"Old man, are you really not going to discuss this further?"
Jiraiya wanted to make one last desperate attempt.
"I'm giving you two choices. One is to give you seven days to find Tsunade and persuade her to become the Fifth Hokage."
"If you fail to do so, you will return to your post immediately. Konoha cannot wait that long!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya with eyes full of disappointment and frustration.
"Old man, you really don't know anything about Tsunade's location?"
Jiraiya confirmed it repeatedly.
"What do you think? If I knew, would I be wasting my time here with you? Don't even mention me, I don't even know your name yet."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya fell completely silent.
" Jiraiya, stop hesitating."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were nearly frantic with worry.
With his life hanging in the balance, the Hokage Position —a goal that had Danzo mad for half his life—what was Jiraiya hesitating about?
If it weren't for their advanced age and lack of strength, Jiraiya wouldn't have had a Jiraiya.
" Konoha is in a very critical situation right now. The Chunin Exams are in their final stages in just two weeks. If you hesitate any longer, who knows what kind of trouble might arise? Several major neighboring countries are eyeing Konoha with covetous intent."
"Yes, Jiraiya, stop hesitating. No one is more suitable for this position than you right now. Do you really want to give it to Danzo? Don't you know what kind of person Danzo is?"
The two of them took turns trying to persuade him.
Their change in attitude towards Danzo surprised Jiraiya.
"Is this still the Konoha I know? Where did I end up? Have these two old guys changed their ways?"
Although Jiraiya had been avoiding these matters concerning the village's higher-ups, he remembered clearly the faces of those two people back then.
But now, they actually...
Although it was shocking, it also fully illustrates the village's current predicament.
"Alright, I'm willing to become the fifth generation."
In this situation, Jiraiya finally had no choice.
This person is even more indecisive than Hiruzen Sarutobi then.
If there is a second option, he will definitely try to come up with a third option to escape.
The so-called heroes are nothing Jiraiya than his own dream self.
In reality, Jiraiya was nothing like a hero; he was a man who was always running away from things. He was neither a hero nor a hero.
This is why Tsunade in the original story never looked down on him; decades later, they could only ever be comrades-in-arms and friends.
When you need them most, you can never see them or make any choices.
Even Dan Katō is better than him; at least he can stand up and speak out when needed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was well aware of his student's situation, so he cut off all his options. If he didn't push him, the student would continue to run away.
"Go and prepare. You will officially take office in a week. I will speak with the magistrate."
"A week? That fast?"
Jiraiya was taken aback for a moment.
"Soon? The Chunin Exams are in half a month. The village will be welcoming dignitaries from all over the world, and even ninjas from other villages will come to observe. Do you want Konoha to be left without a single strong ninja who can stand out in the open? Cough cough!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him, his tone becoming increasingly serious, and in his anxiety, he even coughed twice.
"Alright, alright, I understand, old man. Don't be angry. Getting angry is bad for your health. You should rest and recuperate now."
"I'm not seriously ill, just severely depleted internally, but I've already replenished a lot of it. You need to get to the Hokage Building and take charge of the situation right away."
Hiruzen Sarutobi started chasing people away.
"Knew."
Having come this far, Jiraiya had no choice but to bite the bullet and leave the ward.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, seemingly wanting to say something, but swallowed their words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his two old buddies. Although they were selfish, their abilities were undeniable. And most importantly, Konoha really couldn't find any suitable replacements right now.
"You two go and help Jiraiya. He's used to being carefree, and he needs your help with many things."
"Good."
The two turned to leave.
"But!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone suddenly turned serious.
"I've already said beforehand, if you're going to help, then help properly. Just do your job and don't think about anything else. We know perfectly well what's going on in Konoha right now. You two, don't let this old man down."
Upon hearing this, the two did not refute it as they usually would.
"Don't worry, we can tell what's more important."
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was relieved.
Although these two are not as strong as him and Danzo, at least they can distinguish right from wrong.
After everyone left, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out the crystal ball and quietly observed the Root Base using his Telescope Technique.
" Danzo, don't disappoint me. This is your last chance. Don't force me."
At that moment, for the first time, killing intent flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes towards his old buddy.
One week later, in Konoha Square.
"From this day forward, I will step down from the position of Hokage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi removed the Hokage's Hokage hat and the divine robe bearing the inscription " Third " from his back.
"However, the Will of Fire still resides in the hearts of each and every one of us. Even if we suffer, a ninja is one who can endure everything. Suffering will not defeat us. Just as the Will of Fire said, wherever the Konoha dance, the fire will never die."
"Now, although I am no longer the Hokage of Konoha, a new Fifth Hokage has been chosen. He is Jiraiya, one of the legendary Legendary Konoha Sannin of Konoha!"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi announced this, Jiraiya, wearing the newly made Hokage hat and the sacred robe, arrived in front of the Hokage Rock, which had been repaired with great effort, and stood on the Hokage Building looking down at the villagers.
He took a deep breath, then laughed loudly, "From this day forward, I am the new Hokage. Everyone, please take good care of me."
Upon seeing this, all the villagers cheered.
It wasn't that they had any deep feelings for Jiraiya; they simply knew one thing: Konoha was still very strong, and their safety was guaranteed. That was all.
In the distance, the ninjas from various villages watched this scene with envy on their faces.
"As expected of Konoha, its foundation remains profound."
"Besides Sannin, I remember there was also a princess from the Land of Fire Orochimaru. She hasn't shown up yet. It seems Konoha is still hiding its strength."
Listening to the discussion among the ninjas around him, Zabuza's face behind his mask remained tense, Ameyuri kept pinching her arm.
As for Haku, Suigetsu, and Kimimaro, their expressions were quite distressed at that moment.
Suigetsu lowered her head and covered her face with one hand.
Kimimaro didn't speak, but just clenched his teeth tightly.
Bai went even further, using Ice Release to create a thin layer of ice on his face.
No, you can't laugh yet!
But it's really hard to hold back!
(Brothers who have read this far think this book is alright, could you please give it four or five stars? Please, please, there are too few reviews, so the rating keeps dropping 555)