Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 116: Operation SAR
"What?!" Shikajin shouted, slamming his palm against the table. "Do you really mean to say you were separated from Hokage-sama?!"
"Yes," Danzo replied calmly, his expression unchanged. His tone was steady and his face indifferent. "We were separated. Hokage-sama told me he wanted to remain behind and assist the other shinobi who were still trapped."
The room immediately erupted into murmurs, the gathered ninja exchanging uneasy looks as shock and disbelief rippled through them.
"Then why did you not go with Hokage-sama?" Shikajin demanded, his eyes burning as he stared at Danzo. "Why did you leave him behind?"
Danzo did not answer right away. He slowly raised a hand, his fingers brushing against his chin as though he were carefully organizing his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the kind of calm that felt almost too deliberate.
"You may not know this," Danzo said evenly, "but Hiruzen Sarutobi has always placed others before himself."
The room gradually quieted hearing Danzo nonsense.
"He became the Third Hokage because he willingly sacrificed himself during the retreat from the Land of Lightning," Danzo continued. "When the Second Hokage was forced to choose a successor, he selected Hiruzen not because of strength alone but because of his unwavering Will of Fire."
Danzo lowered his hand and looked directly at the people before him.
"So tell me," he asked quietly, "how could I stain that Will of Fire by forcing him to retreat for my sake? How could I dishonor his decision by refusing his order?"
No one spoke.
It was difficult to argue with because Hiruzen himself had spent years giving speeches about the Will of Fire because Hiruzen is always give a speech about will of fire.
His explanation was logical and lined up exactly with how the Third Hokage would behave, which made it all the more difficult to challenge. He had not lied, he had only left out the parts that mattered like he didn't wait Hiruzen answer before leaving him alone.
The shinobi exchanged uneasy glances. As much as they wanted to accuse him, they couldn't deny the truth in his words. Hiruzen was that kind of man, the kind who would stay behind. The kind who would choose others over himself.
Danzo had not lied, He had only omitted certain truths.
Inside, Danzo felt a cold satisfaction. If Hiruzen survived, Danzo already knew how this would end. Hiruzen would return furious, accusing him of cowardice. But Danzo would simply turn the words back on him, questioning whether the Hokage himself had abandoned the Will of Fire by expecting Danzo to die in his place and if Hiruzen didn't survive?
Then his legacy would remain untarnished, saved him from headache and he would be hailed as a hero who sacrificed himself for others.
Either way, Danzo would win.
That man had dared to threaten him and he had dared to use his wife and child as leverage. For that alone, Hiruzen Sarutobi deserved no mercy even they were bestfriend in the past
Danzo felt no guilt, only strengthen his resolve from the man named Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After several tense minutes of questioning him, the interrogators finally stepped back. There was no concrete evidence to detain him further. His testimony aligned too well with what they already believed of the Third Hokage.
"Very well," Shikajin said reluctantly. "You're free to go. But you will provide us with the last known location where you saw Hokage-sama."
Danzo nodded once. "Of course."
He gave them the coordinates without hesitation. As he turned to leave the room, Danzo expression remained calm but deep within his eyes, something dark flickered.
Whatever awaited Sarutobi Hiruzen, either he survived or not. Shimura Danzo had already prepared to use it.
Shikajin looked around the room, carefully observing the tense expressions of every shinobi gathered here. The atmosphere was heavy, filled with uncertainty and fear and Shikajin understand them well. After a brief pause, he finally spoke, his voice firm as he tried to steady the situation and give them some hope.
"We need to begin a Search and Rescue operation immediately," Shikajin said. "At the same time, we must prepare for the possibility that we may need a new Hokage."
The room stirred at his words, new Hokage?
Although they had heard Danzo report about Hiruzen but to think their Hokage really died on the frontline is something else.
"Do you mean… we need to vote for a new Hokage?" one of the shinobi asked looking for answer.
"Yes," Shikajin replied without hesitation. "And we need to do it quickly. We will dispatch Search and Rescue teams to locate Hokage-sama, but we cannot leave the village leaderless during this crisis."
He continued, laying out the plan clearly. "While the SAR teams are deployed, we will begin a formal vote among the jōnin. Right now, our priority is to determine the candidates for the position of Hokage."
The shinobi exchanged glances, then nodded one by one. They all understood how dangerous of the situation. The village was vulnerable, leaderless and indecision could prove fatal.
Soon, quiet discussions began breaking out across the room. Representatives from different clans naturally put forward names from their own families, each believing their candidate to be the most suitable.
However, two names quickly rose above the rest.
The first one is Hatake Sakumo and the second is Senju Tsunade, this name are really popular among ninja and civillian in the village.
Hatake Sakumo was widely respected throughout the village. As a seasoned ANBU operative and a squad leader in time of mission and war, he had earned the admiration of his subordinates and peers alike. His strength, discipline and sense of responsibility made him a natural candidate in the eyes of many.
Senju Tsunade, on the other hand, carried a different kind of weight. She was renowned as one of the greatest medical ninja in the world and possessed unmatched knowledge of medical jutsu. More importantly, she was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, a symbol of the village legacy.
Although some people wanted to suggest Raiken but Raiken is too young and Raiken had given them a bit heads up for example to Uchiha Clan that he didn't want the position as Hokage.
When he was being asked why?
He gave simple answer, "I don't want to become very busy until I don't have time to spend with my wife, the job as a clan leader had caused me time and I can't even take a holiday off to spend time with my wife. I can only meet my wife before 9 am and after 5 pm."
That is the reason why the Uchiha Clan didn't even named him.
Shikajin listened carefully as the names were discussed, his expression serious.
"This decision will shape the future of the village," he said quietly. "We must choose wisely."
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There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 142: Shocked
Chapter 143: New Plan
Chapter 144: Danzo And Hiruzen
Chapter 145: Political Reform
Chapter 146: Democracy?
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