Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

Kirito is strong, but not strong enough to disregard Konoha's rules. She didn't believe Kirito would dare to attack the two of them.

"That's what Danzo thought too."

Mitokado Yan said quietly.

Upon hearing this, Koharu Utatane's face turned pale instantly, and she dared not refute it further.

The entire room instantly fell into an eerie silence.

"Are we just supposed to quietly wait for someone to take away what we've worked so hard for our whole lives?"

After a long while, Koharu, who had just turned to her room, said with a look of resentment.

She dedicated most of her life to Konoha in order to gain her current status and power, and she didn't want to be kicked off her position so soon by someone who came after her.

Mitokado Homura certainly wanted to maintain his current position and power, but as things stood, they were truly powerless to do anything about it. Kirito's rise seemed unstoppable, and if they forcibly blocked his path, they might one day lose their reputation.

"This kid has been a Shadow-level expert for quite some time, maybe even the year before last. Thinking about it this way, that mysterious Shadow-level expert is very likely someone he found."

In the ninja world, strength is paramount. Even if the Senju clan was glorious in the past, that's all history. How could they so easily enlist a Kage-level ninja to help them deal with Danzo? But if Kirito invited him, then everything makes sense.

Mitokado Homura suddenly connected Kirito with the mysterious Kage-level powerhouse, and felt even more strongly that it would be extremely unwise to be an enemy of Kirito.

If the mysterious Kage-level powerhouse was indeed invited by Kirito to help the Senju clan deal with Danzo, then Kirito's strength is undoubtedly much greater than what he has shown so far.

The thought of how the Third Hokage was overwhelmed by that mysterious Kage-level powerhouse made him feel increasingly heavy-hearted.

Continuing to follow the path of the third generation, it seems there's little hope left.

But once he became the new leader of the Root and worked for the Third Generation, he was already bound to the Third Generation, and it was impossible for him to turn against them.

The future looks bleak.

“Root, let’s go find Root. Danzo’s legacy must contain what we need now.”

When Koharu noticed that Mitokado Homura hadn't spoken yet, she thought for a moment and offered her solution.

Even after Danzo's death, the old Root organization he left behind has not shown any signs of disintegration. Instead, it continues to maintain a close but distant relationship with Konoha. Meanwhile, the personnel sent out by the newly formed Root organization to gather intelligence have discovered traces of some members of the old Root organization.

Judging from the intersection of these people's routes, it seems that the old Root clan moved its main base to the land of Taki.

"The legacy left by Danzo..."

When Mitokado Haru heard Koharu Utatane's suggestion, he didn't immediately express his opinion, but instead showed a thoughtful expression.

He knew Danzo quite well; Danzo was a seemingly selfless but actually selfish and madman, but also a very capable madman. He also knew that Danzo had always coveted the Sharingan and the power of Wood Release.

That is why Danzo has always targeted the Uchiha and Senju clans.

If there are any legacies left by Danzo in the old Root, they are very likely related to the Sharingan and Wood Release.

"Sharingan and Wood Release. I wonder how far Danzo has progressed in his research on these two bloodline limits. If we can obtain the power of these two bloodline limits, then we will have a new future."

Upon realizing this, Mitokado Homura's eyes suddenly lit up.

But soon, his eyes dimmed again, because the power of the Sharingan and Wood Release was not so easy to obtain. To obtain these two powers, one would have to undergo a large number of cruel human experiments, and the Third Hokage probably would not agree to such a thing.

"Say something, are you in favor or against?"

"Turn to the next room," Xiaochun said impatiently.

Upon hearing this, Mitomon Homura slowly shared his thoughts on Danzo's legacy.

"As long as Hiruzen doesn't know, that's fine."

Koharu, upon learning of Mitokado Homura's concerns, sneered.

"You make it sound so easy. Although we are nominally the leaders of Shingen, we both know perfectly well who the real leader is. Hiruzen couldn't possibly be unaware of anything we've done within Shingen."

