Chapter 69 - Hiruzen Sarutobi's Shock and Fury
With the news of the Hidden Mist's defeat spreading throughout the ninja world, the once-intense battles across the major nations suddenly quieted down.
The invasion of the Land of Fire by the Hidden Mist had been a focal point of attention for all the great villages. If the Mist had succeeded, it would have signified the downfall of Konoha. The other four major villages would have undoubtedly joined forces to carve up the spoils.
But no one had anticipated that Hatake Kazane had grown so strong—strong enough to single-handedly hold off half of an entire village.
His name was once again etched deeply into the minds of the great villages.
This was no longer just a rising star—this was a true top-tier ninja.
Alongside Kazane's name, another figure also gained the world's attention: Might Duy.
During the Battle of Kohaku Village, Kazane had defeated the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, and even captured Taketori and Mizunotsuki Izumi, Meanwhile, Might Duy had slain Kurosuki Raiga of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and driven off Juzo Biwa and Fuguki Suikazan, earning widespread renown.
Due to his overwhelming physical prowess and brutal fighting style, as well as the vibrant blue chakra shroud he donned upon opening the Eight Gates, he came to be known as "Konoha's Azure Fierce Tiger." His name was now listed among the S-rank ninjas in the Books of other villages.
Yet, while Konoha's victory was undeniable, not everyone within the village was pleased with Kazane.
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Konoha – Hokage's Office
BANG!
With an enraged outburst, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his teacup against the floor, shattering it into countless fragments.
"Damn it! How dare he?! Does he not realize that Danzo is my man?!"
TN/ I feel like I should fix this, but I won't.
Hiruzen was furious that Kazane had dared to strike Danzo. It was an outright challenge to the authority of the Hokage.
"Sarutobi, you need to reconsider your stance on Orochimaru and Hatake Kazane," said Homura Mitokado, standing beside him. "They are growing far too powerful."
Handing Kazane over to Orochimaru had clearly been a mistake. Orochimaru's ambitions were obvious to anyone paying attention. Now, with the two of them combined, they controlled nearly half of Konoha's military power.
"If we were to openly confront them," Homura continued, "your other two students—Jiraiya and Tsunade—wouldn't necessarily side with us."
"I told you before, letting Orochimaru have Kazane was a mistake," Koharu Utatane added with discontent. "You should've seen this coming! Now they both hold significant influence, and if it comes to a conflict, those two Sannin will likely choose neutrality at best."
"Hmph!" Hiruzen scowled. "No use dwelling on past mistakes. What matters now is finding a way to limit their power."
Koharu narrowed her eyes. "Have you forgotten, Sarutobi? You promised Orochimaru that after the war, you would step down and pass the Hokage title to him. How exactly do you intend to deal with that?"
A tense silence filled the office.
"If Orochimaru becomes Hokage," Koharu continued coldly, "Konoha's future ends with him."
Homura nodded. "Sarutobi, if you hand over the village to Orochimaru, it will undo all the peace you and the three previous generations fought to maintain."
Hiruzen took a deep breath before responding.
"I've already made arrangements," he said finally. "Once the war ends, I will convene the Jonin Council and nominate Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage. I've already begun reaching out to the clan leaders. But before that, we must prevent Orochimaru and Kazane from accumulating any more merit. They can't be allowed to continue gaining power."
With Konoha's forces now freed up from the Mist conflict, the tide of war was shifting. Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer needed Kazane or Orochimaru on the battlefield.
"It's time we rallied the major clans," Koharu muttered. "And we need to secure the Daimyo's support as well."
"Indeed," Homura added. "We've received intelligence that the Daimyo publicly praised Kazane in the national assembly after his victory. That is dangerous. We need to find a way to get rid of him."
There was another pause before Homura spoke again, this time with a sinister glint in his eye.
"Amegakure."
Hiruzen frowned. "What about it?"
"The Hidden Rain Village has recently seen the emergence of a mysterious new group—Akatsuki. The organization's rapid growth has unsettled Hanzo. He could easily turn against us at any time.
"So," Homura continued, "we send Kazane to investigate Akatsuki. If the opportunity presents itself, we allow Hanzo to eliminate him."
A dangerous silence followed.
Hanzo of the Salamander was one of the most feared ninja in the world. The only reason the legendary Sannin were known today was that they had managed to survive a battle with him.
"Hmph... And if Kazane refuses?" Hiruzen asked.
"He won't," Homura replied. "Not if he wants to remain a Leaf shinobi. You are still the Hokage, after all. Unless he wishes to become a missing-nin, he has no choice but to obey."
Hiruzen hesitated, then finally gave a slow nod.
"Fine. We'll go with that."
Now, if Kazane were to die in Amegakure, Hiruzen would have an easy excuse to pacify Orochimaru—he would simply blame the mission on Danzo.
With Orochimaru weakened, Hiruzen could then use his unethical experiments as an excuse to remove him as well.
"That leaves one more problem," Koharu pointed out. "Orochimaru himself. Right now, he's stationed with a large force at Konoha's borders. If we pressure him too much, he might resist."
A headache settled over Hiruzen as he sighed deeply.
"Orochimaru has always been difficult..."
Did that snake not understand? Power is something that is granted, not taken.
Koharu smirked. "For now, we don't need to worry about him. Without Kazane, Orochimaru won't be able to cause much trouble. And if he still refuses to see his place?
"We simply use his forbidden jutsu research as a reason to eliminate him."
A cold silence followed.
This was how Konoha's four most powerful elders operated.
Even now, they failed to consider the real consequences of betraying Kazane and Orochimaru—how much Konoha would suffer without them.