The tense standoff between Kagami Uchiha and Danzo Shimura filled the room with a palpable pressure.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, wore a deliberately troubled expression, though inside, he was practically ecstatic.
Bringing Kagami into the higher-ups had been one of the wisest decisions Hiruzen had made in years.
The two fence-sitters, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were utterly useless, leaving Hiruzen to fend off Danzo's relentless criticisms under the guise of their old friendship.
But now, with Kagami in the mix, not only did he protect Hiruzen's position, but he also acted like a disruptive force, throwing Danzo's strategies into disarray.
Most importantly, Kagami had no qualms about voicing the things Hiruzen himself found inconvenient to say.
In short, Kagami Uchiha was the perfect ally. No wonder that cunning fox Rinjin Sōhō was willing to associate with him.
With this thought, Hiruzen's troubled expression deepened.
"Danzo, Kagami, sit down. We're all old classmates here—no need to get so worked up! Calm down for a moment!"
Without waiting for a response, Hiruzen quickly scanned the room before continuing:
"As for the partial declassification of forbidden techniques, here's what I propose:
The forbidden techniques will remain in the archives and will not be openly disclosed. However, they shouldn't just gather dust; they need to serve their purpose.
And as you all know, I'm incredibly busy. I simply don't have the time to seek out talented children in the village who have inherited the Will of Fire.
So, I will need a few trustworthy young people to help identify and recommend such talents.
For now, I've decided on Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
Does anyone have anything to add?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Danzo Shimura stood up, adopting a tone of feigned concern.
"Hiruzen, I think this is too hasty. Orochimaru and the others are only eighteen years old. They haven't experienced war as we have and can't fully grasp the essence of the Will of Fire."
The implication was clear: Danzo believed he and Hiruzen, as seasoned veterans, were more qualified to uphold the Will of Fire.
"Since you're so busy, as a disciple of Tobirama-sensei and a seasoned ninja who has experienced war, I am more than capable of taking on this responsibility!"
Hiruzen's face darkened as he glanced at Danzo's shameless demeanor.
This old geezer! Can't he see what I'm looking for are young people, not middle-aged, greasy uncles like him?
Suppressing his irritation, Hiruzen rolled his eyes and retorted sharply:
"The Will of Fire, my old friend! It means burning oneself to illuminate the green leaves! You have to give the younger generation a chance!"
"Exactly!" Danzo shamelessly nodded in agreement.
"That's precisely why I'm prepared to burn myself! You have to give me the opportunity, Hiruzen. I will dedicate all my light and heat to the village that our sensei created!"
Hiruzen was momentarily at a loss for words.
This… this is the definition of playing dumb!
This is the epitome of twisting logic!
I'm testing everyone's opinion on my choice of successor, and here you are, volunteering yourself for self-immolation!
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and said in a gravelly voice:
"What about Rinjin Sōhō?"
At the mention of the name, Danzo immediately sat down, his expression turning innocent as he glanced at Hiruzen with a childlike naivety.
"Whatever you decide, there's no need to consult me. I'm fine with it!"
The sudden 180-degree shift in Danzo's attitude left everyone else in the room utterly dumbfounded.
But it wasn't entirely their fault; the trauma Rinjin had inflicted on Danzo ran too deep, leaving him with a sort of conditioned reflex.
Anything involving Rinjin Sōhō instinctively made Danzo back away.
In truth, this all dated back to when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was still alive. Danzo had considered taking revenge on Rinjin even then.
At first, Tobirama's authority and Danzo's lack of power had made any retaliation impossible.
Later, after Tobirama's death and Hiruzen's ascension, Danzo became preoccupied with his power struggles, while Rinjin was sent on an undercover mission outside the Land of Fire.
During that time, Rinjin's missions were personally overseen by Hiruzen, leaving Danzo with no opportunity to intervene.
As for Rinjin's younger sister, Rii, she was fostered in the household of Mito Uzumaki.
And everyone knew what kind of person Mito was—Danzo wouldn't dare try anything under her watch.
Then Rinjin returned, only to beat Danzo senseless without any preamble.
At that moment, Danzo realized that brute force was not the way to deal with Rinjin. But would rumors and underhanded tactics work on him?
Clearly not!
For starters, hardly anyone even knew Rinjin's name. Moreover, Rinjin had not only returned but had also brought back an immense fortune.
This meant he could thrive without relying on Konoha at all.
To Danzo's dismay, before he could tarnish Rinjin's reputation, Rinjin had already ruined his.
Not only that, but Rinjin even established the so-called "Shimura Squad," further dragging Danzo's name through the mud.
Coupled with Rinjin's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Danzo eventually gave up.
And to his surprise, giving up turned out to be… liberating!
The initial payout of a hundred million ryo was just the beginning. The "treasure boy," Kakuzu, had been a delightful surprise.
The Earth Grudge Fear technique was practically divine! It allowed Danzo to graft additional hearts onto himself—unbelievable!
Most importantly, the technique promised an incredibly long lifespan.
And what did that mean?
The Fourth Hokage? Whoever wants it can have it! Danzo could wait until the Eighth Hokage if he wanted to!
Of course, appearances still had to be maintained. The persona had to be upheld.
In the end, Danzo reached a conclusion that even he found absurd: lying flat was absurdly satisfying!
"I, Danzo Shimura, wholeheartedly support Rinjin Sōhō as the eternal Hokage's assistant!"
While Danzo shrank back, feigning innocence, Hiruzen pursed his lips, snapping out of his disbelief.
"Does anyone else have any objections besides Danzo?"
Hearing this, everyone shook their heads. Are you kidding? Even the troublemaker Danzo had backed down—who would dare object now?
Everyone in the room wasn't stupid. They had long realized that this was Hiruzen paving the way for his personal disciple.
Satisfied with the silence, Hiruzen nodded.
"In that case, this meeting is adjourned!"
With that, he stood up and left the room.
As the others followed suit, their expressions varied.
Walking at the very back, Shikajika Nara watched the departing figures, his mind racing.
Throughout the meeting, everyone, even the usually indifferent Kagami, had been vying for power. Only Shikajika had remained silent.
He lived by his wits, serving not only as Hiruzen's advisor but also as a former advisor to Tobirama.
One could say that as long as there was a Hokage with a functioning brain, the Nara clan's position would remain secure.
From this meeting, aside from Hiruzen's obvious victory, one name stood out—a name that had reaped significant benefits without even being present:
Rinjin Sōhō!
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