Time passed quickly, and before long, half a month had gone by.
During this time, the Root ninjas dispatched by Danzo arrived in the capital, where the Land of Fire's Daimyo resided. After executing a tactic to draw the attention of the guardian ninjas away, the disguised Uchiha Root ninjas met with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was a frail, middle-aged man who appeared weak and incapable of channeling chakra. However, in reality, he was also a ninja. His skills were not on par with the elite ninjas of Konoha, but he was at the level of a Chuunin.
Still, this level of strength was nothing compared to the Root ninjas. The Daimyo soon faced the special treatment of the Root ninjas, enduring restless nights filled with nightmares for several consecutive evenings.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had once sought the help of the Twelve Guardians, but they too were of little assistance. Though they possessed the combat strength of Jonin, their skill in genjutsu was nowhere near the level of the Uchiha clan, and many of them were only Special Jonin with three tomoe Sharingan.
Upon receiving this report, Danzo, hiding in the shadows, revealed a sinister smile.
In addition, another important piece of news appeared on Danzo's desk, Tsunade, returning to the village as one of the Legendary Sannin, had agreed to become an elder in the village.
Danzo was not particularly surprised by this news. He had sent a gambler to entangle Tsunade, not to make her leave the village, but to delay her return. After a preparation period of half a month, he felt confident he could become a candidate for the Fifth Hokage.
After reviewing all the information, Danzo made his way to the Hokage Tower, ready to take action against both Jiraiya and Tsunade.
---
Inside the Hokage's office, Jiraiya, the acting Hokage, formally received Tsunade and proposed the idea of her becoming the next Hokage.
Tsunade did not immediately agree, nor did she reject it outright.
She knew that as soon as she spoke, she could become the next Hokage of Konoha, but the responsibility that came with being Hokage was enormous. She did not feel confident enough to take on the role.
After some careful thought, Tsunade shook her head to decline.
"Jiraiya, I'm not ready to become Hokage, and I don't believe I can be a qualified ninja. The position of Fifth Hokage should go to you. I'll take charge of Konoha Hospital at most."
Upon hearing Tsunade's refusal, the two advisors in the shadows exchanged helpless glances.
With Tsunade's status and strength, she had long been qualified to become Hokage, not to mention the position of director of Konoha Hospital. It felt like a waste.
Thinking about it, the two advisors turned their gaze toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya, like Tsunade, had the same problem. They had both already become acting Hokage, and it would only be natural to succeed to the position of Fifth Hokage. Why, then, was Jiraiya reluctant to claim the role?
At this moment, Danzo, who had been eavesdropping by the door, pushed open the office door.
Danzo glanced at Jiraiya and bluntly said, "Since Tsunade doesn't wish to become Hokage, there's no need to force her. Besides, even if she were to become Hokage now, she no longer has the battle power expected of a Hokage."
Seeing Tsunade furrow her brow, Danzo continued, "I'll ask you a simpler question: with Tsunade suffering from hemophobia, can you still defeat the elite Jonin of the ninja world?"
At this, the faces of the Konoha high-ranking officials around them changed. Tsunade's hemophobia was well-known. She had given up fighting as a ninja, which was why she had left Konohagakure.
This was also the reason why her departure was not considered an act of defection. Tsunade's grandfather and great-uncle were the First and Second Hokage, and as long as Tsunade did not openly oppose Konoha, her leaving the village was considered a voluntary departure, not defection.
After being questioned by Danzo, Tsunade fell into deep thought.
Though Danzo's words were harsh, they were true. Since contracting hemophobia, her combat abilities had significantly decreased. She could only manage about 50% of her original strength.
Against ordinary Jonin, she could still rely on her physical strength and chakra reserves to overwhelm them. However, when facing an opponent of similar strength, she had little to no chance of victory.
Seeing that his words had made an impact, Danzo continued, "Furthermore, Tsunade has been away from the village for so long. If she returns now, can she really take over the mess left by Hiruzen?"
At these words, Jiraiya fell silent for a few seconds.
Danzo was right. Tsunade had been away for so long; how well did she even know the current state of the village? If she didn't understand the situation of the village, how could she possibly change its dire circumstances?
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances with each other before realizing Danzo's intentions.
