Inside the Konoha.
The two Hokage advisors did not conceal the news.
The information about Shimura Danzo soon becoming the Fifth Hokage and the impending invasion of the Akatsuki organization had already spread among the ninjas of the village.
That name...
Many people had never heard of it.
"Shimura Danzo... who is that?"
The Konoha ninjas exchanged confused glances.
How could someone whose name they had never even heard of become the Hokage of the village? Was such a Hokage trustworthy? A group of Konoha ninjas who had never heard of Shimura Danzo's name were left puzzled, a bit concerned about whether the future Hokage could shoulder the responsibility of leading the village.
However, those who did know Shimura Danzo's name immediately fell into anxiety, wondering how someone like him could possibly lead the village. That old guy...
Could he handle external threats, or was he only good at dealing with his own people?
In the Konoha Hospital.
Hatake Kakashi lay on the hospital bed, Sarutobi Asuma stood by the window smoking, Kurenai sat nearby peeling an apple, and Might Guy was doing a handstand against the wall.
"Wasn't Tsunade-sama supposed to succeed as the Fifth Hokage?"
Kurenai's face showed some concern, seemingly unable to understand the higher-ups' decision: "Why suddenly make Danzo the Hokage?"
"Because of the Akatsuki's invasion."
Hatake Kakashi frowned deeply, continuing in a serious tone, "However, Shimura Danzo has always had ties with the Akatsuki. The so-called Akatsuki invasion might very well be a plot by Danzo..."
"What?"
The expressions of everyone in the room changed dramatically.
"Hey, Kakashi, what's really going on here?"
Sarutobi Asuma couldn't hold back any longer, extinguishing his cigarette and demanding, "You've been hiding a lot of things from us! And before Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi infiltrated the village, you warned us to be on high alert..."
"Yes."
Hatake Kakashi was silent for a moment before speaking, "Because I received information in advance that Shimura Danzo invited the Akatsuki into the village..."
This information...
Was given to him by Uchiha Sasuke.
"!!!"
Everyone looked at Hatake Kakashi in disbelief.
This news was shocking! Shimura Danzo colluded with the Akatsuki, an S-class rogue ninja organization, to secretly infiltrate the village—this was nothing less than treason!
"Why?"
Might Guy flipped to his feet, scratching his head in confusion, "Why would Danzo-sama, a high-ranking member of the village, invite..."
"To eliminate us."
Hatake Kakashi's gaze fell on everyone present, and he informed them of everything, word by word, "Danzo wants to become Hokage, and the most crucial part of becoming Hokage is the trust vote by the Jonin of the village, which requires unanimous approval..."
"I once had dealings with Danzo."
"And I know some of his secrets."
"I could never support someone so dark and harmful to his comrades becoming the Hokage of our village. Perhaps others also know about Danzo's ways..."
"In that case..."
Hatake Kakashi looked back at his friends, his expression calm yet serious, "If he wants to become Hokage, then those of us who oppose him would be the ones he needs to eliminate, so he needs someone to help him do that..."
"And the source of your information?"
Sarutobi Asuma focused his gaze on Hatake Kakashi.
"..."
Hatake Kakashi hesitated, then simply shook his head and softly said, "I can't reveal the source of the information just yet..."
"Without that, we have no evidence."
Sarutobi Asuma's face darkened as he shook his head and sighed, "Unless we capture one of the Akatsuki members and get concrete information from the interrogation team..."
This kind of talk was nothing short of a pipe dream.
The identities of Akatsuki members were always secretive. It was pure luck that they had encountered Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi; where could they find another Akatsuki member?
"But we can't just sit idly by!"
Might Guy clenched his fists and called out to his friends, "Let's go see the two advisors right away and tell them everything!"
"..."
Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Asuma exchanged a glance.
"No."
"That would throw the village into even greater turmoil."
Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Asuma simultaneously rejected Might Guy's suggestion.
"But..."
"Kakashi, Asuma, we can't just sit back and do nothing..."
Kurenai, sitting by the bed, gently persuaded the rational Hatake Kakashi and Sarutobi Asuma, "When the village faced crises before, our predecessors stood up and gave their lives for the village..."
"This crisis is even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails incident. A conspirator is colluding with enemies from another village to seize the Hokage's position. If we know the truth and choose not to expose it..."
"Kurenai."
Sarutobi Asuma glanced at his girlfriend and sighed, "Even if Kakashi reveals the whole truth, without evidence, people may not believe what he says. We believe him because we've been friends for many years..."
Because they had grown up together, they trusted what Hatake Kakashi said. They knew their old friend wouldn't slander the future Hokage without reason.
"So, do we just watch the crisis unfold?"
Kurenai's eyes reddened, making her seem even more pitiable, "Even if it costs our lives, we should stop this conspiracy! The Third Hokage gave his life to protect the village; how can we stand by and watch the Hokage's position fall into the hands of a conspirator?"
