They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 217 Heroes are nothing but tools in the face of power! (Two chapters combined)

Leaf, the underground base of the roots.

"My lord, Itachi has sent word that the plan can proceed."

A Root ninja knelt on the ground, holding a scroll of text in his hands.

In the dimly lit underground base, Shimura Danzo slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, his eyes revealing boundless emotion.

"It can be started now? This day has finally come..."

For two years after the peace truce meeting, Shimura Danzo had been working towards this day, carrying out the plan he and Hozuki Shingetsu had discussed.

Day after day, by offering half-price supplies from the Miroku sect and Kirigakure, they reaped the trust of the villagers.

Although the plans between the two were interrupted at one point due to the formation of the Three Kingdoms Alliance.

However, things turned out exactly as he had predicted. The more unfavorable the situation became for Kirigakure, the more Hozuki Shingetsu supported his path to Hokage. As a result, half-price supplies from Kirigakure continued to be transported over.

Of course, the origin of these supplies could not be Kirigakure, but rather they were transported under the guise of the neutral Land of Iron.

Danzo Shimura took the scroll handed to him by his subordinate and examined it carefully.

When Hozuki Shingetsu was in Kirigakure, he didn't tell him the complete plan. He only told him about the plot related to Ogae, but he didn't tell him the specific plan to bring down Hiruzen Sarutobi.

So it wasn't until now that Shimura Danzo learned the complete plan.

After glancing at the text on the scroll, Shimura Danzo finally understood what Hozuki Shingetsu had been keeping secret in Kirigakure.

"Hiss... That brat is quite the schemer!"

After reading Hozuki Shingetsu's plan, Shimura Danzo couldn't help but gasp in shock.

Even someone as cunning and ruthless as him was still terrified by this plan.

"Wait a minute, according to this kid's plan, could it be that he's been planning this for six years?"

Danzo Shimura felt a surge of shock and fear.

"Luckily, this kid's targets are either the Uchiha or Sarutobi... otherwise, if he turned around and came after me, I might actually fall for it one day."

The plan was so tightly linked and its long-term planning was something he had never heard of before.

However, his eyes soon revealed a hint of excitement.

With the help of this plan, wouldn't he easily become Hokage?

"With this plan out, Hiruzen, let's see how you die!"

"But does this kid's codename 'Itachi' have any special meaning?"

Danzo Shimura remained noncommittal about Shingetsu Hozuki's use of the codename "Konoha Crush Plan" in his letter, but he was very interested in it.

However, before Itachi Uchiha's massacre of his clan occurred, he probably couldn't have figured out the true meaning of that codename even if he racked his brains.

Completely baffled, he could only put the matter aside for the time being and turn his attention to other issues.

"Hmm... According to the letter, the key lies with Sakumo Hatake."

"Whether from the perspective of being a candidate for Hokage or from the perspective of removing Hiruzen Sarutobi from office, Sakumo Hatake must die."

Danzo Shimura silently reviewed Shingetsu Hozuki's plan and realized that the key to it lay with Sakumo Hatake.

He was naturally very familiar with Sakumo Hatake.

A renowned hero of Konoha during World War II, he repeatedly ventured deep behind enemy lines alone, wreaking havoc on the enemy's rear. His strength was so great that the other ninja villages had to issue the order that "anyone who encounters 'White Fang' may abandon their mission."

During World War II, he even single-handedly killed the son and daughter-in-law of Chiyo, the advisor of Sunagakure. He was incredibly fierce and could be considered the Konoha version of Zhao Zilong.

Moreover, he is not only incredibly strong, but also very easygoing and treats everyone equally. Everyone who meets him has to give him a thumbs up.

It was precisely because of this that, after three years of bitter fighting under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership, the village suffered heavy losses but gained nothing. When the villagers had many complaints about Hiruzen Sarutobi, calls for Sakumo Hatake to become the Fourth Hokage were endless.

Naturally, for Danzo Shimura, who aspired to become Hokage, Sakumo Hatake was also a major hidden danger.

Therefore, he was very satisfied with Hozuki Shingetsu's plan.

"According to the plan, Sakumo Hatake needs to fail in his mission to save his teammates while completing a mission of great significance to the village... Hmm, that's easy enough. We can pick and choose these kinds of missions. To ensure success, we can also set the mission location in the Land of Water..."

