"Danzo, what are you doing?"
"What are you doing, Danzo?!"
Startled voices erupted from his companions. They looked at their longtime friend in shock, seemingly unable to believe he would actually do such a thing.
"Hokage..."
"Why..."
"Why can't the position of Hokage be mine?!"
Danzo roared like a defeated stray dog.
Friendship, bonds, partners—he could cast them all aside. What he wanted was one thing: to become the Hokage!
To achieve this goal, he could sacrifice everything.
Including the partners standing right before his eyes!
His gaze turned crimson. Cracks began to emerge from his arm, quickly spreading to cover his entire body.
A scarlet eye surfaced on his stomach, and a majesty powerful enough to render anyone immobile descended upon everyone present.
Immediately after, an evil and immense power erupted from within Danzo's body. It transformed into thousands of thick, hideous tentacles that burst through his flesh, smashing everything in sight like an endless tide!
Watching his four close friends being caught in the tentacles and crushed, Hiruzen Sarutobi trembled with rage. The fire of fury in his eyes looked ready to consume Danzo entirely.
"Danzo, to think you would do such a thing, I will never forgive you!"
Danzo, who had already transformed into a mass of flesh, looked at the scene in surprise with his sole remaining eye.
What incredible power. To eliminate so many people with just one move...
Then, he looked up again at Hiruzen, the successor to the Hokage title.
"Next, it's your turn! As long as I kill you, the position of Hokage is mine!"
The dense forest of tentacles surged once more like a tidal wave.
There was no suspense in the outcome of the battle.
Because no one can resist the great power of a god.
Danzo looked at the chunks of meat ground into fragments before him and revealed a satisfied smile.
"Now, there is no one left to fight me for the position of Hokage."
The tentacles slowly retracted, and he finally returned to the familiar Danzo.
Yet, he also seemed different.
A raging fire burned in his eyes—the flame of power.
After returning to the Hidden Leaf, Danzo announced the final command of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to everyone.
"Danzo Shimura shall succeed as the Third Hokage!"
This decree was like a bolt from the blue.
Facing such a sudden command, there were naturally those in the village who questioned it.
After all, in that accidental battle, only Danzo Shimura had returned to the village. No matter what command Tobirama Senju had left, it was nothing more than Danzo's word alone.
However, after Danzo demonstrated his mastery of Wood Style and his overwhelming strength, such doubts immediately vanished.
Furthermore, Danzo possessed a sharp political mind. He took the initiative to engage in political deals with the various major clans of the Hidden Leaf, trading favors for their support and trust in his ascension.
Following a series of numerous political transactions and the display of power sufficient to suppress everyone, Danzo's inauguration as the Third Hokage became a matter of course.
Consequently, Danzo began building momentum for himself. He portrayed himself as a survivor who inherited the will of the Second Hokage. He claimed that because of the Second Hokage's trust and recognition, and through the sacrifice and cover provided by many partners, he was able to escape.
In other words, he was the product of the Will of Fire, the ultimate proof of its existence and inheritance!
This propaganda was undoubtedly effective. The citizens of the Hidden Leaf instantly felt immense regret and heartfelt admiration for the Second Hokage and the other sacrifices.
Moreover, they viewed Danzo, the survivor, as the one who could carry on their Will of Fire.
He himself held the status of being a student of the Second Hokage, making his lineage "Rooted and Pure."
Combined with the secret support of the major clans, Danzo finally obtained the hat he had dreamed of.
The Hokage hat, symbolizing the position of Hokage.
The person presiding over his inauguration ceremony and presenting him with the Hokage hat was Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Danzo personally pressed the hat, inscribed with the large character for "Fire," firmly onto his head.
The thousands of citizens beneath the Hokage Building immediately erupted into a mountain-shaking cheer.
Watching the surging crowds, Danzo revealed a satisfied smile.
I have finally become the Hokage.
Next, Danzo collaborated with other clans to conduct a massive internal purge of the Hidden Leaf.
Following the guiding ideology of his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, Danzo eliminated the evil Uchiha Clan with lightning speed.
Then, after several years of recuperation, he mobilized all the power of the Hidden Leaf to launch the Second Shinobi World War.
Relying on his terrifying strength, the Hidden Leaf successfully defeated the other four great nations.
Like the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, who emerged during the Warring States Period, Danzo used his own strength to completely end the chaotic era and unify the entire shinobi world.
The name Danzo Shimura became even more radiant than Hashirama Senju in the history of the shinobi world.
And then...
The dream ended.
Everything began to slip away from Danzo. His perspective plummeted, and he reappeared in reality.
Looking at the dark room before him, Danzo actually felt a rare sense of... loss.
"Was it just an illusion?"
He used his left hand to confirm the status of his right hand and right eye.
Indeed, there was no change. It was the transplanted Wood Style prosthetic and the Sharingan.
This meant that everything that just happened was indeed a dream.
Danzo remained silent, lost in thought. Only after a long time did he whisper, "It seems I suffered a backlash from the Genjutsu."
He lightly covered the Sharingan he was still not quite proficient in using.
Recalling the scenes just now—first killing Hiruzen and the others, then ascending to the long-desired position of Hokage, wiping out the evil Uchiha, leading the Hidden Leaf to the pinnacle step by step, and stabilizing the entire shinobi world!
"Heh, the eye that reflects the heart, is it..."
Danzo slowly rewrapped the bandages over his eye, hiding it once more. Similarly, he hid the cravings and desires within his heart.
Having done all this, Danzo felt a deep sense of exhaustion.
"Let's end it here for today. Regardless, there is still plenty of time."
Danzo made this decision after thinking for a moment.
After he left, Simu finally opened his eyes slowly. Looking toward the corridor, he spoke thoughtfully: "Truly an ambitious man, Elder Danzo."
Simu, of course, had not actually fallen into Danzo's Genjutsu.
Instead, he had used the connection Danzo proactively established to invade Danzo's inner world, awakening the "Desire" and "Fear" within his heart.
If Simu had to give a review of Danzo's illusion just now, there would be only one:
It is now fantasy time!