Chapter 174: Hiruzen Sarutobi
Naruto felt like he had made a huge profit.
As a fan of the Hokage series, he had seen Danzo's iconic scene with his own eyes.
The only slight imperfection was that the current Hokage was Tsunade, not Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Otherwise, it would have been even more authentic.
During the period when Hiruzen Sarutobi served as Hokage, Naruto had no opportunity to intervene in Konoha's political affairs.
Today could be considered a coincidence.
He had followed Jiraiya and found evidence from many years ago against Danzo.
Tsunade directly ordered him to hand over Root.
It was reasonable and within the rules, giving her the upper hand.
But the underlying reason was Danzo's concession.
First, handing over Root didn't have much of an impact on him.
Back after the Clan Massacre Night, Root had even been disbanded for a time.
Yet he still maintained control over everything in the shadows.
Second, Danzo believed he held a decisive trump card in his hand.
Kotoamatsukami.
It could manipulate others without them realizing it, and permanently and completely change a person's thoughts and will.
It could be called the strongest genjutsu.
The only drawback was a cooldown period lasting over a decade.
Although in the original work Danzo eventually used it on Mifune of the Land of Iron, it didn't mean he wouldn't use it on someone else.
If he put himself in Danzo's shoes, Naruto figured he probably had two targets: one was the Hokage, and the other was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Either one would be extremely beneficial for his ascent to the position of Hokage.
Especially the latter.
Gaining direct control over the Land of Fire's greatest military force.
After all, if he controlled Tsunade to make her abdicate, some might remain unconvinced.
But with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in hand, anyone unconvinced would just be beaten into submission.
As for why he hadn't used it until now...
Perhaps he had his own considerations.
Naruto was a bit worried before, but now that he had awakened his own Mangekyo Sharingan, he no longer had any concerns.
At worst, it would be an eye for an eye.
After Danzo left, the two hokage advisors returned to normal.
"Even though he handed over Root, it will be difficult for you to master it, Tsunade," Homura Mitokado said, adjusting his glasses.
"Taking the first step is what matters for now," Tsunade smiled, completely unconcerned.
She glanced at Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu.
The expressions of the two were very calm.
They really were fence-sitters.
She remembered clearly that Root was disbanded after the Clan Massacre Night, and then re-established under Danzo's suggestion and with the support of the two hokage advisors.
In other words, they helped whoever was stronger.
Completely unreliable.
Tsunade rubbed her brow; taking over Root would be another troublesome matter.
She turned to look at Jiraiya, her eyes suddenly narrowing.
"We'll leave the matter of Amegakure until after the Chunin Exams. You two don't need to continue your training journey for now. Prepare for the Chunin Exams."
Jiraiya hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
Although he couldn't warm up to the ladies in the Land of Rain, the Land of Fire wasn't bad either.
"Do I have to participate in the Chunin Exams too?"
Naruto caught her meaning and asked, "Then what about my teammates?"
"Sakura and Karin won't be participating."
Tsunade rested her chin on her hands and said thoughtfully.
In the original work, Sakura did participate.
But now, because Karin had mastered the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she intended to skip the Chunin Exams and focus on her studies.
Anyway, they were Tsunade's disciples; being promoted to Chunin or Jonin in the future would just be a matter of the Hokage's word.
Plus, Sasuke was out on a mission and said he couldn't make it back, clearly stating he wouldn't participate.
After all, fighting a bunch of Genin was far less enjoyable than fighting the Raikage.
"You'll replace Shikamaru and team up with Chojiand Ino."
Tsunade thought for a moment and said, "Shikamaru is already a Chunin and is one of the examiners this time, so naturally he can't participate. Ino–Shika–Chō is a single unit; lacking Shikamaru as the backbone would have a big impact on them, but with your strength, it shouldn't be an issue."
In other words, Naruto was to carry them.
After all, Ino–Shika–Chō were her firm supporters.
Doing them a favor in passing was naturally acceptable.
Besides that, there was another reason.
The strange request Sunagakure had made in the previous meeting.
They were holding the scroll battle in the Desert of Illusions, which was normal.
What was bizarre was that besides the leading Jonin, no other Jonin were allowed to enter Sunagakure.
Furthermore, Tsunade had learned that Gaarawould personally serve as the supervisor for the Chunin Exams.
Thinking about his recent situation...
She feared something was going to happen.
With Naruto mixed in among the examinees, any sudden incidents would be easier to handle.
After all, with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was truly fast.
Tsunade was still more willing to deal with Gaarathan with those old fossils in Sunagakure.