Thud!

Thud!

Danzo Shimura stood up and slowly walked around the underground office, leaning on his cane, pondering the plan in his mind.

"However, if we want to deal with Hatake Sakumo, it would be best to involve Sarutobi Hiruzen as well. That old man doesn't want to step down, and he'd probably be very interested in this kind of thing—attacking a non-designated successor..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi is only in his forties, the final stage of his prime, and naturally doesn't want to step down at this time.

Moreover, Sakumo Hatake is not even one of his direct subordinates. If Sakumo Hatake comes to power, who will guarantee the interests of the Sarutobi clan?

Therefore, Danzo Shimura was certain that Hiruzen Sarutobi would not stand idly by and watch Sakumo Hatake continue to enjoy such prestige, and would inevitably try to suppress him.

"Hmm... In that case, we'll have to find some time to talk to Hiruzen, or plan some event to stir up the village's discontent with Hiruzen again, making him feel that his position is unstable. Only then will he agree to take action against Hatake Sakumo..."

Although Hozuki Shingetsu did not explicitly state in his plan that he would join forces with Sarutobi Hiruzen to suppress Hatake Sakumo, Shimura Danzo still came up with this idea on his own.

After all, as a native of Konoha and Hiruzen Sarutobi's old teammate, he knew the situation in Konoha and his old friend's personality all too well.

Just as Shimura Danzo was deep in thought, another Root ninja entered and reported to him:

"Lord Danzo, Jiraiya has returned to the village!"

"Jiraiya? He's finally back... Huh? Jiraiya!"

When Shimura Danzo first heard this information, he remained calm, but soon a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized that his opportunity had arrived!

-

Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

"You bastard, you finally decided to come back?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his beloved disciple standing opposite him, grinning and joking, and his heart burned with rage.

"Do you know how serious a crime it is to disobey orders on the battlefield?"

"If this happened to an ordinary person, it would be enough to kill him five times over!"

"If it weren't for me protecting you, Danzo and Koharu would have expelled you from Konoha's ninja ranks long ago and labeled you a rogue ninja!"

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer contain his anger and threw his pipe at Jiraiya.

Indeed, standing before Hiruzen Sarutobi was Jiraiya, who had been missing for four years on the battlefield of the Land of Rain.

"Oh, teacher, don't be angry. I did this because I believe in the strength of the village under your leadership. How could those few from Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure possibly defeat you?"

Jiraiya knew perfectly well how outrageous his actions were, so he quickly picked up the pipe and obediently handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Besides, aren't I doing this for the sake of peace in the ninja world?"

However, it would have been better if Jiraiya hadn't mentioned this, because the mere mention of it immediately angered Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Peace in the ninja world? You'd abandon your village for four years just because of one sentence from that toad?"

"Four years, do you know how I've survived these four years?!"

Although the three legendary Sannin later signed summoning contracts with the three great sacred lands, the ninja world generally believed that the three great sacred lands and Konoha had a good relationship.

However, at this point in time, the relationship between Konoha and the three great holy lands is not really that good.

The reasoning is simple: since they are spirit beasts, these three holy lands are at risk of being contracted by others.

Therefore, given Hiruzen Sarutobi's personality, he naturally wouldn't confide in these three holy lands.

Moreover, the Great Toad Sage is said to have lived since a thousand years ago and has even seen the Sage of Six Paths, but who knows?

Who knows if those toads are just bragging to inflate their own status?

After all, a thousand years have passed, and everyone present is gone. There is no record of it in the existing history of the ninja world. So, whatever that toad says is true.

In this situation, you, a disciple of the Hokage of Konoha and a top fighter in Konoha, betrayed the village for four years just because of the language of a toad. Have you ever thought about Hiruzen Sarutobi's position?

Others who disobey orders on the battlefield are executed on the spot, but Hiruzen Sarutobi's apprentice disappeared without a trace for four years and nothing happened to him.

Who can convince the public with this?

Although the official story was that Jiraiya was carrying out a top-secret mission in the Land of Rain on the orders of Hiruzen Sarutobi, this could only fool ordinary villagers and ninjas.

All the major ninja clans in the village are well aware of this. Besides, you, Jiraiya, are the current Hokage's apprentice and the face of Konoha. You should at least be punished, right?

"Teacher, calm down, calm down..."