Mitokado Yan was speechless. He felt that Koharu's brain was even less functioning than usual today.

"No, no, no, you didn't understand what I really meant. Kirito is making such a splash right now, who do you think is more anxious than us?"

Xiaochun shook her head as she turned to her new room.

Mitokado Homura was a smart man; he instantly understood what Utatane Koharu meant and squinted his eyes, saying, "Is it possible to succeed?"

“Hiruzen is so busy every day, how can he have so much time to pay attention to the new Root? As long as we persuade the messenger and gain the support of that clan, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t succeed.”

Koharu, who was turning over the door, also squinted as she spoke.

The two looked at each other, smiled, and everything was understood without words.

……

At the same time, at the Nawaki family home of the Senju clan.

Senju Momoka was drinking with Tsunade in the living room. Both of them had a very high alcohol tolerance and had already finished many bottles of alcohol. However, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was very cold and stiff.

"Momoka, I've thought about this seriously these past few days, and I still don't think I'm capable of becoming Hokage."

Tsunade was the first to be unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, and she said with a slightly flushed face.

Upon hearing this, Senju Momoka instantly sobered up. She glared at Tsunade and said in a tone of disappointment, "You've been away from home for so many days, and this is the result you expected? Don't forget your place. Running away won't solve anything."

"I know, let me finish what I have to say."

Encouraged by alcohol, Tsunade slammed her hand on the table and shouted at Momoka.

Momoka's face twitched slightly upon seeing this, but she patiently decided to listen to what Tsunade had to say next.

"Although I will not become Hokage, I will start to actively win over others and pave the way for Nawaki and Kirito. I am someone who has no intention of becoming Hokage. If someone like me becomes Hokage, it will only harm Konoha. But Nawaki and Kirito are different. They are people with lofty ideals and are more suitable to be Hokage than I am."

Seeing that Momoka had patiently listened to her, Tsunade slowly revealed her true feelings.

Yes, she really didn't want to be Hokage; this was the answer she had come to after thinking about it seriously for so many days.

However, the Third Hokage's decision to send Nawaki and Kirito on a near-death mission made her realize that if she didn't actively seek power, she wouldn't be able to protect those around her. Therefore, she decided not to continue to slack off and to take the initiative to gather all the forces in Konoha that could be united around her, so that the Third Hokage and others would be wary of her and wouldn't dare to act rashly.

She realized that all she needed to do was become a banner uniting all forces within the Senju clan. As for who would raise the banner and lead the Senju clan and Konoha forward, it didn't really matter. She didn't need to be the Hokage; she just needed to be a supporter behind the Hokage.

Nawaki and Kirito are undoubtedly excellent choices.

Especially Kirito. With the strength he has shown and the prestige he has accumulated, if she supports him, he might very well become the new Hokage when he grows up a bit more.

Ultimately, the Hokage exists to protect Konoha.

If Kirito becomes the strongest in Konoha in the future and makes great contributions to the village, even if he is young, who can say that he is not qualified to be Hokage?

To be honest, she personally really hoped that Kirito could become Hokage.

The reason is simple: Kirito is just too perfect. Whether it's his strength or his mental fortitude, he's the best choice, far more suitable than her troublesome, stupid younger brother. The only drawback might be his age.

"Is that really what you think?"

Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Momoka's anger subsided slightly, and she inquired.

Tsunade nodded quickly, then stood up and bent down to pour wine for Momoka.

"Alright, just do your best according to your plan. The Senju clan will always be your strong support."

Momoka drank the wine that Tsunade had poured in one gulp and sighed.

When Tsunade heard that Momoka agreed with her idea, her eyes widened and a smile she hadn't seen in a long time appeared on her face. Without giving Momoka a chance to back out, she said loudly, "Momoka, thank you for understanding me. I will definitely not let you down. I'm leaving now. I have an appointment to meet with someone else."

After saying that, she left in a hurry with a big smile on her face.

"Idiot, if only things were that simple."

