The Konoha Anbu base.
Sitting in his office, Shihōin Naraku was mulling something over.
Leaning back in his chair with his feet propped on the corner of his desk, Naraku rocked gently.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were worried about losing their power, so they opposed making me a candidate and supported Kakashi Hatake.
The Third Hokage probably favored me a little more. Otherwise, Shikaku Nara wouldn't have supported me. He must have spoken up after figuring out what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted. Shikaku was a smart man.
Although Danzo didn't say so, he definitely supported neither of us. He still wanted to become Hokage himself.
The information Shimura Danzō had given Shihōin Naraku wasn't particularly detailed, but Naraku had ultimately managed to piece together the general picture.
Did that mean my chances of becoming Hokage were actually better than Kakashi Hatake's?
Wait... did that mean I'd have to become Naruto Uzumaki and the others' instructor?
Naraku scratched his head, a little troubled.
This news had thrown his plans into disarray.
No, the Konoha Crush Plan would happen soon. Whoever they chose, Tsunade would still end up becoming the Fifth Hokage.
Though that wasn't necessarily true...
After the Konoha Crush Plan took place, Konohagakure had suffered immense damage. According to the original story, it had lost a large number of outstanding ninja, including the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, and more than half of Konoha's fighting strength had vanished.
Kakashi Hatake really couldn't have shouldered a situation involving such devastating losses. On top of that, he hadn't been the instructor of Naruto Uzumaki's Ninja Team for very long at the time. Looking at it from several angles, he really wasn't as suitable as Tsunade to become Hokage.
But things were different now that Shihōin Naraku was here. With him around, Konoha's losses certainly wouldn't be as great as they had originally been. In that case, with Naraku's strength and experience, he really could bypass Tsunade and become Hokage himself.
The Third Hokage would be dead by then anyway, and Konoha's dire circumstances wouldn't allow any delays. In that case, Naraku really might become the Fifth Hokage!
After all, there were differences between Shihōin Naraku and Kakashi Hatake!
What was going on? The more I thought about it, the more likely I seemed to become Hokage...
All sorts of ideas churned through Naraku's head. He did his best to work out how the future might change. With him added to this world, everything could turn out differently.
Actually, becoming Hokage would be fine. It wasn't as though I was unwilling. It was just...
Naraku's view of the Hokage position was tied solely to the system's Draw Chances. There were benefits, after all, and they could improve his strength. Of course, if he really became Hokage, he would carry out his duties as usual.
"System, if I get promoted straight from my current position to Hokage, how many Draw Chances will I receive?"
[The host can receive a maximum of five Draw Chances!]
The minimum was three and the maximum was five. Becoming Hokage would grant the maximum outright.
But for Naraku, that would mean losing out.
After all, he could still rise from ANBU Deputy Captain to Commander, and from deputy head of the Medical Department to department head. Even if both gave the minimum reward, he could accumulate six chances. That was the promotion plan Naraku had laid out for himself.
But if he became Hokage directly, there was nothing more to discuss.
Most importantly, once I became Hokage, I'd have to stay in Konoha for the long term. People would be watching me everywhere, making it troublesome to do anything else.
That thought gave Naraku something of a headache. Becoming Hokage now would affect him too much, with plenty of drawbacks and few benefits!
No, no. I still had to follow the original plan!
Kakashi Hatake would leave ANBU and become an instructor, and I'd take over as Anbu Commander. Once Tsunade came back and became the Fifth Hokage, I'd take over as head of the Medical Department. Add positions like Advisor to the Hokage later on, and that would maximize my gains.
After a long consideration, Naraku made up his mind. He decided to stick to his original plan.
Becoming Hokage directly would cost him far too much.
It would pose a serious risk to the improvement of his strength.
Naraku had never forgotten just how dangerous the world of Naruto became later on. Kage-level enemies appeared one after another, not to mention the mysterious Ōtsutsuki Clan.
So, for him, improving his strength was the most important thing!
Then the most important thing now was to make sure Kakashi Hatake became the instructor of Naruto Uzumaki's three-person team!
Naraku now had to make sure the Third Hokage passed him over!
Let me think...
Before Shihōin Naraku could figure out how to get himself passed over, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders arrived.
"What the hell? I'm supposed to be Naruto Uzumaki's bodyguard?"
Naraku was utterly dumbfounded when he received the mission.
Wait, had that old man, the Third Hokage, already decided to make me a Hokage candidate?
This was big trouble!
Hurrying out of the Anbu base, Naraku prepared to go see the Third Hokage. Turning down the Hokage position outright was a good idea too.
"Wait..."
Preoccupied with his thoughts, Naraku hadn't heard anyone calling him at all. He raced toward the Hokage Building, only snapping out of it when Kakashi Hatake appeared beside him.
"What? I've got something to do today!"
"...You're going to look after Naruto Uzumaki, right?"
A trace of helplessness flashed through Kakashi Hatake's dead-fish eyes. He had also received orders from the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Huh? How did you kno... So we both got this mission!"
Realizing this, Naraku let out a huge sigh of relief. Nothing had been decided yet. There was still time.
I got it. The old man was planning to use this mission to observe which of us, Kakashi or me, was better suited to becoming an instructor!
Okay, all set!
Reassured now, Naraku went with Kakashi Hatake to find Naruto Uzumaki.
The Ninja Academy.
"Ha..."
Shihōin Naraku nearly laughed aloud at the extremely funny scene before him. Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi had been angrily thrown out of the classroom by Umino Iruka for sleeping in class and made to stand in the hallway as punishment.
Yet the three hadn't learned their lesson at all. They chatted and ate snacks in the hallway, and before long, they were even dozing off on their feet.
Kakashi Hatake, standing beside him, showed no trace of amusement. Instead, he watched Naruto Uzumaki with a complicated expression.
Whoosh!
"Lord Kakashi! Lord Naraku!"
Tenzo appeared in the lush tree where Naraku and Kakashi stood. Since they were on a mission, he greeted them very respectfully.
"Go about your business. Don't mind us!"
"Yes!"
Tenzo glanced at the silent Kakashi. At that moment, Kakashi Hatake was shrouded in gloom and showed no intention of acknowledging him.
Naraku waved a hand, leaving Tenzo no choice but to depart.
When Tenzo returned to the Ninja Team he led, everyone immediately looked at him.
"The two lords must have another mission. We'll carry on!"
"Yes!"
Glancing at where Tenzo and the Ninja Team were hiding, Naraku had no intention of getting involved with them. Whether they were protecting or monitoring, these people had rules they needed to follow.
"Sensory ninja from the Yamanaka Clan and ninja from the Hyuga Branch Family really are suitable choices..."
Ninja from these two clans were indeed suited to surveillance or protection. Naruto Uzumaki could hardly escape their sight.
"Speaking of which..." Naraku stroked his chin with great curiosity as something occurred to him. "With their Byakugan, ninja from the Hyuga Clan are the ideal choice for monitoring and protecting Naruto. Have they noticed that their young lady, Hinata Hyuga, likes Naruto?"
At this point, Hinata Hyuga was the heir to the Hyuga Main Family. Her status was far from low!
"Could Hyuga Hiashi have already been thinking of making Naruto Uzumaki his son-in-law, so he could enjoy married life getting the white-eye treatment all day?"
Interesting.
Before you continue