Jiraiya listened quietly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's scolding without retaliating, until Hiruzen finished venting and stopped, then he approached again.

"In the past four years, I haven't just been training that chosen one; I've also taken the time to write a novel, and I hope you, teacher, will give it a review."

As he spoke, Jiraiya pulled a novel with a yellow cover from his pocket.

"A novel? We're out there fighting tooth and nail, and you have the mind to write a novel?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger, which he had just suppressed, reignited, and he pointed at Jiraiya's nose and unleashed a torrent of abuse.

"Fine! I'll see what kind of novel you've written! If it's bad, don't blame me for losing my temper!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, he prepared to build up his momentum.

However, his momentum quickly dissipated.

Because he saw the cover of the book.

That large, white, indescribable thing.

"Jiraiya".

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed the book, looked up, and stared at Jiraiya with a serious expression.

"teacher?"

"...This will not happen again."

"certainly."

Jiraiya agreed with a grin.

As his mentor in every sense of the word, Jiraiya naturally knew how to give his teacher a way out.

Six years ago, after reading anonymous masterpieces such as "Konoha Anecdotes", "The Stockings of the Jonin", "Konoha's Rooted Ninja", and "A Ninja Is No Ordinary Person", he was amazed and planted the seed of becoming a writer in his heart.

His heartfelt work, "Intimate Paradise," is the culmination of four years of painstaking thought and creation, built upon the foundations laid by his predecessors.

He firmly believed that this work, which contained his hard work, would surely touch the teacher's heart.

And indeed, things turned out exactly as he had predicted.

"Teacher... I'll write the next one as soon as I get back."

Jiraiya looked at his teacher and said with deep emotion.

"As a teacher, isn't your role to protect your students from the wind and rain?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed deeply, holding "Make-Out Paradise" in his hand, his gaze towards Jiraiya filled with paternal affection.

"By the way, submit the 100,000-word manuscript to me in a week."

"Clam?"

"What the hell? Seven days to write 100,000 words, that's less than 14,000 words a day, less than 600 words an hour, or ten words a minute. Is that so hard?"

The deeply moving atmosphere was instantly shattered. Seeing Jiraiya's shocked gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

The two looked at each other, and after a long while, a smile appeared on their lips.

"Alright! I'll take the blame for what happened before; consider it over. Just don't do that again, understand?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his beloved disciple and said in an annoyed tone.

After all, he's his own disciple. Could he really turn him into a rogue ninja?

A minor punishment as a warning is all it takes to move on.

"Alright, enough joking around. Tell me in detail about this 'Child of Destiny'!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya with a serious expression. He knew his disciple's character. Although his mind had been clouded by the giant toad's prophecy, he was by no means an irresponsible person.

Without any clear evidence, it is impossible for him to abandon the village for four years without a reason during a crisis.

"Teacher, I originally wanted to bring them along this time, but to keep a low profile, I think it would be better if I came back first to pave the way."

Jiraiya's face was no longer filled with that playful grin. He took a deep breath, approached Hiruzen Sarutobi, and slowly spoke.

"Teacher, the chosen one I found actually possesses..."

"Hiruzen, I heard Jiraiya is back?"

Danzo Shimura pushed open the door and entered, seeing the tense atmosphere between the master and disciple.

"Huh? What's going on here...?"

Shimura Danzo fell silent as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand resting on the indescribable, "Great White" object on the book.

He glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, then at the book, then at Jiraiya, especially since the two were now face to face, whispering to each other.

His expression gradually became distorted.

-

"Ahem... Danzo, you know me, I usually use a crystal ball."

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his old teammate sitting far away across from him, his face full of embarrassment.

For some reason, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that this scene was familiar. The last time he was caught by Koharu Utatane was also because of a book.

"...Remember to lock the door next time."

After a long silence, Shimura Danzo quickly changed the subject and got down to business after uttering those words.

"The village already knows that Jiraiya has returned."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face immediately turned serious.

"What did they say?"

Danzo Shimura naturally knew who his old comrade was referring to when he said "they".

"They felt that losing contact for four years at the most dangerous time in the village was simply unacceptable."

"Regarding the punishment of Jiraiya, they believe it cannot be superficial. Some even think that Jiraiya dared to do this because he was certain he would not be punished, which is why he acted so recklessly..."