"Fine."
Naruto had no objections.
He was participating in the Chunin Exams purely for Hinata's sake.
After all, in the original work, her team had been disgusted by a certain greasy fat guy.
When he watched the anime in his past life, it had also given him a headache.
Naruto didn't discriminate against fat people—he had many fat friends—but that one in the anime was truly outrageous.
"Advisors, I have something to discuss with Jiraiyaprivately," Tsunade said.
Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu rose and left.
Naruto also chose to make a run for it.
Before leaving, he gave Jiraiya an encouraging look.
Stay alive, Sensei.
"Shizune-nee-san, where is Gaara resting?"
"You should still call me Senior."
Shizune always felt it was too strange.
You call Lady Tsunade'sister', and you call me'sister' too.
Doesn't that make Lady Tsunade and me sisters?
This generational hierarchy is ridiculously messy.
"It's fine, we'll each have our own terms. Besides, my two teammates are your junior sisters, so it's only right for me to call you sister."
Naruto thought to himself that Shizune's skin was still too thin.
In his past life, he had even seen forty-year-old actresses playing young girls in TV dramas.
And the actor playing opposite her was a great handsome man, Jiao Enjun.
It was said they spent over three hours filming a single kiss scene.
Tragic.
"..."
Shizune had truly never seen such a shame... cough, person.
"Gaara is in the Inn in front of the Hokage Building."
She pointed in that direction and said, "It's specifically reserved for Sunagakure. You'll see him if you go there."
"Okay, thanks, sister."
Naruto left the building and headed to the Inn.
The door wasn't closed.
He saw three people sitting in the hall eating.
Kankuro and Temari instinctively stood up.
The psychological shadow he had left on them back then was too great.
Because in their constant understanding, Tailed Beasts were invincible.
They never expected there would be a moment when one was violently beaten.
"Naruto, come sit."
Gaara called for the waiter to add another set of bowls and chopsticks.
Naruto had originally intended to go home to eat.
But he had a good impression of Gaara in the later stages, so he didn't refuse.
However, the atmosphere was slightly silent.
Gaara wasn't one for small talk to begin with.
And Kankuro and Temari were under too much pressure to dare to chat.
Instead, the ones chatting most happily were Kurama and Shukaku.
Shukaku was being bombarded with verbal output and said in exasperation, "Aren't you going to participate in the Chunin Exams? It's been moved to the Desert of Illusions. Do you dare to fight me there?"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Kurama thought of Naruto's 100% Certainty of Catching a Blade with Bare Hands and said, "When the time comes, we'll both fully transform into Tailed Beasts. This old man won't take advantage of you; I'll give you the whole desert."
Shukaku was a bit surprised.
The desert gave it a massive boost, so much so that it felt it could fight Kurama.
The reason it disliked Kurama was that Kuramasaid Tailed Beasts' strength was ranked by the number of tails.
In other words, Shukaku with the fewest tails was the weakest.
Naturally, it wouldn't agree.
When Hashirama Senju distributed the Tailed Beasts back then, it was for the purpose of balancing power.
The Five Great Ninja Villages, except for Konohaand Sunagakure, all had two Tailed Beasts.
Konoha had the most powerful Nine-Tails, which made sense.
But Sunagakure had the One-Tail, which meant it wasn't actually the weakest; combined with the desert terrain, its comprehensive strength could rival the Tailed Beasts of other Ninja villages.
"Fine! You just wait for me!"
Shukaku finished and muted itself, not bothering to pay any more attention to Kurama.
At the dining table outside.
When Naruto mentioned he was going to participate in the Chunin Exams, all three were stunned.
Especially Temari, who blurted out, "Why are you participating? Logically, the Hokage-sama should have directly given you the status of a Jonin."
To be fair.
Even when Naruto participated in the last Chunin Exams, she had thought it was ridiculous.
"I'm a Genin, why can't I participate?"
Naruto said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"..."
Temari went silent.
The reputation of Genin is being ruined by people like you.
But on second thought, it didn't seem like a bad thing.
Gaara's insistence on this Chunin Exam was like acting on his own, wanting to draw the snake out of its hole by himself and flush out all the forces opposing him.
There was no doubt it was extremely dangerous.
If Naruto participated, perhaps he would lend a helping hand.
Of course, she couldn't say such things; after all, she knew Gaara—though his personality had improved, he wouldn't just accept help from others for no reason.
Gaara didn't talk about Sunagakure's affairs, so naturally, Naruto wouldn't bring them up either.
He was already the Kazekage now.
