Naruto: The Shadow Lord of the Nara Clan

Not only the clansmen who accused Shikakage, but even Shikaku and Shikakage themselves were surprised by Hiruzen Sarutobi's response.

This isn't like the Third Hokage's style, is it?

Filled with bewilderment and indignation, some members of the opposition intended to raise questions.

But as soon as they looked up, they were driven back by a warning look from their leader.

They just wanted to maintain a decent appearance, not to die.

Hiruzen Sarutobi has already made his stance clear. If we continue to pester him at this point, it will not only disgust Hiruzen but also completely sever ties with Shikakage Shikaku.

The leader glanced cautiously at Lu Ying, his heart filled with bitterness and fear.

Only now did he finally "understand" why Shikaku dared to take action against Danzo's faction with such "confidence".

—They knew all along that the Third Hokage would side with them!

—They knew all along that Danzo had abandoned us!

He felt he had "seen" the situation.

Everything Shikaku did might not even have been an attempt to suppress his political enemies, but rather an order from Hiruzen Sarutobi!

The reason is that Nara Shizuku secretly colluded with Orochimaru!

He didn't believe it at first, but now it seems to be true!

Otherwise, why would Danzo abandon them?

The leader belatedly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, nodding and bowing to indicate that he accepted Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangement.

After sincerely apologizing to Shikaku and Shikakage, he left dejectedly with his men.

Continuing to cause trouble for the clan leader now is simply courting death!

He needed to hurry back and do everything he could to please Shikakage and get rid of the "Danzo faction" label on him.

At the very least, we must completely sever ties with Nara saltwater!

Otherwise, who knows, one night a secret ninja might come to "visit" your home!

After the group of troublemaking Nara clansmen left, Shikaku, along with Shikakage, knelt on one knee and said gratefully:

"Thank you for your help, Hokage-sama!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly and waved his hand:

"Lu Ying has done nothing wrong, so why should I offer any help?"

"I know Shikamaru; he's a very well-behaved and intelligent child, while Nara... was a notorious troublemaker in school and was frequently criticized by his teachers..."

He spoke at length, seemingly trying to comfort Lu Jiu and Lu Ying, but in reality, he was trying to convince himself.

In truth, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that Shikakage had gone too far. If it were just his arms and legs, it would be one thing, but Nara... was beaten so badly that he suffered fractures all over his body, leaving him with a lifelong disability.

However, he did not reveal his thoughts.

Because he saw a glimmer of possibility in Lu Ying.

There is a slight possibility of becoming Hokage.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi has not yet decided on a candidate for the Fifth Hokage, he has his own selection criteria.

First of all, their strength cannot be weaker than Minato's; the stronger the better.

Secondly, they gained the support of more than 80% of the ninja clans and political cadres.

Then, one must possess a heart with the "Will of Fire".

Finally, he has a decisive and strong personality, acts swiftly and efficiently, and possesses extremely strong mental fortitude.

That's right, he chose it based on the template of Tobirama Senju.

That is why he has not been able to find a satisfactory successor to this day.

Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Asuma Sarutobi...

None of them will do; they lack one thing or another.

There were suitable options during that time, but they all fell through for various reasons.

The more a person lacks something, the more they crave it.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi grew older and became more indecisive, he genuinely envied and admired those who acted decisively and had a holistic perspective.

His teachers in his youth left such a deep impression on him that even now, Hiruzen Sarutobi feels he is not as good as Tobirama Senju.

—If our teacher hadn't met with that accident, Konoha would never have become what it is today…

Although Lu Ying does not meet the first three criteria at all, his behavior vaguely fits the fourth criterion, which is the "courage" that he lacks.

He acts efficiently and decisively, ruthless but not excessively.

Although Nara was seriously injured, he was still able to survive and live a peaceful life as a civilian, wasn't he?

If it were Danzo, the grass on his grave would be three meters tall by now.

Thinking of this, his gaze toward Lu Ying became even more affectionate.

—The eldest son of the Nara family, a born politician.

—He became a teacher during his time at the Ninja Academy, where he was very popular and deeply loved by his students.

—His personality isn't bad either.

—It's just that their skills aren't quite up to par.

The more Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered the conditions for the deer's shadow, the brighter his aged eyes became.

If nurtured properly, wouldn't this be a perfect Hokage seed?

Shikakage never expected that his "showing mercy" would make Hiruzen Sarutobi feel very good about him, and even want to train him to be the next Hokage!

He felt good about the goodwill expressed by the Third Hokage, but he still maintained basic caution.

After all, some of Hiruzen Sarutobi's behaviors in the original work were too bizarre.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi is a good person, trusting him too much is not necessarily a good thing.

"What is Lu Ying's current strength?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly.

Lu Jiu replied on behalf of Er:

"Just at Chunin level."

In fact, he vaguely sensed that Shikakage was hiding something, but his strength was beyond what a Chunin could describe.

But to be on the safe side, I answered with the rank of Chunin.

Chunin...

—A twelve-year-old Chunin isn't too bad, but…

Compared to Itachi, Shisui, and Kakashi, this kind of talent is obviously unremarkable.

He sighed almost imperceptibly and continued:

"Not bad, not bad."

"The village is preparing to hold a new round of Chunin Exams."

"Lu Ying, are you interested in participating?"

He wanted to see Lu Ying's skill level for himself, and if she was capable, he wouldn't mind having another disciple.

—The Chunin Exams?

—Isn't that just playing house?

With Shikakage's current strength, even one of his shadow soldiers could easily wipe out the Chunin Exams!

He naturally had no interest in participating in the Chunin Exams.

He's going to join the Dark Side to grind monsters and level up!

So he immediately said:

"Hokage-sama, I remember that besides participating in the Chunin Exams, there should be other ways to become a Chunin, right?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback, not understanding Shikakage's thoughts.

"Hmm... there are indeed other methods."

Joining the Dark Side and Root, military achievements in war...

These methods can all help one bypass the Chunin Exams and advance in rank.

"What do you want?"

"Hokage-sama, I want to join the Anbu!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback again.

Surprised?

of course.

But there were more surprises than anything else.

The Anbu were his inner circle, even more so than the Nara clan.

If Lu Ying could join the Dark Division, he would do his best to mold Lu Ying into the person he wanted!

but……

"Luying, do you know that there are conditions for joining the Dark Division?"

"You must pass the Dark Division's assessment."

To be honest, given Shikakage's "current" strength, joining the Anbu is actually quite unrealistic.

But as long as Sarutobi has this idea, who can stop Shikakage from joining the Anbu?

Lu Ying was not surprised by this and nodded:

"Yes."

Seeing Shikakage's serious expression, Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction.

"How about this?"

"you……"