Danzō looked over with great interest, and even Liuyue Ying mustered her spirits, ready to listen to Wang Hao's response.
It's worth noting that the Third only had three disciples, and during the Second Great Ninja War, he was bestowed the title of the Three Sannin by the Demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, making him incredibly renowned.
Everyone knows that the Third Hokage was most satisfied with Orochimaru, and Orochimaru received the most teachings, almost everyone regarded him as the successor to the Hokage.
So, what would Dan Kato's opinion be of Orochimaru?
"You?"
Wang Hao glanced at Orochimaru, then decisively shook his head, saying, "Impossible. There's been no hope since you made contact with the old leader. Besides, you're not easy to control. You won't be the Third's choice."
Stroking his chin, Wang Hao continued, "Let's put it this way! If we were to rank you Three Sannin, Jiraiya best fits the Third's criteria, followed by Tsunade, and finally you."
That idiot!
Orochimaru became gloomy; although he tried to remain calm, his resentment was still evident.
Losing to Princess Tsunade was one thing, after all, Princess Tsunade was the only direct descendant of the Senju Lineage and held considerable prestige in Leaf, something he admitted he couldn't match.
But what the heck Jiraiya?
His chances were even greater than Tsunade's; how could he possibly accept that?
" Jiraiya isn't stupid; he's wise in a foolish way. Although Jiraiya didn't inherit much of the Third's Ninjutsu skills, he was the one who was most thoroughly brainwashed by the Will of Fire."
Furthermore, given Jiraiya's personality, even if he were to become Hokage, he would likely be too lazy to manage affairs, and power would ultimately remain in the hands of the Third.
This is something you can't compare to. You can imagine, if you became the Fourth Hokage, would you allow the Third to continue to hold power and treat you as a puppet? Would you have the confidence and means to defeat him?
Wang Hao asked a question in return, but Orochimaru did not answer. However, his expression became increasingly gloomy, clearly indicating that the conclusion he had reached was not good.
"What about Tsunade? You know, the teacher and the others conspired to scheme against the Senju Clan. Aren't they afraid that Tsunade will find out the truth after she becomes Hokage?"
Orochimaru asked again, clearly still unwilling to give up.
"Although Tsunade appears to be very irritable Tyrannical Dao, she is actually quite gentle and soft-hearted. Even after learning the truth, the Third only needed to use the bond between teacher and student, along with the pretext of righteousness, to keep Tsunade calm."
Although Tsunade did not inherit the Third's Will of Fire, she inherited the wills of the Second and First Hokage, so she would not destroy Leaf.
Besides, I'm the one who has to take the blame for what happened back then! Even if I'm gone, there's always my old boss to take the blame; it can't possibly involve Third of his family."
Wang Hao couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly at the end, but he also didn't think the Third would choose Tsunade as Hokage.
In the original story, there was a significant conflict between the Third and Tsunade. If it weren't for the Third's death, coupled with Naruto's protagonist Aura and talk-no-jutsu, he probably wouldn't have returned to Leaf, let alone become the Fifth Hokage.
Meanwhile, Danzo's Danzō was as black as the bottom of a pot, after all, he was also a candidate to take the blame!
Although it was just a backup plan, it was still quite unpleasant to have it said out loud, and at the same time, he felt extremely frustrated with his original methods.
How could I have been so foolish before?
He was Hiruzen Sarutobi without even realizing it; that was really unfair. He must never do that again!
"So who do you think will be the Fourth Hokage?"
Taking a deep breath and forcibly suppressing his chaotic thoughts, Danzō asked the question that concerned him most.
Hiruzen Sarutobi will grow old eventually, so he can't Fire Control forever. In time, Fourth Hokage will inevitably be chosen.
However, he didn't take the question too seriously. Just as the man had said before, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime and it was impossible for him to choose a candidate for the Fourth Hokage so quickly.
Wang Hao simply smiled at the question.
" Mito won't be able to hold on much longer, will she?"
Wang Hao uttered a seemingly unrelated remark, Orochimaru's eyes flickered as he tentatively inquired, "You mean the next Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
"Pretty much. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki comes from the Uzumaki Clan, not from Leaf itself. Moreover, Leaf played a dishonorable role in the battle of Land of Whirlpools back then. Even if the Third had a mental breakdown, he wouldn't pass the Hokage position to that girl."
He shook his head. Based on the information his predecessor knew, he had made quite a few judgments about the affairs within the Hokage, so there was absolutely no way that girl Kushina Uzumaki, could become the Hokage of Leaf.
This answer confused the three of them. What did "almost" mean?
Since you've already denied the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, how come you say it's about the same?
"I heard there's a guy at the ninja academy who has a crush on that girl, Uzumaki, and he's got some talent, right?"
Wang Hao smiled mysteriously. As someone who knew the future plot, he naturally knew who the Fourth Hokage was.
"The disciple whom the master assigned to Jiraiya?"
Orochimaru realized who Wang Hao was referring to, and his expression turned even uglier after understanding this.
If it really is that kid, then it's highly suspicious that the teacher deliberately assigned him to Jiraiya.
It should be noted that while Jiraiya's talent in Ninjutsu was not bad, it was far inferior to that of himself and Tsunade. Minato Namikaze, on the other hand, was clearly a naturally gifted ninja, best suited for a Ninjutsu- based path.
The most suitable instructor for this would be Orochimaru, then Tsunade, and finally Jiraiya.
