Danzo's arrogant laughter echoed underground. After a long while, he said in a sinister tone:
"It seems that Tsunade's triumphant return has made my old friend restless."
Has the esteemed Shinobi World Professor, hailed as the strongest Hokage, lost control of his own disciple?
How ridiculous...
The main street leading to Konoha's main gate was now packed with people, decorated like a festival.
On both sides of the road, a dense crowd stretched from the village entrance all the way down to the foot of Hokage Rock.
The cheers were like a tsunami, one wave higher than the next, almost lifting the roof tiles off.
"They're here! They're here!"
" Lady Tsunade! Lady Tsunade is back!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Leading the triumphant procession was Tsunade.
With a broad mind, she strode confidently into Konoha.
When she left Konoha with Shizune, carrying endless pain and disappointment, she never imagined that she would return in such glory one day.
She didn't have an overly flamboyant smile on her face; she simply walked forward calmly.
His emerald green eyes swept over the excited crowd on both sides, and his occasional slight nods only fueled even more frenzied cheers.
That brat from Sunagakure, his schemes are incredibly sophisticated!
This is no ordinary victory.
This is the highest tribute ever paid to the hero who defeated three hidden villages of major powers since the founding of Konoha.
Princess Tsunade of Konoha persuaded Sunagakure to provide full assistance, directly ending the crisis of the village's destruction!
A little further behind her were commanders such as Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Minato Namikaze.
They were also cheered, but everyone's brilliance was overshadowed by Tsunade at that moment.
Behind them were representatives of the Allied Shinobi Forces from different battlefields and clans, each carrying a banner bearing their clan emblem, their faces beaming with pride.
They witnessed the birth of a legend in the Shinobi World, and they were proud to be part of Princess Tsunade's Genin army.
"Thank you Lady Tsunade, for saving my father!"
"The pillar of Konoha, our eternal princess!"
"The next Hokage! None other than Princess Tsunade!"
Some children were even lifted high above their parents' heads, crying out in their childish voices, " Tsunade- neechan! You must be the strongest Hokage!"
The calls, which began as scattered cries, spread like wildfire, gradually coalescing into a clear and rhythmic wave of sound:
" Tsunade! The Hokage!"
" Tsunade! The Hokage!"
In the group, the much more composed Jiraiya touched his nose and whispered to the calm Orochimaru beside him:
"Hey, Orochimaru, isn't this... a bit too much?"
The old man is still up there watching.
He glanced at the figures of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders who were greeting him in the distance.
A hint of amusement flashed in Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils, and he lightly stuck out his tongue:
"This is all part of Mukai Xiangjun's deduction plan."
Even the Sunagakure bestows all its glory upon her, so naturally, we in Konoha will also sing her praises.
Ah, isn't this a natural outcome?
Now we'll see what the teacher's character is like.
Orochimaru's smile was mocking. He paused for a moment before continuing:
"I also hope we don't have to activate Mukai- kun's plan, but Jiraiya, what do you think?"
Minato Namikaze walked slightly behind, and he keenly spotted several people wearing Uchiha Gunbai clan crests with fan-shaped handles.
Led by Uchiha Fugaku, these people stood aloof on the periphery of the crowd, but their eyes were also focused on Tsunade. They wanted to cheer, but remained somewhat reserved.
For the proud and arrogant Uchiha, this was already a remarkable improvement.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with the elders, warmly welcomed Tsunade's triumphant return.
Meanwhile, at the scene, Hiruzen Sarutobi enthusiastically proclaimed the importance of the Will of Fire.
Only by upholding this noble Will of Fire can Konoha become stronger, and so on.
After the welcoming ceremony concluded, Hiruzen Sarutobi made no mention of any reward for Tsunade.
Hokage Building
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, his pipe long since extinguished.
On the desk behind her, there were piles of the latest public opinion reports and summaries of frontline battle reports, each one telling the same story: Tsunade.
Tsunade's current reputation has surpassed his status as Hokage!
The two advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, sat on the sofa, their expressions equally grim.
" Hiruzen, the situation is more complicated than expected."
Utatane Koharu.
"It's not just ordinary people and low-level ninjas; now even some small and medium-sized clans, and even members of the Uchiha, are publicly or privately expressing their support for Tsunade."
They believed that only under Tsunade's leadership could Konoha achieve a great victory like the ones against Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
They were all incited, disregarding the importance of restraint, compromise, and signing treaties.
"It is said that Mukai of Sunagakure has been nominated as Kazekage."
