Konoha Drunkard

Moreover, it wasn't just those clansmen who were tempted; even he himself was somewhat swayed when he first heard the clan chief say it wasn't him. If it weren't for his unwavering will and the fatherly voice within him telling him that what he was doing was illegal, he might have done it too...

375. Isn't he afraid of being beaten up by the two big shots?

On the first day of Konoha's 49th year, the area below the Hokage Tower was bustling with activity. Countless villagers had gathered there, and from above, the crowd was densely packed. If someone were to go on a rampage here, they could definitely carry the entire team, from elementary school students to the rest of the population.

"Minato, calm down. It's just the Hokage. You weren't that excited when the Most Popular Fantasy Person Award was given out at the end of last year. You have no idea how many decades the Hokage has wanted this award." Shanks comforted Minato, who was so nervous that his fists were clenched and his veins were bulging, while giving Hiruzen Sarutobi a look of disdain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi really went too far. He's gone to shameless lengths for this award. In the past, there was never any award ceremony for these rankings; they were all organized by young women themselves. There was no award ceremony at all. But at the end of last year, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought that he had been Hokage for so many years and was about to retire, but he didn't have any record of achievements during his tenure. This was a bit illogical.

So Hiruzen Sarutobi personally erected a monument in front of the Hokage Building using a large-scale Earth Release technique, recording the achievements of each Hokage. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi's tenure was the longest,... even if you nitpick about Hashirama Senju's ending of the Warring States period and the establishment of the Hidden Leaf Village, it would only be about four or five hundred words; then there's Tobirama Senju, who established the Anbu, founded the academy, developed ninjutsu, and ended the First Shinobi World War! Because Tobirama Senju did indeed accomplish a lot during his tenure, whether good or bad, Hiruzen Sarutobi had people lavish praise on him, but it would only be about a thousand words; finally, when it came to himself, it's estimated that Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a generous tip to the famous writer from the Land of Fire, and because he was in power for so long, the entire giant monument couldn't contain the writer's praise for him. The writer originally wanted Hiruzen Sarutobi to add more to the monument, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, to avoid being tortured by his two teachers in turn, reluctantly let the writer finish it.

But that wasn't all. What's even more outrageous is that he somehow found the female president of the council for the "Best Fantasy Object" ranking and spent a lot of money to fund an awards ceremony. After all, this ranking has been in Konoha for decades and it should be made more formal. So the female president of the council agreed to his request. At the same time, in order to avoid giving the impression of any shady dealings, the top two positions were not manipulated.

The number one spot belongs to Minato, who has held the title for seven consecutive years. Ever since Minato grew from a young boy into a handsome young man, he has been popular with people of all ages in Konoha. No matter how fiercely competitive the rankings are, his position at the top remains as solid as an ironclad rock.

The second place goes to the middle-aged man with colored contact lenses, Kurenai Yuhi. In recent years, it seems that the young ladies of Konoha have changed their tastes. Apart from Minato, who remains at the top of the list, the top spots are all occupied by middle-aged men. Kurenai Yuhi's colored contact lenses are extremely attractive to a group of middle-aged men. Even his in-law, Sakumo Hatake, was outshone by him and could only rank third.

What Shanks found most unfair to his friend was that the girl in third place had changed his friend Sakumo Hatake's name to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the third-place trophy was the biggest and shiniest.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions were so outrageous they practically blinded Shanks. This was an outrageous conspiracy! The third-ranked player was none other than his best friend, Sakumo Hatake, known as the "ladies' man." In his youth, Sakumo Hatake was known for his aloof and charming personality, which made him incredibly popular with young women. As he matured, his aloofness transformed into maturity and composure, which is why he had never fallen out of the top three in all these years. This time, however, he was thoroughly humiliated by his own boss. Even Koharu Utatane, a member of the board of directors, couldn't stand it anymore and blocked Hiruzen Sarutobi's door for several days. In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi somehow managed to get rid of his friend.

"Uncle, how can you say that? This is Minato's ultimate dream!" Kushina, fiercely protective of her husband, stood up to Shanks with her hands on her hips.

