Chapter 33
DANZO SHIMURA
"Minato Namikaze," Hiruzen's voice cut through the room before Danzo could speak up.
And he watched as the daimyo's eyes widened, before a bemused smile appeared on his face.
"Namikaze, the Yellow Flash," he asked as Hiruzen nodded once more, as Danzo found himself defeated by his lateness once more. And he wondered, had he really made a mistake this time again by holding his tongue but not offering his own name.
"Yes, he is my recommendation," and his was the recommendation that mattered most.
"He is Jiraiya's student, isn't he," the daimyo-sama continued with amusement. The white-haired baffoon had a habbit of leaving an impression, and it seemed as if he had left an impression on their daimyo.
"He is young, but there is little doubt about his martial prowess," the daimyo seemed to be seriously considering the offer.
"Yes, he may be young. But we should think of his youth as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage. His is the generation that will form the bulk of our forces for the years to come, and having him lead the village would also boost the morale of the people of the village, given his heritage," and the daimyo-sama nodded.
"Yes, he was an orphan, wasn't he?" the man asked as Hiruzen nodded as the ministers sitting opposite to them began to whisper.
"To be born with nothing and then rise through the ranks to become a Hokage, I doubt there would be a better heroic tale," and he had to intervene.
"But still, Namikaze is too young," he intervened, as the daimyo-sama raised a brow at his intervention.
"He lacks the understanding of Konoha's delicate politics, and while the wars may be over, it is no secret that this peace is not something that we can waste," and his words soured the daimyo's mood.
"Such ominous talk," the man tutted as Danzo controlled his expression.
"I like it not, but then what do you propose, Shimura?" the daimyo asked.
"We need someone with a firm hand to lead the village, someone who understands the darkness and dangers of the shinobi world," and the daimyo clicked his tongue.
"Such cynicism," he argued as Danzo controlled his lips.
"I speak only the truth, daimyo-sama. We may be at peace now, but war is an eventuality that we cannot forget about," and the ministers tutted at his words before Hiruzen spoke up once more.
"Well, in that case, I have something more to add," and the most powerful man of the Fire Nation motioned for him to continue.
"Yes, speak Sarutobi," and with that his old friend took out a letter from his pocket.
"Before I left Konoha, Orochimaru met with me and communicated to me his disinterest in the Hokage's seat," and that caught him by surprise, though not only him.
Many people, including the daimyo, were both surprised and, unlike him, amused by those words.
"I did wonder why you did not recommend your own student," the daimyo asked as Danzo's fists balled up as he understood Orochimaru's betrayal.
"Yes, though he did leave behind a nomination of his own, one which we have no reason to rely on, but I believe would be interesting for us to know nonetheless," and the antics amused the daimyo-sama as he smiled.
"And do tell Sarutobi, who does your student recommend?" he asked, and he saw Hiruzen glance at him for a second as Danzo felt an ominous sensation grip his heart.
"Fugaku Uchiha," and there was silence in the room.
"Ah, Fugaku," and the minister sitting beside him handed the daimyo-sama a new file, this one Fugaku's, as the man seemed to skim over it.
"A solid choice, if a bit uninspired," and his mood was dull.
"But he does have the credentials," and then the man turned towards him.
"And he hails from one of the founder clans and is acutely aware and learned about the village politics," and Danzo found himself stuck in his own trap. He had hoped that he could have either nominated Orochimaru by discrediting Namikaze because of his lack of experience, or better yet, he could have nominated himself.
However, the situation was turning in the worst direction.
He could not let a Uchiha don the hat of the Hokage. Not while he was still alive.
"An impractical and unfeasible one," he added quietly, even as his fist balled up in rage at Orochimaru's betrayal.
"I do not see why?" the daimyo asked.
"Fugaku Uchiha already holds a very important office in the village. He, as the leader of the Uchiha clan, heads the Police Force; if we make him the Hookage, it will give the Uchiha clan too much power, for as per tradition, the Head of the Police Force must also be a Uchiha," he argued as the daimyo frowned.
"Then, we break that tradition. We could nominate a new Head of the Police Force," he added, and the entire purpose of the Police Force was to isolate the Uchiha. He could not let that happen.
"Such an act would be liked by the Uchiha clan, who view the position with much reverence," he added as the daimyo-sama clicked his tongue.
"Still, there must be a way," he added quickly.
"And then there is the matter of his heir," and the daimyo-sama lazily asked.
