Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

The worse the conditions in a ninja village, the more shameless the leader has to be. Take Sunagakure, for example. Because of the harsh conditions and lack of resources, the leadership has changed twice in the past few decades, and none of them have any sense of shame. If they did, the villagers might not be able to survive.

This is why, for so many years, it has been other villages that have repeatedly violated the peace treaty and started wars, while Konoha has to bring other villages into signing peace treaties after each war.

The peace treaty was initiated by the Senju elder; whether other villages wanted it or not was irrelevant, but Konoha had to abide by it.

........

"Hahaha! It's been years since I last saw you, Lord Daimyo, and you're still in such good health!"

"Not at all, I am far inferior to Lord Golden Lion."

"What you're saying is ridiculous. I'm destined for a life of hardship, unlike you, Lord Daimyo, who enjoys such good fortune. Under your wise leadership, the Land of Fire is truly becoming stronger year by year!"

"Hehehe...! Lord Golden Lion, you flatter me. This is all thanks to the Hokage and the others... Is this young man behind you your descendant? He's quite handsome!"

In the final open tournament, many spectators had already entered the training ground built by Konoha, waiting for the exam to begin. Just like the joint Chunin Exams with Iwagakure a few years ago, how could such a large-scale ninja world cultural and sports event be complete without the nobles and daimyo from various countries?

As soon as Masato entered, he took Haku to the daimyo's box in each country and chatted with the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

However, the daimyo's attention wasn't on him, but on Shiro behind him. After Shiro followed him in, none of the daimyo's eyes left him. If Shiro hadn't been wearing men's clothing, these daimyo probably would have turned into wolves long ago, ignoring Shinto's presence.

However, even knowing that the white one is male does not affect their love of beauty.

Especially the Fire Country Daimyo who was chatting with Shinto, who probably has some kind of family relationship with Tsunade, was making everyone drool.

"..."

The blatant expression on the face of the Fire Country Daimyo nearly made Haku, standing behind Shinto, unleash his full fury. Ever since learning about Orochimaru's hobbies, the legendary Konoha traitor, he'd been having nightmares for days. Now, seeing the Fire Country Daimyo's eager, almost thirsty, gaze, he felt an urge to kill for the first time...

.......

"Ahem, Your Excellency, please be more reserved."

With so many daimyo booking the entire venue, and the match not even starting yet, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally had to entertain these daimyo first. He was also in a private room, and seeing his own daimyo behaving rather blatantly, even drooling, he whispered a reminder.

The Hokage represents the image of Konoha, while the Daimyo represents the image of the entire Land of Fire. Regardless of their private lives, they must maintain a good public image.

To be honest, this Minazuki boy is just too damn talented.

He had been in the ninja world for decades and had dealt with the Minazuki clan before, but this boy's prodigious talent was absolutely top-notch within the Minazuki clan.

The more this happened, the more regrettable he felt. How could such an outstanding child have been snatched away by this bastard?

If they came to Konoha, in ten or twenty years, their Sarutobi clan could shed their big beards and become synonymous with handsome men!

"Huh? The four giants of Konoha are all here! And this is... Danzo, the advisor? What happened to you? It's been so many years, why are you all wrapped up like this? What a waste of such a beautiful face."

Shinto feigned surprise and spoke to the half of Konoha's sky, whose face was as expressionless as a dead man's and whose clothes were wrapped up even more than Piccolo's.

"Oh? Lord Golden Lion, was Advisor Danzo very handsome before?"

The moment this is mentioned, those famous figures perk up!

The chief advisor to the Hokage of Konoha, a pillar of Konoha, a man who dreams of unifying the ninja world and conquering the moon—that's a name known to everyone. Even those who aren't part of the ninja circle have heard of him. However, in their eyes, while this chief advisor's dream is indeed grand, his appearance makes him look like an ugly bastard, completely at odds with any supposedly stunning looks!

(⊙_⊙)??

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado also looked over. Seeing that Shiki was truly feeling sorry for Danzo, they had something to say.

They grew up together, and apart from Danzo himself, they really didn't think Danzo was handsome.

Hiruzen Sarutobi considered himself a dashing and talented man of Konoha. Back then, the only one who could rival him was his former best friend, Kagami Uchiha. However, because his hair was too thick and covered his handsome face, and he didn't have time to take care of his beard, his popularity wasn't as high as his former best friend's.

The literary figure Mitokado Homura thought the same way, even believing that back in Konoha, only the Second Hokage, the most handsome man in the ninja world, could rival him in looks. He didn't even take Uchiha Kagami, whose popularity was second only to his teacher, seriously, let alone Danzo, just because of that X on his chin!

But now the Golden Lion actually says that Danzo has an unparalleled face, isn't that just a slap in the face?

He wanted to see what made Golden Lion think that Danzo, that ugly bastard, was more handsome than him.

