In a certain part of Konoha, deep underground.
The Anbu Root headquarters, buried beneath the village, perfectly embodied the spirit of the organization: rooted deep in pure darkness!
Today, almost every Root member was in a state of suspended animation, with only a few scouts deployed to the surface to catch any whispers on the wind.
In a quiet chamber deep within the base, Danzō sat alone in the center of the darkness. Before him, a single candle flame flickered—its weak light licking at the shadows, casting a dancing, uneasy silhouette on the walls.
In the profound depths of his eyes, the faint glow of the candlelight reflected the ambition that had been suppressed for decades, now finally boiling over.
Today was the day of the Chunin Exams, and also the day of Orochimaru's plan!
Danzō was fully aware of Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush" plan. Though he didn't participate directly, he had watched with a cold eye, not hesitating to secretly lend a hand. He had tacitly allowed and even provided the necessary materials for the Edo Tensei: the remains of the Second and Fourth Hokages.
Orochimaru already possessed the First Hokage's cells.
This meant Orochimaru now held the supreme power of three Hokages in his hands.
Three Hokages, ganging up on a frail Hiruzen.
Especially with the First and Second Hokages, Hiruzen stood no chance. He was as good as dead!
Once Hiruzen was gone, that vacant seat would finally... fall into his, Danzō's, hands!
Hokage!
The highest authority in the village!
He had craved this poison of power for far too long!
Suddenly, that moment of bone-deep humiliation ripped through Danzō's thoughts once more! The instant that woke him from a cold sweat every time, was etched into his mind like the most vicious of curses.
It was when the Second Hokage and his six-man Second Hokage Guard team were trapped in a desperate situation against the elite of the Cloud Village, the Gold and Silver Brothers.
To escape alive, someone had to stay behind as a decoy, and that decoy would surely die!
When the Second Hokage's eyes fell upon him, he had already made his decision. But... the words, "I will stay behind," were snatched from his lips by Hiruzen, just a half-step ahead.
Because of that one half-step!
Hiruzen was named Hokage on the spot!
And he, Danzō, had spent decades since, always so close, yet so far from that position!
However... now the opportunity had come!
Once Hiruzen was dead, Homura and Koharu, those two indecisive and incompetent old fools, would have no choice but to turn to him, the 'sole remaining' elder, for guidance!
Feeling his heart beat with an uneasy rhythm like the flickering candle, Danzō's chest pounded with an unprecedented frenzy!
Thump, thump, thump!
A surge of blood brought a morbid flush to his wrinkled, aged face.
His decaying body seemed to be filled with a fanatical energy, with every breath carrying the illusion of strength.
Is this... the taste of power?
In a trance, he, Danzō, felt as if he had broken free from the roots of darkness, standing alone in the spotlight, wielding all authority—the Hokage!
"Fifth Hokage, Shimura Danzō!"
A low, hoarse murmur echoed in the deathly silence, making his withered soul tremble.
Footsteps approached from outside the door. They stopped, and a knock sounded.
The signal was correct.
"Come in!"
Torune Aburame, his body heavily wrapped, entered the room. The chamber was dimly lit. When he looked up, even through his sunglasses, he was startled.
Danzō-sama's perpetually sinister, calm face, which was usually as placid as an ancient well, was now flushed with an almost manic, unnatural redness!
This bizarre change was more unbelievable than seeing flowers bloom on a perennial glacier!
"Danzō-sama, new intelligence has arrived regarding the Chunin Exams!" Torune suppressed his shock and handed over the report.
Danzō inspected it, then unfolded the slip of paper.
[The Chunin Exams are proceeding as planned.]
The plan was on track. It could proceed as normal.
Upon seeing this, the corners of Danzō's mouth, which had seemingly been frozen for decades, stretched into a rare, cold, and twisted smile.
This miraculous sight made Torune question if he was under a genjutsu.
"Good. Investigate and report again!" Danzō's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible urgency.
He yearned for the definitive news of Hiruzen's demise!
"Yes, sir!"
Torune retreated from the room, his mind filled with a hundred questions.
But Danzō's thoughts had already soared to the Hokage seat, now within his grasp, sketching out the blueprints for the future.
He must not follow Hiruzen's weak and incompetent appeasement policies!
He was determined to reshape the order of Konoha, and even the entire ninja world!
His first priority would be to convert all potential power into absolute military might! In addition: the ninja village structure, the clan powers, talent acquisition, foreign policy... The mess Hiruzen left behind was ripe with opportunities for profit and fields to be conquered!
That old fool's stupidity and shortsightedness had allowed so many golden opportunities to slip away!
If I, Danzō, were in power... I would show this rotten ninja world what true strength and strategy are!
He didn't know how long he had sat there before a knock—thump, thump—sounded again.
