this. "Surely not. He is only an innocent, kindhearted boy. I hear he has an upright character and serves as a role model for many ninja..."
Danzo spoke with an air of solemn authority. "There is no 'surely not.' The Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed within him, and the Nine-Tails is the embodiment of evil. However innocent a boy may be, once tainted by that darkness, he cannot possibly come to a good end. Furthermore, Jiraiya's failure to discipline him as his teacher, Tsunade's indulgence and protection as Hokage, and Kakashi's lack of vigilance as his supervising Jōnin all contributed to this outcome."
The head councilor adjusted his glasses. "Lord Daimyo... even if Danzo's claims have yet to be verified, Kakashi is no longer a suitable candidate for Hokage at present."
"..." Shikaku wanted to counter him, but for the moment, he could find no opening. Once Danzo brought up Naruto's supposed defection, the situation had become difficult to salvage.
Bang! Danzo slammed the table and rose, declaring emphatically, "What kind of Hokage do we need now? Someone who can turn the tide even in this worst of circumstances! Someone who can bring change to this world of ninja and reshape the iron laws of the Shinobi World! I am the only man fit to be that Hokage!"
"..." The daimyo closed his eyes in thought.
Shikaku hurriedly said, "Lord Daimyo, you must not take Danzo's word alone. Konoha's Anbu are also tracking Naruto Uzumaki's whereabouts. I believe the truth will soon come to..."
The daimyo opened his eyes and made his decision. "Very well, it is settled. Danzo, I appoint you... Sixth Hokage!"
A triumphant smile curled at Danzo's lips. I had planned to use the visual power of my right eye to manipulate the daimyo's decision if things went against me. But exploiting Naruto's situation to undermine Kakashi's chances of becoming Hokage went even more smoothly than I expected. Shikaku, even you can no longer turn this around...
After leaving the daimyo's residence, Danzo walked with his cane alongside the white-clad Anbu member.
"How is the task I assigned you coming along?"
"As instructed, we have spread rumors among the village's ordinary citizens that Naruto and Pain, the Akatsuki's leader, worked together to stage the whole affair to earn the villagers' trust. But after Lord Danzo saw through their scheme, Naruto fled the village overnight..."
Danzo smiled. "Excellent."
The white-clad Anbu member said, "Lord Danzo, Naruto Uzumaki's betrayal has yet to be confirmed. Besides, he is one of the few powerful fighters in the village who can stand alongside Jiraiya. Isn't this risky?"
Danzo said, "Whether Naruto has betrayed the village or not, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he is a destabilizing factor. We must take this opportunity to nip that budding threat in the bud before he rises to prominence."
"Besides, however powerful a fighter may be, if he cannot serve me, he is a liability. This is a necessary sacrifice for Konoha!"
Danzo raised a hand to cover his right eye, laying his ambition bare. "Once Naruto has been dealt with, I will take control of the Nine-Tails. Then I, Shimura Danzō, will become the strongest Hokage in history...!"