In the Land of Fire, within the Daimyo's palace.
Since Sarutobi Hiruzen assumed the role of Hokage, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire sent an immediate invitation to this new figure in Konoha.
To maintain the relationship between the village and the Daimyo, Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted the invitation and led his guards to attend.
During the banquet, luxurious dishes and fine food were a must.
More importantly, beautiful women were necessary to bring joy. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had heard of the new Hokage's fondness for beautiful women, so he prepared something to suit his taste. With a wave of his hand, soft music began to play, and a group of dancers adorned in bright clothing entered, bowing in greeting before beginning their performance.
After three rounds of drinks, everyone started feeling euphoric, and a group of plump officials, with their flabby appearances, began flattering Sarutobi Hiruzen.
One of the officials, who was full with a bloated belly, raised his cup and said, "Lord Third Hokage, the defense of the Land of Fire will now depend on you. Don't worry about the budget; we will do our utmost to support you, even if it means selling everything we own."
Hiruzen responded, "Don't worry, we will do our best to protect the homeland."
At first, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt awkward with the warm reception from the officials of the Land of Fire, but this feeling quickly faded with their repeated addressing of him as the Third Hokage, and he began to feel comfortable and euphoric.
Within himself, he reflected on the allure of power and how his family had pushed him since childhood to become Hokage. Now, he understood why.
In the corner, Danzo sat scowling, his fingers pressing hard against his knees, filled with intense jealousy.
Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen had been comrades since childhood, constantly competing, but Danzo had never managed to surpass him, which always angered him.
Not long ago, Danzo had lost to Sarutobi Hiruzen once again, but this time, he had lost his most cherished dream—the position of Hokage.
The details were that the Second Hokage had given his students a tough mission and asked them who wished to remain as the last guard.
Danzo, as a ninja, was ready to stay, but at the last moment, he hesitated out of fear...
In that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward and boldly declared his willingness to sacrifice himself and stay.
In an instant, Sarutobi Hiruzen became a hero in everyone's eyes (except Danzo's).
The Second Hokage admired his character and decided to appoint him as his successor, while he chose to remain as the guard and sacrifice himself to save the others.
At first, Danzo thought he had simply lost, and he wasn't the type to be unable to accept defeat.
But after returning, he began to think about it and realized that something wasn't right.
After a sleepless night, the truth dawned on him.
His old friend, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had played it smart and won unfairly.
Everything had been prearranged.
Since the Second Hokage assigned the granddaughter of the First Hokage to be Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciple, it was clear that the Second Hokage had always planned to make Hiruzen his successor, and only needed the right opportunity.
So, when the opportunity arose, the Second Hokage seized it and staged this scenario.
Konoha was founded by the Senju and Uchiha clans.
If the Hokage were chosen from either clan, most of the village's ninja wouldn't object.
But the reality was that the Senju clan no longer had a strong leader, and they couldn't be relied upon.
As for the Uchiha clan, they had powerful leaders, but their use of the Sharingan could lead to extremism, making them a ticking time bomb.
If Hiruzen from the Sarutobi clan took the position of Hokage, there would be criticism, which could harm internal unity and give external enemies a chance to inflict irreparable damage on Konoha.
Therefore, to secure his disciple's position, the Second Hokage orchestrated this entire scenario.
Perhaps Sarutobi Hiruzen was able to grasp the Second Hokage's thoughts, which is why he acted so bravely and without fear of death. After this incident, no one would oppose his becoming Hokage.
Haha...
What a cold heart you have, Master Tobirama!
You did all this for Hiruzen.
I, too, am your disciple, Danzo Shimura.
Master Tobirama, you were biased!
When Danzo thought about these things, it felt like the fire of jealousy was burning him from the inside, making him extremely uncomfortable.
But, what good is dissatisfaction now? What's done is done, and it can't be changed. For the sake of the village's stability, Danzo had to look at the bigger picture, suppress his jealousy and anger, and even use his clan's strength to support Sarutobi Hiruzen without hesitation.
Danzo took a deep breath, casting a long, meaningful look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was being flattered by the others, and a new idea began to take shape in his mind: "It's possible to replace him…"
After the banquet ended and the guests were seen off, Danzo urged Sarutobi Hiruzen to leave the Daimyo's palace and return to Konoha to manage affairs.
"Ah, are we leaving so soon?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked longingly at the dancers who were dressed in revealing outfits.
Lust was his weakness.
Since marrying Biwako, he had been more cautious in this regard, at least not daring to act recklessly within the village. Additionally, after becoming Hokage, he had to be more mindful of his image.
Every word and action represented the image of the village.
"Stop this nonsense. Do you think this is the right time for that? There are many important matters in the village waiting for your decision, especially regarding the Uchiha clan..."
Danzo suddenly stopped speaking.
The Uchiha topic was not appropriate to discuss here. It was necessary to return to the village and discuss the matter carefully with the other advisors: Akimichi Homura and Mitokado Koharu.
These two had been promoted to advisors after Sarutobi Hiruzen became Hokage.
"I understand..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen cast one last glance at the dancers before turning to leave.
"Hokage, wait a moment..."
Upon hearing these words, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to see a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes. At first glance, he gave the impression of being an honest and loyal person.
"Prince Kōda Jin."
Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled the identity of the man before him and chose his words carefully before speaking.
Kōda Jin is the elder brother of the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire, known for being an honest and upright person, treating everyone with sincerity. He has good relations with most ministers in the court and enjoys the trust of the Daimyo in managing the affairs of the country.
Prince Kōda Jin had a friendly smile on his face and spoke slowly, giving people a sense of comfort: "I apologize, there is something I forgot to mention during our previous conversation."
Sarutobi Hiruzen showed his magnanimity: "No need to apologize, Your Highness. What is it?"
Prince Kōda Jin smiled and said, "This place is not suitable for discussion. Please, follow me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."
Hearing this, Danzo and the guards prepared to accompany Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Um..."
Kōda Jin looked at Danzo and the guards ready to move, hesitating slightly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen understood what was going on: "Danzo, wait here."
According to the rules, the guards should accompany the Hokage wherever he went, as it was part of their duty. But Danzo didn't object to Sarutobi Hiruzen's request.
First, the place was safe enough, and there couldn't be any assassins.
Second, even if there were assassins, Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength was enough to deal with them. If not, he wouldn't be fit for the position of Hokage.
Additionally, deep down, Danzo hoped that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be attacked. That way, he might have a chance to take over the position of Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched as Danzo's guards moved away, puzzled about whether there was something that required their removal. But he didn't ask, following Prince Kōda Jin silently into a room.
(End of Chapter)
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