The four major ninja villages—Mist, Cloud, Sand, and Rock—had all declared war at the same time!
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen was reflecting on whether he had made any unforgivable mistakes. If he hadn't, how could he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, make the four villages, who were usually enemies and hated each other deeply, join forces to attack Konoha?
He needed to stay calm. As Hokage, he couldn't panic or cause chaos, especially in front of thousands of Konoha ninjas. If he panicked, it could lead to unnecessary disorder.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took several deep breaths to calm himself. But his heart was racing, his forehead veins were bulging, and his vision was getting blurry.
He fought against the dizziness and discomfort, grabbed Koharu Utatane beside him, and said in a strained voice, "Koharu, Homura. Go and get Danzo!"
"Hiruzen, you need to stay strong!" Koharu Utane understood the urgency and hurried to find help.
Just then, another Anbu agent appeared. Ignoring the chaos below, he spoke urgently, "Hokage-sama, there's urgent news from Hidden Cloud Village!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew this was likely bad news. But since he was worried about the remaining high-end combat forces in Konoha, Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Sogetsu, he asked, "What's happened?"
"Namikaze Minato has been successfully rescued and is returning to Konoha with Uzumaki Kushina," the Anbu agent reported.
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a wave of relief. "That's good news," he said, feeling his stress decrease and his mood improve.
"By the way, where is Uchiha Sogetsu?" Sarutobi Hiruzen then remembered to ask.
The Anbu agent bowed deeply and responded in a trembling voice, "Uchiha Sogetsu fought and killed the Third Raikage alone in Kumogakure Village. Third Raikage was cut in half and died and Uchiha Sogetsu current whereabouts are unknown."
Boom!
Sarutobi Hiruzen was struck by lightning, and his mind went blank instantly.
His blood pressure, which had just started to stabilize, surged again, and he could hardly believe what he'd just heard. With a hint of doubt in his astonishment, he asked, "What did you say? Please repeat that."
"Report to the Hokage."
The Anbu operative paused, then repeated through gritted teeth: "Uchiha Sogetsu killed the Third Raikage alone in the Hidden Cloud Village. The Raikage was cut in half, and Uchiha Sogetsu's current location is unknown!"
"Ah, he killed the Third Raikage?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes lost focus, and he twitched his lips into a meaningless smile: "He killed the Third Raikage? Hahaha. He killed the Raikage!"
"Hiruzen?"
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's strange reaction, Utatane Koharu grew worried.
"He killed the Raikage!"
Veins bulged on Sarutobi Hiruzen's forehead. A metallic taste surged in his throat, his eyes turned bloodshot, and he suddenly spat out blood.
Then, the world began to spin, and he felt dizzy and weightless before falling backward.
Boom!
The Third Hokage fell to the ground in front of many families, ninjas, and civilians on the podium.
Utatane Koharu was stunned. What she saw was completely unexpected. She had no time to react. She watched as Sarutobi Hiruzen hit his head on the steps, rolled around in a mess, and then tumbled down from the podium.
"Hiruzen!"
"Hokage-sama?!"
"Hokage-sama!"
The crowd erupted in chaos in an instant.
The Hokage, normally a figure of great respect and strength, lost his composure and fell off the podium.
The shocking sight deeply unsettled the Genin, Chunin, and even some civilians present.
Many tried to rush forward but were held back by the Anbu, with only a few Jonin approaching.
"Hiruzen! Hiruzen!" Utatane Koharu, in a panic, rushed down the steps, picked up Sarutobi Hiruzen, and shouted, "Wake up! Hold on! You can't leave us now!"
With the four major ninja villages declaring war simultaneously, Konoha could not afford any more trouble. If something happened to the Hokage, it would be a devastating blow. Even before the war began, Konoha would lose half of its confidence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen understood the gravity of the situation. Konoha couldn't lose its Hokage.
His health had been failing, worsened by recent incidents and his constant strain working with Danzo.
Now, with the four major villages declaring war, someone needed to step up. Namikaze Minato was absent, Orochimaru wasn't trustworthy for critical roles, Jiraiya and Tsunade were away from the village, and Uchiha Sogetsu wasn't reliable for important tasks. In those few moments, Sarutobi Hiruzen realized with sadness that there were no good options left.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and grasped Utatane Koharu's hand, his eyes intense: "Go, get Danzo to take over as Hokage!"
With that, his head fell, and he lost consciousness.
Utatane Koharu stood still for a moment, took a deep breath, and knew she couldn't delay any longer. She had to manage the situation immediately. Gathering herself, she shouted to Sarutobi Hiruzen's trusted aide, "Elephant, did you hear Hiruzen's order?"
"Yes, Advisor Koharu," Elephant responded after a brief pause.
"Why are you still standing around? Go and carry out the order!" Utane Koharu said firmly, her eyes sharp. "The rest of you, protect Hiruzen and take him to the hospital!"
Elephant arrived at the 'Root' headquarters, his heart heavy with worry.
In the darkness, a figure with an enchanting presence sat in the shadows. The figure looked at Elephant and spoke lazily, "Aren't you Hiruzen's trusted guard? What brings you here?"
After a brief pause, Elephant grit his teeth and half-knelt on the ground. "By the Hokage's order, please inform Lord Danzo that he is to temporarily take over the role of Hokage."
Danzo, who had been standing on the platform, was stunned for a full half-minute. His mind struggled to grasp the situation. He stammered, "What did you say? What happened? Explain quickly!"
"Hokage received sudden news that all four major ninja villages declared war on Konoha, and that Uchiha Sogetsu killed the Third Raikage. In his shock and anger, he collapsed and lost consciousness," Elephant explained, detailing the events. "Before he completely fainted, the Hokage decided to appoint you to temporarily take over his duties."
Temporary Hokage!
These words ignited a fire in Danzo's heart.
"Alright, I understand."
He forced himself to remain calm and said, "You go on ahead. I'll be there soon."
Elephant silently withdrew.
In the darkness, Danzo's lips curled into a wide smile. His low chuckle grew into a loud, wild laugh.
"Ha ha ha ha."
"Hahahahahahaha"
"Hahahahahahaha."
"Finally! Finally! Finally, it's my turn, Hiruzen!"
That once-beautiful and attractive face was now twisted with extreme emotions and looked oddly unsettling.
"Congratulations, Lord Danzo."
Aburame Ryoma quietly stepped out, observing Danzo's triumphant laughter, and said calmly, "This means the Root's power will grow even more!"
"This time, I'll reclaim everything I've lost!"
Danzo was brimming with confidence and eager to achieve great things, imagining a bright future.
On the surface, Aburame Ryoma seemed respectful and obedient, bowing and half-kneeling. But a strange smile played on his lips.
The more the 'Roots' grow, the better for him.
Danzo is the founder of the Root, but he will never realize that the Root he created no longer truly belongs to him!
********
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