Earlier in the morning, Konoha should have been bustling with its usual activity, but strangely, the village was very calm.
At least, that's how it seemed to the average villager. Those in the know would describe the situation as the calm before the storm, though the storm itself was already just a few kilometers away.
In this case, that storm was centered in the Hokage Tower, where most of the village's top brass had gathered to discuss the situation.
If 99.99% of the world's ninjas were thrown into that room, they might not even be able to breathe.
How could they, when the room contained the Third Hokage, the hawkish leader of Konoha Danzō, the new ninja goddess and Uchiha patriarch Azula, the Senju matriarch and 'Konoha princess' Tsunade, the White Fang Sakumo, frontline commander Shizuoka, Tajima of Mercy, and essentially every powerful shinobi Konoha had to offer, apart from those absent for compelling reasons (like Mito).
"As you may already know," Hiruzen spoke unhurriedly, "after so many weeks of escalating conflict, Kumogakure has withdrawn."
As he spoke, he even took a moment to glance toward Azula and nod, acknowledging the role she had played.
"But we failed to sign a treaty because of the insulting conditions they laid out, conditions that include me stepping down as Hokage." He paused, and several people frowned.
That was the reaction he wanted. "Since the founding of the villages, no Kage has ever stepped down because another village demanded it as a condition for peace. This act mocks me and the two previous leaders who held this position before me, especially considering that my own teacher stepped down from this very role."
"It would be Konoha's greatest shame to have two Kage step down because of Kumo." He concluded, and many looked at him with fresh eyes, not expecting such passion from a man who usually carried himself like a wise elder.
"I see," Azula said. But to everyone's dismay, her tone was almost supportive of Hiruzen. "It's indeed too disrespectful. How about we just bomb Kumo with a Tailed Beast Ball? I'm sure that would change their minds."
'I knew it. How could I have almost believed she might back down?' Hiruzen swallowed his bitter thoughts.
"What do you mean?" Koharu immediately intervened. "We're here to find a permanent end to the conflict, and you're talking about restarting it with a plan like that?"
She wanted to add her usual insult or sarcastic jab. But she knew Azula was a woman of action—and might actually attack if provoked. So she only appeared tough, without truly being it.
Azula chuckled. "What do you mean, 'restarting the conflict'? It's not like I thrive on chaos or can't wait to kill the Raikage, right?"
She smiled. "I was just proposing solutions. I can think of dozens of ways to erase Kumo. Wouldn't that be better? Then we'd never have to worry about anything again."
She spoke such chilling words with such a calm tone that almost everyone held their breath.
Is she threatening us? — Danzō.
Is she showing off her power? — Koharu.
That's my daughter. — Tajima.
"Pfft!" Tsunade finally couldn't hold it back. She looked around at everyone as if they were competing for the funniest face title.
"Hahaha, sensei, your face is hilarious!" she said to Hiruzen.
No one reprimanded her for laughing during such an important meeting or mocking the Hokage. Who would? In her personal count, she had killed a Kage.
"That's enough from you," Hiruzen finally spoke, asserting his authority. "Azula-san's plan cannot be adapted to this situation. But it will be reserved for the worst-case scenario."
He paused. "Now, the most important thing is to resolve this conflict peacefully, without causing any more deaths."
That was exactly what Azula had been waiting for.
"I mean, it's not like I have a solution like that," she said casually. "But since you seem against it…"
Without waiting for his reply, she pulled out printed documents and tossed them perfectly to everyone in the room, except four specific people.
"This is a letter I received from the Daimyō just this morning."
'After giving him a big scare last night,' she added silently.
The ninjas present quickly read the letter. Then they couldn't help but glance back and forth between Azula and Hiruzen.
"Huh? Let me see," Danzō said in a commanding tone.
Azula had purposely not thrown the document to him, nor to Hiruzen, Koharu, or Homura. The four of them sat there empty-handed, visibly embarrassed.
Only then did everyone notice. Who would expect Azula to do something like that?
Nonetheless…
"Impudence," Danzō immediately spat after someone handed him a copy. "What does the Daimyō think he's doing, interfering directly in the village's affairs? Has Konoha fallen so low that outsiders believe they can decide our internal matters?"
Hiruzen's expression darkened as well. He had never expected the Daimyō to intervene at this moment, not with their historically good relationship.
"That's actually a good question," Azula said, once again taking the lead. "I mean, back when the village was led by the First and Second Hokage, I never heard of any outsider daring to suggest anything about Konoha's internal affairs. I wonder why it's happening now?"
She looked around the room, as if genuinely waiting for an answer. Hiruzen only grew more embarrassed.
Observing everything that had transpired since the meeting began, Sakumo reached a conclusion. 'Indeed, Hiruzen-sama can no longer continue as Hokage. He has lost even the slightest control against Azula-san.'
It wasn't a new conclusion, he had already decided to support Azula. But this meeting had made things even clearer.
And he wasn't alone. Everyone present was a high-level ninja with a deep understanding of the shinobi world.
Part of that understanding was a simple truth: a Kage who cannot control those within the village is no Kage at all.
Even when Hiruzen first took office, when his power was theoretically at its weakest, before he had earned the full respect of the Uchiha, the Senju, and other major clans, he still possessed the authority to command, and they had no choice but to obey.
Now, especially after the recent showdown before the Uzushiogakure expedition, Hiruzen had completely lost his ability to command the two strongest clans in the village: the Uchiha and the Senju.
Between Mito, Azula, and Tsunade, two of whom ranked above him in power, with Tsunade as his equal, he couldn't control any of them.
That had already reduced him to little more than a figurehead in the eyes of many villagers. And what was happening in this meeting, words without action, authority without teeth, confirmed it.
He was no longer suited to be Hokage.
The meeting fell silent. No one answered Azula's 'question', and that silence only deepened her familiar smirk.
She knew it was time to be more direct.
"Admit it, Third Hokage," she said, no longer hiding her objective. "It's time for you to let go of the chair. Everyone knows who is more qualified to lead Konoha right now."
Her words landed like a bomb. In the history of the shinobi world, nothing like this had ever happened.
It was normal to want to be Hokage, Konoha even encouraged the dream. But someone in a high-level meeting, openly telling a sitting Kage that he was no longer fit for the position was unheard of.
It took Danzō slamming his hand on the table to snap everyone back to reality.
"You think this is a game, Uchiha girl?" His voice was ice. "The Hokage seat is not yours to claim just because you want it."
He rose, his eyes were burning with fury. "If anyone steps down, it will be on the village's terms, not yours, not a Daimyō's, and certainly not Kumo's."
Never in his life had he felt such anger toward Azula. But beneath the rage was something else: jealousy.
She had something he never possessed, her courage.
'If only I had stepped up back then, without hesitation,' he thought, haunted by that moment in his past. 'This situation wouldn't be happening.'
He believed that if he had become Hokage with full power and authority, the village wouldn't be in this mess.
Azula would have been fully brainwashed by him and the Uchiha and Senju would be nothing more than the fiercest weapons in his hands.
All of this, every bit of it, was because of Hiruzen's softness.
Everyone braced for Azula's response, for Hiruzen's reaction, for the debate that would surely follow, perhaps even for Konoha's greatest internal conflict yet.
But none of it came.
Azula simply shrugged, as if she couldn't be bothered. Because, well, she genuinely didn't think 'convincing' Danzō would get her the chair.
'Anyway, if everything goes right, the hat should be mine in two days at most,' she thought, eyes fixed on the Hokage's cap resting on Hiruzen's head.
Her indifference sent another chill through Hiruzen's heart. 'No, she's not joking. I have to do something against her, or the consequences will be dire.'
He steeled himself, ready to take necessary measures.
But before he could speak, Azula stood up.
"Hiruzen has served admirably, but this village needs a leader who can end the war tomorrow. I don't want to fight him, I want him to retire with dignity. If he does, I'll personally ensure his legacy is protected."
She paused, before ending her speech. "If he doesn't… Kumo walks away from the table, and the war continues. The blame falls squarely on him."
(END OF THE CHAPTER)