Chapter 73: Impact
"Oh no… Hiruzen!"
The moment the explosion echoed from the distance, a heavy sense of foreboding rose in everyone's chest.
Because that was exactly the direction Hiruzen had gone earlier.
No one hesitated. They rushed forward at once, pushing through the forest as fast as their battered bodies allowed, and quickly reached the source of the blast.
The area had been flattened.
Under the sheer force of the explosion, the surrounding trees had been torn apart, the ground scorched and shattered. Everything that might have been there was wiped away, leaving only scattered debris and scraps of clothing strewn across the earth.
And when they looked closer, they saw it.
There were fragments of flesh and blood left behind.
From the chakra traces still clinging to them, there was no mistaking whose they were.
"Hiruzen!"
Danzo stared, disbelief written across his face.
"How could this happen…"
The others reacted the same way.
They had fought their way out of the Land of Lightning, survived pursuit after pursuit, and finally reached the point where returning to the village was within reach.
And yet, at this final moment, something had happened to Hiruzen.
"I don't believe it."
Homura's voice was hoarse, his eyes wide.
"With Hiruzen's strength, who could take him down in such a short time?"
As his comrades, they understood Hiruzen's strength better than anyone.
Hiruzen in his prime undoubtedly possessed Kage level power.
With that strength, even if he was injured, even if he was ambushed by the Kinkaku Brothers, he should have been able to hold out for a long time.
How could he be taken out this quickly?
But whether they accepted it or not, the truth was in front of them.
They searched the area, desperate to find clues, hoping to uncover something, anything, that could explain what they were seeing.
Then, from the distance, the sound of approaching movement began to swell.
Not one person.
Many.
"Damn it!"
Koharu's face turned pale as she listened.
"The Kumogakure shinobi have caught up!"
"We can't stay here."
"But Hiruzen…" Danzo's jaw clenched, reluctance burning in his eyes.
"Even if we stay, Hiruzen won't come back."
Homura's face was solemn, each word heavy.
"If he's still alive, he'll return to Konoha on his own."
"We have to believe in him."
Danzo went silent. For a moment, his expression twisted as if he was forcing something down inside himself.
Then he finally nodded.
Things had come to this. Whether they wanted to accept it or not, they had no way to find Hiruzen now.
The only thing they could do was return to the village immediately and report Kumogakure's betrayal.
If they stayed and were killed as well, it would be nothing but a tragedy, and a foolish one at that.
With that decision made, they did not hesitate. They moved at once, rushing toward the Land of Fire.
Behind them, a figure stood quietly, watching them disappear into the distance with a calm, unreadable expression.
Half a day later, Danzo and the others returned to the village.
They brought back the news of the Second Hokage's death.
In an instant, the entire village was shaken.
Before this, everything had looked promising. Kumogakure had been preparing to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, and the attitudes of the other nations had begun to soften.
How had it turned into this overnight?
The Second Hokage's death was a devastating loss.
It was not only the fall of a top tier powerhouse. It also meant the village had lost an outstanding leader.
"Did Lord Tobirama leave any instructions before he passed?"
Inside the Konoha hall, someone sat in silence for a long time before finally directing the question toward Danzo and the others.
"For example… regarding the successor as the next Hokage."
As those words fell, the hall went silent again.
Hokage was Konoha's leader, and it was also the most tempting position in the village.
Now that Tobirama's death could not be undone, the question of who would become the next Hokage was the most critical matter of all.
For a moment, everyone's gaze focused on Danzo's group.
But under those stares, bitterness spread across their faces.
"Sensei… before he died, he designated Hiruzen as the next Hokage."
After a long pause, Koharu finally spoke.
Hiruzen.
Those present nodded, unsurprised.
Hiruzen becoming the next Hokage was not a sudden decision. It had been prepared for a long time.
Long before that mission, Tobirama had already laid the groundwork for Hiruzen to take the seat.
The next clan heads of the Ino Shika Cho clans were his teammates and subordinates.
The most promising and powerful geniuses of the younger generation, Danzo and Homura, were his friends, and they had always been convinced by him.
Uchiha Kagami was also his friend.
And Uchiha Kei, the reincarnation of Minamikawa Yuu, was his student, representing the support of the Uchiha clan.
With Tobirama representing the Senju, and Hiruzen representing the Sarutobi, that alone accounted for more than half of Konoha's power.
With that level of backing, Hiruzen had been the perfect candidate for Third Hokage from the very beginning.
