"Orochimaru, our time has finally come."
Danzo had waited decades for this moment. Ever since Tobirama named Hiruzen the next Hokage, he'd carried that bitter regret like a knife in his gut. The seat that should have been his had been stolen, and Hiruzen refused to die. The Third Raikage, Third Kazekage, and Third Mizukage were all gone, yet the Third Hokage kept breathing like he had another fifty years in him—still glued to that damn chair.
"Under this kind of pressure, if Hiruzen doesn't step down, the whole village will see him as a power-hungry old man clinging to the hat," Danzo thought, smiling. "Stepping down is the only way to save his reputation. But he won't do it. He's too stubborn."
Hiruzen sat in his office, jaw tight, reading the latest reports. The rumor was spreading fast, but he wasn't budging.
"These bastards want me gone? Fine. If I retire now, I play right into their hands. The only one left who could take the seat is Orochimaru, and he'll drag Konoha straight into the dark. I won't let that happen. For the village, I'll keep this seat even if every last person hates me. That's my ninja way."
He drafted a public statement that night.
He tore into Uchiha Yashiro's interview, calling the rogue a traitor whose words meant nothing. He blasted Sunagakure for giving the man a platform just to stir shit. Then he dropped the line that mattered most:
"Konoha has more than enough talent to succeed me. Minato was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was mine. If I were truly power-hungry, I would never have trained either of them. I'll only pass the hat to the right person—when the time is right. Uchiha Yashiro is a criminal. Why would anyone believe a traitor? Sunagakure should be ashamed. A great village doesn't chase cheap clicks. Konoha Weekly will stick to facts. That's our responsibility."
The statement hit Konoha like a cooling breeze. Decades of respect still carried weight. People started speaking up for him.
"Without Minato we still have Orochimaru. If Hiruzen wanted the seat forever, why not kill Orochimaru too? But Orochimaru's alive and well."
Outside the village, though, the reaction was ice-cold.
Onoki smirked. "That Uchiha really hates Hiruzen. Can't blame him, given how Konoha treated their clan. Rasa's got guts, interviewing him like that. The Weekly's reach is scary. Hiruzen must be fuming."
In Kirigakure, most shinobi looked downright gleeful. They'd just survived their own messy rumor war over Yagura and the Seven Swordsmen. Now Konoha was getting the same treatment. Some even nodded at Yashiro's words.
"Even if the Uchiha Navigation Group is our enemy, the guy's got a point. Why did Minato have to seal the Nine-Tails instead of Hiruzen? The old man's got maybe ten years left. Minato had decades. Tobirama sacrificed himself—why couldn't Hiruzen?"
Shisui stood on the Hokage Rock, staring at the stone faces. The question looped in his head. No Uchiha alive could control the Nine-Tails. So who did it? And why frame his clan?
"Minato-sensei is gone. What do I do now?" He clenched his fists. Hiruzen had shut him out every time he tried to help the Uchiha. Orochimaru was the next logical choice for Hokage… but every time Shisui looked at the pale sannin, something cold twisted in his gut. Still, he had no other options left.
Far away, masked and hidden, Obito watched the chaos unfold with quiet satisfaction.
"Not a single person suspects me. Makes sense—they all think I'm dead." He let out a soft laugh. "Minato-sensei went all-in with the Reaper Death Seal. Sealed the Nine-Tails clean. My plan worked perfectly."
He tilted his head toward the night sky.
"Minato-sensei… Kushina… don't worry. Once I finish building the perfect world for Rin, I'll give you both the perfect ending too."
A slow, twisted smile spread under the mask.
"You're welcome."