The land of the Sarutobi clan.
"Something big has happened! Something big has happened!" Two members of the Sarutobi clan cried out in terror as they staggered frantically toward the clan grounds.
Their expressions were filled with sheer panic, as though they had just witnessed something unimaginably horrifying.
Hearing the commotion, many curious clansmen stepped out of their homes to see what was going on.
The two men stumbled forward, their faces growing more and more stricken with fear.
"Damn it, what's with all the shouting so early in the morning!" The Great Elder frowned and walked out of his house with clear irritation, roaring angrily.
Inwardly, he wondered what on earth had happened to make these two lose their usual composure and behave in such a panicked manner.
As soon as the two saw the Great Elder, they rushed forward, gasping for breath, so flustered that they couldn't even form words.
"Something big has happened, Great Elder! Something big has happened!" Their voices trembled, heavy with dread.
The Great Elder's brows furrowed tighter. He snapped impatiently, "What exactly happened? Speak quickly! Don't waste time here!"
Seeing their frightened appearance, unease rose in his heart. Could something serious have happened to the clan?
"Great Elder, all the heads of the great families in Konoha have united—they're forcing the clan leader to step down!"
"What?!" The Great Elder staggered back several steps at the shocking news.
Had someone not rushed to support him, he would have collapsed to the ground right there.
"How is this possible… why would this happen?!" The Great Elder muttered, his face filled with disbelief.
"What's going on, Elder?" The Second Elder stepped forward, puzzled by what he saw. The Third and Fourth Elders stood behind him, also looking at the Great Elder in confusion.
The Great Elder lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot as he said in a low, heavy voice, "I fear that Hiruzen's position as Hokage is no longer secure…"
At those words, the other elders' eyes went wide, disbelief etched across their faces.
"How could this be? Has Hiruzen still not gathered enough money?!"
The Great Elder let out a deep sigh. "It's precisely because of that money that the families grew dissatisfied. Now they've joined forces to pressure Hiruzen into stepping down!"
Hearing this, despair flooded the elders' hearts, and several of them sank to the ground. "What should we do now?"
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen yawned and walked slowly out from his courtyard. "What's going on?"
He had been working until late into the night to make money, leaving him utterly exhausted. He had finally managed to sleep a little, only to be woken at dawn by this racket, which left him in an even fouler mood.
The sight of Hiruzen walking out made the Great Elder's face flush crimson with rage. He trembled as he pointed at Hiruzen and shouted, "You bastard! If it weren't for you, how would things have gotten to this point?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen blinked blankly, completely at a loss as to what was happening.
Confusion filled his face. What had he done? Wasn't the money issue already resolved? Why was the Elder so furious at him?
"Great Elder, what's going on?" Hiruzen asked, genuinely curious.
"You dare ask?! The heads of every clan are gathered right now in the Hokage building, discussing how to force you out of office!" The Fourth Elder snorted coldly, his tone thick with disdain.
"What?!" Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned, utterly incredulous.
What the hell was going on? Wasn't everything fine just yesterday? How had things suddenly reached the point of him being forced to step down? How had the sky fallen while he was asleep?!
Not daring to waste time, Hiruzen hurried toward the Hokage building.
"Could it be… yesterday's actions angered them?" he muttered under his breath.
As the thought struck him, his eyes went wide in sudden realization, shock surging through him. "No way…"
Outside the Hokage building.
A massive crowd had gathered, surging like a tide.
Once word spread about Hiruzen's actions, fury erupted among the villagers.
Hidden within the crowd, Shimura Danzo watched the angry faces all around him. His own lips curved into a satisfied smile, and his heart swelled with secret glee.
"Haha, Hiruzen's Hokage reign has reached its end!" Shimura Danzo muttered with delight.
In his mind, he was already envisioning the glorious moment when Hiruzen stepped down and he himself rose as the new Hokage…
At that instant, a shout rang out from the crowd. "Look, the Third Hokage is here!"
Heads turned as one, and sure enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen came rushing forward in haste.
The sight of the huge gathering made his heart sink. He instantly realized that his position was truly in jeopardy.
He climbed shakily onto the platform, eyes complex as he gazed at the clan leaders and the throng below. His lips opened and closed, but he couldn't decide what to say, or even where to begin.
Silence fell over the square. Everyone waited for the Third Hokage to explain himself.
Danzo's smile froze.
These villagers actually wanted to hear Hiruzen's explanation? That couldn't be allowed. What if Hiruzen managed to twist the truth and deceive them again?
Danzo knew all too well how slippery his old friend's tongue could be—able to confuse black and white and muddle the masses.
No, he couldn't let Hiruzen have that chance.
"Get out! Step down!" Danzo suddenly roared.
Hearing him, the villagers quickly took up the cry: "Step down! Step down!"
Seeing their response, Danzo nearly grinned his mouth off. This was exactly what he wanted.
By denying Hiruzen any chance to explain, they would leave him with no option but resignation.
Hiruzen looked out at the furious faces below and sighed silently. It seemed he truly would not even be given the opportunity to speak…
He knew then that the outcome was already decided and could not be changed.
He had never imagined that the clan heads would resort to such tactics—but perhaps he had pushed them too far.
After all, in just a single day he had demanded five hundred million from the great clans. That indeed had been excessive.
Yet what choice did he have? Hiruzen had his own burdens. If he failed to gather the money for Black Zetsu, he would not only lose the Hokage position but his reputation in old age would be utterly ruined.
Though he had now lost the Hokage's seat, at least the accusations against him were for bribery and embezzlement—not for peeking at the women's bathhouse. If it had been the latter, he would have rather died…
"I admit what I did was wrong. I am willing to resign as Hokage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly removed his Hokage hat and bowed deeply to the villagers below.
Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would become the first Hokage ever to be deposed. What a miserable end.
Shimura Danzo's heart leapt with joy, his mind ecstatic: "Hiruzen is finally finished! The Hokage's seat is mine for the taking!"
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