CHAPTER 241: 241. TIME TO CHANGE THE HOKAGE

Hokage’s Office.

Most of the ninjas had already gone home to rest, leaving only Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Konoha’s senior officials like Mitokado Homura.

"Old man."

Tsunade took out a scroll and tossed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen caught the scroll and instinctively glanced at Orochimaru.

Logically, reports like this should come from the commander.

But Tsunade was only the deputy commander.

The only explanation was that Orochimaru had tacitly approved it.

How should he put it?

A bit unexpected, but reasonable.

After all, Tsunade and Hanekawa were the greatest contributors to the Frost Country battlefield.

Their prestige had already surpassed Orochimaru’s.

Losing authority was only natural.

Hiruzen unrolled the scroll and began reading.

It contained a six-month summary of the Frost Country battlefield.

Details included the number of fallen ninjas, consumed supplies, and lists of captured enemy ninjas.

"You’ve done well, achieving the greatest results at the lowest cost," Hiruzen said with satisfaction after finishing the scroll.

After all, they had captured the Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, and the Fourth Raikage alive—what more could he say?

"Due to the large number of people involved, rewards will take some time to be distributed," Hiruzen added, closing the scroll.

"Mm."

Tsunade nodded.

In truth, she no longer cared about rewards.

Besides, with contributions as great as hers and Hanekawa’s, there was no suitable reward to match them.

"Now, let’s talk about Danzo Shimura."

Tsunade changed the topic. "Old man, how do you plan to deal with him?"

"By Konoha’s rules, colluding with an enemy village is a capital offense," Jiraiya suddenly said.

"That’s inappropriate," Mitokado Homura shook his head. "Danzo has made countless contributions to Konoha. That cannot be denied."

"And this might not even be true," Koharu Utatane added. "It could be a scheme by the Hidden Cloud to sow discord."

"Indeed."

Mitokado Homura looked at Hanekawa. "The Hidden Cloud once falsely accused Hanekawa of being their spy, after all."

"That was obviously false," Tsunade snorted. "But Danzo colluding with the Hidden Cloud? There’s solid evidence!"

She pulled out another scroll.

Hiruzen opened it, and within seconds, his expression darkened.

The scroll contained testimonies from four Root ninjas and Mabui from the Hidden Cloud.

Additionally, it detailed Danzo’s strategic maneuvers carried out in Orochimaru’s name.

In short, it was a setup to leave Tsunade, Hanekawa, and the others as an isolated force.

Had they not been strong enough, their thousand Konoha ninjas would have likely been annihilated.

"That bastard!"

Hiruzen cursed, but then sighed with a headache.

Because he didn’t want to execute Danzo.

After all, they had decades of history together, and they knew too many of each other’s secrets.

"Orochimaru, what do you think?"

Hiruzen scanned the room and locked eyes with Orochimaru.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were in favor of execution.

Homura and Koharu pleaded for leniency.

Hanekawa and Minato Namikaze, despite their achievements, weren’t yet high-ranking enough to have an official say in such matters.

Only Orochimaru had remained silent the entire time.

"Merits and faults cancel each other out," Orochimaru said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"He doesn’t have that many merits!" Tsunade snapped. "Konoha is in such a mess because of him!"

"That’s too much, Tsunade," Koharu said sternly. "Danzo has been dedicated to Konoha since serving as the Second Hokage’s bodyguard."

"Too much?" Tsunade shot back without hesitation. "If my granduncle knew what Danzo had done, he would have expelled him from the village long ago!"

"Hiruzen," Homura turned to him. "The decision is yours."

"Danzo has indeed contributed to Konoha," Hiruzen said slowly. "But while he can escape death, he cannot escape punishment. He will be stripped of his position as Hokage’s advisor."

Tsunade sighed.

She had expected this outcome, but it was still disappointing.

Jiraiya shook his head as well.

The once-great shinobi era was truly over.

Hiruzen noticed their reactions and felt a little awkward.

Hanekawa was deep in thought.

So, the plan to force Danzo into betraying the village would have to proceed.

He already had an idea.

"Then let’s move on to the second matter concerning Danzo!"

Tsunade smirked coldly.

Hiruzen paused, suddenly getting a bad feeling.

He inwardly cursed—Danzo, you idiot!

"What is it?"

Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane exchanged glances, silently cursing in their hearts.

Why had that old fool left behind so much incriminating evidence?

And why did it have to be Tsunade, of all people, who discovered it?

"The Wood Release experiments!"

Tsunade enunciated each word clearly.

In an instant, the Hokage’s office fell into a heavy silence.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura, and the others were all shaken.

Especially Orochimaru.

A feeling of unease lodged in his throat.

If Tsunade had uncovered Danzo’s involvement in the Wood Release experiments... had she found out about him as well?

Orochimaru suddenly found himself in a difficult position.

"Weren’t the Wood Release experiments shut down long ago?"

Hiruzen suppressed his worst fears and asked.

"But someone restarted them," Tsunade said angrily. "Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru!"

"What?!"

Hiruzen was so shocked he nearly stood up.

Dealing with Danzo alone was already troublesome enough. Now Orochimaru too? This was going to be the death of him!

"Do you have proof?"

Orochimaru instinctively licked his lips.

It seemed unlikely he’d get out of this unscathed today.

"The evidence is right here."

Jiraiya pulled out a stack of documents.

"So, it was you who investigated me," Orochimaru said, glancing at Jiraiya with some surprise.

"I didn’t expect to find you involved either," Jiraiya admitted, his expression complicated.

Hiruzen remained silent for a few moments before taking the documents from Jiraiya and reading them.

His face darkened as he finished.

There was no way these records could have been fabricated.

Most damning of all, they connected to a long-unsolved case of missing infants from years ago.

"Orochimaru."

Hiruzen took a deep breath. "Do you have anything to say?"

"I have nothing to say."

Orochimaru’s expression remained calm.

Hiruzen hesitated, at a loss for words.

He felt anger, disappointment, and a massive headache all at once.

"Orochimaru contributed to the war effort, so his punishment will be the removal of all his official positions. Without direct orders, he is not allowed to leave the village."

Hiruzen pondered for a long time before delivering his verdict. "Also, the Wood Release experiments must remain classified."

"Understood."

Orochimaru’s tone was indifferent.

He had expected this outcome, so he wasn’t surprised.

Being confined to the village was fine by him.

The only inconvenience was losing his official status, which would make future experiments more troublesome.

As for resisting? With Konoha’s strongest shinobi gathered here, he wasn’t foolish enough to fight a losing battle.

"And what about Danzo?"

Tsunade asked directly.

"He’ll spend the rest of his life in prison."

Hiruzen ultimately couldn’t bring himself to execute him.

"Old man!"

Tsunade was visibly displeased.

"Tsunade."

Koharu interjected. "Hiruzen is the Hokage!"

Tsunade let out a cold laugh, her disappointment clear.

Without another word, she grabbed Hanekawa’s hand and stormed out of the Hokage’s office.

At the entrance of the Hokage building, Tsunade stopped.

She looked up at the Hokage Rock in the distance.

Carved into the stone were the faces of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Sensei."

Hanekawa stepped forward. "I’ll contact the Fire Daimyo."

Tsunade turned to look at him.

"They’re old now. They’ve lost their drive," Hanekawa said plainly. "It’s time for a new Hokage."

Tsunade was silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"Go ahead."

"Don’t worry, Sensei," Hanekawa smiled. "With the Daimyo’s support, there won’t be any problems."

"You seem awfully happy about this," Tsunade scoffed.

She reached out and ruffled his hair roughly.

"Of course!"

Hanekawa grabbed her hand. "Once you become Hokage, I can walk around Konoha like I own the place!"

"What nonsense!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Come on, let’s go home."

After Hanekawa’s antics, her mood had noticeably improved.

Without pulling her hand away, she led him back home.

"I’ll open the door."

Hanekawa stepped forward and pushed it open, grinning. "Sensei, welcome home."

"Aren’t you just getting home too?"

Tsunade smirked, kicking off her shoes before playfully stepping on his foot as she walked into the living room.

Hanekawa chuckled and followed.

"Home really is the best."

As soon as she entered, Tsunade let down her guard, collapsing onto the couch.

Hanekawa glanced at her—and found it hard to look away.

Her head rested against the armrest, her slender waist slightly arched, her curves sinking into the plush cushions.

Her weight naturally pressed against her sleeveless top, accentuating her figure.

A pair of long, slender legs crossed over each other. Her ankles moved slightly, and her fair, jade-like feet swayed gently.

"Stop staring, kid."

