Danzo was the perfect scapegoat for this!

Although Minato Namikaze had not served as the Fourth Hokage for long, he had always greeted people with a sunny smile.

As a result, Minato Namikaze was still extremely popular in Konoha.

Now that they had heard Shimura Danzō was the one who had killed the Fourth Hokage, how could they, as Konoha ninja, not be angry? How could they not be furious?

As for why they believed Gengetsu so readily and were certain Danzo had caused Minato Namikaze's death...

There was no helping it. It was simply too much of a coincidence, almost unrealistically so.

Last night, the Nine-Tails had gone berserk, bringing devastating disaster upon Konoha.

According to intelligence from the Anbu and survivors, the Nine-Tails had been released by a masked man with a single Sharingan.

Moreover, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife had also been killed by that masked man.

At the same time, every ninja and clan head in Konoha knew perfectly well that the old bastard Shimura Danzō dreamed of becoming Hokage and had coveted the Hokage position for years.

Taking all that into account...

No matter how they looked at it, Danzo seemed like the culprit who had attacked and devastated Konoha and caused the Fourth Hokage's death.

Seeing everyone around them staring at Danzo with hostility, Gengetsu decided to add more fuel to the fire.

Then Gengetsu shouted.

"Danzo, when the Nine-Tails' Rampage broke out last night..."

"Our Uchiha Clan assembled immediately, intending to come to the village's aid..."

"You led the members of Root to stop us, refusing to let us help no matter what!..."

"The Fourth must have discovered your evil plan! He knew you wanted to destroy Konoha, which was why he passed the position of Hokage to me before he died! So I could stop you, this cancer on Konoha!"

In truth, Gengetsu knew perfectly well that Danzo had not been responsible for the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

But Gengetsu had realized that Danzo was simply the perfect scapegoat for this staggering crime.

Whether it was the goal of seizing power or the appearance of someone with a single Sharingan, everything matched Danzo exactly. It was practically tailor-made for him.

Danzo truly lived up to his title as Konoha's "Pot Kage." Whatever blame was dumped on his head fit him perfectly.

Sure enough, after hearing Gengetsu's words, everyone in the conference room gritted their teeth in even greater fury, glaring at Shimura Danzō.

"No! I didn't! I wasn't the one who did this!"

Feeling the murderous stares around him, Danzo completely panicked.

Ignoring the agony of his severed arm and the wretched state of his lost right eye, he desperately shook his head and hurriedly began explaining in a panic.

Although Danzo had shouldered plenty of unsavory blame for Konoha throughout his life and had committed countless unconscionable deeds...

He really had not been responsible for the Nine-Tails' Rampage!

"Last night, I was only guarding against a rebellion by the Uchiha Clan... I didn't release the Nine-Tails! I didn't kill the Fourth!"

Danzo shouted himself hoarse.

Unfortunately, no matter how Danzo argued or explained, none of the people around him believed him.

You didn't?! Then what were the Sharingan and Wood Release on your arm about?!

You didn't?! Then why was your right eye a Sharingan?

You didn't?! Then why did you stop the Uchiha Clan from coming to the rescue?

All the evidence now pointed toward Danzo.

At his wits' end, Danzo could only turn his gaze toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Sarutobi... say something!"

"I would never do something like this..."

But how could Hiruzen Sarutobi possibly help Danzo now?

Danzo was now a complete pile of stinking dog shit. Anyone who touched him would be tainted, and might even be branded an accomplice in the Nine-Tails' Rampage!

As an old fox who had played politics for decades, how could Hiruzen Sarutobi possibly invite disaster upon himself at a time like this?

So, faced with Danzo's pleading gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly straightened up, his face filled with anguish, and immediately shouted:

"Danzo, you've disappointed me terribly!"

"I thought you were merely extreme in your methods. I never imagined you had become this deranged! You don't deserve to be a Konoha ninja!"

After roaring with righteous indignation, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned toward the door and loudly ordered, "Anbu, arrest Danzo immediately! Lock him in the highest-security cell and keep him under strict guard!"

The moment he finished speaking, two Anbu wearing animal masks rushed forward. One on either side, they seized Danzo firmly as he lay on the floor.

"Let go of me! Sarutobi, you can't treat me like this!"

"I've rendered meritorious service to Konoha! I'm the leader of Konoha's Root!"

Danzo kept shouting.

Unfortunately, no amount of shouting did him any good.

The Anbu held Danzo down firmly and dragged him out.

"All right, the culprit behind the Nine-Tails' Rampage has now been arrested!"

"Let the Hokage meeting continue!"

Gengetsu rested his interlaced hands on the table, swept his calm gaze across the room, and continued.

Gengetsu had never intended to spare Danzo, a man who dared to strike at the Uchiha Clan and even wanted to exterminate them.

But now was not the time to kill Danzo outright.

Gengetsu knew very well that his most pressing task was to strike while the iron was hot, using this opportunity to fully consolidate his position as Hokage and firmly seize control of Konoha.