979. Danzo, you were the youth of a generation of girls!

Even Danzo was puzzled. It goes without saying that he was quite good-looking when he was young; anyone with eyes could see that. However, he always made a living through his talent and didn't care much about his appearance. He had never heard anyone praise his good looks, so he stopped caring about it a long time ago.

So back when that bastard Hanzo of the Salamander slapped his shoe sole, when he received the Sharingan and the First Hokage's cells, he never cared about his appearance. But now, seeing Shiki looking so regretful...

Even he himself was confused.

Was I really that handsome back then?

"You...don't you know? Back then, on the second annual list of the most handsome men in the ninja world, compiled spontaneously by the young ladies from all the major ninja nations, Danzo was ranked second, only behind the head of the Mizuki clan. Young, powerful, and rich, countless young ladies went crazy for him. Let's put it this way...even the current popularity king, Uchiha Itachi, can't compare. Sigh! Time is a cruel mistress. How did that second-ranked handsome man become like this? It's such a pity! Danzo, do you even know that you represented the youth of a generation of girls...?"

After praising him, Shinto looked at Danzo with pity, whose body was wrapped in countless bandages, making him even more secretive than Kakashi.

"Sukko-ichi! I never imagined that Danzo, the advisor, was such a popular figure back then. That's amazing!"

Upon hearing what Shiki said, the daimyo of the Land of Fire and the others all shifted their attention to Danzo, who was standing next to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

To be honest, if you take him out individually, Konoha's chief advisor looks ugly no matter how you look at him. But if you put him in the same frame as Hiruzen Sarutobi, he actually looks quite heroic and extraordinary. It's just that he has too many bandages, which affects his appearance.

"...It's just a mere physical body. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Danzo, who had instantly become the center of attention, forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, said his farewell, and left the private room like the wind.

I was so regretful!

For so many years, he only focused on the position of Hokage. He realized that he seemed to have missed too much. He didn't even know that he was the first generation of the most popular Hokage. He was also stupidly indifferent to the fact that he had transplanted Sharingan into his handsome face. What a failure!

If he had known he was this popular back then, why the hell would he have transplanted the Sharingan? He could have used that popularity to launch a nationwide vote, and wouldn't the Hokage position have been his?

Danzo was filled with regret!

I really want to slap myself. How could I have been so stupid back then? After all those families voted for Hiruzen Sarutobi, I thought the tide had turned and stupidly listened to Hiruzen's nonsense.

According to Shiki, with his popularity back then, he could have created a small Konoha even without the support of those clans!

I really regret it now.

However, it's not too late to know now. Although he's a bit old, after transplanting the First Hokage's cells, even though he didn't awaken the awesome Wood Release, the anti-aging effect is amazing. Now, people would believe he's the same generation as Asuma. As long as he goes back, pries out his Sharingan, and finds a way to restore his former peerless appearance, his popularity might not be worse than that of Uchiha Itachi when he debuts again. When he comes out to wave the flag and run for election again, how can that old and faded Hiruzen Sarutobi compete with him!

"...Has Danzo always been this energetic and impulsive?"

Shinto looked at Danzo in surprise. He didn't expect that even after decades of being corrupted, the old man hadn't changed at all and was still so easy to fool. Judging from his appearance, he probably wasn't up to anything.

"Ahem... Danzo's personality has always been like this, please don't offer any suggestions..."

They've been best buddies for decades. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't guess what his best buddy was up to, he was certain that he wasn't hiding anything good.

But he wasn't worried at all. What good is being handsome? She's been suppressed by him for so many years. How old is she now? Can she possibly regain her former glory...?

"By the way, Lord Golden Lion, is there anyone you have a favorite for this Chunin Exams? Would you be interested in playing a few rounds if I were to host the exam?"

At this moment, the daimyo of the Land of Fire spoke with great interest.

He had no interest in, nor dared to be interested in, the power struggles among the Konoha leadership. Back then, he fought with dozens of brothers for the title of Daimyo simply because he wanted to enjoy life. As long as he was healthy, no matter how the Hokage changed, he would still be a Daimyo.

Ever since he won a big bet back then, which dethroned the previous daimyo of the Land of Earth, and the Land of Earth still owes him gambling debts, he has made a name for himself as the God of Gamblers of the Land of Fire.

Many people praised him for his vision and boldness. Over the years, he had become a bit arrogant and always wanted to find an opportunity to gamble again. However, he never had the chance. Usually, when the big names from various countries gathered, they would only gamble a little for fun.

The fact that the daimyo of the Land of Earth didn't come this time made him a little uninterested; he hadn't expected the daimyo of the Land of Earth to be so afraid of death.