"So you mean you're coming for me?" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Danzo Shimura, speaking calmly.

He naturally knew that the village had suffered heavy losses in the Second Shinobi World War, with people from every household dying on the battlefield without receiving any compensation, and that various factions in the village, large and small, harbored resentment towards him.

He even knew that some people were secretly calling for him to step down and for a new Hokage to take over.

If you ask him whether he wants to step down, the answer is definitely no.

He's not even fifty yet, what's the point of him backing down?

The Sarutobi clan has not yet become the largest clan in Konoha. How will the Sarutobi clan develop after he stops being the Hokage?

How could his son and daughter-in-law, who were the head and deputy head of the secret service, advance their careers?

He initially thought this was just a temporary surge of emotion due to the recent end of the war.

But to his surprise, even after two years, some people are still holding onto this issue.

"Uchiha?"

After thinking for a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi uttered three words.

Even after all this time, such voices are still emerging; there must be someone pushing behind the scenes.

"……have no idea."

Although Shimura Danzo said so, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought it was very likely.

"Ha! Is Uchiha Homura afraid I'll change my mind?"

"Or does he think that by using such methods he can ensure Fugaku Uchiha's rise to power?"

A cold glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. The village had already created a rift between the Uchiha and the Uchiha clan because of the previous Mangekyou Sharingan incident.

Now that this argument has been made, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally thought of the Uchiha clan.

Danzo Shimura ignored Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, pretending not to hear them.

He only needs to guide people in this kind of thing; there's no need to draw conclusions.

"Who has the highest reputation among the candidates for the next Hokage in the village right now?"

After closing his eyes and thinking for a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly spoke up.

He thought about it for a while and felt that this kind of thing didn't seem like the style of the Uchiha, so he decided to change his approach and think about the problem from the perspective of the biggest beneficiary.

"There are many candidates, such as Sakumo Hatake, Fugaku Uchiha, and even your disciple Tsunade and Orochimaru... But in terms of prestige, it is Sakumo Hatake."

Danzo Shimura concealed his ambitions and said this.

"Sakumo...it couldn't be him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table lightly with his finger, making his judgment.

He knew Sakumo Hatake, knew his character, knew his beliefs, and knew that he would never do such a thing.

"But we have to be careful, don't we?"

Danzo Shimura retorted, "When you don't know who it is, shouldn't you be careful to guard your position while preparing for the worst?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe, acknowledging Danzo's words.

"Anyway, let me state my opinion first: Sakumo Hatake and Fugaku Uchiha have no chance of becoming Hokage."

"The title of Hokage can only be held by the Senju lineage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent upon hearing this. The consensus among them was that the Hokage position could only be held by the Senju lineage.

The actual meaning of this statement is that the next Hokage must gain their approval and be able to guarantee that their interests will not be harmed.

The same applies to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Without cultivating a direct descendant to take the throne, the interests of the Sarutobi clan, and even the interests of Hiruzen Sarutobi, cannot be guaranteed.

He knew, of course, that he couldn't hold onto the Hokage position forever, and he had considered the possibility of becoming the Fourth Hokage.

The best outcome would be for his eldest son to take over his position, and at the very least, it would have to be his apprentice, or his apprentice's apprentice, who takes over his position.

However, all of this is predicated on the premise that he retired voluntarily, rather than being forced to.

So... we'll just have to make do with Sakumo Hatake.

"Danzo, find a way to suppress Sakumo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe, his face barely visible through the hazy smoke, making it impossible to discern his expression.

Whether in terms of strength, character, or achievements, Hatake Sakumo is worthy of the title of "Hero of Konoha".

Objectively speaking, he is definitely a strong contender for the next Hokage.

He knew, of course, that this was unfair to Sakumo Hatake.

Sakumo Hatake was extremely loyal to Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that Sakumo Hatake would definitely become a good Hokage after taking office.

However, this did not prevent Hiruzen Sarutobi from ordering Danzo to suppress Sakumo Hatake, even though he knew that Sakumo Hatake himself had no intention of competing for the Hokage position.

Heroes are nothing more than tools in the face of power.

If it's useful, frame it; if it's in the way, kick it aside.

It's that simple.

"I'll figure something out."

Seeing that everything was as he had expected, Shimura Danzo suppressed his excitement and calmly replied.

(End of this chapter)