Tsunade opened her eyes and said, "I’m thirsty. Get me a glass of water."

"Yes, Sensei."

Hanekawa blinked, a little surprised.

She wasn’t angry?

With that thought, he walked to the kitchen and quickly made her a glass of iced lemonade.

"Ah!"

Tsunade took a sip and immediately showed a satisfied expression.

Though September had arrived in Konoha, and the peak of summer had passed, the temperature was still quite warm.

A glass of iced lemonade at a time like this was simply refreshing.

Hanekawa sat across from Tsunade, looking at her graceful figure while contemplating how to deal with Danzo Shimura.

Making Danzo defect—was it difficult? Yes and no.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t.

For all the terrible things Danzo had done, his goal had always been singular—to become Hokage.

But in the end, it wasn’t up to him.

A name surfaced in Hanekawa’s mind—Shisui Uchiha.

In the original story, Danzo had stolen Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan.

Now, it was time for the tables to turn.

Hanekawa’s plan was to have Shisui use his Mangekyō Sharingan to either control Danzo or plant a subconscious suggestion.

The only thing in Konoha that could detect the illusion would be the Byakugan.

In the original story, when Yagura Karatachi was controlled by a Mangekyō Sharingan, it was Ao, a Mist ninja with a Byakugan, who exposed the truth.

But Hanekawa had close ties with the Hyūga clan.

Even if they noticed something was off about Danzo, they wouldn’t openly reveal it.

As for when to act...

The day the Fire Daimyō arrived.

The more Hanekawa thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.

At that time, the Fire Daimyō could simply accuse Hiruzen Sarutobi of poor governance and smoothly force his retirement.

"What are you thinking about?"

Tsunade looked up at Hanekawa and asked.

"Nothing much."

Hanekawa smiled. "I was just thinking that imprisoning Danzo is too light of a punishment."

"The old man definitely won’t kill him."

Tsunade pouted. "It’s fine. Once I become Hokage, I’ll deal with him myself."

"That’s my Sensei!"

Hanekawa praised.

Her approach wasn’t bad.

But his plan to force Danzo’s defection was better.

Who knows? It might even unlock a new achievement.

Danzo still had one last bit of value to squeeze out.

After all, he was the ’Darkness of the Shinobi World.’

"Sensei, once you become Hokage, what should I do?"

Hanekawa suddenly thought of something and asked curiously.

"What do you want to do?"

Tsunade countered.

"How about being your Hokage secretary?"

Hanekawa rubbed his chin and thought aloud.

"I thought you’d want to be a Hokage advisor."

Tsunade chuckled.

"Why not both?"

Hanekawa said shamelessly.

Konoha didn’t have an official position of ’Hokage Secretary.’

But Kumogakure did—Mabui.

In practice, the Hokage’s secretary’s duties were nearly identical to that of an advisor. The only difference was the title.

"Sure."

Tsunade smiled. "You can help me handle all the paperwork."

"Hey!"

Hanekawa’s mouth twitched. "A Hokage shouldn’t slack off!"

"If I can’t slack off, then why do I need you?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"To supervise you and make sure you work hard, of course!"

Hanekawa said seriously.

At that moment, he suddenly thought of Shizune in the original story.

That was exactly what she did—constantly keeping Tsunade in check.

"Whoever wants to be Hokage can have it! I quit!"

Tsunade huffed in frustration.

"Alright, alright."

Hanekawa coaxed her like a child. "I’ll definitely help you."

"That’s more like it."

Tsunade relaxed a little, closed her eyes, and asked, "How’s your chakra recovery?"

"Pretty good."

Hanekawa thought for a moment before saying, "But refilling the Yin Seal will take some time."

"Hmm."

Tsunade yawned. "I’m going to nap. Wake me up when it’s time to eat."

Once she fell asleep, Hanekawa got up and walked to the door.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Poof!

A shadow clone appeared.

"Go to the Fire Capital."

Hanekawa instructed.

Since he was Tsunade’s student, the Fire Daimyō would naturally understand that his visit was on her behalf.

The shadow clone disappeared instantly.

"Finally, it’s time."

Hanekawa sighed in his heart.

"Come to think of it, I should thank the ’Darkness of the Shinobi World.’"

After all, if Danzo hadn’t conspired with Kumogakure and restarted the Wood Release experiments, Tsunade might never have made up her mind to become the Fourth Hokage.

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