For most people living in Konoha, "becoming Hokage" is an unreachable dream, an innocent slogan full of childishness for many children.
But for someone of Danzo's level, becoming Hokage is nothing more than a simple addition game.
Decent personal strength.
A listed record of battle achievements.
Fabricate a touching-enough story for the villagers.
And finally, add control over public opinion.
As long as some time is spent, it is possible to make a Konoha ninja turn into an outstanding Hokage.
"Since becoming Hokage is so easy, why don't you become one?" Ryosuke asked.
Danzo shook his head, "I am not clean. Once I go up, there are many in the village who won't accept me. But Ryosuke, you are different. You are clean."
"You don't have complicated clan networks, nor excessive dark history, and you possess the exceptional strength to slay Orochimaru."
"As long as we work together, no need for ten years, in three years, I can have you rise to power and become the next Hokage."
Ryosuke picked up the teacup and took a sip, "And you? What do you get?"
Danzo spread his arms, and in his low voice conveyed the power of conviction, "A more prosperous, stronger Konoha."
Ryosuke could hear the sincerity in Danzo's tone. This indeed was his lifelong ideal, without any falsehood.
"Why me?" Ryosuke asked again.
Danzo refilled Ryosuke's tea, "Look at Konoha Village. The Third is aged and declining, lost his ambition; Jiraiya, more than enough virtue but not enough wisdom, indecisive..."
"Tsunade, whereabouts unknown, and she specializes in medical ninjutsu, when facing a powerful enemy, what, is she going to use medical skills to move their hearts?"
He skewered a piece of pastry with a toothpick and dipped it in white sugar, "Among the younger generation, aside from Kakashi, there is simply no one who has made a big enough name."
"But ever since the Fourth Hokage died, Kakashi has been living decadently. On the surface, focused on missions, but in reality, like an old ox, only knows how to bury his head and work."
Danzo chuckled softly, "To rise to power, you must raise your head and look into the distance."
"In my eyes, of the heroes under heaven, only Ryosuke and I are worthy, everyone else is nothing but fools with power."
"For years, I've been looking for someone who can lead Konoha to greatness once more."
"Ryosuke, you have that potential, not just your strength, but also your ideals of breaking the rules."
Danzo handed the sugar-dipped pastry in his hand to Ryosuke.
"Cooperate with me."
"Controlling Konoha is just the beginning. Let us unify the ninja world and complete the unfinished mission of the First Hokage."
Konan listened to these words, only feeling a huge impact to her worldview.
Konoha Village, Hokage.
This position, once seen as high and unreachable in their eyes, at this moment, was like a fish from the market, being grandly dragged out, slapped on the chopping board, flipped left and right, with pros and cons introduced.
Nagato's plan to collect tailed beasts, to create an absolute force to make the world fall into peace through fear, compared to Danzo's calmly told plan, was simply too "naive."
The deterrence of weapons can only last for a few years, at most a dozen.
If the world truly could be unified, then indeed there would be no more conflicts, and even if there were, they would be minor scuffles... and Ryosuke would become the true ruler.
She looked toward Ryosuke.
"Will you agree?"
Danzo knew that Ryosuke would definitely agree.
Because he had already activated Shisui's Sharingan ability, Kotoamatsukami.
Praised as the "strongest genjutsu," Kotoamatsukami can silently invade the opponent's brain, alter their will, make the target unknowingly controlled, becoming a puppet of the caster.
Danzo was a cautious person. He wasn't naive enough to think he could control Ryosuke just with Kotoamatsukami.
He truly hoped Ryosuke could return to Konoha and overthrow Sarutobi's rule.
Just thinking about Ryosuke's achievements in the past half year, if the entire Konoha could master his control over lightning (Ripple) and evil spirits (Stand), how powerful would Konoha be?
So, Danzo threw out a tempting bait, if Ryosuke hesitated even for a moment, Kotoamatsukami would become the final push to help him make a decision that would benefit Danzo without harming himself.
Though, it wasn't truly "without harm", Ryosuke would gain power, and by cooperating with Danzo, would inevitably have to compromise on some matters.
