Giving the Third Hokage a look of disdain, Mitokado Hamura decisively stood up and left. Before leaving, he didn't forget to warn the Third Hokage:
"You should keep an eye on Koharu. As for Danzo... forget it. I won't see him. I don't want anything to do with them anymore."
He had no intention of dealing with Koharu, let alone Shimura Danzo, and he valued his peace of mind.
Mitokado Hamura decided to feign ignorance and distance himself from them. From now on, he would stay away from those two to avoid any schemes. Instead, he'd rather go visit Akimichi Chōza and exchange recipes and food experiences with the amiable glutton.
"Ah... what a mess..."
Left alone in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage sighed heavily.
Hamura was right—dealing with Koharu was already a headache, and now Shimura Danzo had become another problem. If those two joined forces, he could easily predict trouble brewing.
While he was worried about Danzo's ambitions, he also had to suppress other factions in the village. Shimura Danzo's hunger for power rivaled even Sarutobi Hiruzen's.
If Danzo remained imprisoned, chaos might ensue.
If Danzo were released, more problems could arise.
In the end, the Third Hokage had no good options.
After mulling it over, he decided to seek out Shinki. Perhaps he could negotiate some terms and use Danzo as a pawn.
Meanwhile, Tsunade rushed home, only to find Shinki wasn't there. Frustrated, she turned around and stormed into the ANBU base, heading straight for Shinki's office.
"Shinki, what the hell are you doing, you damn Hokage candidate? Why didn't you discuss this with me?"
She slammed her hand on the table, the sound echoing ominously. The poor table creaked, on the verge of collapsing. Shinki, ever cautious, lifted his legs and rested them on his chair to avoid any potential injury.
"You're holed up at the hospital, working day and night to make money. You're never at home or the ANBU base. How am I supposed to discuss anything with you?"
"You can't just—"
Tsunade faltered. Recently, her focus had been on earning money to repay debts, leaving her out of touch with village politics. But this—being named a Hokage candidate—was another matter entirely.
Shinki raised an eyebrow.
"What can't I do?"
Tsunade growled, her anger bubbling up again.
"You can't just throw me into the Hokage race! You know I have no interest in becoming Hokage."
"I know." Shinki's tone was calm, almost smug.
"Then why did you agree to this?!"
Tsunade nearly choked on her own words.
Leaning back in his chair, Shinki smirked and began explaining.
"The Third Hokage is struggling to keep Danzo locked up. If he doesn't release him soon, certain... unsavory rumors could spread, undermining his authority."
"So he came to you for help?"
"Exactly."
Tsunade frowned, deep in thought. She hadn't heard anything specific about Danzo's situation, but if Hiruzen was this desperate, it must be serious.
"But why make me a Hokage candidate?"
"Simple." Shinki tapped the desk lightly. "Because you're not interested in the position, and the Hokage knows that. Naming you as a candidate eliminates any real competition. For anyone else, this would have been impossible to negotiate."
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
It was a shrewd move—naming someone disinterested in the title to maintain balance and stall for time.
"And what about Danzo? You know he's obsessed with the Hokage position."
"I hope he targets me," Shinki said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "This time, I'm ready to crush him like the bug he is."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Killing or even openly opposing a village elder isn't something you can just brush off. It would affect your reputation—and mine."
"Who said anything about killing? There are other ways to deal with him," Shinki replied, nonchalantly waving off her concerns.
For a moment, Tsunade contemplated the situation. The idea of crushing Danzo was appealing—he'd caused nothing but trouble for Konoha. But the weight of the Hokage candidacy still lingered.
"You do realize that if something happens to Hiruzen, I'll automatically become Hokage, right?"
Shinki nodded.
"Yes, and if that happens, you'll become Hokage whether you like it or not. Until then, we don't need to do anything drastic."
Tsunade sighed. He wasn't wrong. If fate forced her hand, she'd step into the role. But for now, there was no reason to overthink it.
"Fine. Just don't expect me to fight for the position."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Shinki said with a yawn, waving her off as he leaned back in his chair.
Tsunade scowled but couldn't argue further. Shinki had a way of turning even the most stressful situations into manageable plans—and for now, she'd let him take the lead.
>>>>>
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A/N: Hey Guys,
I was going over the discount code and saw that it wasn't toggled on for all the tiers. I fixed it now, sorry about that. ;)