Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

And then there's Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke.

In addition, Shisui and Fugaku also have some similar elements, so it's really a typical case of one thing after another.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting comfortably behind his desk, was naturally unaware of the many greedy thoughts swirling in Danzo's mind.

At this moment, he still didn't truly realize how high the threat level was after the Uchiha clan and Iwagakure joined forces. He stubbornly viewed the Uchiha clan according to his own thoughts and ideas. Hiruzen Sarutobi maintained a calm expression on his face, first nodding slightly, then shaking his head and saying, "This is something to be wary of, but there's no need to worry too much. As I just said, the problem between the Uchiha clan and Iwagakure isn't that serious."

"We can't just look at the surface. It's more important for us to focus on ourselves. As long as Konoha remains strong, no external factors will be a problem. Moreover, the Uchiha clan's affairs are not only our concern, but also those of Kumogakure and Sunagakure. Danzo, you don't need to be anxious. We just need to wait for the right opportunity!"

As the Hokage who led Konoha for over thirty years, Hiruzen Sarutobi certainly had his flaws and shortcomings, but he also had commendable qualities. Otherwise, Tobirama Senju would not have appointed him as the Third Hokage.

Although one's past shortcomings may be magnified as one enters middle and old age, one's strengths still remain.

The threat from the Uchiha clan and Iwagakure.

Konoha is a force to be reckoned with, but Kumogakure and Sunagakure are equally unavoidable.

When Danzo and the other two heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, they all paused for a moment, with Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane nodding thoughtfully.

If the Uchiha clan had developed independently, that would be a different story. But now that they've joined forces with Iwagakure, the villages of Kumogakure and Sunagakure, which also border the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, will inevitably be greatly stimulated and affected.

No matter how strong the Uchiha are, they are still just a ninja clan.

Although Konoha is currently in a period of weakness, its foundation is still there. Hiruzen Sarutobi is confident that as long as this chaotic period is over, Konoha will still be the number one ninja village in the ninja world, and no one can shake its position!

Therefore, during this period of time.

Patience and prudence are the most essential qualities.

"indeed."

"I think Hiruzen is right!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement, saying that while they might be temporarily misled by Danzo, in 99% of cases, these two advisors would still stand on Hiruzen Sarutobi's side. In the original story, when Hiruzen died in battle, their first thought was to make Jiraiya the Fifth Hokage, rather than Danzo, which shows their stance.

Ultimately, these two advisors genuinely did not believe in Danzo.

I really don’t think my old friend can lead Konoha. Even Akimichi Torifu, who died in battle, is more reliable than Shimura Danzo in the eyes of Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

"Therefore, we need to be more cautious and refrain from reckless actions for the time being, and observe how the situation develops before making any decisions!"

Hiruzen spoke in a calm tone, but his gaze toward Danzo revealed an extremely stern look.

Danzo understood the warning in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes perfectly, and was immediately furious. However, unless he dared to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi directly, he really couldn't do anything about it.

For their own ambitions, for their own sense of righteousness!

"!!"

Danzo took a deep breath and suppressed the anger rising in his heart.

"Hmph! As long as you can handle it yourself!"

After coldly leaving behind this sentence.

Danzo then turned and left the Hokage's office.

On the left, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance with Sarutobi Hiruzen, nodded slowly, and then got up and left.

The three of them left one after another.

After the office returned to silence.

"What do you think? The Uchiha clan, and Danzo's matter!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words fell softly.

"Whoosh!"

Outside the window.

A figure wearing a red outer garment, a brown inner garment, wooden clogs, and long white hair appeared there.

143. Jiraiya

This figure was none other than a stranger.

Jiraiya, the pride of Konoha and one of the most famous Legendary Sannin, was the person Hiruzen Sarutobi trusted most. After the Third Shinobi World War, he had been traveling around in search of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy. A little over a year ago, he briefly returned to the village after his disciples, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, died in battle. It is unclear whether Jiraiya considered staying behind to personally take care of Naruto at that time.

But the fact is that this legendary Sannin of Konoha has embarked on his journey again. Now, only a year later, he has returned to his 'hometown ninja village' once again. Of course, this time the situation is indeed more serious, not only because of the Uchiha clan's defection, but also because of Orochimaru's defection.

It should be noted that the latter was still limited to a portion of the Anbu and a few high-ranking members such as Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo. Only then did they realize that there were internal troubles and external threats. Even someone as resolute as Sarutobi Hiruzen had to call Jiraiya back in order to prepare for the possibility that if a major war were to break out, Konoha would need a commander who could lead the army to the front lines.

Before the Third Shinobi World War, there were many such figures, but now only Jiraiya remains. The others are either dead, have defected, left, or grown old. It is truly a tragedy for Konoha.

At this moment, this hero of Konoha also had a cold and solemn expression. The large-scale defection of the Uchiha clan and the betrayal of his close friend Orochimaru were things that Jiraiya could not care about, but the latter was a fact that Jiraiya could not accept at all.

"Old man, is Orochimaru really using our fellow villagers for forbidden human experiments?!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened, and he asked in a slightly low voice.

Especially when he heard that his best friend had gone so far as to use his fellow ninjas in his village to conduct experiments involving human taboos, this Konoha hero felt his worldview being shattered. Even though he knew in his heart that this was a fact, he still couldn't help but ask when he saw his Hokage again.

How he wished that at this moment, his teacher could answer, "Everything before was just a misunderstanding, the result of being slandered by others."

However, this was destined to be a futile effort.

"Ah."

As master and apprentice for many years.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally understood what Jiraiya was thinking. He was just as heartbroken as Jiraiya. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had many problems, and even in his old age, his lust for power reached an unprecedented level, leading to many crimes, he was still, compared to the completely rotten and twisted Danzo Shimura, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still a 'normal person' to some extent!