Momoka watched Tsunade's departing figure, a meaningful expression on her face.

Although Tsunade's answer was not entirely satisfactory, it was still an improvement. At least she didn't intend to continue being a slacker and finally decided to take sides.

This is a very good start.

As for Tsunade's desire for Nawaki and Kirito to replace her as Hokage, that was wishful thinking on her part. Once she took that step and chose to become the new banner of the Senju clan, no one could say for sure what would happen next.

Chapter 195: The Unsullied Will of Fire

After Tsunade left, Momoka Senju continued drinking, but her thoughts were no longer on enjoying the wine. Instead, she was thinking about how to help Kirito quietly overcome the current crisis.

The Third Hokage received protest letters today from five major ninja villages that possess tailed beasts, including Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure. As the Hokage's advisor, she was naturally one of the people in the know.

Momoka was naturally furious about this, and upon learning of it, she immediately berated the people from these ninja villages for being utterly shameless.

It's unbelievable that these people have the nerve to use the Tailed Beast Distribution Agreement they signed with Lord Hashirama to criticize Konoha. Why don't they think about who was the first to break the agreement? Their disgusting behavior has really broadened her horizons.

She never expected those guys to be so shameless, choosing such a dirty diplomatic tactic to target an 11-year-old child.

Tao Hua was very angry, but she also knew that no matter how angry she was, she couldn't change the wishes and choices of those shameless people. The only way to make these people obediently change their tune and swallow back their phlegm was to completely subdue these bastards.

"Lord Hashirama should have crippled and destroyed these shameless guys back then, not giving them a chance to recuperate and grow stronger. He shouldn't have been so merciful to them, and he certainly shouldn't have assigned the tailed beasts to them."

Tao Hua couldn't help but get furious whenever she thought about the protest letter. She subconsciously clenched her wine glass tightly and said angrily.

Then, she took a deep breath, downed the wine in her glass, and calmed herself down.

“Even if the Third Hokage is an idiot, he would never agree to such an absurd thing. If he did, he would not be able to continue as Hokage. However, Kirito’s current strength is too conspicuous. Those scoundrels will definitely not want him to have an easy time. Even if they can’t kill him, they will disgust him and ruin the prestige he has worked so hard to build in the village.”

Tao Hua calmly analyzed the situation.

Given Kirito's current strength and potential, as well as his status as a hero of Konoha, anyone who dares to openly demand that Kirito hand over Shukaku is simply courting death.

Kirito doesn't even need to lift a finger; the powerful and assertive martial arts ninjas of Konoha will teach those fools who demand Kirito hand over Shukaku a lesson.

However, there will definitely be some people who will spread the word in the village that Kirito's capture of the One-Tailed Shukaku will lead to Konoha being besieged by other ninja villages.

At that time, there will definitely be many disgusting guys who will jump out to attack Kirito. They will pretend to be righteous and condemn Kirito, morally blackmail him, and spread disgusting rumors that Kirito is unwilling to hand over Shukaku for Konoha because he is afraid of death.

The fact that Konoha was besieged by other ninja villages at the same time was undoubtedly a major event.

Once many villagers learn of this, they will be filled with anxiety. In order to protect themselves, some of them will surely hope that Kirito will ask Shukaku to return it to Sunagakure and condemn Kirito indiscriminately.

Such is human nature; most people are selfish. When disaster strikes, many of them find it difficult to withstand the test of humanity, to uphold moral principles, and to avoid betraying the interests of others to save themselves.

Rumors can kill; they can destroy a person.

Under the weight of public opinion, a hero praised by all can turn into a despised coward in the blink of an eye.

Since Momoka replaced Danzo and took over Konoha's overt intelligence system, she has seen far too many similar despicable tactics.

Kirito's enemies, realizing they can't kill him head-on, will definitely try to destroy this young Konoha genius in this way.

Even if they fail to destroy Kirito using rumors, they should still leave a thorn in Kirito's heart, creating a rift between him and Konoha.

His intentions are truly despicable.