Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Position of Hokage
Danzo spoke up, saying, "I'll take it. My strength should be sufficient, and this would make up for my lack of involvement in the previous plan."
"Your strength is undoubtedly enough, but..." Natsuro smirked and added sarcastically, "Aren't you getting a bit old? Even if you manage to intimidate the Sand Village, how long will that last?"
Danzo glared at Natsuro, seething with anger. Natsuro's words were a blatant reminder of his age, essentially saying he didn't have much time left. Furious, Danzo snapped, "Then who do you suggest besides me?"
"Me," Natsuro replied with a smile.
"You?" Danzo scoffed. "Do you even have the strength for it?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Danzo froze, realizing his mistake. His anger had made him forget something crucial—Natsuro was proficient in...
"Whether I'm strong enough isn't for me to say, but I know I'm the right choice," Natsuro said as he casually took out a specially made kunai, one that closely resembled the Flying Thunder God kunai used by Minato Namikaze.
Everyone in the room recognized the kunai instantly and understood its significance. They were reminded of the legendary figure who once dominated the battlefield with that technique.
With the Flying Thunder God technique, even if Natsuro wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, he could still exert significant influence. Moreover, given Natsuro's youth, his presence could serve as an even greater deterrent.
"So there's no need to trouble someone as important as you, a ninja who's crucial to maintaining the foundation of Konoha," Natsuro said, still holding a grudge over Danzo's previous inaction, and made sure to rub it in.
Danzo clenched his fists in silence, clearly fuming. He stopped looking at Natsuro and fixed his gaze on the Third Hokage. "Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
With that, Danzo stood up and stormed out. Staying any longer would only further damage his reputation, so he chose to leave.
After Danzo's departure, Natsuro acted as though nothing had happened and continued, "That's everything I wanted to say. Some of these ideas are still in the early stages, and I haven't had time to fully evaluate their feasibility or details. If no one objects, we can now move on to discussing how to implement them."
"I agree," said Inoichi Yamanaka, stepping forward first, his gaze full of approval for Natsuro.
Seeing Inoichi's approval, Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi also nodded in agreement. Since Natsuro was speaking on behalf of the Hokage, they naturally supported the Hokage's position. Usually, they wouldn't be the first to express their opinion, but since Inoichi was likely Natsuro's future father-in-law, Shikaku couldn't help but feel a bit envious of his old friend.
Hiashi Hyuga, recognizing Natsuro as the person who had advised Hinata on her new path, also gave his approval after some thought.
With the key figures in agreement and no opposition from the two advisors, the rest of the jonin also voiced their support.
Now that no one opposed the plan, the group moved on to discussing the finer details. Natsuro wasn't well-acquainted with many of the participants, so he didn't involve himself in the assignments but left it to those more familiar with the matters at hand.
Jiraiya observed Natsuro, impressed. When Danzo had been present, Natsuro had been sharp and relentless, but now he was showing openness to the input of others. Natsuro's handling of the situation, especially the political nuances, was something Jiraiya hadn't considered before.
Even though Jiraiya didn't usually think about such matters, hearing Natsuro's ideas made him realize how capable Natsuro was. Perhaps the Third Hokage was right—Natsuro could make a great Hokage someday.
However, Jiraiya hesitated. Natsuro might look around 15, but in reality, he was only 13. Was he really ready for such a responsibility?
As Jiraiya pondered, the meeting began to wrap up.
The final result was that Inoichi Yamanaka would handle team assignments, while Hiashi Hyuga would lead the negotiations with the Sand Village, with Shikaku Nara providing support.
As for the distribution of missions, that would temporarily be handled by the two advisors, but all mission allocations would need to be reviewed and approved by the Third Hokage before being finalized.
Some other matters were discussed as well, though Natsuro didn't involve himself much, as they were outside his expertise. Fortunately, these issues were resolved without much trouble.
"Alright, since everything has been decided, let's proceed as discussed. Natsuro and Jiraiya, stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed," the Third Hokage said from his hospital bed. He had remained mostly silent throughout the meeting, lost in thought and occasionally glancing at Natsuro.
"Yes," the jonin all replied before filing out of the room in an orderly manner.
Once everyone had left, the Third Hokage looked at Natsuro with a wry smile. "Natsuro, you didn't need to target Danzo like that. He…"
"He's doing what's best for the village? I don't buy that," Natsuro interrupted. "From what I've observed, his actions haven't been beneficial to Konoha at all."
"Lord Hokage, I believe you've been too lenient with him. In Konoha, he dared to refuse an order from the Hokage without facing any punishment. That's unacceptable," Natsuro said firmly.
The Third Hokage's breath caught for a moment.
"Old man, I agree with Natsuro on this one," Jiraiya chimed in, speaking seriously for once. "You've let Danzo get away with too much. If you hadn't, a lot of things might not have happened."
