Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

"If you don't want to suffer anymore, then don't talk to me like that again."

The third generation of cold voices.

It's only been a short time since we last met, and this guy seems to have forgotten who he is now. He actually dared to speak to him, the person who holds his life and death in his hands, with the same attitude he did just now. He really doesn't know what's good for him.

The Third Hokage continued to torture Danzo until Danzo begged for mercy.

He had already seen through Danzo: he was ambitious but lacked ability, and was also extremely afraid of death.

Sure enough, the reason this guy didn't step forward to help his teacher right away was because he was afraid of dying.

The teacher must have seen that he was afraid of dying, which is why he didn't choose to make this guy Hokage.

As expected of a teacher, he has a keen eye for people.

"Now can we talk properly? Why did you send people to track the White Fang Squad and even expose their location, letting other ninja villages hunt them down? How could you even think of that? Do you know what you're doing?"

The Third Hokage grabbed Danzo by the collar with one hand, lifted him up, and stared into Danzo's eyes with icy eyes as he spoke.

Danzo met the Third Hokage's gaze without flinching, sneering, "Isn't everything I've done exactly what you've been hoping for? Do you really want to see the Senju clan snatch that position from your backside again? Tsunade, Nawaki, and Kirito—they're all on the Senju side. If Nawaki and Kirito were alive, Konoha would forever remain in the Senju's possession. Have you considered what would become of the Sarutobi clan behind you then? Do you think they'd spare them?"

Upon hearing Danzo's words, the Third Hokage's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints. He then forcefully shoved Danzo to the ground and sternly said, "What nonsense are you spouting? I am the Hokage! How could I possibly do such a thing? Stop trying to sow discord here. The Senju and Sarutobi clans have a very good relationship."

Really? Hahaha~

Upon hearing this, Danzo burst into laughter again.

When the Third Hokage heard Danzo dare to laugh again, a surge of anger welled up in his palm. He decisively formed another hand seal to activate the Vajra Mantra located in Danzo's heart.

Danzo immediately let out a scream, but this time, he laughed as he screamed, his eyes fixed on the Third Hokage with a deep sense of mockery.

"Danzo, you really think I wouldn't dare kill you, right?"

Upon seeing this, the third generation's anger level quickly reached its maximum, and he spoke with murderous intent.

"It doesn't matter. Kill me or torture me, it's up to you. The reason you've kept me around is because I still have some use to you."

Once I'm no longer of any use to you, you'll definitely kill me, right? Because I'm your dark side. You, the Hokage who shines brightly in front of others, certainly don't want anyone to know about the dirty things you've done. Anyway, I'm going to die in the end, so maybe it's better to die sooner.

But after I die, you won't have an easy time either, hahaha~

When Danzo saw that the Third Hokage was trying to threaten him with his life again, he immediately burst into laughter, his laughter filled with hysteria. He became completely insane, and his eyes revealed a crazed look.

When the Third Hokage saw Danzo's deranged state, he immediately realized something was wrong and stopped torturing Danzo.

He was well aware of Danzo's various dirty tricks; if that guy went all out, he'd be a menace even in death.

He suddenly realized that agreeing to let Danzo use shadow clones to go outside and command Root was a mistake, and a very big mistake at that.

Things seemed to be slipping out of his control.

"What, are you scared? Afraid that the villagers will find out your true colors? They would never imagine that their beloved Hokage is such a despicable and shameless guy, pretending to be a good person in front of others while secretly ordering others to do shady things."

Let me think... If those Konoha ninja clans, whose power is constantly shrinking, knew that you ordered me to eliminate those among them who opposed you in order to suppress them, and then the Sarutobi clan behind you took the opportunity to swallow up their territory, and even pretended to win them over, their expressions would definitely be quite interesting.”

Seeing that the Third Hokage seemed frightened by his current appearance, Danzo stood up again, came to the Third Hokage, looked at the Third Hokage's eyes filled with sarcasm and anger with a mocking gaze, and continued to speak sarcastically.

The Third Hokage did indeed use the cursed seal to control his life.

However, he wasn't without leverage over the Third Hokage. The Third Hokage's carefully maintained image in front of the villagers had somehow transformed into a fool who valued honor more than his own life.

Otherwise, the Third Generation wouldn't have entrusted him with all the dirty work while keeping himself completely clean.

However, anything done will inevitably leave a trace. No matter how the third generation tries to cover up the truth, his hands can never be clean.

Moreover, he always liked to keep something in reserve. He kept records of every dirty thing the Third Generation had made him do, and even forged many things to make the Third Generation believe them.