However, the teacher directly assigned the boy to Jiraiya, clearly indicating that the teacher trusted and relied on Jiraiya more than Tsunade.
This indirectly confirms Dan-kun's earlier judgment: so Jiraiya the teacher's favorite?
"Has Hiruzen already chosen someone so early?"
With his brows furrowed, Danzō Shimura was in a very bad mood, and he had an urge to kill Minato Namikaze.
"They're just preparing for the end of World War III!"
With a slight smile, Wang Hao continued to deceive, "Although Leaf won a Pyrrhic victory in the Second Shinobi World War, it was still a victory. It's conceivable that in the upcoming Third Great Ninja War, Konoha will be the target of the Four Great Shinobi Villages. Even if the Four Great Shinobi Villages don't join forces, they will definitely focus their main force on Leaf."
Ultimately, Leaf will face a situation similar to World War II. Even if they win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Under the pressure of the times, the Third will have no choice but to resign and hand over Hokage position to the Fourth Hokage in order to extricate themselves from the core of the conflict.
Minato Namikaze was just a temporary figurehead he chose. And it's said that when Mito gave birth, the seal on the Nine-Tails weakened. What do you think would happen if something went wrong during Mito's delivery, causing the Nine-Tails to wreak havoc in Leaf? Given Minato's nature, which is Minato Namikaze influenced by the Will of Fire, what would he choose to do?"
Wang Hao directly revealed a whole host of conspiracy theories, trying his best to pin the blame on the Third Hokage.
He now wants to Danzō his old leader Danzo and Orochimaru, the talent who has mastered core technology, on his side, so he naturally needs to create a powerful enemy for them, and the Third Hokage is the best choice.
"I have indeed Hiruzen!"
With a sigh, despite his reluctance, Danzō Shimura felt a great deal of admiration for his good friend Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This kind of strategy is indeed beyond my reach!
Is this the true power of a teacher?
Orochimaru, on the other side, was equally impressed. Such far-sighted planning—truly worthy of being his teacher!
"To be honest, I don't have any prejudice against the Third."
Wang Hao suddenly uttered such a sentence, causing Danzō and the other two to look at him with disdain, and they all gave him a disdainful look.
You've made Hiruzen Sarutobi so disparaging, and you still have the nerve to say you have no prejudice against him?
Where's your face?
"You all know the situation in Leaf. Although it has gathered nearly half of the ninja clans in the Shinobi World, making Leaf extremely strong, it has also sown the seeds of hidden dangers."
Back then, with the Invincible power of the First Hokage suppressing them, these ninja clans naturally dared not cause trouble. Although the Second Hokage did not have the Invincible power of the First Hokage, he was not far behind, and his ruthless nature allowed him to suppress these ninja clans as well.
The Third was a different story. Although he produced the strongest Hokage of all time, you all know how undeserving that title is. His title of " Professor of Ninjutsu," on the other hand, was more fitting.
To be honest, the Third was only at the Mid Kage Level, slightly weaker than the Tsuchikage Ōnoki and the Third Raikage. This level of power was clearly insufficient to suppress the ninja clans within Hidden Leaf Village.
Lacking sufficient strength, one can only maintain their position through underhanded means. This is not necessarily wrong for someone in power; a thirst for power is an essential quality of any competent leader.
Unfortunately, it's still the same issue: the Third Hokage's strength wasn't enough!
At this point, Wang Hao sighed, looked up at the Hokage Rock in the distance, and said in Youyou voice, " The Hokage is the highest leader of Leaf and also the upper limit of individual strength in Hidden Leaf Village. If this upper limit is not high enough, it will in turn limit the birth of strong people in Leaf."
As someone in power, one naturally wouldn't tolerate any individual under their command who surpasses them; such individuals would be resolutely suppressed or even eliminated.
Only in this way could they maintain their rule. From this perspective, the Third did not make any mistakes. However, in the long run, it was not a good thing for Leaf, as Leaf would inevitably become weaker and weaker.
The longer the Third Hokage serves as Hokage, the more dangerous he becomes for Leaf. As he ages, he will continue to suppress the upper limit of Leaf's strong individuals.
"By then, the Third might have to make an example of someone to deter the other ninja clans!"
" Uchiha!"
As if he had understood something, Danzō revealed the name of a family.
This title caused Orochimaru and Liuyue Ying Sakura to shudder, their faces filled with disbelief.
Seeing that he had finally piqued Danzō's interest, Wang Hao was secretly delighted, and a wicked smile appeared on his face as he said, " Leaf was founded by the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan working together. Since the Senju Clan has already been destroyed, the Uchiha Clan naturally cannot avoid the fate of destruction."
Moreover, the Second Hokage had already made arrangements for this. It should be noted that although the Leaf Police Force wields considerable power, it is also a group that offends many people, especially the Uchiha clan members, who are generally cold-faced but warm-hearted, and coupled with their inherent arrogance, it is easy for them to cause conflicts with others.
Over time, the Uchiha will inevitably be isolated by the other major ninja clans in Leaf. Then, by using some underhanded tactics to pressure them, the Uchiha Clan will surely fight back.
Making a move at that time would not only avoid alerting other ninja clans, but would also garner their approval, allowing them to share in the Uchiha's wealth and resources. At the same time, it would serve as a deterrent to others.
"Look, haven't the fates of these families been predetermined?"
Looking at Wang Hao's wicked smile, even the resolute Danzō Shimura and Orochimaru couldn't help but shudder. The naive and innocent Liuyue Ying Sakura trembled with fear, feeling that reality was so dark and cruel.