"Wrong, Kushina, my ultimate dream is to marry you!" Minato turned around and smiled gently at the fiercely protective husband.

"........."

The temperature on the Hokage's building instantly dropped below zero, and everyone was so overwhelmed by this display of affection that they couldn't help but accept it.

"Jiraiya, did you see that? This is the ultimate level of flirting. You, as a teacher, still have a lot to learn!" After finishing her dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing a couple's public display of affection), Kurenai Yuhi said to Jiraiya beside her. Even he was impressed by Minato's methods. How thick-skinned did he have to be to say such cheesy things in public? He, who called himself a master of flirting, certainly couldn't say it.

"Tsunade....."

"boom!"

After hearing Kurenai Yuhi's words, Jiraiya suddenly understood. Just as he was about to say something to Tsunade, Tsunade punched him on the head with an iron fist.

"........"

A large crow flew overhead. Seriously, even plagiarism needs a time frame! They just finished talking and you're already here? You'll get a beating from the mighty Tsunade.

"Sigh! There's no future in this."

Garp stood beside Tsunade, watching Jiraiya shake his head and sigh.

"Alright, stop fooling around, the ceremony is about to begin." Koharu Utatane reminded everyone around her, who were all laughing and joking. Why couldn't they be serious whenever Shanks was around? This was the Hokage succession ceremony!

"Cough cough!"

Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the Hokage Building platform with the manuscript written for him by an unknown author. Looking at the dense crowd below, he coughed twice.

Looking at the villagers below, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if he had returned to the time when he took over the position. Back then, there weren't nearly as many villagers as there were here; probably only half the number. During his years as Hokage, he had built Konoha into such a prosperous and thriving place. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a surge of pride. He realized that the great writer hadn't really exaggerated too much.

"I've been Hokage for decades, working diligently every day without daring to slack off in the slightest..." Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the platform of the Hokage Tower, took out the script and rattled off a bunch of self-praise. Although these lines were written on the stone tablet, nothing beats the satisfaction of exaggerating them yourself and seeing the respectful looks in the eyes of the villagers below.

"Sister Xiaochun, who wrote these lines for him? It's too much! Aren't you afraid he'll get beaten up by the first two Senju masters in the underworld?" Shanks listened to Hiruzen Sarutobi reciting those lines, which practically made him the greatest hero in the ninja world for hundreds or even thousands of years. He felt that if Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were summoned right now, Hiruzen Sarutobi would be beaten to a pulp, and he'd be eating shit on live stream. It's one thing if you brought Konoha to its peak, but everyone has a certain level of understanding between A and C. But to boast that you're even more awesome than Hashirama Senju, who ended the Warring States period, is a bit much. The combined achievements of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju are only a few thousand words, and you've already written tens of thousands of words and you're still not done? What kind of operation is this?

376. The Naruto battle robe is so cool!

"Hehe, this was written by a famous writer from the Land of Fire. He's written autobiographies for two daimyo, and this is his only time doing this. Let him be." After hearing Shanks' words, Koharu Utatane couldn't help but laugh, as if she was imagining her friend being double-teamed by two big shots. This friend of hers really gets more and more shameless as he gets older.

"No wonder these words are so exquisite; it turns out he's a great writer. I should pay him a visit sometime," Jiraiya said, putting on an air of sophistication.

"...Come on, with your level of literacy, you can only write in a notebook. Your masterpiece, which you've prepared for a year, isn't even as popular as something I, an illiterate person, can write casually." Shanks looked at Jiraiya with disdain. This time, Jiraiya's book was a proper ninja story, but as for its sales... well, Shanks would rather read his previous notebook.

"No, I actually think this novel by the teacher is quite good." This time, Minato strongly supported Jiraiya because he had followed Jiraiya's novel from beginning to end. It's rare for the teacher to turn over a new leaf and write a serious novel. Even if it's terrible, he still has to support it. Half of his large warehouse is filled with this book. He has to use his transformation technique to buy it every time, just to support Jiraiya to continue writing this kind of serious novel.