It wouldn't be appropriate for Naruto to give too much advice.
After eating, he said his goodbyes and left.
Gaara and the others wouldn't stay long; they would return to Sunagakure tomorrow to prepare for the Chunin Exams.
"La la la, I'm a little newspaper seller! Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"
A childish voice suddenly rang out.
Naruto, walking on the street, was taken aback.
There were newspapers in the world of Hokage.
But the song being sung was very familiar.
"Fresh news, simple reports! Langya Pavilionbrings you the latest bulletins. Today's big news: Kazekage Gaara will personally attend the Chunin Exams as a supervisor. Anyone interested in participating, don't miss out!"
Naruto almost thought it was some other transmigrator.
It turned out to be himself, so it was fine.
"Kid, wait a second."
He called out to a young boy who was only seven or eight years old.
Merlin was actually employing child labor?
Naruto frowned and said, "Give me a copy of the newspaper."
"Sure thing!"
The boy flashed a practiced service-industry smile, showing eight teeth.
Except his front teeth were missing, which looked quite funny.
"How much?"
"Ten Ryo."
Naruto nodded; it wasn't expensive.
After all, a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen cost about eighty or ninety Ryo.
"Kid, why are you out working at such a young age?"
Naruto scanned the title of the newspaper, 'ninja world daily', and asked casually.
"Langya Pavilion is collaborating with our orphanage. We earn one Ryo for every paper we sell. The Director thinks this job is good; we can earn money while getting exercise outdoors and interacting with people."
A ten percent cut—that was quite fair.
Naruto nodded.
He read the paper as he walked.
His expression gradually changed.
What the hell were these headlines!
'Joint Chunin Exams return! Kazekage Gaara takes the field personally, and the reason is...' 'Hidden Cloud Village encountered a mysterious man; why did the whole village wail in broad daylight?'
'Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī takes office; exploring the men behind her!'
'Shocking! The former Saintess of the White Lotus Sect actually received a marriage proposal from the First Prince of the Land of Fire! What is the charm of the second most beautiful woman under heaven?'
'Land of Fire Princess En Yui's fiancé exposed as a dry-land skater; does he actually have the Passion of the Cut Sleeve?'
'Langya Pavilion is actively recruiting journalists. Excellent salary, benefits negotiable. Only two requirements: run fast and don't be afraid to die.'
Naruto was speechless.
Setting aside the content, there were so many ridiculous points in the headlines that he didn't know where to start.
Only the last one was relatively normal.
But that was only by comparison.
Naruto endured a headache as he finished reading the content.
The first one, summarized in one sentence, was that Gaara was acting as a supervisor.
The second one was actually about him and Sasuke's challenge, though it didn't mention the Tianming Organization.
The third one, the men behind Mei Terumī, were Genji, Chōjūrō, Ao, and others.
The fourth one was both outrageous and logical; the content matched the headline.
The fifth one, 'dry-land skating'—which little genius taught you to write headlines like that?
Naruto thought for a moment; the bit about En Yuiwas likely a frame-up, probably Merlin's doing.
After such a scandal was exposed, the Land of FireDaimyo couldn't possibly let the Princess marry him.
While such sordid affairs weren't rare among nobles, you weren't supposed to say them out loud.
When hidden rules are put on paper, you are breaking the game.
To be fair, these headlines were all quite explosive.
The Ninja World, which hadn't been bombarded by the marketing accounts and self-media of his previous life, would likely be unable to withstand it.
It's human nature to enjoy a spectacle.
In that case, the newspapers should be selling quite well.
And if the newspaper office was run well, it could completely function as an intelligence system.
Others might not know, but how could Naruto not know the power of big data?
If the newspaper office later transitioned into the internet... tsk, truly terrifying!
Naruto put away the newspaper.
Merlin starting a newspaper was a bit unexpected, but it also made sense.
He had thought it would just be some kind of rankings list.
But a newspaper clearly had a broader reach and more influence.
However, Merlin also knew his limits; the content in the paper was only skin-deep.
Except for the fifth one, the reported events weren't particularly secret.
They were pieces of intelligence already known to the high-ranking officials of the various Ninjavillages.
No powerful person should be so enraged as to go out of their way to cause trouble for Merlin.
"Meow~"
Naruto snapped out of it and found himself at his front door.
Cat Nanbei was sleeping on the eaves; noticing him, she just gave a lazy greeting.
"Naruto-kun?"
Hinata quickly ran over and threw herself into his arms.
Naruto suddenly felt the impact of the soft cushions.
They've already begun to take shape.
