Chapter 70 (Patreon)

After returning home from the Hokage’s Office, Kushina and Roy remained silent for a long time.

They had spent so long carefully preparing, only for Danzō to flee before they could make their move. Neither of them had expected such an outcome.

What surprised them even more, however, was Hiruzen’s response.

Rather than trying to cover for Danzō, he had publicly declared him a missing-nin and announced his defection throughout Konoha and the wider shinobi world.

By all logic, shouldn’t Hiruzen have acted as though nothing had happened and left Danzō a path to return someday, just as he had once done with Asuma?

The decisions made by both Danzō and Hiruzen had left Roy completely baffled.

Still, whether Hiruzen had finally given up on Danzō or was merely distancing himself to protect his own position no longer mattered. With Danzō gone and unable to continue causing trouble inside Konoha, his departure brought far more benefits than harm.

As for the evidence they had recovered from Root’s underground base, Kushina and Roy discussed it before deciding not to make it public for the time being.

At most, the evidence would add another stain to Danzō’s already extensive list of crimes. Now that he had defected, such accusations would mean nothing to him. Konoha, on the other hand, would suffer greatly if everything came to light.

In desperate times, sacrificing eight hundred of your own to eliminate a thousand enemies might still be a necessary choice.

But sacrificing eight hundred while inflicting no loss whatsoever on the enemy was not strategy.

It was insanity.

“Then those two advisors are next, right?” Roy asked.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were nowhere near as dangerous as Danzō, but they currently contributed nothing to Konoha and occasionally obstructed its progress.

Allowing them to remain in positions of authority would only continue to harm the village without providing any benefit.

Fortunately, dealing with them would be far simpler than dealing with Danzō.

Meanwhile, after Kushina left the Hokage’s Office, Hiruzen summoned every elite jōnin and clan head in the village.

He began by addressing the jōnin representing the Shimura Clan. Although Danzō had defected, Konoha would not hold the rest of the Shimura Clan responsible for his actions. They could put their fears to rest.

The visibly anxious Shimura jōnin was moved to tears upon hearing Hiruzen’s assurance. He immediately swore that every member of the Shimura Clan remained completely loyal to Konoha.

His true feelings were irrelevant.

What mattered was that he had declared his clan’s loyalty in front of everyone present. That was exactly what Hiruzen needed.

He could not allow Danzō’s defection to provoke the Shimura Clan into rebelling. In its current condition, Konoha could not withstand the turmoil of a civil war.

Fugaku Uchiha had initially considered using Danzō’s defection to pressure the Shimura Clan and repay Danzō for his years of hostility toward the Uchiha. After hearing Hiruzen’s words, however, he suppressed the idea once again.

The Uchiha were hardly in a better position.

When Madara Uchiha defected from Konoha, the village had not openly held the rest of the clan responsible. The same had been true when Setsuna Uchiha plotted a coup during the Second Hokage’s administration.

If Fugaku now insisted on treating the entire Shimura Clan as accomplices to Danzō’s crimes, the same reasoning could easily be turned against the Uchiha.

After reassuring the Shimura representative, Hiruzen swept his gaze across the room.

“The village is still recovering from the destruction, and rebuilding Konoha will require everyone’s cooperation. I have decided to restructure the Konoha Military Police Force. Members from various clans will be selected to share responsibility for maintaining security throughout the village.”

The moment he finished speaking, quiet murmurs spread through the room.

Ever since the Second Hokage established the Military Police Force, its membership had consisted exclusively of Uchiha.

In other words, it was a department that had been created specifically for the Uchiha Clan.

On one hand, entrusting the Uchiha with the village’s security demonstrated Konoha’s faith in them and helped prevent another shinobi like Madara from turning against the village.

On the other hand, it also served as a restriction placed upon the clan.

By confining the Uchiha to the Military Police Force, the village kept them away from its true political center and effectively denied them any path to becoming Hokage.

The underlying purpose was obvious to anyone who understood Konoha’s politics.

Yet now, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, intended to break the structure that had remained unchanged since the Second Hokage’s time.

Some of those who already disliked the Uchiha wondered whether Danzō’s defection had dealt such a heavy blow to Hiruzen that he had lost his judgment. Otherwise, why would he suggest something so unthinkable?

Most remained silent and simply observed, carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages this reform might bring to themselves and their clans.

Not a single person spoke in support of the Uchiha.

That alone revealed just how isolated the clan had become over the years.

“Shikaku will prepare a proposal regarding the reform of the Military Police Force and determine how its positions should be distributed among the clans. Next, I wish to discuss a second matter.”

Only Nara Shikaku grimaced at the additional responsibility that had suddenly fallen upon him. Everyone else immediately fell silent.

Hiruzen paused before continuing.

“Does anyone have a recommendation for the position of Fifth Hokage?”

Hiruzen had originally believed he could remain in office for several more years. However, the series of events that had occurred since his return to power, followed by Danzō’s defection, had drained him completely.

If circumstances allowed it, he wanted to step down immediately.

His sudden question left everyone in the room stunned.

If a suitable candidate for the Fifth Hokage had existed, why would the village have needed to call a retired old man back into service after the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself?

Only a few months had passed since then. Where were they supposed to find someone who possessed the strength, reputation, and qualifications necessary to succeed him?

In truth, there was one person.

Fugaku Uchiha stepped forward.

Ignoring the numerous gazes that immediately converged upon him, he looked directly at the exhausted Hiruzen.

“Hokage-sama, on behalf of the Uchiha Clan, I nominate Lady Kushina as the Fifth Hokage.”

Hiruzen had expected Fugaku to make this proposal.

No one else had.

First, much of the shinobi world remained deeply patriarchal. Whether at the national level or within the hidden villages, women could obtain status through their husbands or children, but the idea of a woman standing at the very top through her own achievements still faced considerable resistance.

Second, allowing a jinchūriki to become a Kage was almost unthinkable to most people.

If the tailed beast ever went out of control, it would inflict devastating losses upon the village. The Kage herself might also lose her life in the process, forcing the village to begin yet another succession.

It was both dangerous and troublesome.

Finally, the person proposing Kushina was Fugaku Uchiha.

That alone made it difficult for many people not to question his true intentions.

Did Fugaku intend to control the jinchūriki and, through her, indirectly seize control of Konoha?

The restructuring of the Military Police Force might not directly affect the interests of most clans, but the position of Hokage was completely different.

Whoever occupied that seat would influence the development of every clan in Konoha for the next decade, perhaps even several decades.

Within the crowd, Inoichi Yamanaka and Chōza Akimichi were holding a private discussion with Shikaku through the Yamanaka Clan’s Mind Body Transmission Technique.

The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans had always been staunch supporters of the Hokage. As long as the next Hokage assumed office through legitimate means, the three clans would offer that person their complete loyalty and support.

With the Third Hokage intending to step down, the appointment of a Fifth Hokage had become inevitable.

The only question was whether the candidate proposed by Fugaku was truly suitable for the position.

“Shikaku, what do you think?” Inoichi asked.

“Personally, I support her,” Shikaku replied. “Don’t forget Kushina’s performance on the battlefield. Whether in terms of strength or reputation, she already possesses the qualifications necessary to become a Kage. The only concern is the stability of the tailed beast inside her.”

“I agree,” Chōza added. “Kushina also carries on Minato’s will. If she becomes Hokage, I believe she will devote herself completely to the village.”

Of the three, Chōza had previously served alongside Minato on missions. He was far more familiar with Minato and Kushina than Inoichi was.

“Since both of you support Kushina, should our three clans declare our position now?”