The guilt cannot be absolved, nor can the merits be erased.

As a 'Shadow'!

Hiruzen Sarutobi still has his own shining points, and it is precisely because of this that, despite making many foolish mistakes, he still has a lot of supporters, unlike Danzo who had to use sealing techniques to control the Anbu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi truly relied on his prestige and personal charisma to lead the Anbu and other ordinary ninjas.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi was truly devastated by Orochimaru's matter. This was a disciple he had personally trained and nurtured. In the beginning, Hiruzen Sarutobi had always believed that the Fourth Hokage would be succeeded by this disciple.

What went wrong that made this disciple become increasingly unscrupulous, insane, and twisted?

Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly baffling.

"So, Jiraiya, the reason I called you back this time is to have you secretly investigate Orochimaru's matter. In the Anbu's previous investigation, it was confirmed that Orochimaru was involved in the disappearances in the village, and Danzo was also involved. Now this series of events has been linked to the Uchiha clan. Although the outcome is already irreversible, we must prevent even more serious consequences. This is some intelligence gathered from Orochimaru's research base. The other members of the Anbu are not strong enough to continue the investigation. Shinnosuke also needs to take charge of the issues on the Land of Fire side!"

"Therefore, I can only leave this to you to handle, Jiraiya. I will have Kakashi assist you!"

With Tsunade not returning and the new generation not yet matured, the Orochimaru matter can only be handled by Jiraiya. Moreover, it involves Shimura Danzo, and Jiraiya is the most suitable person in terms of both status and strength.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son is a bit weaker, and besides, the Land of Fire is currently in turmoil, and some people around the daimyo seem to be causing trouble, so he doesn't have much time or energy to take care of these matters.

"Yes, I understand, old man. Leave Orochimaru's matter to me. However, as for Danzo, I still think it's best to eliminate Root. The Uchiha clan and Orochimaru's situation has become a very serious matter!"

Having reached the age of thirty, Jiraiya was no longer the naive and impulsive young man he once was. He quickly adjusted his mindset and spoke in a very solemn tone.

Jiraiya truly had no goodwill towards Danzo. Danzo was greedy, arrogant, and often did things beyond his authority and responsibilities. Yet, when it came to fulfilling his duties, Danzo stood idly by. To give a recent example, during the Nine-Tails' rampage a year ago, Jiraiya returned afterward and heard that Akimichi Torifu, who had been "semi-retired" and resting at home, immediately joined the battle during the Nine-Tails' rampage, while Danzo remained hidden with the Root members. This already showed that Jiraiya's disgust for this "Darkness of Konoha" had reached its peak.

Now, adding the Uchiha clan and Orochimaru's affairs to the mix.

Jiraiya truly believed that Danzo needed to be severely restricted and punished.

The key lies in his inner circle. It's absurd that even now, the inner circle still exists and is still under Danzo's leadership.

Even for someone as stoic as Jiraiya, it was rare for him to feel even a hint of dissatisfaction or complaint towards his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

They've been too lenient with Danzo!

It was only out of consideration for past favors and the fact that his teacher was indeed old that Jiraiya chose not to say anything too blunt.

However, there are some points that must be pointed out.

Jiraiya still needs to emphasize one or two points.

One can do it once, twice, but not a third time. Only by stripping Danzo of his power to lead Root can Danzo be suppressed to the greatest extent.

Let's make the village less chaotic and more peaceful!

This was Jiraiya's judgment from the most objective perspective. Shimura Danzo was indeed the most notorious figure in Konoha. For the sake of his father and the future of the village, Jiraiya felt that eliminating the Root organization was the safest solution.

144. Expected Opposition (Third Update)

Listening to Jiraiya's words.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed his brow. He seemed to nod in agreement, but he clearly hadn't really listened.

"Old man!"

A mentor-student relationship spanning over twenty years.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Jiraiya very well, but Jiraiya also knew Hiruzen Sarutobi very well.

He was familiar with his teacher's personality.

At that moment, his eyes narrowed, and he was about to say something more.

"Alright, Jiraiya, I know what Danzo is up to. Right now, the most important thing is to focus on the Uchiha clan and Orochimaru. I'll leave the latter to you. Your top priority is to find out Orochimaru's intentions and destination, and take him down as soon as possible!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, interrupting Jiraiya. Looking at his Hokage teacher's expression, especially the resolute look in his eyes, Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh. He swallowed back the words he was about to say. He had to admit that Jiraiya felt his teacher was getting older and less and less like he used to be. Normally, being mature and composed is a compliment.

It is a good attitude towards dealing with things.

However, excessive caution is synonymous with conservatism and stubbornness.

Jiraiya knew what his teacher was worried about, but in Jiraiya's opinion, the more worried he was, the less he should do it. Continuing to indulge Danzo would only lead to more serious consequences. However, his teacher had clearly made up his mind, and Jiraiya himself was not the kind of person who would talk too much.

"oh, I understand now."

At this moment, all we could do was nod silently in response.

"Whoosh!"

He then leaped into the air.

He left the Hokage's office building and went to fulfill his 'duty'.

Ultimately, Jiraiya was one of the few naive idealists in Konoha, which is why he was able to train disciples like Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. If Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu hadn't interfered, the three of them could have really grown into the kind of people Jiraiya hoped for.

This is Jiraiya's style, and this is Jiraiya's charm.

This also highlights Jiraiya's limitations, because the ninja world is a cruel and dark place where idealists often cannot reach their goals or achieve their objectives. In the original story, Jiraiya's life can be described as magnificent, but it is hard to call it successful, because the people he loved, the ideals he pursued, and the people he respected and cared about rarely had a happy ending!