As for Danzo, Gengetsu had already severed his most threatening assets, his Sharingan and Wood Release arm, in front of everyone. Now Danzo was nothing but a gravely injured, useless old man. Gengetsu could kill him whenever he wanted.

At Gengetsu's words, every ninja present perked up and turned in unison, watching Gengetsu attentively as he sat at the head of the table.

With Danzo serving as the perfect scapegoat, the Uchiha Clan had been completely cleared of suspicion.

Now that Gengetsu held the Fourth Hokage's final wishes, no one dared voice any objection to him becoming the Fifth Hokage.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, who had been so vocal earlier and had wanted to manipulate Gengetsu through political means, now dared not object. They could only sit in their chairs with exceedingly ugly expressions.

Gengetsu looked at the silent crowd before him and continued.

"Konoha has suffered an unprecedented blow. Everything now needs rebuilding!"

"But as long as I am here, the Will of Fire will never go out!"

"I will lead Konoha once more! Restore Konoha's glory! Let the entire shinobi world feel Konoha's might again!"

Gengetsu's impassioned speech thoroughly stirred the atmosphere in the conference room, and fervent light kindled in the eyes of many young people.

Seeing that the moment was about right, Gengetsu continued.

"To better rebuild the village, I will now make some personnel adjustments!"

"Utatane Koharu will serve as deputy director of Konoha Hospital!"

"Mitokado Homura will serve as deputy leader of the Konoha Village Defensive Barrier Team!"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi will serve as deputy head of the Ninjutsu Research Class!"

The instant Gengetsu finished speaking...

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura sprang straight out of their chairs like cats whose tails had been stepped on.

"I object!"

"I object too! We're Konoha's advisers! How can we be sent to those departments?!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura shouted.

Not only those two-even Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed dramatically beside them.

There was no helping it. Gengetsu's move was simply too ruthless.

Deputy director of Konoha Hospital? The title sounded impressive, but it was a purely logistical department!

Deputy leader of the Defensive Barrier Team? To put it bluntly, that was a gatekeeping position!

And the Ninjutsu Research Class was the back end of logistics, dealing with piles of scrolls and theoretical data every day, completely removed from the center of power.

In short, Gengetsu had assigned them three peripheral positions without any real authority. Worst of all, they were all deputy positions!

He was practically kicking these three once-lofty rulers of Konoha straight out of the center of power. How could they accept that?

After all, they were Konoha's highest-ranking advisers. For more than a decade, they had held most of Konoha's power.

It was precisely through that immense power that they had kept the entire village's lifeblood firmly in their hands, forcing all the major clans to take their cues from them.

But now, with a single declaration, Gengetsu intended to strip them of all their power and send them off to guard gates and manage logistics. How could they possibly accept that?

Faced with the three's furious protests, Gengetsu did not even raise his eyelids.

"Hmph. Objections overruled!"

Gengetsu pressed both hands against the table and leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing the three before him like a sharp sword as he declared without hesitation:

"This is the Hokage's order! Either accept it, or give up and get the hell home to retire!"

"You!"

Hearing Gengetsu's utterly uncompromising, merciless words, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura seethed with rage, both glaring at him.

Gengetsu simply ignored their anger, folding his arms across his chest and giving a deeply disdainful sneer.

"What?! Do you want to betray Konoha like Danzo, too?!"

"Or did you have a hand in the Nine-Tails' Rampage as well?! Are you in league with Danzo, now trying to violently resist the Hokage's orders to cover up your crimes?!"

Boom!

Gengetsu's words struck Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two like a bolt from the blue.

Feeling Gengetsu's murderous gaze and hearing the blame he was pinning on them, the previously arrogant Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura instantly deflated like punctured balls and sank weakly back into their seats.

There was no helping it. The repercussions of the Nine-Tails' Rampage were simply too immense, the blame too heavy. Anyone it touched would die.

Moreover, Danzo, who had always been in lockstep with them, had now been branded the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' Rampage, becoming a sinner whose infamy would endure throughout Konoha's history.

Now they were truly afraid.

They feared that Gengetsu, that madman, would recklessly pin the blame for the Nine-Tails' Rampage on them as well.

As for Hiruzen Sarutobi, although his expression was extremely ugly, he had said nothing from beginning to end.

He knew perfectly well that Gengetsu now held the advantage, and opposing him was not a wise choice.

Seeing that the three had fallen into line, Gengetsu withdrew his gaze in satisfaction.

Then Gengetsu turned toward the others in the conference room, his tone softening slightly as he said evenly:

"There will be no changes for anyone else!"

"I hope you will all do a better job of protecting Konoha! Of protecting the Will of Fire!"

As Gengetsu finished speaking, the Konoha ninja answered in unison.

"Yes, Lord Fifth!"

At the same time, a voice only Gengetsu could hear rang out.

[Ding, minor obstacles to becoming Hokage cleared! Initial prestige established. Reward obtained: tenfold chakra increase]

Instantly, Gengetsu felt the chakra within his body increase tenfold.

"A tenfold increase in chakra?! Not bad!"

A smile involuntarily appeared on Gengetsu's lips as well.