He looked at Hinata's fair and tender face and instinctively leaned down to give her a kiss.
Mmm, so fragrant... Jiraiya stepped out of the meeting room.
He scratched his head, feeling that things were far too troublesome.
As expected, nothing good ever happens.
He had previously thought Tsunade really wanted him to prepare well in Konoha for the Chunin Exams.
He didn't expect her to have him take over Root, reform it, and merge it into the Anbu.
In other words, he was to be responsible for both the Anbu and Root during this period.
"The Anbu and Root—how can this bunch of bitter guys be as interesting as the young ladies?"
Jiraiya sighed.
But he had already agreed under the 'reasoning' of Tsunade's fist.
This is tough.
"Cough, Jiraiya-sama."
A cough sounded, and a masked Anbu appeared.
"Oh, it's Deng."
Jiraiya laughed sheepishly; it was a bit awkward to be caught speaking ill of others behind their backs.
"Jiraiya-sama, the Langya Pavilion you requested to find has appeared."
Deng took out a copy of the 'ninja world daily' and handed it to him.
Jiraiya scanned the headlines and was stunned.
What the hell is this?
"The first issue of the newspaper published by Langya Pavilion."
Deng explained, "The content covers a wide range, but it doesn't have much value; it's mostly outdated intelligence."
Jiraiya quickly finished reading the paper and couldn't help but nod.
It was indeed meaningless.
But for ordinary Ninjas, it should be quite interesting.
His gaze fell on Langya Pavilion's recruitment advertisement.
The headquarters is at the Shiname River in the Land of Fire?
By the riverside.
"What's the deal with Langya Pavilion?"
Jiraiya asked without looking up.
"Currently, it seems to be an ordinary newspaper office. I've heard that the Master of Langya Pavilionis well-versed in astronomy and geography and is a very talented person. The First Prince of the Land of Fire appreciates him greatly and has invited him to serve as an official several times, but he was refused."
"What's his name?"
"Wuming."
"Hmm?"
"His name is Wuming."
Deng knew he had misunderstood, so he repeated it.
"Interesting. You may go."
Jiraiya waved his hand, and Deng immediately vanished.
He read the newspaper carefully again, but he still couldn't figure out Merlin's intention with this move.
Newspapers in the Ninja World were quite formal, almost entirely used for factual recording.
Back when he first earned the title of Sannin, he was the headline for all the major newspapers.
After a while, Jiraiya shook his head.
Whatever.
The person he wanted to see was the man himself.
But he would go find him after dealing with the Root matters first.
He wondered if he could finish it in a month.
Land of Fire, Metropolis.
A cold yet magnificent palace.
"Princess."
Isaribi walked through the long corridor and handed the newspaper to En Yui.
"Hehe, Teacher is so good."
En Yui scanned the fifth headline and couldn't help but reveal a silly smile.
Since returning to the royal palace, her life hadn't been very pleasant.
Especially with that so-called fiancé bothering her every day.
"This is the first step," Isaribi said with a smile.
"Mm, the rest is up to Sister Haku."
En Yui put away the newspaper. "My big brother will definitely seize this rare opportunity, but a blow to his reputation alone isn't enough."
That fiancé of hers came from the Fujiwara Clan.
The current Land of Fire was divided into civil officials and military officials.
Due to historical reasons, the military officials—the samurai class—were relatively looked down upon.
And among the civil officials, the Fujiwara Clanwas considered one of the four most powerful noble families.
The head of the family was the current Grand Minister, a man of great power and the leader of all officials.
"What'Sister Haku'? It should be Brother Haku."
Isaribi corrected her.
She addressed En Yui as 'Princess' in formal settings, but in private, the two were like sisters and spoke quite casually.
"Sigh, I always forget his gender."
En Yui scratched her head in distress.
Heaven knows how shocked she was when she heard Haku was a boy.
It simply left no way for them girls to survive.
She hoped her big brother would never find out that the person who had him so infatuated was actually a young man.
"What are Teacher Merlin's instructions?"
En Yui asked again.
"Teacher said to leave the rest to Lord Zabuza."
Isaribi recalled what Merlin had said and continued, "He once killed a Governor of Omi named Oda Nobuaki and plans to frame the Fujiwara Clan for it."
En Yui was stunned.
Such a coincidence?
The Oda Clan happened to be the most powerful samurai group at the moment.
Although Oda Nobuaki was a strange name to her, since his surname was Oda, there must be a connection.
If that were the case, the Fujiwara Clan might be in for a heavy blow.
As the saying goes.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when a wall is teetering, everyone gives it a push.