In fact, there were many ninjas in his Root organization whom the Third Hokage mistakenly believed to be dead. These ninjas were originally targets that the Third Hokage had specifically instructed him to eliminate.

These ninjas all have some dark history related to the Third Hokage and the Sarutobi clan behind him.

Of course, he now has all this dirt on him.

The Third Hokage was furious that Danzo was threatening him with methods that tarnished his glorious image, and at that moment he wished he could kill Danzo with the Vajra Mantra immediately.

But he held back in the end. He wasn't afraid that Danzo would use this to ruin his glorious image, but he was worried that if he were removed from the position of Hokage, it would cause chaos within Konoha and ultimately lead to the defeat of Konoha in the war against Sunagakure, plunging Konoha into a huge crisis.

He took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth to Danzo, "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Don't you know perfectly well what I want? Hahaha~"

Danzo sneered, then burst into maniacal laughter again.

Chapter 170: The Third Generation and the Sarutobi Clan

"Danzo, do you think it's appropriate to take your anger out on a ten-year-old child? Don't forget, he's also the teacher's grandson."

The Third Hokage, realizing that Danzo intended to continue targeting the White Fang Squad, said angrily.

Regardless, Nawaki was his teacher's grandson, and he didn't want anything to happen to him. Moreover, if something happened to Nawaki, Tsunade, his dear friend, would be heartbroken. As for whether the Senju clan's main line would completely collapse after Nawaki's death, having lost its true bloodline successor, he didn't care much.

“Although he is only 10 years old, now that he has become a ninja and gone to the battlefield, we can no longer look at him with the same eyes we would a child. Besides, isn’t that kid already a Jonin? You know the Senju clan’s situation best.”

Tsunade doesn't have the capacity to become Hokage right now, and she doesn't want to either, so she won't threaten your position. But this kid is different. He keeps talking about becoming Hokage, and he has a very powerful assistant left to him by Mito Uzumaki. When he grows up, who can stop him from becoming Hokage?

Now is the best opportunity; to die on the battlefield—isn't that the best fate for the Senju clan?

Danzo sneered and continued to bewitch the Third Hokage.

From that last sentence, he knew that the Third Generation was preparing to compromise with him again.

The person in front of him was indeed the same third generation he knew.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was familiar with Danzo Shimura, Danzo was equally familiar with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Whenever the position of Hokage was involved, Hiruzen Sarutobi would get nervous and want to eliminate all potential enemies who might threaten his position.

"So what? We're both almost fifty years old. When we reach that age, it's only natural to step down and let someone else take over. I have no intention of clinging to the position of Hokage forever. If Nawaki can succeed me as Hokage in the future, he's a good kid. He's a Konoha ninja who inherits the pure Will of Fire. He'll be a good Hokage, unlike someone who doesn't even know what the Will of Fire is."

You'd better not think of me as dirty as you. I've never intended to harm my fellow villagers; I only intervene when some people go too far.

The Third Generation Chancellor would not be swayed by Danzo's instigation, nor would he give anyone cause for criticism; he would instead give a righteous and resolute reply.

He's already 48 this year, and in two more years, his strength will start to decline. At that time, it's indeed time to find a successor to shoulder the burden of the Hokage.

To be honest, he had enjoyed the taste of supreme power during his many years as Hokage, but he had also experienced a lot of unspeakable suffering.

For example, the endless files on the desk, and the countless worries that never seem to end.

If he wants to live a few more years, it would be better for him to abdicate and hand over power to a more capable person sooner rather than later.

"I see. So you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, are truly a good Hokage. But if the entire Sarutobi clan behind you all thought the same way, that would be wonderful, hehehe~"

Seeing that the Third Hokage was still putting on a good Hokage act, Danzo once again used the Sarutobi clan behind him to mock the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage suppressed other ninjas but allowed the Sarutobi clan to develop, a stain he could never wash away in his lifetime.

Perhaps the Third Hokage initially promoted the Sarutobi clan to secure his position as Hokage, which other ninja clans could understand. However, after securing his position as Hokage, how could he expect other ninja clans to accept his biased approach?

As expected, once the Third Hokage abdicates, the Sarutobi clan will face the most severe suppression from the new Hokage. Regardless of whether the new Hokage agrees or not, the other ninja clans of Konoha will push the new Hokage to carry out this task, unless the new Hokage possesses the power to suppress the major ninja clans of Konoha.

Why has the Senju clan declined to its current state?

On one hand, it's due to the Senju clan's character; they followed the paths of the First and Second Hokage, paying a heavy price for Konoha's prosperity. On the other hand, isn't this the outcome that other ninja clans in Konoha would have wanted to see?

