Naruto: If I ask you to be Naruto, you will become a yellow-haired person?

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a subtle glance.

Then, Homura Mitokado quickly smoothed things over, his magnetic voice sincerely offering words of persuasion.

"Hiruzen, let me be fair, even if it's not what you want to hear.

This time, I side with Koharu. You're being too lenient when it comes to the Jinchuriki!"

"The Jinchuriki are Konoha's strategic asset, especially now that the village faces the Uchiha clan's treachery.

We must entrust them to reliable individuals loyal to the village for safekeeping.

And Hiruzen, you're preoccupied with numerous village affairs and have no time to care for the Jinchuriki."

After a pause, Homura continued.

"Why not simply hand over the Jinchuriki to Koharu and me this time? We'll temporarily safeguard the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki for you.

This way, the immense pressure on you can be eased..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of white smoke, sighing deeply in his heart.

These two old partners of his were much better than Danzo, who only added to his troubles.

But they had too many schemes and were too self-serving! They couldn't wholeheartedly serve the village!

They were constantly seeking benefits and power for themselves and the families behind them!

They just couldn't be selfless and devote themselves entirely to the path of selfless dedication to the village like him!

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, pondering how to deflect their joint pressure, the impatient Koharu Utatane stepped forward, placed her hands on the desk, and spoke again.

"Hiruzen, you can't keep being so indeci..."

"Bang!"

The Hokage's office door was violently pushed open.

A figure enveloped in a somber aura strode in quickly.

It was none other than the leader of Root, Shimura Danzo, half of his body wrapped in white bandages, his demeanor cold and uninviting.

The three people in the room frowned simultaneously at Shimura Danzo's abrupt interruption.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been looking troubled and deep in thought, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

There were only four high-ranking officials in Konoha with real power.

And this time, the two Hokage advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, citing the Jinchuriki's frequent violent clashes with the village, suddenly joined forces to pressure him.

Caught off guard, he couldn't find a good excuse to deal with them for the moment.

But with Danzo here, there was a scapegoat!

Just as he expected, Koharu Utatane, interrupted in the middle of her scheme by Danzo, immediately turned her attention to Danzo, scolding him in an unfriendly tone.

"Danzo, can't you see that Homura and I are discussing confidential village matters with Hiruzen?!"

"If spies from enemy villages lurking outside were to eavesdrop and discover the village's top-secret information, who would take responsibility for that?!"

Shimura Danzo's gloomy, square face twitched at Koharu Utatane's unreasonable rebuke, which lacked any logic.

Enemy village spies?! Are you even listening to yourself?

This is the heart of Konoha, the Hokage Building!!

Don't let the seemingly empty surface fool you; the various ninjas and Anbu, both overt and covert, inside and out, could easily wipe out a small country in the ninja world!

As for how Naruto Uzumaki, who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy, was able to infiltrate the heavily guarded Hokage Building under the instigation of the mediocre Chunin Mizuki and successfully steal the Scroll of Seals, a forbidden technique recorded by the Second Hokage and personally guarded by the Hokage of each generation…

And how he was eventually pursued by Iruka, a semi-retired Chunin teacher from the Ninja Academy…

Well, that's up to each individual to interpret…

Danzo ignored Koharu Utatane's fault-finding.

Anyway, he knew in his heart that every time Hiruzen and the other two Hokage advisors had internal conflicts, they would immediately shift their target and join forces to suppress him.

This made him feel indignant and aggrieved!

He, the darkness of the ninja world, had never suffered such humiliation outside the village?!

If one day, he ascended to the Hokage's throne, he would definitely…!

"Hiruzen, when did Tsunade return to the village? What does she want to do back here?!"

Danzo's tone was hurried, mixed with anxiety as he spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

No wonder he was so uneasy and anxious; that was Tsunade! The First Hokage's granddaughter.

The most popular candidate in the village to succeed the Hokage!

Even if Tsunade had shown the slightest intention during the Fourth Hokage election, the mission specialist, "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze, probably wouldn't have been able to take the position!

A flash of ruthlessness flickered in Danzo's eyes. He had finally endured and was about to outlive Hiruzen, that old geezer!

If Tsunade came back to take over Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage position!

Then wouldn't he, who had been the most hopeful candidate to succeed the Fifth Hokage after Hiruzen Sarutobi's retirement, have to step aside again!!

Shimura Danzo absolutely could not accept this!

Over the years, he had shed blood for Konoha! He had contributed to Konoha! He wanted to be the Hokage! He wanted to be the Hokage!

Hearing Danzo mention the news of Tsunade's return to the village, the other two Hokage advisors also had slight changes in expression, exchanging glances with each other, their faces showing astonishment.

Homura Mitokado could no longer maintain his facade of a good old man, hurriedly staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his tone astonished and urgent as he asked.

"Hiruzen, what's going on with Tsunade? Why did she come back to the village? Is she here to take over…"

Could it be that Hiruzen was getting old and wanted to give up the Hokage's power in his hands?

That didn't seem like Hiruzen's personality!

His face, lined with wrinkles like tree bark, looked complex, and bad guesses emerged in his heart.

He and Koharu didn't have the same desire to improve as Danzo.

They weren't interested in being a Hokage, but ironclad Konoha high-level Hokage advisors!

Even after the Fourth Ninja World War in the original story, when Naruto became the Seventh Hokage!

They were still calling the shots in Konoha's high-level circles, wielding great power!

As Hokage advisors, they would be content with guarding their own territory.

It's just that Hiruzen's female disciple, Tsunade, had always had a fierce temper and couldn't tolerate a grain of sand in her eyes!

She didn't know how to act with propriety, didn't understand the importance of prioritizing the overall situation, and often did whatever she wanted! Moreover, she often didn't give them, these highly respected elders, any face!

Unlike them, who had rich experience and could comprehensively consider all aspects of the village!

In addition, that Tsunade didn't have a Sarutobi family like Hiruzen at least.

She was completely alone, had no weaknesses, and was impossible to control when she started acting up… cough cough… difficult to get along with!

If she came back to take over as Hokage, wouldn't the days after their two advisors, himself and Koharu, be less comfortable than they are now!

If they really had to choose a Fifth Hokage, he would rather recommend Jiraiya!

Rather than Tsunade, who had a noble identity, a transcendent status, and a violent temper!

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat steadily in the Hokage chair, deliberately not saying a word, observing the rapidly changing gloomy and anxious faces of his three old partners, who had always harbored their own agendas.

He couldn't help but feel pleased in his heart, remaining silent for a long time.

His wrinkled old face looked melancholy, sighing with emotion, filled with the vicissitudes and helplessness of old age.

"Alas! I'm old, and I've been Hokage for too many years, time ultimately belongs to the younger generation, so I specifically asked Tsunade to come back to prepare to take over as the Fifth Hokage!"

Everyone else changed color simultaneously!

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