"..."
Sarutobi Asuma fell silent.
When his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, died in battle, he had just returned from outside the village and was hit with the devastating news, which dispelled all the grudges he had held against his father in the past.
"Kurenai is right!"
Might Guy waved his fist in support of Kurenai.
"Kakashi."
"We need stronger evidence."
Sarutobi Asuma looked at Hatake Kakashi, asking solemnly, "Are you still unwilling to reveal the person who provided the information?"
Sarutobi Asuma watched the silent Hatake Kakashi and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, that person should be one of Danzo's subordinates, right? Even if you don't say it, it will eventually come to light..."
"Besides..."
"He's also a hero of the village."
Sarutobi Asuma looked at Hatake Kakashi and continued to persuade, "I can contact the Jonin Squad Leader, Nara Shikaku, and we will protect the person who provided the information together..."
The identity of a Root ninja was classified information.
These identities were usually known only to Shimura Danzo himself, and outsiders would never know where Root ninjas came from. Sarutobi Asuma was unaware that Uchiha Sasuke had joined Root.
"..."
Hatake Kakashi frowned slightly, quietly voicing his concern, "If we really want to overturn the higher-ups' decision to recommend Danzo as Hokage, we must succeed... If we fail, he will be in danger too."
"Let's meet with the Jonin Squad Leader first!"
Sarutobi Asuma had to temporarily give up pressuring Hatake Kakashi to reveal the informant's identity and called Kurenai to join him, "At least let's deal with the Jonin trust vote issue first. Squad Leader Nara Shikaku definitely won't agree to Danzo becoming Hokage..."
Naturally.
Nara Shikaku could never agree to Danzo becoming Hokage.
As the Squad Leader of the Jonin, who was also one of the village's higher-ups, Nara Shikaku knew that Shimura Danzo had done some dirty things. He could even guess about seventy to eighty percent of the truth behind the Uchiha clan's massacre...
After all...
The conflict between the Uchiha and the village's higher-ups had nearly escalated into a civil war, but then the entire Uchiha clan was wiped out overnight by Uchiha Itachi...
Nara Shikaku didn't believe that the Uchiha massacre had nothing to do with the higher-ups of the village. It was likely that the higher-ups had turned Uchiha Itachi against his own clan to slaughter them, but that had nothing to do with Shikaku, so he didn't care.
But...
The Hokage's position in the village was a different matter!
After receiving the news, Nara Shikaku did not rush to the Hokage's office to report to the two advisors. Instead, he first went to the Konoha Hospital to see Hatake Kakashi.
This head of the Nara clan, known for his intelligence, listened carefully to what had happened and casually uncovered Hatake Kakashi's secret: "Kakashi, the person you're trying to protect must be someone very close to you, right?"
"!!!"
Hatake Kakashi's expression changed.
"Hmm..."
"Let me think…"
Nara Shikaku stroked his chin, pondering the people around Hatake Kakashi. He quickly identified his target: "Team 7 hasn't been very active lately. Naruto and Jiraiya-sama were still involved in activities before they left the village. Sakura and Ino had a quarrel some time ago, but it seems like Sasuke hasn't been seen for a long time..."
There was no other way.
Hatake Kakashi's social circle was simply too limited.
After all, Kakashi's father committed suicide when he was young, and both of his teammates died in the war. His teacher and his teacher's wife also perished during the Nine-Tails incident...
As a result, Kakashi's social circle became extremely narrow.
Kakashi is a Jonin instructor, and his only new connections are the three kids in Team 7. Coincidentally, Shikaku's son, Shikamaru, and the kids in Team 7 are contemporaries, so there is some overlap between them.
"Yes," Kakashi sighed, seemingly a bit helpless. "Captain Nara, you truly are the smartest person in the village..."
"I will keep this secret," Shikaku said, his gaze growing more serious than ever before. "So, please tell me everything. In times of weakness, placing hope in comrades to resolve a crisis isn't recklessness. This isn't just your issue; it concerns the safety of the entire village..."
"..."
Kakashi rubbed his forehead.
His student...
Hadn't done anything wrong, right? After considering it for a moment, Kakashi finally decided to share everything with Shikaku, as Sasuke once placed his hope in Kakashi to overthrow Danzo.
"Sasuke..."
"He chose to ally with Danzo to seek revenge against Itachi..."
"After joining the Root, Sasuke discovered some of Danzo's secrets, such as his collusion with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki..."
"..."
Shikaku nodded slightly.
These were indeed things that Danzo would do.
Anyone who knew Danzo was aware that he wasn't a good person. He even tried to force children from the Nara clan to join the Root, and Yamanaka Fu from the Yamanaka clan had been sent there...
Moreover...
The way Kakashi described Danzo perfectly matched Shikaku's impression of him. This was definitely something Danzo could do.
