On his way back to Konoha, Hiruzen foresaw a terrifying glimpse of the future.
Before long, rumors would sweep through the village, exposing that it was he who had actively instigated the war, colluded with the enemy, betrayed the village's interests, and attempted to frame the true heroes of the war... Tsunade, Sakumo, and Fukuyama.
Everyone would soon know that just as Konoha was about to win a decisive victory, it was Hiruzen, who suddenly proposed peace talks with the enemy in order to suppress Tsunade, even at great cost to the village, despite Konoha's clear advantage.
Worse still, he planned to pin those costs on Tsunade, making it seem as though it was her poor leadership that had forced him to compromise.
To achieve this, he even went so far as to order the victorious frontline ninja army to halt their assault and wait for the outcome of his negotiations.
It would go further, rumors would circulate claiming that Danzō's repeated failures on the battlefield were not due to his own incompetence, but because Hiruzen had been remotely controlling everything from behind the scenes.
The goal? To buy time and create the opportunity to eliminate Tsunade and others.
As an advisor, Danzō had no choice but to obey the Hokage. He would be painted as a scapegoat, a mere victim bearing the blame for Hiruzen's schemes.
Ever since Hiruzen had decided to let everything go, or perhaps more accurately, since his heart had completely grown cold, he had felt a new sense of peace.
He truly didn't mind if Tsunade became the next Hokage.
Because he was truly tired.
But take the fall for Danzō?
Absolutely not!
And the ones who would spread all of this, according to the prophecy, were none other than Homura, and his clan.
He no longer doubted the prophecy.
After all, the last time he believed in a prophecy, it had led him to Koharu's ledger, allowing him to avert a massive crisis.
So now, though he had believed himself to be enlightened and free of attachments, fury once again surged in his heart, and he was ready to act ruthlessly.
He truly regretted not silencing Homura back when he had eliminated Koharu.
I spared you out of years of camaraderie, and this is what you do? Colluding with Danzō to bring me down?
Why did I kill Koharu? Was it for myself? Wasn't I also doing it to protect all of you?
Fortunately, it was not too late.
Once he returned to Konoha, he would act immediately against Homura and his clan, ensuring they had no chance to spread any rumors.
He could step down as Hokage, but he absolutely would not allow Danzō, who had deliberately harmed his entire clan at the frontlines, to become his successor.
He could give up all his power, but not if it meant being utterly ruined by Homura in the process.
At this point, he finally understood: It wasn't just Shin and Tsunade who wanted to bring him down.
His two old companions did as well.
In fact, in his eyes, although Tsunade and Shin wanted him removed, there was still room for reconciliation between them. Otherwise, given how powerful Shin was, he wouldn't have chosen a long, drawn-out strategy of peaceful evolution.
But his two old comrades? They couldn't wait to see him dead, and not just dead, but utterly ruined, never to rise again.
Because he knew Danzō far too well.
As for Homura... Ever since he killed Koharu right in front of him, perhaps Homura had become unhinged. And with Danzō's manipulations...
If Homura just wanted to kill him, he wouldn't even be that angry. He might even try to reconcile, clear up the misunderstanding.
But to completely ruin his reputation, to nail him to the pillar of shame in Konoha's history?
That, he could not allow.
---
On the other side of the story, Danzō, who had returned to Konoha under the guise of recovering from injuries after stepping down as front-line commander, had just seen Homura off. A sinister, triumphant smirk crept across his face.
Though his body was wrapped in bandages, his spirit was unusually high. Because Homura hadn't come for idle talk. He had come to discuss, in detail, how to publicly expose Hiruzen's heinous, outrageous crimes.
He had indeed been injured on the front lines. But unlike in the original timeline, his injuries weren't the result of brutal battle, they were self-inflicted, done with precision.
They appeared severe, but were actually superficial, ensuring no long-term effects after treatment. All of it had been done so he could smoothly leave the battlefield and return to Konoha ahead of schedule.
That was also why he had refused Shin's medical help and insisted on being difficult and unreasonable.
Because if you had taken a proper look at my wounds, you would've seen right through me.
After a short period of rest, his injuries were already healed. But to gain sympathy, he continued to keep himself tightly wrapped in bandages. Though many people in Konoha now resented him, or even hated him, the sight of his bandaged form had made his "injuries" well-known and pitiful.
Once the public was made to believe that he was also a victim, and that Hiruzen was the true culprit behind everything, then public opinion would completely flip. Hiruzen would become the target of all outrage.
By that time, Tsunade and the others would still be stuck on the front lines, while Homura would fully support Danzō. Hiruzen's name would be in ruins, and he might already be dead.
Danzō would then naturally step into the role of acting Hokage.
And if "that person" really did take action as agreed, and something happened to Tsunade... Then he would officially remove the word "acting" from his title and become the true Hokage, fulfilling his lifelong ambition, and what he believed to be his teacher's dying wish.
Because Homura would testify that Tobirama originally intended for Danzō to be his successor.
It was only because Hiruzen used underhanded tactics while Tobirama was gravely wounded that he abruptly changed his mind.
That was also why Hiruzen had killed Koharu, partly because she and Danzō had once conspired together to betray Konoha's interests, and partly because she knew the dark secret: that Hiruzen had stolen the position of Hokage through deception.
But that was for later.
Right now, the top priority was to find out Hiruzen's current movements, and find a way to make sure he never returns to the village.
If they couldn't eliminate him completely, then they had to at least buy time, enough for the rumors that he and Homura had spread to fully ferment.
---
200 = +1 bonus chapter
Merry Christmas!
---
Completed at Chapter 278!