"And what is the problem there?"
"Fugaku's eldest child has been nominated to replace Tsunade Senju as the acting Head of the Fifth Division, the Medical Corps," and the daimyo's eyes widened.
"Really? An Uchiha iryo-nin, now that is rather rare," he asked Hiruzen, who nodded.
"Indeed, but he is an apprentice to Kato Shizune and has been nominated for the position by Tsunade Senju herself," and that was a surprise for him as he glanced towards Hiruzen, and wondered just how many secrets he was keeping from him.
"Tsunade believed that in her absence, the boy would serve as an adequate replacement," and the daimyo-sama smiled wildly.
"Well, that all does complicate things a bit," and he raised a brow as he looked at Fugaku's file once more.
"It seems we are at an impasse," he whispered. Danzo knew this was the moment, so he steeled his heart and began sharply.
"I believe that there we can consi..." perhaps, seeing through Danzo's intentions, Hiruzen Sarutobi cut in from the side.
"Not really," Hiruzne's voice once more cut through the air as the Daimyo turned to face his old friend as Danzo ground his teeth, realizing that this was deliberate.
"How?" the daimyo-sama asked, his own words lost to the air as Hiruzen stood up.
"While Namikaze may indeed be not well versed in village politics. None here can accuse him of being a slow learner," and the daimyo nodded.
"While war and battle may indeed be an inevitability, we must not forget that we are at peace right now. And Namikaze's ascension would mark the ushering of a new, better era. He will learn, and he will do so quickly as he has shown, I still believe that he would make a fine Kage," and the daimyo nodded, slowly fanning himself with his fan, as Danzo glared at Hiruzen.
THWACK!
And then, a few seconds later, the man closed his fan.
"Then I believe our decision is made....."
.
.
.
The meeting came to a close, and they all retired to the gardens, free to enjoy the hospitality of the daimyo castle until they were all called for again for a formal dinner.
And so, Danzo walked beside his friend as they walked through the serene garden together before he finally breached the topic once more.
"Why did you intervene, Hiruzen?" he asked as his friend stopped and raised a brow.
"I do not understand what you speak of," he feigned ignorance as Danzo stuck his cane on the ground rather forcefully.
THUNK!
"Do not take me for a fool, Hiruzen. You knew what I was about to recommend and chose to cut in and stop me from making a case for myself. So, I simply ask why?" he asked as he stopped, and Hiruzen sighed before he turned to face him.
"Because our time is over, old friend," he answered softly.
"It is time for the new generation to take over. You and I are relics of a bygone era, one that was filled with darkness and desperation, but the world has changed since then, and if it is to change more, we must step back and let the new generation carve out their own path..." and Danzo scoffed at this.
"You are a fool, Hiruzen," he was insulted by that naivety.
"The world has not changed at all. It is still ruled by the powerful, yet you refuse to see it. I will not simply sit back and let you destroy all that we inherited, all that we nurtured and improved because of your infirm...."
"Silence!" Hiruzen's chakra cut through the air as Danzo's eyes widened as his friend looked into his eyes.
"I may retire but do not forget that I am and will always remain the Third Hokage," he warned her as Danzo ground her teeth.
"I doubt I could forget it, with how keen you are on reminding me of this tragedy," and Hiruzen shook his head.
"It matters not. The war is over, and so is our time as the leaders of this village. As one of my last acts as a Hokage, I am ordering you to dismantle the foundation and ROOT and remove its trace from the village's system," and Danzo's eyes widened at that.
"You cannot do that. ROOT is a necessity for the survival and prosperity of the village. It is what supports this village's very foundation doing the ugly but necessary tasks that would make others turn away in disgust," he championed, but Hiruzen shook his head.
"It was necessary for a different time and a different era. Now, Namikaze shall decide on how he wants to tackle with the hidden realities of the village, whether he does it through ROOT or chooses to push these dark realities into the light I know now," Hiruzen finished.
"But until then, ROOT and the foundation are to be put on standby...."
0000
MINATO NAMIKAZE
The decision came as a surprise to him. To everyone, for while they all whispered his name and sang his praises, he had never really thought that he would become the Hokage.
But now that the time was here, the announcement had been made, and now the whole village prepared for his inauguration ceremony. Minato was elated, though he was not oblivious to the burden and responsibility that now sat on his shoulders.
It was a burden that no man could carry on their own. And so, one needed allies, advisors, comrades, and so much more to fulfill his duties.