The Senju clan, with Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, was too powerful; other ninja clans could only obediently serve as the Senju clan's underlings.

But after the two died, would other ninja clans be willing to be the Senju clan's lackeys for the rest of their lives?

After Danzo became the leader of Root, he used Root's power to monitor the various clans of Konoha. He had a clear understanding of Konoha's political environment, and the other ninjas of Konoha had long been dissatisfied with the Senju clan, which occupied many of Konoha's resources.

All discontent stems from the unequal and unreasonable distribution of benefits.

In the past, the Senju clan was powerful and it was only right that they occupied more benefits. Now that the Senju clan is weak, it is unreasonable for them to still occupy so many benefits.

Now that Mito Uzumaki, the pillar of the Senju clan, has passed away, the dissatisfaction of the other ninja clans with the Senju clan has grown even stronger.

Among these ninja clans, the Sarutobi clan was the most dissatisfied with the Senju clan.

With the support of the Third Hokage and their overall strength already overwhelming the current Senju clan, the Sarutobi clan had long coveted the Senju clan's share of the pie in Konoha. They hadn't dared to take it before because of Mito Uzumaki and the Senju clan's immense prestige in Konoha.

Now that Mito Uzumaki is gone, the great prestige of the Senju clan has gradually faded with the deaths of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Mito Uzumaki. The Sarutobi clan is about to take action.

In fact, the reason he knew the White Fang Squad's route so easily was because he learned it from the spies he had planted within the Sarutobi clan.

He also knew that an elder of the Sarutobi clan had hired many bounty hunters from the Black Gold Company to attack the White Fang Squad.

Unfortunately, Sakumo Hatake was cautious by nature, and after being attacked once, he immediately changed his course of action, allowing the bounty hunters hired by the Sarutobi clan to miss their target.

In conclusion, if the Sarutobi clan were to seize the Senju clan's interests in Konoha, would the Sarutobi clan really be willing to let the next Hokage come from the Senju clan?

Aren't the Sarutobi clan afraid of retaliation from the Senju clan?

And who can guarantee that Senju Nawaki won't become the next Senju Hashirama?

If this really happens, the Sarutobi clan, which dares to swallow up the interests of the Senju clan, will probably be wiped out by the Senju clan in the future.

Danzo repeatedly used the Sarutobi clan to mock and coerce the Third Hokage, who finally couldn't take it anymore and angrily retorted, "The Sarutobi clan isn't as despicable as you think!"

After saying that, he activated the cursed seal again to torture Danzo.

Danzo had an extremely high tolerance for pain, and the previous two times the cursed seal had been activated, which greatly increased his limit of endurance. This time, he stared at the Third Hokage without saying a word and sneered, "How long has it been since you went back to visit the Sarutobi clan? I advise you to pay more attention to those good relatives behind you."

When the Third Hokage heard Danzo's words, he immediately sensed something was very wrong.

Although he is still the head of the Sarutobi clan, he has been focused on his responsibilities as Hokage for years, working tirelessly for the village. As a result, he has no time to even educate his children, let alone deal with the internal affairs of the Sarutobi clan.

Therefore, he basically delegated authority to several elders within the Sarutobi clan, allowing them to manage clan affairs on his behalf.

Feeling guilty for not having the time and energy to manage the Sarutobi clan despite being the clan leader, he always agreed to the elders' requests, as long as they weren't too unreasonable.

To be honest, out of trust in the Sarutobi clan, he didn't really know much about the current situation within the Sarutobi clan.

The things Danzo is saying now are clearly implying that there are shady dealings within the Sarutobi clan.

However, the Sarutobi clan is currently the biggest source of support for the Third Hokage's stable position, and he doesn't want anything to happen to the Sarutobi clan.

For a moment, the three generations were in a state of utter confusion.

He came in a rage to confront Danzo, but he never expected that his own backyard would be on fire.

"You are not allowed to attack the White Fang Squad again. If I find out again, I will kill you. Also, your shadow clones are not allowed to go out during this time."

Upon discovering that his own backyard was on fire, the Third Hokage no longer had time to confront Danzo. He uttered a harsh remark and then quickly left.

Danzo watched the Third Hokage's departing figure, slowly rose from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and sneered inwardly:

"You'll definitely kill me, Hiruzen Sarutobi. I don't know if you remember, but you've said that to me several times already, yet I'm still alive and well. As expected, you're still too concerned about the Hokage position you're holding. To protect it, you'll stop at nothing. Even if you're unwilling, unless you can put the Senju clan first, you'll only have yourself to blame. Hehehe~"