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The moonlight was faint.
If one were to look down from Hokage Rock at this moment, Konoha Village would naturally be ablaze with lights.
Only a small area near the commercial street was still lit, bustling with people.
However, if one looked more closely, they would notice that in the various Ninja clan compounds and houses located in the core area of Konoha, many people were suddenly putting on formal attire and, with urgent expressions, walking out of their homes towards the Hokage Building.
It seemed something had happened.
At this moment, Sawara Kiri and Tsunade had already arrived at the Advisor meeting room, located next to the Hokage Building's top-floor office.
There were only a few people in the room.
Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu, and Akimichi Torifu, who had retired but were urgently called back from his clan compound, were seated around the conference table.
The two male Advisors had already lit their pipes.
When Tsunade forcefully pushed open the heavy wooden door, the secondhand smoke in the room was so thick it was like morning mist, billowing out from the room.
Everyone in the room looked towards the door.
Sawara Kiri's gaze swept across the room, and he saw that in addition to the three Advisors, Jiraiya, who should have been on the front lines in the Land of Lightning, and Orochimaru, who had just returned to the Village, were also present.
Besides them, there were several Anbu who had removed their masks, and one or two Konoha Ninja he didn't recognize.
Noticing the newcomers, Orochimaru, uncharacteristically impatient, spoke:
"Everyone is here. Let's briefly explain what happened first."
He had only just arrived himself, and upon entering, he learned the news of Lord Third's critical injuries.
No matter what complex feelings Orochimaru held for his 'corrupt and incompetent' Lord Third, the bond between master and disciple was undeniable—especially since he had sustained serious injuries on the front lines.
Upon hearing this, the young Ninja in the middle still turned to look at Advisor Homura Mitokado.
Seeing him nod slightly, he continued:
"Yes."
"My name is Namikawa Daisuke, my rank is Special Jonin, and I am a member of Lord Third's personal guard. I was responsible for executing the front-line interception mission with Lord Third this time."
"We encountered a surprise attack from the Third Raikage on the battlefield."
Jiraiya, as heavy-hearted as Orochimaru, sat on the sofa and interrupted:
"Get straight to the point."
"Yes!"
Namikawa Daisuke's voice paused, then he said: "During Lord Third's battle with the Raikage, the opponent revealed himself to be the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, using this to launch a sneak attack that severely wounded Lord Third. In the end, Lord Third relied on a certain Sealing Technique, resulting in a mutual injury, which forced the Raikage to retreat."
"But after forcing the opponent to retreat, he immediately fell unconscious. After examination by medical Ninja at the field hospital, it was confirmed to be a severe injury to his soul."
"Now, under the escort of Lord Jiraiya, Lord Third has been transported to Konoha Hospital for treatment. Seventy-two hours have passed since he left the battlefield."
"Lord Third still shows no signs of waking up."
Upon hearing this, both Orochimaru and Tsunade couldn't help but show expressions of surprise.
Tsunade even couldn't help but exclaim:
"The Third Raikage, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?!"
"How is that possible?"
"With his strength, what else would he need to..."
Orochimaru also looked astonished.
Under normal circumstances, the Kage of a Village would not be that Village's Jinchuriki. This was a subtle unwritten rule in the Ninja World.
Because a Kage of a country must long bear various government affairs and important matters of that country, and needs to interact with various Daimyo or high-ranking officials, while Jinchuriki are special weapons developed after the establishment of Ninja Villages in various countries, often used by various countries as human nuclear bombs. At the same time, due to the incomplete Sealing Technique systems in many countries besides Konoha, there is also an extremely high danger in terms of sealing.
Later, the reason why the Land of Whirlpools was attacked by the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water during the First Great Ninja War, leading to its destruction, was not unrelated to the two countries wanting to obtain stable seals to stabilize Jinchuriki Sealing Techniques.
If these two identities were combined, and the Tailed Beast suddenly went berserk, the position of the Kage of that country would likely cause a wave of chaos in the Village.
One must know that even in the original story, by the time Naruto was born, the identity of a Jinchuriki was still a source of fear for villagers and Ninja in various countries—Naruto, Gaara, and Killer Bee all experienced discrimination from villagers during their childhood.
Furthermore, with the Third Raikage's strength, which was seemingly on par with the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki at the pinnacle of the Ninja World, what need was there to gather a Tailed Beast and further enhance his own strength?
Namikawa Daisuke, being stared at intently by so many high-ranking officials, couldn't help but feel a dry mouth.
However, under Homura Mitokado's gaze, which signaled him to continue, he could only brace himself and proceed:
"According to the Third Raikage's own words, the reason he wanted to further enhance his strength was due to..."