"Hmph! Minato, don't think I don't know you've single-handedly supported Konoha's bookstore. Supporting the teacher is fine, but your method of support is too expensive. How will my niece live after marrying you?" Shanks pouted.

"Haha, actually I'm quite rich." You can't say you're poor now, because it's a matter of your own happiness.

"You're still too young. There's no salary for being the Hokage. Look at that old Hokage's pipe; he's been smoking it for decades," Shanks said.

Shanks had just finished speaking when Hiruzen Sarutobi also finished his self-praise. Next up was Minato, who appeared wearing the Hokage robe. Minato's artistic talent for naming things is indeed questionable, but his aesthetic sense does conform to popular taste. Among all the Hokage robes, Minato's style is the coolest. When Minato walked to the platform to give his speech, a group of young ladies below started to get excited.

"Ah! The Fourth Hokage is so handsome!"

"Lord Minato, I want to have a baby sun with you!"

"The Fourth Generation Lord is so cool!"

"........."

"Kusina, you'll have to keep a close eye on Minato from now on. Listen, even the person who gave birth to a little sun has appeared." Nawaki whispered to Kushina.

"..." Kushina kept staring at the girl who was shouting "Give Minato a little sun!" and couldn't hear what Nawaki was saying at all. She planned to go and talk to this girl about giving birth to a little sun tonight.

Minato was incredibly popular in Konoha, especially since he was born into a commoner family and his story was practically a rags-to-riches tale.

After Minato took his place, he began his Hokage declaration. However, Minato was not as shameless as Hiruzen Sarutobi. He simply said a few words about continuing to protect Konoha and that Konoha was his home. Under the witness of everyone, he took over the baton from Hiruzen Sarutobi and officially became the fourth Hokage of Konoha. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Hokage, continued to wear the Hokage robe and became a senior advisor.

Shanks felt sorry for Minato. Konoha already had three advisors. Back then, it was fine since they were of the same generation as Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now, the four giants of Konoha have become the Konoha F4. These are all elders, like emperors, and everyone has to give them face. The Hokage is only slightly better than Rasa. He can't compare to the centralized power of the Fourth Raikage at all.

They earned their Raikage position through fighting. Those old guys didn't give them any face and they still fought without hesitation. Moreover, the muscular men of the Land of Lightning have always revered strength. Whoever is strong becomes the leader, and the weak have no say. If the current Konoha, apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi whose strength has declined somewhat in recent years, the other three giants would probably be considered too weak even as "gatekeepers" if they went to the Cloud Village.

In Konoha, seniority isn't what matters most, not strength. This is what Shanks complained about. This kind of atmosphere seems to have only emerged after Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage and brought in the three great leaders. Before Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, Shanks and Sakumo Hatake were immediately dominant when they joined the Anbu. Even Tobirama Senju just casually said "I know," and then treated them like squad leaders. Unlike now, no matter how strong you are, you have to accumulate seniority over a few years first.

Therefore, Shanks could foresee that the two years before Minato went to talk to the Grim Reaper would be extremely difficult. You will never know how complicated this circle is until you enter it. This is also the reason why Jiraiya and the others did not want to become Hokage. First, they valued freedom and did not want to be bound. Second, they had been in contact with this circle and were confused by its intricate nature. It was too damn complicated. It was better to be a ninja and play house.

In a corner unseen by everyone, Danzo, supported by two Root henchmen, stared intently at Minato, who was wearing the Hokage robes...

"Lord Danzo, this Fourth Hokage's battle robe is really cool, but I still think it would be even more perfect if it were worn by you and paired with your peerless beauty," Yamanaka Hio said quietly from behind the boss.

"Hmph! It's just a tattered outfit. Let's go back. Sarutobi's era is over." Danzo would never admit that he liked that outfit. It's true that clothes make the man. His good buddy Sarutobi had worn the Hokage robe for so many years, but he couldn't see what was so good about it.