He attributed all the credit for the key victories to Tsunade; this was a calculated move.
Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses:
But we cannot refute any of this.
Sunagakure Tsunade join the war.
She did indeed fight on the front lines, and her key achievements, including defeating the Third Raikage in a direct confrontation, were genuine.
The people and the ninjas needed a hero, especially given our previous defeats, and she fulfilled everyone's expectations.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly turned around, his eyes filled with weariness and a hint of helplessness:
"I have never doubted Tsunade's abilities or her loyalty to the village."
However, the Hokage Position requires more than just battle achievements and power.
Balance, compromise, and a long-term perspective are still needed. Tsunade is too young; she needs more experience.
"Passing the Hokage Position to her now would only harm her."
"We cannot let this momentum get out of control."
Danzo has been released from confinement; he will know his limits.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice lowered, carrying a certain decisiveness:
"The village cannot be in chaos; we need the strength of its Root."
Danzo will manage public opinion effectively.
The two advisors exchanged a glance, both understanding what Hiruzen Sarutobi meant by "guiding public opinion."
Back when he wore short sleeves and was hailed as the successor to the Hokage, Hatake Sakumo, was at the height of his power, he had already provided proper guidance.
" Danzo is being too aggressive. This time it's not just anyone, it's Princess Tsunade from Konoha. Don't go too far."
Mitokado Homura said calmly:
"I still need to remind Danzo to tone down the hype surrounding Tsunade and not repeat the same mistake."
Just as Hiruzen said, the village still needs us mature and wise elders to guide its direction; the young people need to gain experience.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, then exhaled a long plume of smoke:
"Phew, I'll remind Danzo to be careful."
Managing such a large village is no easy task.
I hope Tsunade understands my good intentions.
Let's prepare for signing the alliance treaty first!
Root
"Sir, do we not need to do anything?"
Didn't you say before...?
Danzo was swinging his bandaged arm, slamming his fist into the target, causing a violent tremor.
He clenched his fist and sneered:
Who said I didn't take any action?
I simply didn't do what some people expected—go all out to do his dirty work!
Danzo's lips curled into a cold smile:
"The mighty Hiruzen Sarutobi has grown old and is no longer the Shinobi Hero he once was."
He's scared now, scared of yet another White Fang appearing.
However, this time he was destined to miscalculate.
But this time, his best disciple has a much stronger background and more impressive achievements than that person before.
I really want to see Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Ha ha ha ha!"
He straightened his sleeves, covering his unsettling right arm, before continuing:
"How to guide public opinion in Konoha? Emphasize the contributions of the Hokage and the Elders, and their statements on balancing the situation?"
His single exposed eye flashed with a cold light:
Hiruzen Sarutobi has lost his mind.
Given the current situation, it's impossible to suppress it anymore.
Moreover, I will add fuel to the fire for him, a fire that our ally needs our assistance to ignite.
"A little bit of pushing that would only damage Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation is insignificant..."
Danzo, looking at his assembled confidants, gave orders that were completely different from those arranged by Hiruzen Sarutobi:
"First, continue to secretly spread Tsunade's achievements in the village, and spread the story of the Third Hokage's conservatism causing great damage to the village."
The focus was on spreading the message among the Ninja Academy and young Genin; young people are more easily excited and more likely to be disappointed by Hiruzen Sarutobi's betrayal of the Will of Fire.
These strategies were not all Danzo's wisdom; the ancient and cunning Black Zetsu had subtly offered him many suggestions.
Danzo would only think these were his own ideas.
He paused, then continued:
"Skillfully revealing some cases in Hiruzen Sarutobi's recent decisions where he missed opportunities and damaged Konoha's interests due to being too conservative and compromising."
They employed spies to incite discontent among the younger generation of various clans, especially the evil Uchiha.
Hiruzen's allies begin to abandon him, he will be even more eager to sign the contracts we want with other hidden villages.
Even if Tsunade wore the Hokage's hat, it would all be nothing but a mirage in the face of absolute power.
I'll show her that a dead person can't be Hokage...
"What are the Hokage's orders...?" the trusted aide asked hesitantly.
"Just do as instructed. Send a few people to the tavern to say some meaningless things like how difficult it is to Hokage and that Tsunade still needs more training. That should be enough to appease them."
The more turbulent the water, the easier it is for us to extract what we want from it.
The real wind should be blowing in the direction we need it to be.
Behind Danzo, rows of white figures with a greenish tinge could be seen in and out of sight.