"Jonin Sawara Kiri."
"..."
Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this.
Sawara Kiri, who had been watching the scene unfold, felt a jolt on his face, as if a pot had fallen from the sky.
Lord Danzo, is this how you usually feel?
"Sawara Kiri?"
Tsunade subconsciously repeated his name, as if she had thought of something, and her gaze froze.
Almost instinctively, she recalled how Sawara Kiri had descended from the sky like a god during a previous battle, fought the attacking Third Raikage to a draw, and carried her away from him.
Although Tsunade was completely bewildered at that time, her memory had not been lost.
Recalling the scene, she suddenly understood a little.
But everyone else was still confused. Jiraiya, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, was meeting this young man, rumored to have surpassed his own disciple, for the first time today. He turned his head to look at the young man beside Tsunade.
A large car and a young man.
For some reason, at the moment he saw this scene, perhaps because he had written too many erotic novels, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.
"Yes."
Special Jonin Namikawa Daisuke continued: "The Third Raikage explicitly stated that Konoha must never have another... another Lord Senju Hashirama."
"Therefore, every possible method must be used to eliminate Jonin Sawara Kiri."
At this moment, everyone present looked at Sawara Kiri differently.
Sawara Kiri's eyes widened.
No, you black-skinned workaholic, what the hell?!
"See, I told you?"
"Lord Third really has his eyes on your butt!"
"Good thing I advised you to improve your strength early, lest that guy get you on the spot. Hurry, praise me!"
The System's voice suddenly popped into his head, inexplicably carrying a hint of schadenfreude, and its tone was self-righteous.
Sawara Kiri directly ignored her nonsense, still maintaining a straight face.
Instead, Orochimaru and Jiraiya's gazes towards him became even more subtle, even with a hint of inquiry.
Just how outstanding must a young man be to make the Third Raikage go to such lengths to eliminate him?
This thought popped into both their minds simultaneously.
Neither Orochimaru nor Jiraiya had actually witnessed Sawara Kiri's full strength—this was completely different from Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade's situation.
If Namikaze Minato were present, he would probably fully understand, and even from the Raikage's perspective, he might nod in strong agreement.
He was the only one in the entire Ninja World who had witnessed Kiri-kun's full power.
"This is the current situation."
Homura Mitokado saw that everyone was silently observing the young man behind Tsunade. He extended his hand and tapped his pipe against the table, saying in a deep voice:
"Hiruzen is now completely unconscious, his soul severely damaged... Tsunade, do you have any solutions?"
"It's difficult."
Tsunade chose a sofa and sat down, her fingers interlaced: "I'm not skilled in soul repair techniques. If Dan was still alive... In short, only the Shrine Maidens of the Land of Demons or the Fire Temple might have relevant repair abilities."
"My research on the connection between soul and body has only just begun."
"Is that so."
Although he had expected it, Homura Mitokado still felt a sense of disappointment.
If Hiruzen were here, he would be a great support for them, the members of the Hokage Advisor Group.
But it was already done; there was no point in thinking about it anymore.
Furthermore, this was also an opportunity.
"Since that's the case, let's first discuss the issue of a temporary Hokage."
Homura Mitokado lowered his voice, looking at the people before him, his tone calm: "It is still wartime. When Jiraiya retreated from the Land of Lightning front, I had already given Hatake Sakumo orders to go to the front lines first."
Sawara Kiri froze upon hearing this, staring directly at him.
As if noticing his gaze, Homura Mitokado added an explanation: "Sakumo has experience confronting the Third Raikage. I have already informed him of the current changes through a letter, and..."
As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the faces of the Sannin present, as if hinting at something, and then said:
"His identity is not suitable."
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't even keep up with the Third Raikage's speed. Even if Lord Sakumo could barely hold on if he went to the front lines, what good would come of it?
And after such an incident, instead of sending the strongest combatants to the Land of Lightning front to try and eliminate that menace, they were discussing the temporary distribution of power first?
These old guys were truly useless, even though it was only the Second Great Ninja War...
Sawara Kiri stared at him for a while, then slowly withdrew his gaze.
It was done.
This debt, for now, was noted.
When Homura Mitokado was stared at by him, he actually felt an inexplicable chill, but he couldn't show any reaction, only frowning inwardly.
He temporarily restrained himself, considering he was called 'the future Senju Hashirama.'
"Hmph!"
However, Tsunade wouldn't tolerate these parasites in the slightest. She sneered and slammed her hand on the table, saying: "Lord Third isn't dead yet, and you're already thinking about the Hokage's position?"
"You're truly a scoundrel just like that old geezer Shimura Danzo, Homura."