The Third Hokage sighed deeply, his figure seeming even more hunched over, and he decided not to bring up Danzo again.
"Jiraiya, you're aware of my current condition, aren't you?" the Third Hokage asked.
"Yes…" Jiraiya responded, sensing something ominous.
"Then, Jiraiya, I want you to become the next Hokage," the Third Hokage said calmly, dropping a bombshell.
"What?" Jiraiya was stunned, frozen in place. He had assumed Natsuro was the intended successor.
The Third Hokage continued, "I know you're still waiting on the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, but it's been years, and that prophecy hasn't come true yet."
"No, no, no, old man, I've never wanted to be Hokage!" Jiraiya protested.
"Who else is there to take the position? Natsuro is still too young. At least wait until he comes of age. So, Jiraiya, I'm only asking you to serve as Hokage for three years. After Natsuro is of age, you can pass the title to him and continue your search for the prophecy," the Third Hokage said, his tone carrying a hint of frustration.
"But—" Jiraiya tried to argue.
"But what?! Who else is qualified to be Hokage right now? Should I bring Danzo back and give him the position? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to accept!" the Third Hokage snapped, glaring at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya, under the intense glare of the Third Hokage, instinctively shrank back, feeling like he was a child being scolded again.
At that moment, Jiraiya's usually slow mind started working rapidly. Finally, his eyes lit up, and he said, "What about Tsunade?"
The Third Hokage paused and fell into deep thought. In his mind, the best arrangement was for Jiraiya to become Hokage, smoothly passing the role to Natsuro later. But Jiraiya's attitude was frustrating him.
Now, the Third Hokage began to worry. Even if Jiraiya were forced into the role, would he actually be able to handle it well?
If it were Tsunade, she could work too, but...
"Tsunade isn't in the village right now, and would she even want to take the position of Hokage?" the Third Hokage asked, sighing once again. Why couldn't any of his former students bring him peace of mind? Couldn't they all be more like Natsuro?
At this point, the Third Hokage regretted it deeply. Why had he handed Natsuro over to Jiraiya as a student? Wouldn't it have been better to train him himself?
"I'll go find her and persuade her. If I can't convince her, I'll come back and take on the role of Hokage myself," Jiraiya said with determination. For the sake of his free-spirited lifestyle, he was resolved to make this work.
Tsunade, huh? Natsuro also nodded in agreement. Compared to Jiraiya, who had no motivation for the role, Tsunade was a much better fit for Hokage.
As for Natsuro himself, he wasn't interested in becoming Hokage just yet—the position came with too many restrictions.
Tsunade might claim that anyone who wanted to be Hokage was a fool, but as the granddaughter of one of the village's founders, her love for Konoha was undeniable.
Besides, Orochimaru's hands hadn't been sealed by the Reaper Death Seal yet, so he shouldn't be seeking Tsunade... right?
Suddenly, Natsuro had a gut feeling. Recalling what the Third Hokage had said about Orochimaru's plans, Natsuro considered Orochimaru's goal of destroying Konoha to stir up the shinobi world. Orochimaru had likened the world to a windmill, and destroying Konoha was supposed to be the wind that set it spinning.
But since that wind hadn't started blowing, what would Orochimaru do next? There was no way he'd stay idle.
No, Natsuro decided, they needed to keep Kakashi and Guy in the village, just in case. Kakashi might not be able to defeat Orochimaru, but he could buy some time. And with Guy as his close ally, he could delay things further by opening the Sixth and Seventh Gates. That should be enough time.
"If you can bring Tsunade back, then we'll proceed with that plan," the Third Hokage eventually agreed. He also considered that Tsunade wouldn't be too attached to the role of Hokage and would likely pass it on to Natsuro when the time came.
As for whether Tsunade would recognize Natsuro's potential as a future Hokage, the Third Hokage never doubted it. In his mind, it was a given.
"Oh, by the way, old man, I need to ask you for someone to help me find Tsunade," Jiraiya suddenly said.
"Hmm?" The Third Hokage was puzzled.
"Don't you think Naruto resembles Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki?" Jiraiya said.
The Third Hokage froze for a moment, then, after thinking about it, nodded in agreement. It seemed Jiraiya had put a lot of thought into avoiding the Hokage role, though why couldn't he apply that effort in more useful ways?
The Third Hokage felt a headache coming on and shot Jiraiya another stern look.
Jiraiya, unsure why he was being glared at again, looked confused. Nevertheless, the Third Hokage finally agreed to let him take Naruto along, and Jiraiya could also begin teaching him the Rasengan.
But how long would it take Naruto to learn? It had taken Jiraiya three days, while Natsuro had mastered it in half a day. Jiraiya thought about Naruto's less-than-stellar aptitude for ninjutsu and hoped the time would be enough.
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