Part 6 : Which Hokage am I?
It was dark all around me. But I was conscious now... So... Had I survived? I saw a soft light gradually appear. My vision was slowly coming back.
Suddenly, I heard a shrill sound echoing inside my head:
— Hiruzen!»
My vision finally cleared. It was still a little blurry, but I could make out a few shapes in front of me.
— Calm down, Biwako... Give him time to recover peacefully. He didn't ingest just any old poison.»
— I'm sorry... Master...»
I easily recognized the two voices at my bedside. They belonged to Mito Uzumaki, Konoha's current chief medical officer. She was also Tsunade's grandmother and the former wife of the First Hokage, Lord Hashirama.
Her voice was stern and commanding. You could really sense her high status. She wasn't just anyone; she was the most powerful ninja medic in history.
The other voice, which sounded more worried, belonged to Biwako Sarutobi. She was one of Mito's few students and was particularly gifted in medical ninjutsu.
She was a friend of mine. We had grown up in the same clan, and were born right around the time the Sarutobi Clan joined the village of Konoha, along with the Shimura Clan.
I finally started to move my limbs. I touched my lips with my teeth. I think I could speak now. So I managed to say, as best I could:
— Wh... What happened? Why... ?»
Mito and Biwako were talking when they suddenly turned to me, surprised to hear me speak.
— Well... You're recovering pretty quickly. You really are Hashirama's former student...» Mito remarked.
— Wh... What happened?» I repeated.
Biwako looked at me with pity, not daring to speak. It tugged at my heartstrings. I was sad that she was upset, and at the same time... I thought to myself that I must have been in pretty bad shape.
Mito looked at me, a little hesitant, then decided to speak up:
— Your students came to warn the village, and a large squad of ninjas went out to meet our opponents. Faced with our numerical superiority, they fled. When I heard what state you were in... I immediately went there thanks to ninjas skilled in teleportation using the Hiraishin. Thanks to that, we were able to save you... just in the nick of time.»
— So... No one else was hurt... And there wasn't too much damage... Phew...» I sighed.
— Oh, we did have a few injuries, but nothing as serious as yours. There were no deaths, in fact—it's lucky the enemy retreated.»
— The village of Ame... This is the second time they've attacked us... We need to resolve this issue as soon as possible.» I said.
— Danzô is already looking into the matter.» Mito informed me «According to what Homura told me when he visited us earlier, he wants to attack the village of Ame as soon as possible before they can prepare for it.»
Danzô... He always took too many initiatives without asking for my approval. It left me perplexed... Well, at least he wasn't like his father; thankfully, that would have been worse.
Danzô was a member of the Shimura Clan, the son of Fuyugu Shimura. He was my comrade, also a student of Tobirama at one time. He was a very intelligent man, but our opinions tended to differ, creating some conflicts and rivalries, unfortunately.
I had appointed Danzô as an advisor in place of his father, to avoid any tension with the rest of the Shimura Clan. But above all, it was because he was the best fit for the position.
He wasn't my only advisor. I needed trustworthy, experienced people to ensure that the political system ran smoothly. So I chose some of Master Tobirama's former students, with whom I had grown up.
These were none other than Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Even though all three of them were highly experienced and competent for this kind of position, they could be quite unpredictable at times. Especially Danzō, of course. I sometimes found their policies a bit too strict or conservative, but I needed them to run the village.
The problem was that this is what happened as soon as I wasn't there... I had to stop them from committing such follies at all costs. War was never a solution.
I tried to get up, but I groaned in pain. I was still in too bad a state...
— Don't try anything pointless... Hiruzen. You haven't fully recovered yet.» Mito announced.
— But... I have to...» I protested.
— You want us to go get Danzō, Homura, and Koharu, I suppose? It's important that you have a say in this matter...»
— Yes, please.»
— I'll go get them!» Biwako quickly offered.
Mito nodded in agreement and left, carefully closing the door behind her. I watched her for a long moment before she shut the door, and then I stood there staring at the door, speechless.
Mito looked at me, an amused smile on her face.
— Maybe this isn't the right time, sure… But maybe it's about time we made it happen, don't you think?»
