And so, Shimura Danzo finally became the Hokage.
Due to the partial redemption of his reputation during the Konoha Crush Plan, the villagers were no longer strongly opposed to Danzo taking the Hokage position.
Of course, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu still wanted to oppose him, but when they suddenly caught sight of Danzo's cold, piercing gaze, they understood.
They were scared! Terrified! After all, Danzo had once dared to order an assassination attempt on the Third Hokage. Killing two feeble elders like them would be a trivial task.
Although there was still the formal procedure of approval from the Daimyo, with only one candidate in the running, the Daimyo had no other choice.
Thus, three days later, after a Root member rushed overnight to retrieve the official seal from the Daimyo, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha was officially inaugurated!
It was none other than me, Shimura Danzo!
Danzo couldn't wait to don the Hokage robes and sit in the seat that had once belonged only to Sarutobi Hiruzen. He felt utterly elated!
But he reminded himself not to become complacent. Now that he was Hokage, he had to dedicate himself tirelessly to the village's development!
As the saying goes, "A new official must light three fires." Danzo's fires needed to burn brightly—not just for the village's development but also to establish his authority and consolidate power.
Of course, consolidating power was for the betterment of Konoha! After all, there's a saying: "Concentrate power to achieve great things!"
"Ryoma!" Danzo called for his deputy.
"Lord Danzo," Aburame Ryoma responded respectfully, standing by his side.
"Immediately send people to take control of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, as well as that Uchiha brat. Additionally, demand a batch of personnel from the major ninja clans to strengthen the Root."
"This..."
Aburame Ryoma's face showed hesitation. "If we take such drastic measures right away, it might cause widespread dissatisfaction."
Danzo slowly rose to his feet, turning his back to Ryoma, revealing only his desolate yet resolute silhouette. "I've long grown accustomed to bearing the burden of infamy."
"After all, it's all for Konoha!"
...
"Uzumaki Naruto."
Little Naruto, who was drinking expired milk, looked up at the uninvited guest who had barged into his home early in the morning. Instinctively, he felt a deep malice emanating from the stranger—far deeper than what he usually sensed from the villagers.
"And who are you, masked old man? What do you want?" Naruto pressed himself against the wall in fear, inching slowly toward the door in an attempt to escape.
"Come with me, you demon fox brat!" The masked Root operative grabbed Naruto roughly, hoisting him up like a sack and dashing away, heading straight for the underground cells of the Root.
"Isn't that Naruto?"
"Why is he being taken by the Anbu? This is bad!" Iruka, who happened to be passing by, saw Naruto being carried by a masked Anbu leaping across rooftops. He immediately panicked.
If Naruto had caused some minor trouble, Iruka could always step in, apologize, and smooth things over. But when it came to the Anbu, that was beyond his authority to interfere.
His first instinct was to seek out the Hokage. But then it struck him—the Third Hokage, who had shown some kindness toward Naruto, was gone. The current Hokage harbored deep malice toward Naruto.
What should he do? What should he do?
Iruka was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan until he finally thought of someone—Kakashi Hatake!
In truth, Iruka's rank was too low to know Naruto's true identity, nor did he understand the specific connection between Kakashi and Naruto.
All he knew was that Kakashi seemed to have a unique fondness for Naruto. Although Kakashi rarely appeared in Naruto's life openly, he had secretly protected Naruto on multiple occasions. Kakashi was also one of the key figures who had previously resisted the elders' attempts to harm Naruto.
I need to find Kakashi-sensei!
In a hurry, Iruka set off to find Kakashi. Meanwhile, Naruto was carried all the way to the Root's underground prison. At first, he struggled a little, but as time went on, being hoisted by the collar became increasingly unbearable. He eventually lost even the strength to resist.
Fortunately, thanks to the vitality of being both a Jinchūriki and an Uzumaki, Naruto's life force was extraordinarily strong. Otherwise, an ordinary person might have suffocated by now.
"Stay put here!" The Root ninja tossed Naruto into a cell and locked the door behind him.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"I'm bleeding!" Naruto cried out in pain after being thrown heavily to the ground.
His exposed skin had scraped against the rough floor of the cell, peeling off a large patch of skin. Luckily, he had endured so much bullying as a child that he didn't cry like other kids might have.
Seeing the blood beads welling up, Naruto wanted to treat his wound but didn't know how.
"Rip a piece of your clothing and use it for a simple bandage," came a cold, familiar voice from the neighboring cell.
Curious, Naruto looked over. "Why is it you, Sasuke the show-off?"
"Why are you locked up here too?"
Naruto, being his usual carefree self, momentarily forgot about treating his wound. For him, this was normal—his injuries would heal on their own soon enough, and he'd forget he was ever hurt.
Sasuke remained seated quietly, as if he hadn't heard a word Naruto said, showing no reaction.
"Hey! Sasuke, the show-off! Say something!"
"Did you turn into a mute?" Naruto had no ill intentions; he simply wanted Sasuke to speak. As for why he wanted Sasuke to talk—did Naruto need a reason? He just acted on impulse!
"Shut up, you dead-last idiot!"
"Can you be quiet for once?" Sasuke snapped irritably. He wasn't like Naruto, who lacked a few brain cells. From the way the Anbu had treated him today, Sasuke could deduce that the village's attitude toward him had shifted.
The days ahead would undoubtedly be difficult!
Of course, Sasuke wasn't afraid of hardship. What he feared was losing even the opportunity to overcome those difficulties. He worried that the village might confine him until he died, living out his days as nothing more than an experimental subject.
That won't do! I still have to find that man and avenge my clan!
While Naruto and Sasuke were trapped in their cells, Iruka finally found Kakashi and explained the situation to him.
Kakashi found the matter equally troubling. Iruka couldn't distinguish between Root and regular Anbu, but Kakashi immediately knew it was Root. After all, this wasn't the first time Danzo had tried to claim Naruto for himself.
Kakashi headed to the Hokage's office, knocked lightly on the door, and entered after receiving permission.
"It's Kakashi. What brings you here?" Danzo looked up from a pile of documents. While others found the paperwork tedious, Danzo seemed to relish it.
"Lord Danzo, it's about Naruto..."
"Hmm?" Danzo's brow furrowed.
This brat Kakashi, such low awareness.
I'm already the Hokage, yet he still addresses me as 'Lord Danzo.' Does this mean he hasn't truly acknowledged me as Hokage in his heart?
Hmph!
Just like his father, the White Fang of Konoha—a man who didn't understand the rules!
Noticing Danzo's demeanor growing colder, Kakashi sighed inwardly. This was going to be a tough battle. Danzo's stance on the matter was clearly firm.
"Kakashi, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is crucial to Konoha. I must keep him under strict control and guide him onto the right path so that he can contribute to the village as soon as possible."
"This matter is non-negotiable. You may leave now."
"But Naruto is just a child..." Despite the immense pressure, Kakashi couldn't back down. After all, this concerned his teacher's son—he had to fight for Naruto.
Thud!
Danzo's cane struck the ground, producing a sharp, clear sound. "Kakashi, are you willing to disregard the village's interests for personal emotions?"
"The best ninja are always emotionless killing tools, and the same goes for Jinchūriki!"
"I know you're here because of the Fourth Hokage, but as the son of the Hokage, that brat should contribute to Konoha!"
"Just like me! He should become a model of self-sacrifice!"
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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