Just after the Third Hokage's funeral, Danzo had expressed his desire to become Hokage, but he lacked the proper nominations, meaning he couldn't even run for the position.
Everyone had thought that Danzo had given up on becoming Hokage, resigning himself to being the leader of the Root organization. But now, Danzo was taking action against Tsunade and Jiraiya, trying to snatch the position of Hokage.
If Danzo wanted to run for Hokage, no one had any objections. However, they were questioning his age. He hadn't fought any equal opponents for decades. Did he truly have the strength to become Hokage?
At that moment, Homura Mitokado, understanding Danzo's intentions, spoke up, "Danzo, don't tell me you intend to compete for the position of Fifth Hokage? Are you sure you want to become an opponent to both Tsunade and Jiraiya?"
Danzo nodded confidently. "In the current situation, with internal and external troubles, it is necessary for a calm and mature ninja to become Hokage. Looking at the entire Konoha, aside from you two, only I am qualified."
Facing Danzo's confident statement, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane frowned slightly, while Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions also changed. Although they had differing ideologies, none of them wanted Danzo to become Hokage.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane knew Danzo all too well. If Danzo became Hokage, the Hokage Building would turn into his personal dictatorial chamber, and the two advisors would lose most of their power. Jiraiya and Tsunade, on the other hand, believed that Danzo was too cold and ruthless, making him unsuitable for the Will of Fire.
After careful consideration, Koharu Utatane spoke up, "Danzo, we don't oppose your candidacy for Hokage, but to become Hokage, you must receive a nomination."
To become Hokage, one had to be nominated by the higher-ups of Konoha.
In theory, Danzo could nominate himself, but even with this, he would need to pass the election in the Jōnin Assembly, and Danzo probably wouldn't do it that way. Furthermore, aside from Danzo himself, almost no one would nominate him for the position.
After hearing this, Danzo suddenly spoke up, "Of course I have been nominated, and it was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire himself who fought for it."
His words stunned the ninjas in the room. They had almost forgotten that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had such power. If the Daimyo truly supported Danzo for the position of Hokage, his chances of becoming Hokage were indeed quite high.
But why would the Daimyo support Danzo instead of Tsunade? Did Danzo use some form of coercion against the Daimyo?
Homura Mitokado shook his head and said, "That's impossible. The Daimyo would never suggest you as Hokage."
Danzo saw through Homura Mitokado's thoughts and replied indifferently, "Why wouldn't the Daimyo nominate me? Homura, you're still stuck with old ideas. I've been guarding the village all these years without slackening."
He paused for a moment and turned to Jiraiya and Tsunade, "As acting Hokage, it's time to hold the Hokage election. I want to take over the mess left by Hiruzen as soon as possible and correct the mistakes he made. As for whether I can become Hokage, let the Jōnin of the village decide."
With that, Danzo confidently left the Hokage office, leaving the others to exchange glances.
Watching Danzo leave, the two advisors fell into deep thought. Danzo still wanted to become Hokage, but no matter when, he would never be able to. He couldn't become Hokage before, and he still couldn't now.
After thinking this over, the two advisors turned to Tsunade and Jiraiya and said, "Danzo is going to make trouble again. I'll try to persuade him to abandon the competition, but you two need to work hard as well."
They paused before turning to Tsunade and saying, "Tsunade, do you really have hemophobia? If it's true..."
The two didn't dare continue their words.
Tsunade, with her status, experience, and medical ninja profession, was loved by the ninjas of Konoha. But these were merely advantages for becoming Hokage, not the deciding factors.
The only absolute factor in becoming Hokage was being the strongest ninja in Konoha; otherwise, if an assassination attempt occurred, the village would face a huge blow.
Tsunade stayed silent for a few seconds before saying, "I do have hemophobia. When I see blood, my strength drops significantly. But after all these years, I've more or less gotten used to the symptoms."
Tsunade's bluntness left the two advisors unsure of what to say next. If Tsunade truly had hemophobia and couldn't display the strength of a Sannin, she would indeed not be suitable for the Fifth Hokage position. At best, she could serve as the head of Konoha Hospital.
The advisors then looked to Jiraiya for answers. After all, it was his idea to invite Tsunade back to become Hokage, so it was up to him to resolve the situation.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, then said, "I'll help Tsunade overcome her hemophobia. If we face an opponent we can't defeat, I'll handle it. I'll take care of these troubles for Tsunade."
Tsunade rolled her eyes, walked up to Jiraiya, and said, "Who told you to make decisions without consulting me? I haven't even said I want to run for Hokage. Letting Danzo become Hokage isn't necessarily a bad thing."
After a pause, Tsunade continued, "But I will still run for Hokage, not to become Hokage, but to protect Konoha, the Konoha left by Grandpa and Great-Uncle."
Upon hearing Tsunade's decision, the two advisors and Jiraiya sighed in relief. If Tsunade had refused to run for the Fifth Hokage, they would have had no suitable candidate. As for letting Danzo become Hokage, they didn't want to take such a huge risk.
Just then, as Danzo was leaving the Hokage Building, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the Hokage office with a meaningful expression.
He knew that Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the two advisors would oppose him becoming Hokage.
Since that was the case, he couldn't be blamed for using certain methods. Everyone's ultimate goal was to protect Konoha, and in order to clear the way for Konoha's future, it was only right for him to eliminate the obstacles in his path.
Several days passed, and Danzo secretly contacted Orochimaru.
The last time, they had teamed up for the Konoha Destruction Plan, eliminating the elderly and immortal Third Hokage. This created a vacuum in Konoha's highest power, giving Danzo the opportunity to run for Hokage.
Danzo was planning to take action against Tsunade and Jiraiya next.
If the Jōnin Assembly was truly convened and there was a vote for Hokage, he knew it would be impossible to defeat Tsunade and Jiraiya. Unlike his own quiet and unremarkable presence, Tsunade and Jiraiya had both ruled over entire battlefields. In addition to commanding troops in war, they had earned the loyalty of many Konoha ninjas, gaining immense fame and prestige. As early as a decade ago, they were both popular candidates for the position of Hokage.
On the other hand, Danzo Shimura's presence, aside from among a few Jōnin and some Chūnin, was barely noticed. His influence was even less significant than that of the Jōnin class.
Therefore, he planned to spread the news about Tsunade's hemophobia and, at the same time, team up with Orochimaru to ensure that Tsunade and Jiraiya would not be able to participate in the Hokage election. As long as Tsunade and Jiraiya did not run, he could easily become Hokage.
---
Within half a day, Danzo contacted Orochimaru. At the time, Orochimaru was in the Forest of Death, observing Kabuto, who was meeting with him for the fifth time.
After finding Orochimaru, Danzo, accompanied by his trusted subordinates, made their way to him. He instructed Shisui and the others to wait off to the side while he approached Orochimaru, and together they observed Kabuto in the distance.
Danzo was no stranger to Kabuto. Kabuto was one of the elite operatives from the Root organization, whom Danzo had personally handpicked. Kabuto was also the adopted son of his former subordinate, Nono Yakushi. Years ago, Danzo had orchestrated a situation where the two would end up turning on each other, breaking their bond and leaving one of them completely under Danzo's control. However, during the execution of this plan, an unexpected event occurred.
Iwagakure's Onoki had fought a mysterious ninja, and the battle unintentionally affected both Kabuto and Nono. Nono had died in the aftermath of the fight, while Kabuto returned to the Root organization with the news. Danzo had been surprised at the time, but once he confirmed through other channels that Nono had indeed died, he sent Kabuto to the Ninja Academy.
In recent years, Danzo had not paid much attention to Kabuto, so he was surprised to find that Kabuto had attracted the attention of Orochimaru.
Returning his thoughts to the present, Danzo turned to Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, are you interested in Kabuto? If you like him, I can give him to you."
Orochimaru did not respond directly to Danzo. Instead, he asked, "Or perhaps you would like to tell me what you're here for? I remember our cooperation just ended not long ago. What do you want this time?"
Danzo didn't waste time with pleasantries and immediately said, "In one week, the village will hold the Hokage election. I need you to delay Tsunade and Jiraiya, and help me become Hokage."
"Help you become Hokage?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing something from Danzo, and then said, "Jiraiya and Tsunade are my friends. I won't easily take action against them."