I turned abruptly toward her, surprised. I blushed, embarrassed.
— Huh?! I... What?! What do you mean?»
She burst out laughing, all smiles.
— That's right... Keep playing dumb. But you're almost thirty, it'll soon be too late... It's about time you made the first move.»
I didn't answer. And eventually, everything fell silent. After a moment, Mito ordered me to go back to bed so I could recover better, while we waited for Biwako to return with my advisors.
So I closed my eyes, and once again I was plunged into darkness.
*****
— Hiruzen! Hiruzen!»
I woke up calmly. Everything around me was blurry. I squinted, and finally managed to make out Mito. Behind her, near the door to my hospital room, stood Biwako, out of breath, accompanied by Homura, Koharu, and... Danzō.
— Did you ask for us?» he snapped at me.
— Yes...» I replied calmly, taking the time to fully wake up.
— So?»
— You've got some plans regarding Kiri, haven't you? I'd like us all to talk about it directly.»
Danzô frowned, clearly annoyed. He turned to Homura, furious.
— Did you tell him about it?!» he growled.
Homura glanced at him but didn't answer.
— The Hokage has to know, at the very least, doesn't he?» Koharu pointed out.
— This is an emergency!» Danzô protested «It doesn't work that way...»
I slowly stood up, fighting against the searing pain coursing through my body.
— Hiruzen... Please don't push yourself too hard.» Mito warned me.
— I know... I know...» I sighed.
I stared at Danzō. He glared at me.
— Do you think the village is in a position to accept such a battle? I remind you that Master Tobirama died only a few months ago... We can't act this way. And certainly not without my consent.» I snapped at him.
He gritted his teeth, showing his displeasure.
— You're far too naive, Hiruzen, you...»
— And that's all the arguments you have to offer?!» I snapped.
A long silence fell over the hospital room. I sat down, then spoke again:
— You have no arguments to prove that I'm wrong, nor that your solution is the right one. Furthermore, I'll remind you that I am the Hokage here. So any action taken without my consent is a violation of this village's laws. Is that what you want?»
Danzō saw red.
— But...»
— Do you have something to say?» I snapped, raising my voice.
He kept giving me dirty looks, but finally, he muttered calmly:
— No, it's fine. Do whatever you want.»
Then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
— Charming...» Biwako murmured.
— He has a hard time accepting defeat...» Koharu stated.
— His opinion was defensible. «I think we should attack.» Homura remarked.
— True... Yes...» Koharu confirmed.
— I've made my decision.» I cut them off. «And it won't change.»
They looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to me.
— Get well soon, Hiruzen.» Koharu said.
— I hope you'll feel better soon...» Homura added.
Then they left the room without waiting for any thanks.
I looked at the floor, a little perplexed. Had I really made the right choice? I hadn't listened to my advisors' words… Yet they had often helped me these past few months…
Maybe I was wrong? I didn't really know the true solution… In a way, their position was defensible… But… My heart told me otherwise.
— You made the right choice, Hiruzen.»
I looked up, surprised. Biwako was now leaning toward me, speaking to me.
— War isn't always the best option. On the contrary, sometimes you have to try to maintain peace in the long run.»
It warmed my heart that she understood my decision. But...
Master Tobirama... I don't know if he would have agreed with that. Perhaps, to ensure the village's safety, it would have been better, on the contrary, to launch a counterattack, to maintain a certain image of prosperity for Konoha.
— My husband would probably have made the same choice. What matters most isn't our image, but simply the villagers' happiness.» Mito declared.
She wasn't wrong... And yes, it's certain that Master Hashirama would never have attacked Ame, that's for sure. But... Would he have been right?
The difference between my two masters' policies was truly vast. And honestly, I didn't really know which one was right. Maybe… neither of them? Maybe there was a middle ground?
I didn't know exactly. Which one should I follow? Should I even follow one at all? But… if I didn't follow either… What should I do? Which policy was the best?
I didn't really have any answers to my questions… My mind remained filled with doubts. What kind of Hokage did I want to become? I didn't know.
I then fell back asleep, still lost in my thoughts. I was about to plunge… Into nightmares filled with my worries and uncertainties.
📖To be Continued...📖