Torune had returned with another secret report from the front line.
The report contained two main points:
Naruto Uzumaki, using only taijutsu, had suppressed a rampaging One-Tailed Shukaku and forced it back into its seal! Orochimaru had launched the 'Konoha Crush,' and the Four Violet Flames Formation had completely sealed off the top of the VIP building!
These two pieces of news, like a cold and hot venom, instantly permeated Danzō's heart!
The good news: the plan was proceeding as normal!
Both Orochimaru and Hiruzen were trapped in the Four Violet Flames Formation. His old rival, Hiruzen, was certainly going to die!
The shocking news: a mere Jinchuriki brat had suppressed the One-Tailed Beast with brute force? How was that possible?
He would have to wait for the detailed follow-up report.
Before he could even catch his breath, another report arrived!
Naruto Uzumaki had learned the Flying Thunder God Jutsu?! He was now using it to wreak havoc on the battlefield, reaping enemy lives!
This report was like an ice pick, stabbing Danzō in the back!
Where had this brat learned the Flying Thunder God?
Could that old fool, Hiruzen... have laid a final trap before his death?
At that thought, Danzō's fingers trembled slightly!
He was terrified that Naruto would use the Flying Thunder God to enter the barrier, drag Hiruzen to safety, and cause the plan to fail.
Even if Hiruzen were to be disgraced and unable to be Hokage again because of the Orochimaru incident, as long as he was still alive, Danzō's path to becoming Hokage would be fraught with obstacles and incredibly difficult!
As he was tormented by this corrosive anxiety, the final news finally arrived!
Naruto had indeed entered the barrier—but had instead stolen the Edo Tensei bodies of the First and Second Hokages!
Though the outcome was the complete opposite of what he had expected, for now, he could only hope that Orochimaru would not make another mistake and would absolutely finish off that eyesore, Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Deep within this suffocating prison, Danzō's withered figure seemed to stir with an uneasy restlessness, and even his breathing became unsteady and urgent.
Time flowed slowly through the silence and torment until finally—
Torune returned with the final battle report that nearly suffocated him.
Naruto Uzumaki had reappeared on the battlefield! Furthermore, he had teamed up with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the supposedly dead Hiruzen Sarutobi to subdue Orochimaru!
It's over!
Upon seeing this news, Danzō's bony fingers almost crushed the armrest of his chair!
Though the plan had severely deviated from its course, the Hokage seat was now vacant.
However, as long as that old fool Hiruzen was still alive and in the upper echelons of Konoha, he, Danzō, would never be able to rightfully take the top spot!
If that's the case... then Hiruzen must die!
The plan to remove that obstacle would need to be put on the agenda.
But not with reckless action now!
His most urgent task was to clear away all potential stumbling blocks on his path to the throne: analyze his rivals!
There weren't many contenders for the Hokage seat; they needed to have both fame and a solid background. All in all, there were only a few.
Jiraiya?
He had heard he was back in the village. But that guy was a free-spirited wanderer who saw the Hokage position as a cage. He wouldn't be a serious threat.
Kakashi?
A kid with an undeserved reputation, lost in the grief of his dead father.
After thinking it through, there were no real competitors?
He would have to look at who had risen to fame recently.
"Then," Danzō's harsh voice was like the scraping of ice, as he asked the few subordinates standing before him, "who is the person with the most intense reputation in the village right now?"
He expected to hear the names of other famous Jōnin or advisors, but he was completely shocked to hear a familiar name in the report—Naruto Uzumaki!
Naruto Uzumaki?!
That blonde brat who just ruined his grand plan?!
He seemed to hear that name a lot recently—something about the Yellow Flash, incredible strength, handsome and kind...
This sudden explosion of fame...
Was Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly pulling the strings?
Could he really want a twelve-year-old kid, who wasn't even fully grown, to wear the Hokage hat?!
Absurd!
He suddenly remembered something, and picked up the political novel he occasionally read, "The Romance of the Five Nations."
His gaze was fixed on the chaotic hero in the book who dominated the north and controlled the emperor to command the other lords—Uchiha Mèngdé.
Uchiha Mèngdé = Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Lord of the Land of Fire = Naruto Uzumaki.
The comparison was painfully clear.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, you have such a devious mind!
You want this naive, ignorant Naruto Uzumaki to stand in the spotlight and become your puppet Hokage!
And you! You'll hide behind the scenes, manipulating the puppet, becoming the true uncrowned king who holds all the real power!!
"Hmph! You can forget it!"
Danzō's withered body trembled with extreme rage, and a bestial growl escaped his chest!
Let a young brat stand at the top of Konoha? Let his life's ambition become a stepping stone for someone else?
"As long as I, Shimura Danzō, am alive... Naruto Uzumaki... will never become Hokage!"