The 3.5-billion fiasco still hadn't blown over.
It wasn't going to be settled that easily.
That gaping hole in the finances had, in the end, stirred up resentment across Konoha's many factions.
Life was already hard enough, and now you pull this on us?
If you're the Hokage and you can't lead everyone into better days, then you might as well go home and sell toilet paper.
The resentment was thick—so thick that even with Danzo hopping around and stirring trouble, everyone just pretended not to see it anymore.
Before, people might not have been sure.
But once Danzo started jumping out in the open, plenty of folks began to taste what was really going on.
Just look at the Uchiha clan's deputy clan head system.
Danzo's intentions as an advisor couldn't have been more obvious.
So what do you think?
This "two decision-makers" thing—does it have legs?
It does.
It absolutely does.
Koharu and Homura, still freeloading meals at the Shimura compound, shoveled food into their mouths while hurriedly echoing Danzo's words.
"If you say it has legs, then it has legs. Let this old lady get a few more bites first!"
A dignified advisor, and for three straight days she hadn't eaten a proper full meal.
Was that any way to live?
Hearing that, Danzo's creased old face bloomed into a chrysanthemum.
Even the folds on his cheeks looked gentler.
Look closely and you could practically see the Third Hokage's "kindly old man" flavor.
Yes.
Danzo was imitating that old geezer's approachability.
He figured that if he was about to climb into the Deputy Hokage seat, how could he keep looking like the same sinister creep he'd always been?
A Hokage had to be upright and aboveboard.
These days he wasn't even that invested in Root anymore.
He'd started feeling like what he ought to be controlling wasn't Root, but ANBU.
If he wanted to sit in the Deputy Hokage's chair, then he couldn't be doing dirty work anymore.
It would damage his reputation as Deputy Hokage, after all…
Had Hiruzen ever done a single dirty job?
No.
Not one.
Danzo had covered every last one for him.
Day after day, year after year.
And it made Danzo's heart more and more unbalanced.
Fine.
Fine, fine, fine.
All the dirty work is mine, and you get to sit back and enjoy the harvest—whatever.
But all the glory is yours, and every black pot gets buckled onto my back.
And every so often you use the Hokage position to knock me down and keep me in line.
Like last time, when Danzo screwed over the old companions and made them lose money.
The Third Hokage old geezer had said one single sentence—
There won't be a next time.
Heh.
Danzo couldn't stop a cold laugh.
"No next time?"
What, am I a rag?
Use me up, then toss me out?
And this time, you as Hokage are bleeding far more than I ever did.
3.5 billion—hope it doesn't bankrupt you.
So don't preach to me like you're any better.
We're all the same.
And if we're going to rank it properly, you as Hokage are worse than I am.
What is this "sending letters to urge people" nonsense?
Don't treat everyone like idiots.
If you didn't give Asuma a hint, would he have dared pull this stunt?
You wanted the face.
You wanted the substance too.
Now that it's time for the Sarutobi side to take responsibility, you start shielding him?
Where in the world do you find a deal that good?
As Danzo ranted, Koharu and Homura exchanged looks.
Yeah, yeah.
Tell us something we don't already know.
Hiruzen's "I want it all" personality—who else might not know it, but would they not know it?
Half the time, you can't judge Hiruzen by what he says.
You have to judge him by what he does.
Work backward from the result, and you'll see what kind of man he really is.
If you had to slap one label on that old companion, it would be two words:
Hypocrite.
So what?
Most politicians are… well.
"Fine. Since you've both said it out loud, then I won't avoid it either."
Danzo's eyes burned as he spread the tobacco business contract open, motioning for the two old companions to lean closer.
"Look."
"Our original split was: I get one share. You two and Hiruzen each get two shares."
"But after a mess like this, it's not realistic for Hiruzen to keep two shares."
"He has to pay for his own family's behavior."
"So Hiruzen only gets one share."
"And until that 3.5-billion hole is filled, he won't see a single coin from even that one share."
"As for me, I can take two shares."
"Now, the two of you—I'll be blunt."
"Out of those two shares, I only want one."
"The other share…"
Danzo grinned and pointed at Koharu and Homura.
"…is yours."
Homura nearly choked.
That was a huge move.
That was a full share of real, hard money.
A full share from a massive profit chain like the tobacco business.
Just to move up, you're willing to cut that out?
Was it worth it?
Worth it.
Very worth it.
Danzo's gaze turned even hotter, even more eager, as he clasped the two old companions by the hands with an almost syrupy warmth.
"Koharu-san. Homura-san…"
"I really am, really am just—so desperate to move up!"
"I dream about it. I dream about it every night!"
"As long as you help me get there, I swear—so long as it doesn't touch the big-picture issues, I'll listen to you!"
"The three of us working together—what can't we accomplish?"
"I'll put it right here."
"As soon as I'm in that seat, the three of us will still 'play' together."
"Any benefits, we consider the three of us first."
"And as for Hiruzen?"
"Let him go play in the corner."
"So. What do you say? Are we doing this? Is this enough of a sweetener?"
At this point, once Danzo had put it all on the table, Koharu and Homura had no reason to hold back either.
Because the truth was, Danzo had always had the qualifications to move up.
Forget everything else—back in the Second Hokage's era, Danzo and Hiruzen had been rivals who could match each other blow for blow.
If it weren't for that one "test" on the Second Hokage's deathbed… who knows how it would've ended.
Of course.
That wasn't the main point.
The main point was that Danzo was actually willing to give up a full share.
Real banknotes—that was the reason their hearts tilted.
Yes.
They agreed.
They didn't say it out loud, but they accepted the benefits Danzo had cut out for them.
On that point alone, he was far better than Hiruzen.
Hiruzen just loved to eat alone.
Danzo was different—Danzo was willing to share profit openly.
Now that was the kind of Hokage Konoha needed.
"Danzo, when are you going to—"
When were you going to bring it up?
"Not yet."
Koharu pressed down Homura's eagerness.
"Danzo, you should understand: Hiruzen's prestige is very high."
"If you want to move up, you have to build your own reputation."
Understood.
Danzo understood.
Hearing the two of them finally choose to support him, Danzo's heart melted into a trembling puddle.
Finally.
Finally…!!!
At last, he could see the Hokage seat—hope, right there within reach.
Even if it was the deputy seat, it was still the Hokage.
Hiruzen.
Just you wait.
He was going to show that old geezer exactly how a Hokage was supposed to be.
(End of Chapter)
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