"Lord Danzo, the test subject in Orochimaru's lab woke up last time. I had my men keep a close eye on him, and they discovered that besides amnesia, he's also awakened Wood Release." Yamanaka Hiroshi whispered to Danzo with a hint of pride. After Orochimaru's lab was sealed off, he heard that someone was still unconscious. Yamanaka Hiroshi had only had a flash of inspiration and ordered his men to keep an eye on him. Recently, because he was overworked, he went to the hospital for a checkup and then went to see the kid. He didn't expect to see such an amazing scene: many branches sprouted from the kid's body and kept swaying. The kid's face became increasingly rosy, and soon the kid woke up. He had originally planned to boast to his boss this morning, but his boss actually got up looking for excitement to watch the Fourth Hokage's coronation ceremony.

"What?! You did a great job! Bring him over tonight so I can see him!" Danzo was astonished to hear that Orochimaru had actually produced a successful test subject, and since Orochimaru was no longer in Konoha and he was the only one who knew about it, if this test subject had truly awakened Wood Release... coaxing an amnesiac brat would be a piece of cake for him. When it came to brainwashing, even his best friend Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't compare to him; he could guarantee that with his future child with Koharu.

377. Something's not right with this Wood Release technique.

"Don't worry, Lord Danzo, I arranged everything last night. I was planning to report to you as soon as you woke up," said Hiroo Yamanaka.

"Not bad, not bad, you're becoming more and more like a manager." Danzo looked at his subordinate who had been with him for more than ten years with satisfaction. At first, he just liked listening to him boast, but after he found that he was not strong enough, he put him at home as a butler, which was not bad. He did not expect that this time he was injured, and this subordinate would actually have some management talent.

"Lord Danzo, you flatter me. I am where I am today because of your guidance. You have shown me a wider world and helped me find my way in life. You are like a guiding light sent down from heaven to show me the way forward." I didn't have time to blow the horn today, so I'm just making up for the lines I prepared last night.

"what!"

"Go back and check on that child."

Danzo groaned comfortably. It really did feel much better after blowing on it every day. Looking at the increasingly pale face of his lifelong rival and best friend, Danzo was even more smug. What's the use of spending money to become the third most popular person? He's old now, it's just an empty title. Danzo thought sourly.

After Danzo and the others returned to Root, one of the henchmen brought a skinny, dull-looking boy. If it weren't for his height, he would have been mistaken for an eight or nine-year-old boy. It was a miracle that he hadn't died after being soaked in Orochimaru's bathtub for so long.

"Child, come here and let me see. Do you remember who you are?"

When Danzo saw this kid, it was like a grandfather finding his long-lost grandson. Yamanaka Hiroo had never seen such a kind smile before.

"I...I don't know." Future Yamato looked at the masked men around him, feeling a little scared, but his expression remained unchanged. Even a seasoned veteran like Danzo couldn't tell whether they were real or fake.

"I see. From now on, your name will be Ka. Starting today, I will teach you ninjutsu." Danzo said, getting excited. This was Wood Release! If he could teach this kid to be like the First Hokage, his dominance of the ninja world would be just around the corner.

"Congratulations, Lord Danzo, on taking in a super genius. Dominating the ninja world is just around the corner." As expected of an illegitimate son, he even knows what Danzo is thinking.

"Haha! You did a good job. I won't treat you badly when we get there." Danzo looked at Yamanaka Hiro with satisfaction. He had only thought of having another person who could talk big on a whim, but he didn't expect this person to be so capable, and much more reliable than Shanks.

"Being able to serve a tyrant like Lord Danzo is the greatest blessing of my life. How could I dare to take credit for it?" Yamanaka Hiroshi subtly boasted.

Danzo was already getting cocky. "Overlord!" That's right, wasn't he the overlord?

Danzo's companion, Aburame Torune, was dumbfounded. No wonder Ryuma's position was taken away; their Aburame clan could never learn such ventriloquism in their entire lives!

Ryoma, the elder brother who recruited him into the Root, often complained to him that his position had been taken by Danzo's illegitimate son. All those years of hard work and dedication couldn't even withstand a few words from that person. He was the true leader.