The belief, like Danzo once held, that Hiruzen only became Hokage because of a final heroic act and was appointed on the spot, was naive.
And that was exactly why Yuu wanted to deal with Hiruzen first.
Because as long as Hiruzen remained, no one could compete with him for the Hokage's seat.
But once Hiruzen was gone, whether it was Danzo or Homura, neither of them possessed that same undeniable charisma and reputation.
A massive vacuum would form.
After that, the fight for Hokage would depend on each person's own ability.
"Hiruzen… was attacked by Kumogakure rogue shinobi on the way back."
After a long silence, Danzo and the others finally spoke the truth.
"His whereabouts are unknown."
For a heartbeat, no one reacted.
Then the hall erupted into stunned silence.
Wait, what?
A rebellion inside Kumogakure, the Hokage and the Raikage dying in the chaos, that was already shocking enough.
But now they were saying the Hokage's chosen successor was gone as well?
The Hokage and the Hokage's successor taken out in a single rebellion?
What kind of madness was that?
"How could this happen?"
For a while, the people in the hall found it difficult to accept.
In the corner, Yuu stood quietly, watching Danzo and the others. He lowered his head, showing little emotion.
Unsurprisingly, the discussion that day produced no meaningful conclusion.
With the Hokage dead and the successor missing, they could argue until dawn and still end up with nothing.
Clinging to a last sliver of hope, they chose to wait.
What if Hiruzen returned on his own in a few days?
After all, they had not seen a confirmed body. He was missing, not officially declared dead.
But seven days passed.
And there was still no sign of Hiruzen.
Under normal circumstances, seven days was not long.
But for someone of Hiruzen's level, seven days was enough to return from almost anywhere.
And yet even now, there was nothing.
That was as good as a verdict.
Hiruzen was likely truly dead, killed in the attack by the Kumogakure rogue shinobi.
It was difficult to believe, but faced with reality, they could only accept it.
The seat of the Third Hokage was now vacant.
And the moment everyone realized it, thoughts began to stir.
Konoha had never lacked ambitious people.
And the Hokage's seat was the most valuable prize of all.
Even Hiruzen's former friends began to develop their own intentions.
Danzo was the clearest example.
He was Tobirama's disciple. He had been Hiruzen's friend and supporter.
If Hiruzen were still alive, with Tobirama's final wish behind him, Danzo would have remained a loyal pillar supporting Hiruzen's rule.
But now Hiruzen was gone.
And if the seat was empty, why could Danzo not sit in it?
He was also Tobirama's disciple.
So after a brief period of silence, Danzo stepped forward and openly entered the competition for Third Hokage.
He was not the first to do so.
After him, several others also revealed their ambitions, all seeking the Hokage's seat.
And among the candidates, the head of the Uchiha clan was listed prominently.
That was right.
With the Hokage dead and the successor missing, the Uchiha clan grew bold again.
They displayed their traditional confidence and attempted to run for Third Hokage.
That alone put enormous pressure on everyone else.
For many within the village, it did not matter whether Hiruzen became Hokage or someone else did.
Anything was better than allowing the Uchiha clan head to take power.
Because they knew them too well.
They understood exactly what would happen if that man gained authority.
Konoha had never been short on people who clashed with the Uchiha.
The Senju, as their long standing rivals, went without saying.
The Sarutobi clan and the Ino Shika Cho clans were equally unwilling to see the Uchiha take the seat.
Even the Hyuga clan, another great clan, did not want the Uchiha to rise above them.
And there was another issue.
Not long ago, the Uchiha had even incited a rebellion.
That rebellion had been led by Uchiha Setsuna, and it was Tobirama himself who had suppressed it.
With that stain still fresh in memory, the Uchiha clan had very little support.
But turning around and supporting Danzo was also difficult for many to accept.
Even Koharu, Homura, and the others felt the same.
It was true they were Danzo's friends.
But because they were his friends, they knew his nature better than anyone.
Danzo worshiped Tobirama as his ideal, and his methods were cold and stern.
On the surface, he resembled Tobirama.
But he had failed to learn Tobirama's other qualities, and he had already begun walking a different path.
If Danzo became Hokage, no one could say what kind of Konoha would follow.
Just as in later years, after the Third Hokage died in battle, Koharu and Homura chose to bring Tsunade back rather than place Danzo in the Hokage's seat, their judgment now was the same.
With Hiruzen missing and no other truly suitable candidate, their eyes turned elsewhere.
And in this situation, Kei stood out.
.....
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