The Naruto Battle
The Third Hokage remained silent for a long time, instinctively reaching for his pipe to numb the pain—only to find nothing.
Jiraiya was right. Ever since the Nine-Tails' attack, Hiruzen Sarutobi's tolerance of Danzo's schemes and his handling of the Hyuga Affair had steadily eroded the prestige he had built since the Second Great Ninja War.
Although Konoha's Jonin would not openly oppose him, they had long since become selectively obedient, following his orders when convenient and ignoring them when they saw fit.
Even among those who once supported him—such as the Ino-Shika-Cho clan and his former students—opposition had begun to rise. The only force he still directly controlled was the ANBU.
It was clear now. His time as Hokage was coming to an end.
Looking up at Jiraiya's towering figure, Hiruzen reached for a pen and paper. With a heavy heart, he wrote a formal resignation and handed it to Jiraiya, looking at him meaningfully.
"Deliver this to the ANBU commander. He will know what to do."
With that, the Third Hokage rose from his chair, stepped toward the window, and gazed out at the village he had protected for decades.
---
After gaining control over the Third Hokage, Jiraiya sought out the ANBU leader and summoned Konoha's two senior advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Upon seeing Jiraiya's grim expression and reading the official decree, the advisors were stunned. The realization dawned on them—Jiraiya and Tsunade had staged a coup.
Unlike the failed Uchiha uprising, this was not an outright rebellion but a calculated shift of power, akin to a prince overthrowing his aging king. As long as a plausible justification was presented, the transition could proceed smoothly, avoiding major unrest. At worst, a few scapegoats would be sacrificed to pacify the masses.
With the advisors' reluctant cooperation, Jiraiya swiftly secured ANBU's loyalty. His allies were appointed as captains, and even Kakashi Hatake played a crucial role in the transition.
Seated in the Hokage's office, Jiraiya knew his real challenges had only begun.
Beyond the endless documents requiring his signature, he faced pressing issues—how to handle the retired Third Hokage and, more importantly, how to deal with Danzo Shimura. Reform was inevitable, but executing the old Hokage was not an option.
Not only would it be unthinkable for him personally, but the village would never accept it.
In Konoha, the bond between master and student was second only to familial ties. It was the essence of the Will of Fire.
Jiraiya needed a way to permanently discredit Hiruzen while still preserving the dignity of his former teacher.
And, of course, Naruto would have to be considered in these decisions.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Jiraiya sighed in frustration. There was no clear answer yet. What was clear, however, was that Danzo needed to be eliminated.
Just then, Tsunade stormed into the Hokage's office, her face grim.
Jiraiya immediately asked, "Tsunade, what's the status of Danzo's arrest?"
She shook her head, her expression dark. "The Root base was empty, aside from a few traps. Danzo fled Konoha with a group of his men long before we arrived. Worse, he has already spread word of our coup."
Jiraiya's face darkened as he turned to the senior advisors. "Danzo's forces have been repeatedly restricted by the old man. Where did he get the resources to sustain such an army?"
The advisors remained silent. This was not their concern. They had never built private militias, nor had they attempted to. That neutrality was their survival strategy—no matter who sat in the Hokage's chair, their influence remained intact, primarily through economic control.
Silence was the only response they gave.
And yet, Jiraiya already knew the answer. The truth lay with Hiruzen.
However, the former Hokage had already stepped down and relinquished his authority over ANBU.
Ignoring the advisors, Tsunade's expression turned even more severe.
"Danzo's escape isn't the only problem. The real issue is what we found in the Root base," she said coldly. "He's been experimenting with my grandfather's cells to recreate Wood Release. We also discovered Sharingan and other bloodline limit samples. Danzo has been using Konoha's own ninjas as test subjects, turning them into weapons for war."
At her words, Homura and Koharu's expressions turned grim.
They had assumed Hiruzen's oversight would keep Danzo in check. They had never expected him to escalate his experiments, much less exploit Konoha's bloodlines for his own gain.
Hiruzen hadn't simply lost his ambition in his old age—he had lost control.
At that moment, Kakashi stepped into the office, his voice flat.
"It's worse than that," he added. "Danzo has been working with Orochimaru. Their primary research focus was the Uchiha clan's Sharingan. He even sent operatives to steal my eye."
Kakashi's voice was calm, but there was an edge of suppressed anger in it.
"And the one who attacked Uchiha Shisui years ago? That was Danzo, too. If Tsunade-sama had encountered him today, he might have used a Mangekyō Sharingan against her."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "Danzo is still working with Orochimaru…"
Kakashi said nothing. It wasn't surprising to him. The connection between Jiraiya and Orochimaru was similar to his own with Obito—twisted by betrayal but never entirely broken.
After a moment's pause, Kakashi continued, "The immediate priority should be declaring Danzo a missing-nin and stabilizing Konoha's leadership. We must appoint the Fifth Hokage before chaos erupts."
Even before he finished speaking, all eyes turned toward Jiraiya and Tsunade.
To the advisors, either of them could take the role, but leadership had to be established immediately. Without a firm hand guiding the village, instability would set in.
Tsunade's eyes locked onto Jiraiya. Her tone was sharp, final.
"Jiraiya, I have no interest in becoming Hokage. Sooner or later, I will leave Konoha to continue traveling. This entire situation was caused by you alone. The position of Fifth Hokage belongs to you."
Jiraiya glanced at the mountain of documents on the desk. His throat felt dry.
Without backing down, he replied, "Tsunade-hime, you are the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the head of Konoha Hospital. You are far more suited for this than I am."
Their standoff had only begun.
Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters