Chapter 217: Speculation on the Hokage's Successor
Konoha Village, Hokage's Office.
Knock, knock, knock.
A series of hurried knocks roused the Third Hokage from his thoughts.
"Enter."
An intelligence division shinobi walked in, his face flush with excitement.
Seeing his expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively tightened his grip on his pipe.
"Report! Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Kyosuke have joined forces and defeated the Tsuchikage! Iwagakure has withdrawn its forces from the Land of Grass!" the shinobi announced, his voice booming with excitement.
"Haha! Good, good, good!" Hiruzen repeated the word three times, his hearty laughter echoing throughout the entire Hokage tower.
"What's happened, Hiruzen?" Koharu and Homura entered, drawn by the sound of his laughter.
"We've won the battle in the Land of Grass," Hiruzen said, his voice returning to a calmer, joyous tone.
The two elders snatched the report from the shinobi's hand and began to read it intently.
After a long moment, Koharu sighed. "Those boys, Kyosuke and Minato... they are truly exceptional. Konoha's future is in good hands."
"Indeed," Hiruzen agreed with a smile.
After a moment of celebration, Homura asked, "Hiruzen, what are your thoughts on war reparations?"
"...For the sake of peace and the future relationship between our villages, I think we should forgo any reparations," Hiruzen said after a thoughtful pause.
He could see from his old friends' expressions that they didn't entirely agree. But the war with Iwa was finally over, and he didn't want to risk reigniting the conflict. If they pushed Onoki too far, who knew what might happen?
"Sigh," Koharu let out a breath. "Hiruzen, do you understand the consequences of this decision?"
"I do," Hiruzen replied with a calm smile. "This will undoubtedly cause a great deal of dissatisfaction. I have already decided to step down as Hokage after the war."
"Then... have you decided on a successor for the Fourth?" Koharu asked, seizing the opportunity.
"The next Hokage... I will need to consider it carefully."
But his two advisors knew him too well. They were certain he had already made his choice.
Not wanting to press the issue, Koharu pointed to another line in the report. "What do you make of this, Hiruzen?"
"The Flying Thunder God Technique... that boy Kyosuke's talent is truly astonishing," Hiruzen said, his face unreadable.
Unable to decipher his true thoughts, the two elders discussed the future movements of the Northwestern Corps for a while longer before taking their leave.
The crisis with Iwa is over. The Sand is no longer a threat. All that remains is the Cloud.
Hiruzen tapped the ash from his pipe, his eyes drawn to the part of the report detailing Minato Namikaze's solo slaughter of hundreds of Iwa shinobi. His smile grew even wider.
Koharu is right. Konoha's future is bright indeed.
The day after the war with Iwa ended, a heavily wounded Hatake Kakashi arrived alone at the Northwestern Corps' encampment.
Kyosuke and Minato rushed out the moment they heard the news. The squad Kyosuke had sent to intercept them had already returned, so he knew they had been attacked.
Unlike Minato, when Kyosuke heard that Rin and Obito were dead, his first thought was: Madara has made his move.
A wave of self-blame washed over him. He had planned for every contingency, but he had never imagined the enemy would be so impatient as to strike while they were still en route.
His previous plans were now in jeopardy. Even if he were to storm Madara's cavern and rescue Obito, with Rin already dead, could Obito truly be "saved"? Kyosuke had his doubts.
But the matter of saving Obito's soul was a problem for Kakashi and Minato to solve. His responsibility was to bring him back. For both the village and for himself, he had to try. He couldn't just give up on him.
Besides, while he was uncertain of Madara's current strength, with the Flying Thunder God Technique at his disposal, he was eager to test himself against the legendary Uchiha.
Forcing his thoughts back to the present, Kyosuke ordered the wounded Kakashi to be taken to the medical tent. He then returned to his own tent to await word from Konoha.
A day later, the orders finally arrived. Just as he and Saori had predicted, Hiruzen Sarutobi had let the defeated Iwa go without so much as a demand for reparations, let alone a formal apology.
First the Sand, now the Iwa. Hiruzen's spineless weakness had left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. While there was no open dissent in the Northwestern Corps, the Third Hokage had lost the respect of his shinobi.
Those with a keen political sense, like Hyuga Hiashi and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, were already beginning to consider who would succeed him. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, even Tsunade, who had not been seen since the start of the war, were all mentioned as possibilities.
Interestingly, the two most obvious candidates, the rising star Minato Namikaze and the immensely powerful Danzo Shimura, were not part of their discussions. The former could be dismissed due to his relative lack of experience, but the latter... Danzo's actions over the years had earned him no friends.
While the position of Hokage was often passed down through a direct line of succession, and there were undoubtedly many backroom deals involved, it was an undeniable fact that every Hokage had been a popular choice, with the sole exception of Danzo's brief tenure as a candidate.
Kyosuke actually agreed with some of Danzo's philosophies. But as he had just been thinking, a man who could not win the hearts of the people could never sit on the Hokage's throne. Even if he did, he would be quickly overthrown.
That was why Kyosuke had fought so tirelessly over the years. It wasn't just about gaining strength; it was about winning the people's support. The countless shinobi he had saved, both directly and indirectly, on three different battlefronts, and the unwavering loyalty of those who served under him—they were all a testament to his efforts.
When the time came, they would be his allies. And even if they didn't openly side with him, their neutrality would be enough.
Uchiha Madara, Hiruzen Sarutobi... just you wait. One day...
Lying in his bed, Kyosuke's thoughts drifted, and he slowly fell asleep.
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