Homura Mitokado's brows furrowed even higher, but before he could speak, Utatane Koharu beside him, clearly displeased, spoke up: "Tsunade, you're not a child anymore! Don't be willful!"
"Konoha is currently in a critical wartime period. If the Village doesn't have a supreme commander, whose orders should the war efforts outside follow?"
"What's more, Mito Homura has already said that he is only temporarily taking over as Hokage. Once Hiruzen wakes up, there will naturally be another round of official power transfer."
"Nonsense!"
Tsunade's anger grew: "What temporary Hokage? Then what do you mean by calling us here? What? Your next sentence isn't going to be asking us three to approve of your 'temporary Hokage,' is it?"
Orochimaru, who had been silent until now, also looked up and stared coldly at the three members of the Advisor Group, seemingly having anticipated this point as well.
Only Jiraiya suddenly reacted upon hearing her words, looking astonished.
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly fell silent.
Only Akimichi Torifu, who had been temporarily pulled from his clan's compound, had been quietly smoking a cigarette from the very beginning, his brows constantly furrowed.
He had retired early to become an ordinary wealthy man precisely because he detested the messy affairs within the Advisor Group and the incessant demands from his clan to help with this and that.
Now, because Danzo and Kagami had fallen, and Hiruzen was unconscious, the Advisor Group lacked sufficient members, which was why the two of them had forcibly dragged him here.
But in reality, two of the three votes in the Advisor Group were already decided, so what more was there to say?
Mito Homura and Utatane Koharu remained silent.
Their objective wasn't difficult to discern; the only hard part was rejecting the possibility of themselves becoming Hokage.
However, this was underestimating Tsunade and the other two.
Namikawa Daisuke, standing in the middle, felt like a wooden dummy, constantly sweating profusely, wishing he had never come today.
Sawara Kiri didn't speak, quietly inhaling second-hand smoke.
The entire conference room was silent for a long time; no one intended to speak.
Mito Homura, as the initiator of the meeting, had no choice but to take a deep breath and continue stubbornly: "A nation cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a Village cannot be without a Hokage for a day."
"According to the temporary vote decision of our three-person Advisor Group, Jiraiya will temporarily assume the position of Hokage to command the various front-line operations."
Jiraiya looked at them, his face grim, without the slightest hesitation:
"I am not suitable for this position."
"…"
Mito Homura was utterly stunned.
No, this is the Hokage position!
We've practically handed it to you, and you just toss it aside?
Jiraiya, however, did not continue speaking, merely lowering his head, seemingly a little despondent, and sighing helplessly.
He knew what kind of person he was.
Dull in small matters, muddled in big ones.
Aside from his strength, which could contribute somewhat to the Village, the wisdom in his mind was only enough for writing erotic novels to relax.
Even his lifelong dream was to be a supporting character, to find and guide the Child of Destiny of this world.
From a very young age, he had a clear understanding of his life's positioning.
He was a supporting character.
Whether by Tsunade's side, or in comparison to Orochimaru, or as the guide for the prophesied Child of Destiny…
It was always thus.
When he was very young, he did dream of sitting in the Hokage position.
But humans are animals that live in reality.
Yet some supporting characters always fail to see themselves clearly and are incurably greedy.
Jiraiya suddenly felt a surge of annoyance.
He felt that his return to the Village might have been a mistake; it would be better to return to the battlefield, where he could save more lives on the front lines.
The atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heavy and tense.
Mito Homura, whose planned agenda was disrupted, frowned, suddenly realizing that his predictions about these three young people seemed to have a slight, subtle error, giving him a sense of things gradually spiraling out of his control.
"Sliiiip…"
A long tongue licked his lips. Orochimaru, who had been silent until now, finally looked calmly at the three of them and spoke with a sneer:
"Not everyone is willing to become a puppet, to be used and discarded by you, for that position."
"Mito Homura."
"Lord Third turned a blind eye to you because of old friendship and his personality."
"Do you really think that when we take power, you'll still be able to sit in that position?"
He extended his hand and tapped his temple, as if threatening, yet also mocking:
"Don't take everyone else for a fool like Lord Third."
"Orochimaru, you!"
Mito Homura slammed the table, producing a dull thud. His palm left a deep mark on the solid wood surface, and the ashtray jumped with it.
The exchanges between Ninja were always so direct that they could make bystanders feel a thrill of fear.
Under the sudden eruption of Chakra confrontation between the two sides, a booming aura continuously compressed, stirring up a storm in the narrow conference room, even giving everyone the illusion that the two were about to start fighting at any moment.
At least, Namikawa Daisuke, standing at the eye of the storm, had silently closed his eyes, feeling a sense of peaceful resignation that his future ended here.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, however, watched him quietly, as if eagerly anticipating Mito Homura's next move.