The Shodaime had his brother, and when he became the Hokage himself, the Nidaime he leaned on his own students. The Third leaned on both his students and his advisors, and now it was time for Minato to find such people for himself.
People he could rely on.
And he had never more lamented and felt the loss of his two prised students, than at this time as he missed their presence behind him. Obito and Kakashi would have been perfect for the job, they could have been to him what the Sanin had been to Sandaime-sama.
Alas! They were gone, and he had to search for other people.
He could not rely on Rin as well, who was still recovering from becoming a jinchuriki, and Izuna-kun's continuous effort, had allowed her body to slowly acclimate itself to the bijuu'c chakra, but Kushina feared that it would be a year if not more until the girl would regain her ability to mold chakra as she did before the Kiri mission.
The only person he had in his mind was Izuna-kun, and though it would be a shame to have their training sessions cut short, Minato knew that he could rely on the young Uchiha clan heir just as he could have relied on Obito and Kakashi.
But Izuna-kun was young, and while he could be his arms and legs, he was still in need of advisors. Kushina could help him in this regard, but he needed someone else as well, and he had just the man in mind for this.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Fugaku-san," and the Uchiha clan head, nodded to his greeting as the two of them met atop the Hokage faces, as per his request.
"Uchiha, do not refuse an order of their Hokage," and he smiled sheepishly as he looked the older nin in the eye.
"Well, it was no order, and I am not the Hokage yet," he corrected, but the Uchiha clan leader did not mind it as he simply reported.
"But you are. The rest is just ceremony," and in a way, he was right. But he had not yet been given the charge yet, as Sandaime-sama still governed the village as he tried to show him the ropes for this massive burden.
Minato was thankful for the man's consideration and advice but knew that he must not simply be a replacement.
While many would expect there to be some hostility between him and the Uchiha clan head, given that they were the final two names under consideration for the title, thankfully, they were both beyond that and Uchiha Fugaku, despite the anger and frustration of his clan, had been cordial and supportive of his nomination.
"I believe that you must have an idea about why I have called you here," Minato began as the Uchiha clan nodded slowly.
"I do," and none would ever call the man dumb.
"Konoha was built through the combined effort of the Senju and Uchiha clans," and while many others would join later, these two clans were instrumental in the formation of this village.
"I want to assure both you and your clan that I am acutely aware of their sacrifices and their importance to this village. There are many who are frustrated, perhaps even rightly so, by my nomination, but I wish for the Uchiha to stand beside me rather than against me," he offered softly as he looked the man in the eye.
"For the prosperity of the village is the prosperity of the Uchiha, and the prosperity of the Uchiha is the prosperity of the village," he finished.
"It is a beautiful sentiment, but the grudge runs deep. I hold nothing against you for your nomination, but many in my clan do have their reservations and frustrations about this choice," and he knew about that. It was why he had called him here.
"I know, and it is why I have called you here. I wish for you to be a part of my Council," he offered, and the man was surprised by his offer.
"While informal, we are all aware of the influence of the Council on the Sandaime's rule, and I believe that with you beside me, we can help lead this village in a better way," and the Uchiha clan head turned around to look at the village, his face stoic as always as he spoke up.
"I am honored by this, but I will need to think about this," and Minato nodded. He already had a slew of responsibilities, and now Minato was asking him to take a few more.
And unlike him, Fugaku was the head of a major clan. His decision would have great ramifications for him and his clan.
"Of course, take your time," he said.
"Have you any other names in mind for your council?" he asked.
"The Sandaime-sama will have a say, and as for the last person, I plan to ask Jiraiya-sensei to help me in this endeavor," and the man nodded.
"Not bad choices," he whispered, Minato smiling when suddenly a ninja appeared behind them.
"Fuagku-sama! It is about Izuna-kun...."
0000
A few hours earlier, as Izuna Uchiha, the new head of Leaf's Medical Corps, stood on the rooftop, watching the spiraling village around him with a tired expression, a shrill, sharp voice suddenly interrupted him out of his trance.
"Izuna-sama! Izuna-sama!" the young Uchiha clan head perked up at that. He looked down and saw a dark brown-haired girl standing there calling for him.
In a blink of an eye, he vanished and appeared infront of the girl who was huffing as she gripped her knees.
"Itachi-kun! Itachi-kun was just summoned by the elders!" and Izuna Uchiha's expression shifted as he put a hand on the little girl's shoulder.
"I will handle it...."
0000
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