After Ryoma Aburame's death, Torune inherited his elder brother's will and vowed to seize the title of the first horse. For years, he had been doing just that, fighting alongside Danzo against the Akatsuki and against the Fourth Raikage. In the end, he even saved Danzo from the Fourth Raikage, suffering severe injuries in the process. But in the end, he found that he only received a few words of praise from Danzo, and that was it. This illegitimate son, who usually idled away his time in the village, was the one who contributed so much to the economic boom of the Red Bronze District. Yet, this seemingly useless person, despite his tireless efforts, couldn't compete with a few words from this other man. Today, he finally understood that his defeat against his brother Ryoma was not unjust; with that silver tongue, he could get by anywhere.

.........

The next day, Danzo arrived at the training ground in high spirits. Yes, he came alone. Perhaps it was due to excitement, but Danzo, who had needed help to walk the day before, was miraculously healthy again. Moreover, he hadn't slept a wink the night before, studying the Wood Release techniques from the Book of Sealing he had copied from his friend. He was a responsible person, and if he was going to teach, he had to start with himself. So he studied all night, and the deeper he delved into Wood Release, the more powerful it became, and the more confident he became about the future.

"A, do you still remember how to condense chakra?" Danzo asked A, full of fighting spirit, on the training ground.

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

He only lost his brain memories, but his physical memories remained. Moreover, after a night of intensive training by the head instructor of the root sect, Yu Nu, he still had some basic knowledge.

"Alright, now watch my hand seals and follow me, Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique!" Danzo shouted, his aura quite imposing, yet he didn't change at all as he passed in front of him.

...........

Jia looked at Danzo in confusion, wondering what the old man was up to. His voice was quite imposing, but there was no trace of ninjutsu in front of him.

"Because I haven't awakened Wood Release, there's no change. But you can just follow along with me and learn." Danzo didn't care about his confused little eyes and said calmly. He wanted to awaken Wood Release too, and he was willing to sacrifice his perfect appearance for it, but Wood Release didn't care about him.

"Yes! Lord Danzo! Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique." A copied Danzo's hand seals and shouted with the same imposing manner as Danzo.

However, unlike Danzo, nothing happened in front of A. Several small logs sprouted from the ground and eventually grew to a height of two meters before stopping.

"this..."

Danzo, looking at the wooden logs, was so excited he almost wanted to hug and kiss the log's head. This was Wood Release! Since the First Hokage's death, Wood Release had become a legend in the ninja world, and now it had finally manifested in his hands. Danzo approached, looking at the several two-meter-long logs, growing more and more excited. He couldn't resist touching them, but because he couldn't control his strength, he touched them a little too hard...

"Crack!"

When Danzo first touched the wood, cracks appeared, and it eventually collapsed into rotten pieces of wood.

"What... what's going on? Something's not right with this Wood Release technique."

Danzo stared at his hand in confusion. Had he awakened superhuman strength after being injured? How could his Wood Release technique shatter with such a light touch?

Danzo, refusing to believe it, had Kagami use the Thorn Killing Technique again, but the result was the same as before: the wood crumbled at the slightest touch, completely unlike the indestructible Wood Release technique he remembered.

378. Rotten wood is still wood.

Moreover, the color of this Wood Release seems wrong. Danzo remembers that the First Hokage's Wood Release was a vibrant green full of life, while the wood summoned by Kou is a yellowish-brown, like rotten wood that has been neglected for years. It's not even in the same league as the First Hokage's Wood Release.

Danzo looked at the pile of rotten wood and felt utterly dejected. Did Orochimaru start out selling counterfeits? He gave him a genuine cell, and Orochimaru produced a counterfeit. That was just too much!

If Orochimaru knew Danzo was criticizing his research abilities, he would definitely have several snakes on his bed—the kind that could take down the Third Raikage. He'd really think Danzo was a pushover if he didn't teach Danzo a lesson. How dare an illiterate man question the achievements of a great scientist like him? Did he really think the First Hokage's cells were so easy to transplant? Out of hundreds of people, one surviving a transplant was already incredibly lucky. It was already a miracle if someone didn't have the First Hokage's innate Yang Release chakra to awaken Wood Release.