At the residence of the Fire Country Daimyo, discussions were underway about the reconstruction of Konoha Village.
A long table had been placed in the grand hall.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Akechi Mitsuhide, sat facing south.
To his east sat five of his counselors, all wearing tall, dark hats.
To the west were five representatives from Konoha: village advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, an Anbu captain in a white cape and animal mask, Jonin representative Nara Shikaku, and the leader of the Root organization, Shimura Danzō.
Mitokado Homura spoke first.
"We and our allies plan to continue our current strategy against the Akatsuki."
One of the Daimyo's counselors, a calm man with glasses, responded gently.
"Since the village is in such a state, the Fire Country will fully support its reconstruction. The first step is securing the budget. Then, we must begin repairing strained relations with other nations."
At that moment, Danzō spoke firmly, steering the conversation.
"There is something even more important, choosing the next Hokage!"
Shikaku's eyes narrowed. As expected... it begins.
As Konoha's Jonin representative, he had already recommended Kakashi for Hokage.
But he knew there was another man aiming for that position, Shimura Danzō.
Kakashi's path to the top was still far from clear.
The Fire Country Daimyo gently fanned himself.
"Wouldn't it be better to wait until Tsunade recovers?" he asked.
Utatane Koharu responded,
"Daimyo, Tsunade is still in a coma. We don't know when she'll wake up. The village is in crisis, and without a Hokage, it's hard to carry out important decisions. Besides… she does bear some responsibility for the village's destruction."
The responsibility Koharu referred to was Tsunade's decision to keep Naruto hidden at Mount Myōboku, which led Pain to attack the village in search of him.
Daimyo sighed.
"I had hoped Jiraiya could take the role. I admired him… but he's no longer with us. So, are there any other candidates?"
Just as Danzo began to speak, Nara Shikaku cut in.
"In that case, I recommend Hatake Kakashi!"
Danzo shot him a cold glare, but Shikaku ignored it.
"Oh! The son of White Fang?" The Daimyo perked up.
"That's excellent!" He turned to his counselors.
"What do you all think?"
"His strength, reputation, and character are all outstanding."
"But isn't he a bit young?"
"Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was younger when he took the role..."
The counselors murmured in agreement, and the momentum shifted in Kakashi's favor.
Then, the bespectacled chief counselor asked,
"Hatake Kakashi, whose student is he?"
Mitokado Homura answered,
"He was trained by the Fourth Hokage."
Daimyo clapped his hands.
"Perfect! The Fourth was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was taught by the Third Hokage. The lineage is clear, no problem, then…"
But just as the decision seemed settled, Danzo interrupted coldly,
"The Third Hokage's teachings are what led the village to ruin."
"…"
The Daimyo was startled by Danzo's intense gaze and quickly raised his fan to cover half of his face.
Danzo seized the moment.
"The leader of the Akatsuki who destroyed the village was once Jiraiya's student. This is the result of foolishly sympathizing with other nations and teaching them our ways. It's pure naivety."
He continued coldly,
"This same naïveté has been passed down for generations. It led to the betrayal of our allies and gave Orochimaru the chance to invade the village."
"And now, the next generation of Akatsuki is being led by a remnant of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke, a rogue ninja..."
Nara Shikaku listened closely, his expression growing darker.
Then, Danzo gave a sly smile and dropped a bombshell.
"But above all... the greatest failure, another student of Jiraiya, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto, has betrayed the village!"
"!!"
Shikaku's face changed instantly. The entire hall burst into shocked whispers.
The chief counselor spoke up, surprised,
"Wait... wasn't Naruto the hero who defeated the Akatsuki leader? Isn't he still resting with honors?"
Danzo let out a cold laugh and glanced at Shikaku.
"You'll have to ask Konoha's Jōnin representative, Nara Shikaku."
All eyes turned to Shikaku. The Daimyo asked,
"Shikaku, what's going on?"
Sweat trickled down Shikaku's face. As expected, Danzo's spies found out...
But he steadied himself quickly.
"Sir Daimyo… After the battle, Naruto didn't return to the village. But we can't say for certain that he's betrayed us."
Danzo, unfazed, continued without proof,
"We've received critical news, Uzumaki Naruto is suspected of being in contact with the Akatsuki's second-in-command and plotting against the village..."
Everyone frowned.
"Is the information reliable?"
Danzo added more fuel to the fire.
"It's basically confirmed... In fact, I suspect that Nagato's attack on Konoha may have been planned together with Uzumaki Naruto."
The Daimyo looked troubled.
"That doesn't sound right. Naruto is said to be a good-hearted boy… a role model for young ninja."
Danzo replied coldly,
"There is no right or wrong when it comes to a Jinchūriki. The Nine Tails is sealed inside him, an embodiment of evil."
"No matter how innocent he once was, being tainted by that darkness will eventually corrupt him."
"This is the result of Jiraiya's poor teaching, Tsunade's blind protection, and Kakashi's lack of discipline as a Jōnin."
The chief counselor adjusted his glasses and said,
"Your Excellency Daimyo… Even if Danzo's claims aren't confirmed, Kakashi may not be the right choice for Hokage at this time."
"…"
Shikaku wanted to speak up but was at a loss.
With Danzo framing Naruto as a traitor, the momentum had shifted, and saving the situation was now extremely difficult.
Bang!
Danzo slammed the table and raised his voice.
"In a time like this, what kind of Hokage do we need? We need someone who can take control in the worst of times!"
"Someone who can change the ninja world—reshape its very laws with strength and conviction! That Hokage must be me!"
"…"
The Daimyo closed his eyes in deep thought.
Shikaku quickly stepped forward.
"Sir Daimyo, please don't decide based on Danzo's words alone. Konoha's Anbu is already tracking Uzumaki Naruto's whereabouts. I believe this will all be resolved very soon…"
Daimyo opened his eyes and made his decision.
"Alright, it's decided. Danzo, you will be appointed… the Sixth Hokage!"
Danzo's lips curled into a triumphant smile.
He thought: I had planned to use my right eye to manipulate the Daimyo when things were turning against me, but using Naruto's situation to discredit Kakashi and secure the Hokage position worked even better than I expected.
Shikaku, even you are powerless against me...
After leaving the Daimyo's residence, Danzo walked with the white-clad Anbu, using crutches.
"How's everything going on your end?"
The Anbu member replied,
"Following your instructions, we've spread rumors among the lower-class citizens. We made it seem like Naruto and Pein were working together to deceive the villagers. After Lord Danzo uncovered their plot, they fled the village overnight..."
Danzo smiled.
"Very good."
The Anbu member hesitated.
"Danzo-sama, it hasn't been proven that Naruto betrayed the village, and he's one of the few who can match Jiraiya's strength. Isn't this risky?"
Danzo's expression hardened.
"Whether Naruto betrayed us or not, as a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, he's a threat to the village. We must deal with this now before it grows worse."
He added coldly,
"Strength is useless if it can't be controlled. This is a necessary sacrifice for Konoha."
Danzo raised his hand to cover his right eye, his ambition clear.
"Once Naruto is dealt with, I will take control of the Nine-Tails. With that power, I, Shimura Danzo, will become the strongest Hokage in history..."
.
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TO BE CONTINUED