Transmigrating as the Third Hokage: Make Konoha Great Again!

That's all the Hokage can do.

"Going against your teacher can improve your political skills; in a way, it's like preparing for becoming Hokage in advance..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently repeated this in his mind.

"The tea is not bad, but I feel like something's off about you today..." Shimura Danzo stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen suspiciously.

"I'm thinking about the bet," Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the subject.

"So, Kakuzu, you've basically started working for Konoha, haven't you? Shouldn't you start a 'Smile Check of the Entire Village' campaign sometime soon?"

"Remember to go to the Konoha Police Department. You are the head of the Anbu, so you need to maintain good relationships with other units."

Danzo Shimura's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Do you expect him to greet those Uchiha clan members with a big smile, or like Might Guy with his big teeth showing?

This is too dark!

Where is the legacy of Tobirama-sensei that he has always touted, and where is the authority of the Hokage's assistance?

"Could that be considered being bathed in the Will of Fire?"

Danzo Shimura argued, "Didn't we give him the money? Thirty million ryo! That's more than enough to buy the life of a famous Jonin from a great hidden village!"

"Hiruzen, don't wholesale the Will of Fire hats to others... We, Konoha, can't afford to make them cheap!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but laugh.

"You're trying to pin this on me, the Hokage? You've got some nerve..."

"Okay, then this time you're right."

Meanwhile, the Hokage thought to himself, "This is advance payment for the duel between Danzo and Tobirama..."

Yes, that's fair.

"Then how do we calculate it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the subject. "There has to be a standard, right? The village's future depends on standardization and institutionalization..."

"You and I are both Hokage and assistants, so you have to set a good example."

“If the square is not straight, it cannot be a square; if the compass is not straight, it cannot be a circle; if small injustices are not corrected, great injustices will surely be crooked…” Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself.

Danzo Shimura's expression immediately turned serious.

He truly deserves to be his lifelong rival…

Even his skill in labeling people is no less than his!

He starts by talking about lofty ideals and values, but his actions are far more subtle than his...

That sounds quite cultured...

Yeah, I stole it! I'll write it down in Hiruzen's quotes…

"If he can do something for Konoha without taking any money, I'll consider it a loss, and I'll keep my word!"

In Shimura Danzo's view, how could a ninja like Kakuzu, who was obsessed with money, possibly do things without taking money?

Absolutely impossible!

He had a very bad impression of Kakuzu, simply because he was a rogue ninja and a wandering ninja, and certainly not because Kakuzu said his existence was a denigration of the First Hokage's image...

Hiruzen Sarutobi shrugged: "Oh."

"Want to renege this once? Then raise the stakes, and say 'Thank you for your hard work' while laughing..."

In the Hokage's opinion, this is actually not difficult...

Judging from the fact that Kaku was able to fight him at his own expense, he had already become curious.

Curiosity will lead one to approach Konoha to explore and sense the Will of Fire...

Such a confused person, once captured by the Will of Fire, has little chance of escape...

In other words, one day you could just suggest to Kakuzu that doing this would disgust Shimura Danzo...

I believe he would be happy to do so.

There was absolutely no chemistry between the two of them.

"Add it if you want." Shimura Danzo waved his hand dismissively, not believing that Kaku could do it.

Danzo believed that this bounty hunter, whose mouth looked like it had been poisoned, must have evil intentions!

As the Hokage's assistant and head of the Anbu, he would keep a close eye on Kakuzu, and if he found any weakness, he would kill him...

"How long will it take to gather all the information from Kusagakure?"

"Terrain, defensive troop deployment, key leaders, spies from surrounding hidden villages..." Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his index finger:

"One hour...capture all the high-ranking members of Kusagakure within one hour."

"We must do it quietly, so that the other hidden villages won't find out until after the battle is over!"

Danzo Shimura nodded.

This special military operation against Kusagakure Village, while challenging, is not impossible.

Having experienced the raid on Brupi.

He sensed it too; the Leaf Village, now united as one, was far stronger than before…

"I will dig out their roots within three months at the latest."