But such a bit of compromise, compared to what Ryosuke would gain, what does it count for?
Ryosuke glanced at the pastry Danzo handed over, "What if I refuse?"
"You will die."
Danzo stated plainly, "Even if Konoha doesn't act against you, the Cloud Village will come to capture you, Mist Village won't let you go, Akatsuki will hunt you, and Iwagakure has always liked small advantages, they will strike in secret too."
"Ryosuke, I know you're strong, but facing endless enemies, you can't protect yourself, let alone the people around you. Cooperating with me is your only way to survive."
Danzo stared at Ryosuke.
'Agree. Hurry and agree.'
'As long as you nod, the first "snowball" rolling down the hill will form in your heart, and you will never stop, you will become my puppet.'
Sasuke felt something was wrong, and whispered a reminder to Ryosuke, but he seemed to not hear, reaching out to take the pastry from Danzo, "As long as I agree, no one has to die, and I can become Hokage, right?"
'Hehe.'
Danzo's smile turned sinister and eerie, "Yes, I make you this promise."
"Sounds pretty good."
Ryosuke caught the pastry and put it in his mouth, "But, I refuse."
Zzzla!
A golden Ripple flashed across the toothpick. Ryosuke flicked his finger, the pastry fell off, and the toothpick shot out like a bullet, piercing the bandage and striking the right eye performing Kotoamatsukami.
Danzo let out a miserable scream and tried to retreat, only to be pinned to the table by a cold hand pressing on his head. He turned his head and locked eyes with a white snake's empty gaze.
The white snake slapped Danzo's face.
Zzzla~ Click!
Two discs popped out.
The white snake sneered coldly, "Little Danzo, under control."
It said, pulling out the discs and handing them to Ryosuke.
But at this moment, the disc being passed over became faint, and then, completely vanished.
Also vanishing, was Danzo's body.
Ryosuke suddenly turned to the corner he had ignored earlier. Danzo seemed to be right there, stepping out of the shadow, standing a dozen steps away, keeping a safe distance, expression growing colder, "When did you realize it was 'Kotoamatsukami'?"
Ryosuke stood up and dusted the sugar grains from his hand, "When in my mind popped up the thought, 'Eh? This old man actually makes some sense.'"
Ryosuke rubbed his forehead.
"This genjutsu is kinda interesting. It targets people's subconscious, right?"
The human subconscious continuously, uncontrollably, generates all sorts of thoughts.
For example, seeing a pretty girl makes the heart flutter, seeing an armored truck makes you want to rob it, even seeing a dog eat poop makes you wonder how it tastes… but these thoughts flash by and don't linger in the mind.
Kotoamatsukami seems to select from among those subconscious thoughts ones that match the caster's intentions, then amplifies and strengthens them, eventually becoming a conscious thought in the target's mind.
Because the thought comes from the target's own subconscious, most of the time, it won't be noticed, and control is achieved silently.
But Ryosuke and Danzo's ideologies were far too different.
Danzo's theory of world unification, if it were someone else, even if they didn't agree outright, there would at least be some inner wavering.
After all, in life, who doesn't wish to stand atop the world?
Even someone like Konan who yearns for peace and justice could find resonance in Danzo's blueprint.
Once they waver, they would fall under the control of Kotoamatsukami.
Ryosuke is also human, he indeed almost wavered just now.
Just a little bit more.
But that little bit, Ryosuke knew, the problems he wanted to solve, couldn't be solved through "great unification."
Cooperating with Danzo, entangled in interest groups, he'd only become one of "them" in the end.
Ryosuke turned back to look at the Hokage Rock.
Maybe... this was the reason the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, who had power to dominate the world, chose to divide tailed beasts and let each form their own village?
"Ryosuke."
Danzo began to slowly undo the bandages on his right arm.
"I said, since you're back, don't think about leaving. I originally wanted you to stay with dignity, but since you refuse my goodwill, then..."
"Stay in the form of a corpse."
In an instant, nearly a hundred Root members hidden in the shadows swarmed out, countless kunai and shuriken rained toward Ryosuke.
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