What's more, Kakashi had no reason to slander a future Hokage, especially since he, Sarutobi Asuma, and other Jonin were the future of the village...
"I will report this to the two Hokage advisors..."
After obtaining the information from Kakashi, Shikaku set out for the Hokage building to report the troubling issues about Danzo.
Inside the Hokage building.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were a bit at a loss.
"Shikaku, what are you saying?"
They had just announced Danzo's succession as Hokage, and now this unfavorable news about him surfaced, with even the Jonin Squad Leader personally coming to accuse him.
The problem was...
Danzo was indeed capable of these things!
Koharu and Homura knew their old friend well enough to understand that Danzo could definitely do something like this. Under Hiruzen's command, Danzo had done plenty of dirty work!
"The Jonin group will not approve a vote of confidence in Danzo."
Shikaku firmly expressed the Jonin group's opinion to the two Hokage advisors. They would not accept someone as cunning as Danzo becoming Hokage.
"I also don't believe Danzo is a suitable Hokage candidate..." Homura frowned and spoke softly. "If we can't make him Hokage, then with the Akatsuki's invasion looming, the village might not withstand..."
"Homura!"
Koharu cut him off.
What nonsense was this old friend talking about here?
If Danzo was indeed colluding with the Akatsuki, should they compromise with him just to avoid the threat of the Akatsuki?
Now was not the time to show weakness to Danzo!
If they supported Danzo becoming Hokage, the powerful Jonin group would be at odds with them, and the village would quickly fall apart!
"We will reconsider the Hokage candidate."
Koharu solemnly informed Shikaku, reviving the proposal to have Tsunade succeed as Hokage. "Jiraiya has already gone to find Tsunade. We've sent word for Jiraiya to return to the village. The future Hokage should be one of them..."
"That would be ideal."
Shikaku smiled and said, "Whether it's Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama, both are highly respected by everyone..."
"Advisors!"
"Top secret information from Jiraiya-sama!"
Just as they were praising Jiraiya and Tsunade as suitable Hokage candidates, an Anbu ninja swiftly delivered an urgent, top-secret report.
This report...
Was sent by Jiraiya through a toad from Mount Myoboku.
When Koharu and Homura opened the report, their faces turned particularly grim because it contained specific details about Danzo.
It seemed...
Danzo really wasn't fit to be Hokage.
Or perhaps, their old friend was no longer a qualified ninja.
"What happened?"
Shikaku's expression also became serious.
"..."
Koharu and Homura remained silent.
Normally, this information should have been kept secret from the village to avoid causing an uproar, but Shikaku already knew about Danzo's collusion with the Akatsuki...
So...
There wasn't much point in hiding it now.
"Jiraiya sent this..."
Koharu placed the report on the table, her voice growing weary and aged, as if a heavy burden was weighing on her heart. "The truth behind the Chunin Exam incident... Danzo secretly colluded with Orochimaru to kill Hiruzen to seize the power of the Hokage..."
"Danzo..."
"How could he do such a thing!"
After a moment of dismay, Koharu's face suddenly turned angry, her old forehead veins bulging. "Deploy the Anbu immediately to arrest Danzo and bring him back to the village for trial!"
"But we've just announced Danzo's succession as Hokage..."
Homura wanted to stop Koharu, hoping to avoid damaging the village's reputation too much. "If we hastily arrest Danzo and put him on trial, the village might lose faith in the leadership's judgment..."
"We can't wait any longer!"
"Cancel his Hokage appointment immediately!"
Koharu shook her head at Homura and said, "No matter what, send someone to arrest Danzo first. We absolutely can't let him get wind of this..."
"Alright!"
Homura nodded, agreeing with Koharu's approach. However, he raised a concern: "But with Uchiha Sasuke by his side, if Anbu tries to arrest Danzo..."
It would be tricky!
Because Uchiha Sasuke's strength was a bit overwhelming!
If they tried to forcibly arrest Danzo and Sasuke decided to help him, the Anbu would surely suffer heavy losses...
"Now's not the time to worry about that!"
Koharu felt that Homura was becoming as soft as Hiruzen.
"Perhaps..."
"We don't need to worry about Sasuke!"
Shikaku smiled, believing that everything was falling into place. "If Sasuke knows the truth, as a ninja of the village, that kid will definitely choose to protect the village..."
"Let's hope so."
Koharu and Homura sighed.
But...
They didn't realize there was still another issue.
After Danzo was dismissed by Hiruzen years ago, most of the Root ninjas were forcibly integrated into the Anbu. When Danzo regained power, some returned to the Root, while others stayed in the Anbu, secretly spying for Danzo. They had already received the order from the two Hokage advisors to arrest Danzo...
"Hurry and inform Danzo-sama!"
"The village higher-ups wants to arrest him!"