With Lord Third's fate unknown, if they seized this chaotic time to eliminate Mito Homura and Utatane Koharu, then thoroughly clean out the Hokage Building, lighten their load, and continue to resolve the external problems, it wouldn't be a bad solution for Konoha's current situation.
As for what troubles they would face next, they would have to be dealt with sooner or later anyway.
The One-Country, One-Village system had only been established for forty years; any political maneuvering would require continuous experimentation by successors, right?
Moreover, Ninja always tended to be more direct in their actions.
There was even less to say about Orochimaru.
When Lord Third was conscious and protected these parasites, he said nothing;
But now that Lord Third was unconscious, you old fossils still dare to be so arrogant?
Then wouldn't Lord Third have been unconscious for nothing?!
As if sensing the subtle stirrings in their expressions, Mito Homura and Utatane Koharu both felt a jolt of fear.
Some people who sit in offices wielding power for too long always deliberately and carelessly forget one thing—the essence of power is still violence.
Almost in that instant, Mito Homura forcibly suppressed his temper, and even the Chakra he had erupted inadvertently retracted.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue, somewhat bored, but did not continue to press.
It seemed that unless it was a critical moment of absolute necessity, even someone as unrestrained as him dared not casually break certain established political rules.
Sawara Kiri stood quietly observing the scene with his arms crossed, his mind recalling the original story, the scene where Orochimaru tearfully slayed his own sensei.
Some things were truly bizarre.
Among the Three Sannin, the only one who shed tears for Sarutobi Hiruzen's death was surprisingly the seemingly most cold and heartless Orochimaru.
In contrast, Jiraiya and Tsunade, after receiving news of the Third's demise and being ordered to return to the Village, one immediately ran to peep into the women's bathhouse, while the other gambled a round in the entertainment district. Both had a subtle, casual feeling of 'that old geezer finally died.'
Even later, when they came face to face with their old friend who had just committed regicide and had crippled hands, these two showed no intention of harming him in the slightest.
Judging by the strength they later displayed, whether it was Sage Mode Jiraiya or Hundred Healings Tsunade, they clearly held back during that confrontation of the Three Sannin.
It was only when it became apparent that the two sides could not reach an agreement at all, and it seemed they were about to part on bad terms, that Sawara Kiri finally spoke:
"Since the adults cannot reach a consensus for now, why not first compromise on an opinion to face the current crisis?"
"If a 'Village Wartime Administrative Agreement Group' could be temporarily formed by Lord Tsunade, Lord Orochimaru, and Lord Jiraiya to exercise the Hokage's authority, I believe neither the Ninja clans nor the civilian Ninja would have too many objections."
As soon as his words fell, everyone turned to look at him.
Orochimaru even looked at him with some surprise, seemingly understanding his meaning at once.
If this 'Village Wartime Administrative Agreement Group,' centered around the three of them, took shape, then what business would the current Advisor Group have?
If you don't occupy the high ground of power, the enemy will.
As long as the numbers are sufficient, pieces of the original pie will inevitably be cut off, one after another.
This was an inevitable truth.
Tsunade also seemed to have realized this at once, and her gaze towards Sawara Kiri became subtle.
This kid, he's practically a combination of Grandpa and Great-Uncle.
However, at this moment, Mito Homura didn't think so far ahead. When Sawara Kiri spoke, he simply felt that all the anger he had been forcibly suppressing now had an outlet.
Jiraiya rejected me, Tsunade cursed me, Orochimaru threatened me, but because they are all the best current Hokage candidates, that's fine. But you, a mere junior who is nothing, dare to speak out of turn?
Thus, Mito Homura immediately flared up in anger and loudly reprimanded with dissatisfaction:
"You, a junior, in this situation, have no right to speak—"
"Boom!"
Unexpectedly, before his words had fully fallen, a Chakra fluctuation, even more intense than the combined force of the two earlier, suddenly erupted from the young man in front of him, whose face still held a hint of childishness. With an unstoppable momentum mixed with a peculiar sense of spatial distortion, it abruptly filled the entire conference room.
The overwhelming pressure even created the illusion of difficulty breathing.
Aside from some not-so-important unexpected gains, the physical enhancements brought by "Stamina Beast" alone significantly increased Sawara Kiri's total Chakra volume, making it incomparable to that of ordinary Kage-level Ninja.
Sawara Kiri slowly turned his head, his brilliant blue eyes staring directly at him. He tilted his head slightly, as if confused, pointed to himself, and asked softly, one word at a time:
"I can't speak?"
"Then you go fight the Third Raikage?"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter