Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Unless something unforeseen and devastating happens to White Fang, damaging his reputation, once he agrees to become the interim Hokage, there's nothing he can do about it. Since returning from the Land of Water, White Fang has lived a monotonous life, either working for the Anbu or teaching his son. It's highly unlikely that anything unforeseen and devastating would happen to him. Even ambushing him in the bushes would be extremely difficult, as White Fang is an expert at it.

Therefore, he should also focus his attention on the next generation, just like Hiruzen Sarutobi.

So, there are only a handful of kids qualified for the next generation after Orochimaru and his ilk. It's easy to guess. The first one is Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi. However, precisely because he is Hiruzen Sarutobi's son, Danzo directly passed him over. Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't allow his son to become Hokage, nor did he dare to. This is a political issue. In Konoha, apart from the Senju clan, who are qualified to succeed their fathers as Hokage, no one else is even remotely qualified. The Senju clan's contributions to Konoha and the First Hokage's standing in the hearts of the villagers are far beyond what the Sarutobi clan and Hiruzen Sarutobi have achieved. Therefore, even if Shinnosuke Sarutobi wanted to become Hokage, not only would Hiruzen Sarutobi not agree, but no one else would either.

The second is Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze. His talent was so great that he could even teach the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique on his own. However, Minato had a major flaw that made Danzo hesitant to let Hiruzen Sarutobi promote him. While Minato was talented and popular, his commoner background was a significant disadvantage. Although he managed to win over a young girl from the Uzumaki clan, the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out many years ago, and now only a handful of them linger on the edge of survival. If Lady Mito were still alive... I wouldn't dare say that now that Lady Mito is dead and Tsunade is in charge of the Senju clan, it's impossible for Tsunade to use the Senju clan's name to support a distant relative like Minato Namikaze to take the position. If Hiruzen Sarutobi wants to support Minato Namikaze to take the position, the only way is to let him build up his reputation and popularity, just like Orochimaru did. But then again, in peacetime, how difficult is it to build up that kind of popularity to the point of becoming Hokage? Unless this brat kills a few Kage or Shiki tomorrow, it's almost impossible in peacetime.

The third one is Nawaki, the lifeline of the Senju clan and also the lifeline of Hiruzen Sarutobi... This kid was born at the finish line of others. As long as he says a word, just based on his status as the grandson of the First Hokage, at least half of the clans and villagers in Konoha will support him to take the throne. Hiruzen Sarutobi won't even need to lift a finger.

To be honest, he was the least optimistic about this kid. With his messy and chaotic talent that even a scientist like Orochimaru, who could rival the second generation, couldn't regain, no matter how popular he was, he couldn't possibly become the next Hokage. Although the Hokage doesn't necessarily have to be the strongest, a weakling certainly can't be the Hokage. And Nawaki is particularly outstanding in this aspect, so in his opinion, Nawaki couldn't be the next Hokage.

However... these are the three young people who ultimately want to take over. Although they are all somewhat unsuitable, Hiruzen Sarutobi will definitely choose one of Minato Namikaze and Nawaki. But he really can't guess who it will be.

Danzo tossed and turned in bed, becoming increasingly agitated. Suddenly, he sat up, his eyes flashing with malice!

If he can't guess, he won't guess; he'll just kill them both! He wants to see who Hiruzen Sarutobi will try to promote next! (▼he▼メ).

However, killing these two wouldn't be easy. One was Hiruzen Sarutobi's grand-disciple and Jiraiya's disciple, while the other was the heir of the Senju clan. Relatively speaking, Minato Namikaze was easier to deal with. After Nawaki's few-day trip to Sunagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade kept a closer eye on Nawaki. There were ANBU watching him around 24 hours a day. Tsunade, that female tyrant, was also in Konoha. Given his current situation with no one else available, it was a bit unreliable for him to kill Nawaki silently.

However, it's unknown whether Minato Namikaze has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique from the second generation. If he has, it would be even more difficult than the silent and elusive Nawaki.

Danzo then fell into a dilemma: which one should he kill first for a better chance, since he could only have one chance and couldn't try again if he failed.

As he pondered these thoughts, and with age creeping in, even the transplanted Hashirama Senju cells couldn't withstand the aftereffects of excessive mental exertion; a powerful wave of drowsiness washed over him...

.....

"...Did Danzo really get knocked out by the Raikage and Hanzo the Salamander? (⊙_⊙)?"

While Danzo was struggling with his thoughts and fell asleep, Shinto, who had been circling above Konoha under the cover of night, watching Danzo closely to see what he would do next, discovered that Danzo was actually asleep!

For a moment, he was truly enraged. He really wanted to go down and slap the old man a few times to wake him up. He realized that he was almost like Danzo's father. "I'm worried about your future, but you're all asleep, and so soundly. I can hear your loud snoring from far away."

Shinto realized that letting Danzo sleep like this wouldn't work. The old man was comfortable, but he wasn't comfortable until he was sure that the old man didn't intend to harm Nawaki. His three disciples were in dire straits, and if he didn't go back soon, what if they died young? They were his disciples, after all. Although they weren't very good—one was an exhibitionist, the other was disabled, and the third was very silly and naive—they were still his disciples. If they died in the Land of Fire, he would lose face too, and it might even make headlines in the ninja world again.

The renowned Golden Lion couldn't even protect his own disciple...

He didn't know what the future held for his three disciples, or whether Yekura would be tricked to death by Rasa like in the original story. He also didn't know whether Kudo Yusaku, who shared the same name as Conan's father, would continue to play minor roles as an extra. Those were things for the future. But for now, the three of them were his disciples. He said he wouldn't care about them, but if he really didn't, his own conscience would be tormented!

He couldn't go back to check on his three disciples until he dealt with Danzo. They were fighting for survival in the perilous Land of Fire, and he was truly worried about them!

443. The bandits' methods were quite professional.

"Huff... Senior Meichuan, I think that's enough. The sealing scrolls the teacher gave us are almost full. Let's find a place to rest."

Just outside the border of the Land of Fire, in a small grove, after shaking off another small squad of Konoha ninja, Meikawa and her two companions huddled under a large tree. Yekura, leaning on the tree trunk, panted heavily as she spoke.

The teacher had been gone for almost a month. During that month, they had been hiding from the Konoha ninja almost every day, without a single day of rest. They were almost discovered several times. If it weren't for the teacher's relatively good plan, given the frequency of their crimes every few days, they would have been caught. However, after a month without proper rest, she, being a girl, was finding it hard to keep up.

"Yes, Senior Meichuan, after a month of eating only soldier's rations and ammunition, your mouth is so bland it's practically tasteless. You should find a secluded place to rest for a while. We don't know when our teacher will be back."

Yusaku Kudo nodded in agreement with his friend's suggestion. He wasn't in as bad a state as Yoruichiro, but he had lost the energy he had when he left home. It was his first time leaving the village, and even going abroad. He felt like a canary just released from its cage, finding the air outside so fresh and the world so wonderful.

But now he really misses home! He misses the village with its endless yellow sand, he misses the lunchboxes his mother used to make...

"...Alright, things have been pretty tense outside lately. The nearby villages and towns should be on high alert too. Let's rest for a while and wait until things calm down before going out again..."

Looking at his two friends, Mei Chuan Neiyi, who was in a wheelchair, nodded and said that he was a little older and had experienced the vicissitudes of life, so his emotions were not as volatile as his two friends. However, he had been hiding during the day and hunting in the wild at night for the past month, and his mind and body were indeed in a state of flux. Although he did not know where his teacher had gone, he thought it must be related to Konoha. There was no news from Konoha, which meant that his teacher's mission was not completed. They still had plenty of time and there was no need to rush.

For the past month since arriving at the border of the Land of Fire, they have followed their pre-arranged plan, roaming the villages and towns along the border, identifying targets, and then carrying out their plans. Around 3 or 4 AM, they would raid the target ninja tool shops and herbal medicine shops, reaping quite a harvest without being discovered by the Konoha ninjas stationed at the border. However, their month-long series of raids has alerted the Konoha ninjas. Their last two raids haven't been very successful; each time, they were only halfway through their operation when the Konoha ninjas arrived. Fortunately, they escaped quickly and weren't discovered. However, the next operation will be much more difficult, and there's even a risk of being ambushed by the Konoha ninjas. There were only three of them, and they were still rookies. Facing a large number of Konoha ninja, they had nowhere to run. So, instead of taking the risk, they might as well rest for a while and wait until things calmed down. Anyway, their target was still there and wouldn't run away. Besides, the Land of Fire was really rich. They had only been wandering around the border and hadn't even gone deep yet. The sealing scrolls their teacher had given them were almost full. If they were to go deeper, it would be best to go to the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire. That would be a huge windfall. But that was just wishful thinking. They really couldn't go deep into the Land of Fire with just the three of them. The Daimyo's mansion was very close to Konoha. If they attracted Konoha's attention, they would really be doomed here.

.....

Overall, despite the dire situation, the three disciples are currently living relatively carefree lives, at least they haven't been discovered or cornered yet.

but....

"Lord Hokage, news has come from the border that ninja tool shops and medicine shops in many places along the border have been repeatedly looted over the past month."

Inside the Hokage Building in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just clocked in for work when an Anbu member appeared beside him and whispered a report.

The actions of Mei Chuan and his two companions still attracted attention. After all, they had committed crimes in multiple locations for a month and their methods were so professional that they were simply not something that bandits or ninja could do.

"Oh? Have you found out who did it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a couple of puffs of opium and asked with slight surprise, though he wasn't too concerned, just a little surprised. Since the war ended, their Land of Fire, as the victorious nation, had enjoyed unparalleled prestige. Even the bandits and ninja within their own country hadn't dared to commit crimes for a long time, and the Land of Fire had enjoyed a rare period of peace for a year or two. After Sakumo displayed his might in the Land of Water, moving in and out among a group of Kirigakure ninja and cutting people down like vegetables, even the ANBU from other villages had become rare. Logically speaking, no one should dare to cause trouble in their Land of Fire at this time. Now, this kind of thing was happening on the border, and he was really curious who dared to jump out at this time.

As for the losses of those ninja tool shops and herbal medicine shops, they're not too bad. Those shops in the Land of Fire often have problems, especially near the border. Konoha can afford to suffer such losses, so they're not worth his excessive attention. It would be a different story if it were ninja tool shops and herbal medicine shops in the Daimyo's territory...

"Judging from their methods, they're not like the bandits of the past. They were easily taken down by the ninja. The way these bandits operate and their unpredictable target selection shows that they are very professional. They also act extremely quickly, with very short timeframes before and after their crimes. They always choose to strike in the middle of the night when people are asleep, silently drugging the shopkeepers. Moreover, these bandits are very targeted, only taking valuable ninja tools and precious medicinal herbs. So every time our people arrive, it's a step too late, and they've already escaped, disappearing without a trace as if they suddenly vanished... We've never encountered such professional bandits before. It's very likely that they weren't from our own country."

The underling from the secret service shook his head and explained.

"Huh? Not one of our own?...Send Minato over here."

Upon hearing the explanation from his ANBU subordinate, Hiruzen Sarutobi began to take it seriously. In particular, the subordinate's words about not being from this country made a strange jolt in his soul. Although he didn't know why, his sixth sense told him that there was something fishy about this!

Then he thought that his perfect grand-disciple had been developing for so long, it was time for him to show his face. Otherwise, even if Sakumo couldn't outlast him and agreed to take over for a few years as a temporary replacement, there wouldn't be enough time to promote his perfect grand-disciple from a commoner background. Nawaki didn't need his promotion, but Minato did. If his reputation wasn't good enough, it wouldn't be easy for him to become Hokage's assistant, especially since the current Hokage's assistant was his good friend, Danzo Shimura...

i.

444. Minato Namikaze: It's finally my turn!

"By the way, what has Danzo been up to lately?"

Thinking of his best friend, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly remembered that he had been trying to recruit Sakumo since he decided to make him Hokage, and hadn't paid much attention to his best friend for a long time. According to his best friend's personality, he found that his best friend seemed to be too quiet lately, which was not like him at all.

Given my best friend's style, the fact that he didn't die in the Land of Water this time, nor did we hear any news of his seppuku, means that he definitely won't stay depressed forever. If he has already cheered up, he should make some noise. But so far, we haven't heard a single word about him, nor any news of his suicide. It's really strange that there are a few particularly strange things every year.

"Danzo has been staying at Root recently, but Ryoma Aburame has been out there and hasn't been seen since."

After the ANBU underling sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi to inform Minato Namikaze left, another ANBU underling emerged from the shadows and spoke.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. He knew where Ryoma Aburame had gone. He knew that when he promised his best friend to establish Root, his friend had been harvesting orphans all over the ninja world—something he had tacitly approved of. Better to live a wretched life than die. Those orphans couldn't survive alone in the ninja world. Danzo brought them back, turning them into emotionless tools, but at least they were alive. Besides, his best friend's intentions were to protect Konoha, and that was enough. His best friend was right; where there is light, there is darkness. It was better for his kind nature to let his best friend do what he couldn't…

Although his best friend kept it a secret, he knew the history of Root's development very well. After the Water Country incident, all of his best friend's underlings were lost there. When Aburame Ryoma went out, he naturally used the name of the Konoha Children's Charity Foundation to adopt orphans from the ninja world.

However, judging from his younger brother's words, Danzo should have already made a move, but given Danzo's personality, he didn't do anything, which made him even more confused. He didn't know what his good buddy was thinking.

Did he get beaten up so many times that he reformed?

If that's the case, that would be great!

"Lord Hokage, you wanted to see me...."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was contemplating whether he should find an opportunity to have his best friend beaten up a few times to completely reform him, Konoha's Little Sun arrived.

"Minato, things have been a bit unstable at the border lately. There's a group of people eyeing the ninja tool shops and medicine shops in those villages and towns. Go and investigate."

Looking at his perfect grand-disciple before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gloom vanished, replaced by a kind old grandfather's smile. He said to his perfect grand-disciple, "Your talent is immense, your natural affability is off the charts, and most importantly, you helped them deal with that darn Kushina. That's your greatest contribution to Konoha." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his grand-disciple with increasing satisfaction. Jiraiya, that rebellious disciple, had done nothing but wicked things his whole life. Taking on such a disciple was a contribution to the village. That rebellious disciple had been gone for almost two years, but he hadn't become a rogue ninja because of this perfect grand-disciple. After all, having a rogue ninja teacher wouldn't be very honorable for a perfect grand-disciple.

if!

If it weren't for Nawaki, or if Nawaki hadn't aspired to be Hokage, this perfect grand-disciple would undoubtedly be the top choice for the next Hokage. His son, Shinnosuke, was already considered exceptional by him; aside from not inheriting his five innate elemental attributes, he perfectly inherited all of his strengths and avoided the traditional flaws of the Sarutobi clan. His appearance and height even resembled Biwako's—he was practically a chosen one. When his eldest son was born, he exclaimed in astonishment, "My God! How can there be such a perfect person in the world!"

He never considered making his eldest son Hokage, nor would he instill in his son the idea of ​​becoming Hokage. He himself was already Hokage, and the village could not allow his son to become Hokage, even if his son was the chosen one. He did not have the great achievements of the Senju elders, so it was impossible for his son not to become Hokage. However, with his son's talent, leading the Sarutobi clan onto a prosperous path was absolutely no problem.

His eldest son was already so perfect, but this perfect grand-disciple was even more perfect than his son. Most importantly, he was handsome, and had his little pepper, who caused him so much trouble, completely infatuated with him. He even managed to figure out the Flying Thunder God Technique, which he himself couldn't understand. Because of his charisma and his commoner background, he had a high level of popular support. He was the ideal candidate for Hokage. Sometimes he wondered why that bastard Shiki didn't kill Nawaki back then. If he had, everything would have been perfect.

He no longer needs to worry about Tsunade being seduced by that bastard; he can naturally elevate his perfect grand-disciple to the top...

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Minato Namikaze wasn't as dramatic as Hiruzen Sarutobi. After receiving his orders, he was slightly excited and quickly left the Hokage's building, heading towards the village entrance. He wanted to finish quickly and return to his girl. This was the first time since his debut that he had received a solo order from the Hokage, and he was indeed a little excited. He was clearly capable of completing the mission alone, but the Hokage had never assigned him a solo mission before. Although many Hokage said it was to protect the village's promising young talents, it inevitably made him feel a little sad, as he aspired to become Hokage. He felt the Hokage didn't quite approve of him. Not being able to complete a solo mission meant he had to team up with others, and teaming up meant splitting the reward money. For someone from a commoner background and in love, this was a disaster. Kushina had been with him since she was seven, and he hadn't even given her a decent gift. Their dates were always either in the woods or at Ichiraku Ramen. In the woods, they could see the night view for free; at Ichiraku Ramen, it was because it was cheap… ╥﹏╥

Although Kushina didn't care all these years, he always felt guilty, but he really didn't have any money in his pocket!

Did he really think the Flying Thunder God Technique was so easy to learn? Just learning one Flying Thunder God kunai had already bankrupted him. If it weren't for the fact that he could sneak out with Kushina to see the night view later, why the hell would he learn such a difficult and expensive ninjutsu...?

This is finally my turn! I'm rich!

Reflecting on the arduous first half of his professional career, Minato Namikaze couldn't help but shed bitter tears...

Downstairs in the Naruto building, people were yawning and looking at each other.

"(⊙_⊙)? Was that Minato who just went out? Why is he crying all of a sudden?"

"Could it be that he's heartbroken? You know how violent Kushina is, that little firecracker. It's amazing that Minato has held on this long..."

"Yeah, that's true! Breaking up is a good thing for them too..."

445. Danzo: Could it be that Madara is suffering from dementia?

"Is Danzo sleeping well...?"

In Danzo's room, snoring echoed throughout. Shinto watched as Danzo slept soundly, seemingly lost in some rosy dream, tears even streaming down his face. Behind his mask, his expression was ashen; he was utterly exasperated by Danzo's pathetic state! If it weren't for the fact that he needed to keep this old bastard around to wreak havoc on Konoha, he would have killed him right now. At his age, still having those rosy dreams—how despicable, shameless, and utterly shameless…

"Huh? Who? That bastard...? Didn't you already leave? What brings you here...?ヽ(ー_ー)"

Danzo, who was enjoying the most exciting moment in his dream, was startled awake by the noise. His face darkened in reality, and he was about to get angry when he saw that the person who came was Madara, whom he thought was Madara. He suppressed his anger. However, he had finally managed to dream about the girl from that summer of that year, and he was about to swing the bat when he was woken up. Even if it was Madara, he would not give him a good look.

"When I passed by the Hokage Building, I overheard something very detrimental to your becoming Hokage. That brat Hiruzen Sarutobi seems to be planning to make Hashirama Senju's grandson the Hokage. Advisor Danzo is really carefree, still able to sleep soundly. Although Hashirama Senju's grandson isn't particularly talented, with the vitality of the Senju clan, he'll likely live to be a hundred years old without any problems. Plus, with the support of the Senju clan's popularity, if he really becomes Hokage, his position will be much more secure than Hiruzen's. While your Hashirama Senju cells also possess amazing vitality, you're ultimately not a member of the Senju clan, and the Sharingan and the Mangekyou Sharingan in your right eye suppress their effects, greatly reducing their effectiveness. At most, they'll only allow you to live for another ten years. In other words, once Hashirama Senju's grandson becomes Hokage, you'll have no hope for the rest of your life! You can continue sleeping. I'm leaving. It's truly a case of 'why did Hashirama have to be born if Danzo did...'"

Ignoring Danzo's disgusted expression, Masato finished saying "You have no hope" and then floated away. Before leaving, he said something in a voice that Danzo could hear, "I don't know if Danzo's literary abilities can understand it."

He'd already made his intentions so clear. If Danzo continued to be so incompetent, like Liu Shan (Adou), then he'd take matters into his own hands, go ask the Raikage for some explosive tags, and blow up the Senju clan...

...

"...(⊙_⊙)?(⊙_⊙)?"

Danzo stared blankly at Madara's departing figure, wondering what Madara wanted to do by coming to him so early in the morning and rambling on and on.

He'd already guessed last night that his best friend wanted either Nawaki or Minato Namikaze to rise to power. The only problem was deciding who to target first; he needed to kill both of them anyway. After all, if one died, the other could be a backup. Eliminating one wouldn't make much difference, but killing both of them wouldn't be easy. He'd just fallen asleep from overthinking all night. No matter who he attacked first and succeeded, the next attack would be much harder. If he failed the first time, it would be even more difficult in the future.

It's not that he hadn't thought of this; he just hadn't figured out a solution. What's this guy trying to do by coming here and nagging?

Could it be Alzheimer's disease?

But thinking about it, it's quite possible. Madara is already over eighty years old; it's not surprising that his memory is declining...

"Someone, go and keep an eye on Minato Namikaze and Nawaki..."

Shinto's last words truly stung Danzo. Thinking back on his life of military service, sacrificing his life for Konoha, he knew that his contributions to Konoha were far inferior to Hiruzen Sarutobi's. Danzo was eight feet tall and handsome, and in terms of appearance, Hiruzen Sarutobi was far superior. The words "Why did Hiruzen exist if Danzo was born?" deeply pierced his fragile heart. Danzo forced back his tears and gave orders to the guards outside.

These sentries can't kill anyone, but they can keep an eye on the two kids. However, they still need to plan carefully how to kill them...

.....

"Huh? How did this perfect ninja get out here?"