He didn't know that it wasn't that the Land of Earth's daimyo was afraid of dying, but that Onoki was terrified of being screwed over by his incompetent teammates. Onoki knew with a grain of salt that Shiki would come to the Konoha Chunin Exams. Even if Shiki wasn't there, there was still Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was afraid that this daimyo would be fooled again like the previous one, so much so that he wouldn't even know his own mother's surname and would come back with 50 billion again.

He hasn't even finished paying off his gambling debts from last time, so this time Onoki has locked him up in a dark room in the Land of Earth, and he'll only be released when the Chunin Exams are over...

This also made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel a bit regretful, as he couldn't properly exploit the situation. Back then, during the Nine-Tails' Night, the battle between Shiki and the Nine-Tails forced Konoha to rebuild completely, causing significant damage. Even now, the village's economy hasn't recovered. He had originally planned to take advantage of this opportunity to exploit the situation, but the Land of Earth's daimyo isn't coming. The Land of Wind's and Land of Lightning's daimyo had already experienced the previous high-stakes gamble and definitely wouldn't fall for it. Besides, the daimyo of those smaller countries don't offer much profit.

"Haha, Your Excellency has quite the refined taste, but I won't participate this time. These young men from Konoha are all so dashing and presentable; they're clearly the future pillars of the ninja world. We village youths are still a bit lacking!"

Shindou shook his head and chuckled as he looked at the name of this cross-dresser, seemingly addicted to it.

Snake will be causing trouble soon. This bet is obviously going to end inconclusively. The main event today is the two CEOs of the Senju clan beating up Hiruzen Sarutobi. The fight between Kurama and the fat cat brothers is just an appetizer.

This kind of gamble with no outcome is pointless, especially with Hiruzen Sarutobi watching from the sidelines; trying to trick this effeminate daimyo is unrealistic.

980. What you need to do is a face transplant.

"Go and fetch Orochimaru for me."

After Danzo returned to Konoha Root headquarters, in order to restore his handsome appearance, he summoned all the researchers he had raised for many years and discussed only one topic: if all the Sharingan were taken away, could he restore his peerless appearance?

After research and discussion by several researchers with more than ten years of experience, they unanimously agreed that this was very difficult, and at least not within their capabilities.

They don't know face-changing surgery... but they have elderly parents and young children to support, so they dare not say it out loud.

Upon receiving this answer, Danzo was not discouraged. These people were researchers he recruited after parting ways with Orochimaru. Although they were quite capable, they were far inferior to top scientists like Orochimaru. After waving them away, he immediately thought of Orochimaru.

They had met once before when Orochimaru came to cooperate with him. Although they had some unpleasantness before, there are no eternal enemies in this world. He wanted to become Hokage, and Orochimaru wanted to kill his teacher. The two hit it off and returned to their old close relationship.

After all, with his best friend dead, who in the village is capable of competing with him for the Hokage position?

The answer is no!

Although Konoha has remained relatively stable in recent years thanks to White Fang's reputation, White Fang has been relegated to the sidelines for so many years that his popularity is no longer what it used to be. Moreover, there is the incompetent Kakashi who is a burden, so he certainly won't compete with him for the Hokage position. The rest are all just there to fill the void.

So as long as his best friend dies, his position as Hokage is basically secure. Once he becomes Hokage, his image will be very important. Why has his best friend been loved by the villagers for so many years? Isn't it because he always has a smiling face?

He can do that too, but first he needs to improve his appearance. Right now, with his whole body wrapped in bandages, his image isn't very striking. If he could regain his former stunning looks, that would be perfect!

At this moment, he suddenly remembered that when he last saw Orochimaru, Orochimaru seemed to have not changed at all, still looking the same as when he was young. You have to know that Orochimaru is already over fifty years old. Apart from the Yin Seal, this is the first time he has ever seen someone who does not age.

Thinking that Orochimaru must have some kind of beauty secret, after all, he was a great scientist after the Second Hokage, so it was not surprising that he would come up with these strange things. Therefore, he immediately sent his underlings to fetch Orochimaru.

"Heh, what brings you here so urgently, Advisor Danzo? Can't you wait to become Hokage?"

When Orochimaru followed his Root underlings in, he saw Danzo sitting on his "dragon throne," seemingly lost in thought, drooling from the corner of his mouth without wiping it away.

"...Stop talking nonsense. Let's talk about that after you defeat Hiruzen Sarutobi. If I remove the Sharingan and the First Hokage's cells, can I restore my former peerless appearance?"

Danzo saw Orochimaru enter but didn't say anything. He gently stroked half of his old face and asked a question.

“(⊙_⊙)...”

Orochimaru's mind went blank the moment he saw Danzo's pathetic state.

Did this old man forget to take his medicine?

Why did you rush over to ask him about this?

And when the hell did you ever have stunning looks? How come I didn't know?

Are they thinking too many schemes and plots here? Have they lost their minds...?

"What? Is it not allowed?"