Hiruzen Sarutobi calculated the days.

Tobirama and Danzo progressed at roughly the same rate.

When he goes to the lab and finds no one there, he'll officially start this grand show with fanfare.

"Hiruzen, what is that pattern on your forehead?"

Danzo suddenly noticed a blind spot and frowned: "Are you practicing some new technique again?"

He's still figuring out his Wind Release chakra mode in a state of confusion...

If Hiruzen were to improve further, this would be a bit hard for him to accept!

"Well, I've gained some insights..."

"I gained some insights from my conversation with Lady Mito regarding the 'Yin Sealing Technique - Modified'."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table lightly with his knuckles: "I'm planning to involve the Uchiha clan in the attack on Kusagakure. What are your thoughts?"

Shimura Danzo's gaze sharpened: "Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

012 Danzo: For the sake of Konoha, I would even take the Uchiha as my disciple!

I regret it…

He'll regret it again!

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't interrupt him now, but instead gestured for Danzo to explain in detail.

"The Uchiha clan is a clan that even Tobirama-sensei greatly feared!"

"These people are like wolves that can't be tamed. They can guard the house if they're kept in the village, but once they're let out and see blood, they'll bite!"

Seeing that he was being asked to speak, Danzo's expression softened slightly, but his attitude remained resolute and intense.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed lost in thought.

Danzo's approach to the Uchiha clan was based on his inheritance and expansion of Tobirama Senju's ideas.

In order to solidify their legitimacy, successors often highlight their own stance by amplifying the 'signature policies' of their predecessors.

The view of the Uchiha clan is prevalent among the ninja clans of Konoha.

It's just that their analysis wasn't as thorough as the one conducted by the Hokage Building, since they didn't have the various data on the Uchiha clan.

However, during the Warring States period, the most eccentric Uchiha clans left an indelible impression on Konoha and even on all the major ninja clans in the ninja world, an impression that has been passed down from generation to generation…

Coupled with the resentment accumulated from working in the Konoha Police Department, the Uchiha clan members generally have a poor attitude towards others.

Danzo's excessive targeting of the Uchiha clan actually received considerable praise from a significant number of people, who considered him a successor to the Second Hokage's will.

"The trap that Tobirama-sensei set for the Uchiha clan was indeed a dead end."

"If we can't produce a Izuna or Madara, this clan will really be slowly worn down like a frog being boiled in water..." Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.

Other Hokage could turn a blind eye, but he couldn't.

Even setting aside the Will of Fire, the fact that these Uchiha clan members haven't integrated into Konoha is already a huge achievement. If a few pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan loyal to Konoha were to emerge from time to time, each pair would be equivalent to a year-end bonus...

This all reflects Hiruzen Sarutobi's potential to become the 'Strongest Hokage'...

We must never abandon them!

"This is indeed an objective hidden danger."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed his ten fingers together: "However, the establishment of the 'Konoha Committee' system means that if we don't include the Uchiha clan, then the targeting will be too obvious."

"It will also damage the credibility of this system and the village..."

The "Konoha Committee" is essentially a group of non-core powers that the village relinquishes in exchange for the enthusiasm and participation of various factions within Konoha.

On this issue, even some ninja clans that do not have a good impression of the Uchiha clan would not want to see the Uchiha, who have two 'Konoha committee members,' have their reasonable demands rejected from the very beginning.

If they can treat the Uchiha like this today, they can treat others the same way tomorrow…

Moreover, in the public's perception, going to the battlefield is a matter of course for ninjas.

"Danzo, if you want rules and systems to have power, then you must implement them without compromise."

"The essence of a system is a public contract. The 'unwillingness' of the rule-makers is precisely the touchstone of the system's strength and also a 'reassurance' for the ninjas."

“The big guys in the village are all watching us…” Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice.

Danzo did not immediately respond.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped using the title of Hokage to shut him up and instead engaged him in a fact-based analysis…

Even the darkest hour can hear what is being said.

“That is indeed a problem.” Danzo shook his head. “This Konoha Committee system you created…”