"Danzo, you're not joking, are you?"
Hiruzen had not expected that Danzo, in order to persuade him to go back and work like a beast of burden, would even promise him the position of Acting Hokage.
One had to know that once you could take this position, the only thing separating you from becoming the real Hokage was time.
To put it bluntly, the Acting Hokage was essentially a Hokage candidate.
This meant that Danzo intended to let him become Hokage!
Just by choosing to resign, he had obtained such benefits.
If that was really the case, he should have resigned much earlier.
"I never joke."
Shimura Danzo naturally knew the little thoughts going through Hiruzen's mind at that moment. Anyway, when the time came, wasn't who became Hokage ultimately his decision?
If it weren't for Renya's suggestion and subtle hint that he wanted to travel with him, how could a guy like Hiruzen have become Acting Hokage?
It wasn't that he lacked the ability to handle administrative affairs; he just wanted to travel together with Renya.
This was also a good opportunity to take a look at Hiruzen's abilities.
Seeing this, Hiruzen did not hesitate and immediately agreed to return to the office to work.
Although he had said at first that he didn't want to go back to being a beast of burden, an Acting Hokage was no ordinary beast of burden.
It was a high-level beast of burden with decision-making power and authority!
People of their era—probably everyone except Renya—had wanted to become Hokage.
Some people simply knew they had no hope and therefore never showed it.
Shimura Danzo was very satisfied with this; with just the title of Acting Hokage, he had successfully fooled him into coming back.
After that, he could finally travel with Renya in peace.
To be honest, he had grown up without ever experiencing what travel felt like.
When he was young, he wanted to become Hokage; once he actually became Hokage, he was busy with administrative affairs every day—where would he find time to travel?
This was just the right chance to relax a bit...
Seeing her husband's excited appearance, Biwako Sarutobi couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile.
She knew that Hiruzen would never easily give up work.
Judging by Danzo's meaning, it seemed he intended to cultivate him into the Fourth Hokage.
"Danzo, what are we waiting for?" Hiruzen said spiritedly as he instructed Danzo. "Let's hurry back and handle the documents!"
After resting for just a few days, he had been promoted and gotten a raise, making him feel refreshed and eager to start approving documents immediately.
Shimura Danzo naturally did not object, and immediately dragged the free beast of burden toward the office.
..."
Hokage Office.
"You sit up there," Danzo said, pointing at the Hokage's seat.
Since he was asking a free beast of burden to help handle administrative affairs, he naturally had to feed it some fodder so it could run better.
If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it well.
Hiruzen looked at Danzo in surprise, shock appearing on his face.
It seemed this guy Danzo was genuinely intending to let him become Hokage—he had even given up the Hokage's seat!
"If I sit up there, where will you sit?" Hiruzen asked in confusion.
After all, he was only an Acting Hokage, not the real Hokage.
If he really sat there, what about Danzo?
"It doesn't matter. I have matters to attend to outside for a while. The village's affairs will be entirely entrusted to you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can go ask Tobirama-sensei."
Shimura Danzo coughed lightly and gave a serious explanation of the arrangements.
"You're going out? What are you going out for?!" Hiruzen asked, puzzled.
This guy Danzo wasn't staying in the village to handle administrative affairs—what was he running out for when he had nothing better to do?
He wasn't like Renya, that laid-back fellow who could casually leave the village to travel and enjoy life...
"This matter is temporarily confidential. I'll tell you when I come back."
Shimura Danzo laughed it off. Naturally, he wouldn't let Hiruzen know that he was leaving the village to travel.
Otherwise, if word got out, where would the Hokage's authority go? How would the villagers view him?
He didn't want the reputation he had painstakingly accumulated to be ruined over such a small matter...
Seeing that Danzo was unwilling to say more, Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
He always felt that Danzo had some unspeakable secret, but he did not dig further.
His mind had already been overwhelmed by the joy of becoming Acting Hokage.
Where would he have the time to care about anything else?
"Since that's the case, then I won't hold back!"
Hiruzen cheerfully sat down in the Hokage's seat, looking at Shimura Danzo standing in front of him.
He finally understood what it felt like to possess power.
"Alright, the village's affairs are temporarily entrusted to you. I'll be leaving the village later, and I don't know exactly when I'll be back."
Shimura Danzo removed the Hokage's hat from his head, gave a few final instructions, and then left the office.
He was now going to find his good brother to discuss travel plans.
Hiruzen looked at the hat on the desk that symbolized power, cheerfully put it on his head, and couldn't suppress the smile on his face no matter what.
A ninja who doesn't want to become Hokage is not a good ninja.
Since he had temporarily become Acting Hokage, he would certainly make some achievements during Danzo's absence to prove his own abilities.
When the time came for him to be officially appointed, the villagers would not object.
...
Senju Tobirama's Residence.
"So boring..."
Renya sat on the threshold, propping his chin with both hands as he watched the Senju clansmen coming and going.
With Uchiha Madara dealt with, the ninja world was indeed safe.
But there was no one left to keep him company.
Even the fat cat had started to dislike him—after summoning it a few times, he got scolded harshly every time.
Then it dismissed the summoning and went back on its own.
Uchiha Madara had been the fat cat's only master in the ninja world, yet its Lord Madara had been finished off by Renya.
The bond between one man and one cat, formed because of Uchiha Madara, had also ended because of Uchiha Madara's death.
Renya was helpless about this; some things were unavoidable.
He had originally wanted to find a friend to travel with, but everyone seemed to have their own matters to attend to.
On one side, they had to work; on the other, they had to accompany their wives and children.
Only he basked in the sun every day with nothing to do.
The only one not married, Danzo, still had to handle administrative affairs in the office.
He could only slink back and space out.
So boring. If it really came down to it, he might as well go to Loulan alone.
The Dragon Vein possessed the power to traverse time; he could see where it might take him.
In the original work, Uzumaki Naruto had crossed into the past because of the Dragon Vein.
The time of travel through the Dragon Vein was completely random, meaning both past and future were possible.
As for exactly where he would end up, that depended on personal luck.
But for him, it didn't really matter—wherever he went, he'd treat it as experiencing life.
If he traveled to the Warring States period, he'd beat up Uchiha Madara; if he traveled to the future, it would depend on the specific era.
He wondered whether it was a parallel timeline—would the future ninja world have legends about him?
Heh heh heh!
Just as Renya was imagining the future, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure walking toward him.
Tsk, this guy looks just like Danzo!
But he quickly reacted—not just looks like him, this guy is Danzo!
"Danzo, why are you here?"
Renya asked in surprise. Hadn't they just parted not long ago?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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