novel bin Chapter 88 Naruto
Chapter 88 Naruto
Although Danzo did not finish his sentence, his meaning was already self-evident.
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzo's unspoken meaning, but he did not respond immediately; instead, he pondered for a moment.
"The position of Hokage should really be left to the younger generation. It's the age of the young now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smirked and said, "Speaking of which, Danzo, do you have any young people you would recommend who could take on the position of Hokage? Tell me so I can give them my opinion."
Danzo looked at Hiruzen and replied eagerly, "I'm still young! I can still dedicate all my strength to Konoha!"
Danzo gritted his teeth inwardly, feeling deeply resentful.
Why is it that Hiruzen Sarutobi, at his advanced age, can continue to serve as Hokage, while Danzo can't?
Danzo believed he possessed sufficient power and wisdom, and had his own insights and plans for the future of Konoha. He believed he could bring prosperity to Konoha and would certainly do a better job than Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and shook his head, saying, "The selection of the Hokage is not something I can decide on my own; we still need to see what they think."
Danzo's ambitions are too great. If Danzo were to become Hokage, it could bring further turmoil to Konoha, which has already suffered a blow.
At this moment, Danzo knew from Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude that Hiruzen would not recommend him as Hokage. After a moment of silence, he angrily turned and left.
As Danzo walked out of the hospital room, he brushed past Boruto and his friends who were visiting Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Naruto walked in, placed the fruit basket he brought on the table, and asked, "Third Hokage, is your injury getting better?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, indicating that he was alright: "If Boruto hadn't destroyed the barrier this time, I probably would have perished together with Orochimaru."
Boruto, remembering Danzo who had just left, asked the Third Hokage, "Why did that person who went out just now look so gloomy? Did something happen?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, "It's nothing serious, we just talked about the next Hokage."
Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He asked urgently, "How could this be? Is the Third Hokage retiring?"
Naruto hadn't expected that his grandfather's injuries were so severe, to the point that he was about to retire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, "It's not just because I was injured in the battle, but also because the entire Hidden Leaf Village suffered huge losses as a result. All of this is due to my dereliction of duty."
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Orochimaru, on whom he had once placed great hopes, and lowered his eyes in disappointment.
"There are potential conflicts everywhere right now, so Konoha needs a trustworthy and strong leader."
As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, he turned his gaze to Jiraiya: "I would like to recommend you to become the Fifth Hokage, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya refused the important task without hesitation, saying, "That's really unfortunate. I'm not cut out for it, so please allow me to decline."
Jiraiya knew he carried an important mission conveyed by the Great Toad Sage, and he also had his own goals and pursuits.
Boruto wasn't surprised to hear Jiraiya's words. After spending some time with him, he had come to understand Jiraiya's personality better and knew that he disliked being restrained or restricted.
Naruto was shocked when Jiraiya refused. He grabbed Jiraiya's sleeve and exclaimed in astonishment, "Ah! What are you saying! You perverted sage! This is the Hokage! The Hokage!"
Jiraiya punched Naruto on the head: "Idiot! Not everyone wants to be Hokage like you."
Seeing the farce unfolding before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted sternly, saying, "If even you, who is hailed as one of the Legendary Sannin, are not cut out for this, then who in Konoha is capable of becoming Hokage?"
Jiraiya crossed his arms and replied, "Among the three legendary Sannin, besides me and the defector Orochimaru, isn't there one more?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and then said, "You mean Tsunade?"
Jiraiya smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, the only person most suitable to take on the responsibility of Hokage right now is Tsunade."
Upon hearing Jiraiya's confident words, Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the scene of Tsunade using Konoha's funds to pay off debts.
A sense of helplessness welled up in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart. Why were all three of his disciples so individualistic?
Could it be that there's something wrong with my teaching methods?
However, when Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Jiraiya's resolute attitude, he knew that Jiraiya really had no intention of becoming Hokage. So even if he forced him to become Hokage, Jiraiya might just disappear the next day.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to accept his fate, saying, "Even if Tsunade has the ability to manage Konoha, she is always elusive, and no one knows where she is now."
Jiraiya laughed and said, "I'll go find her. That should solve the problem, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his eyes slightly closed, said, "Fine, I'll give you a month. If you can't find Tsunade within that time, you should come back and become Hokage. After all, the village can't remain leaderless forever."
Jiraiya nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll take Naruto and set off tomorrow to find Tsunade."
Seeing that Jiraiya didn't seem to intend to take him along, Boruto quickly asked, "What about me?"
Jiraiya glanced at Boruto and said, "This trip isn't a vacation, so you should stay here and train properly." He had always been disturbed by Boruto whenever he went out to gather materials.
......
On a high wall, two people wearing black trench coats embroidered with red clouds and straw hats with wind chimes stood quietly, gazing at the rebuilt Konoha Village not far away.
One of them said in a low voice, "Although it was spared from destruction, the damage was very severe."
"That once prosperous village... how pitiful..."
He glanced at his companion with some surprise and said, "This is unlike you. So you really do have some attachment to your hometown? Even if it is you..."
"No, not at all." As he spoke, he lifted the straw hat on his head, revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan.
His voice was unusually cold, indicating that he no longer had any attachment to Konoha Village.