Chapter 663: The Fifth Hokage: Jiraiya!
Chapter 663: The Fifth Hokage: Jiraiya!
"Master, it's about time!"
Mizu's voice echoed from outside the door.
Douhei stepped out of the room.
When he came out, he found not only Mizu but also Megumi, Kagurin, Yamagawa Houji, and Hyuga Shizuki all ready to depart. It was obvious that he was the last one.
So he led the way towards the Hokage Tower.
On the streets, countless villagers had high expectations for the new Hokage.
After all, it was Jiraiya!
Even though the official appointment from the Land of Fire's Daimyo had not yet arrived, everyone knew there wouldn't be any surprises.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya's identity, background, and personal strength made him the undisputed choice for the new Hokage.
At this moment, Konoha truly needed some good news to alleviate their worries and anxieties, which was why today's Hokage inauguration ceremony was so grand.
Even though the village was in a dire state at dawn, by now it had undergone a remarkable transformation, indicating the immense effort put in.
The efficiency of the ninjas was indeed impressive.
If it were ordinary people, it would have been impossible to accomplish this so quickly.
Of course, the reason for such a lively atmosphere was that, most importantly, there were hardly any civilian casualties last night.
Not a single one!
As soon as the fire started, ninjas were rescuing people and fighting the blaze.
So, even though the flames had destroyed many buildings, there were very few civilian casualties. If there had been heavy casualties, no one would be in the mood to celebrate today.
As for the damage caused by Danzo and the Root Division's assassination attempt on Douhei? Aside from turning that area into ruins, there were no civilian casualties.
That small building was too secluded!
That was why Douhei suspected that someone in the village's upper echelon was colluding with Danzo.
Otherwise, if they had been arranged to rest in the center of the village, there would have been numerous civilian casualties.
They entered the first floor of the Hokage Tower, where the Jonin Meeting Hall was located.
At this moment, the Jonin and high-ranking officials had gathered.
Even though Douhei had withdrawn from the Hokage candidacy, he still had the right to observe.
There were a total of four Hokage candidates; two had voluntarily withdrawn, one had become a rogue ninja, and only Jiraiya remained as the final candidate. Today's Fifth Hokage appointment was naturally a foregone conclusion.
A Daimyo's messenger, with a thick layer of powder on his face, stood on the stage, reading out the Daimyo's appointment to everyone.
"...The Fifth Hokage will be Jiraiya!"
After the lengthy and tedious speech, the messenger handed over the appointment document to Jiraiya.
Obviously, the Daimyo maintained his status through this procedure, indicating that his position was above that of the Hokage.
After all, the Hokage had to be appointed by this Daimyo, and it was clear at a glance who held a higher position.
However, to gain this nominal advantage, a substantial amount of funding had to be provided.
Jiraiya accepted the document, which held more symbolic than practical significance:
"I will not let down the expectations of the Daimyo-sama and will lead Konoha to protect the Land of Fire!"
This was a time of great war.
Due to the attacks from the Cloud and Rock Village ninjas, the Land of Fire had suffered significant internal damage, which was why the Daimyo had sent the appointment document so quickly.
He wanted Konoha to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
"I hope you can live up to your words!"
The Daimyo's messenger nodded and left.
Then, Tsukino Harumi approached Jiraiya with a Hokage hat in her hands.
'After wearing this hat, you will no longer be an ordinary ninja, and ordinary human emotions...'
Douhei's mind echoed the lines from a movie he had watched in his previous life, finding it quite amusing.
The Fifth Hokage, Jiraiya!
A completely different path from the original storyline.
The butterfly effect had finally led the ninja world down a completely different route.
The normal procedure would be to go out and accept the villagers' cheers.
But naturally, Douhei wouldn't let the process go smoothly, so he stepped forward.
"Uchiha Douhei, what are you up to?"
Tsunade blocked his path, her eyes filled with caution and vigilance.
She was well aware of his rebellious nature, and after the assassination attempt by Danzo at dawn, she knew he must be seething with anger. Naturally, she wouldn't let him cause any trouble.
"Tsunade-senpai, even if I didn't become the Hokage, I still have the right to speak to the Hokage, don't I?"
Douhei spoke calmly, not appearing to be causing any trouble.
But the higher-ups of the Hokage Faction were well aware of his rebellious nature and unpredictable actions, so they didn't believe his claims.
Not only Tsunade, but also the two advisors, Ashama, Shikaku, and others silently stood behind Tsunade in support.
"Of course you have that right!"
Ziruoye's voice rang out.
His gaze at Douhei was filled with hidden anger and resentment.
There was no other choice; Myoboku Mountain was still in the hands of the enemy, and the remaining toads were all in a state of homelessness. How could he not feel hatred?
It was only out of concern for Konoha's current dire situation that he hadn't turned against them already.
Once the danger was lifted, the next step would be dealing with Skyguard Tower. He had changed his mind about taking the Hokage position, not only to save Konoha but also to confront Douhei.
Because the other party was the 'Son of Destruction'.
According to the prophecy, after destroying Myoboku Mountain, Konoha would be next. Therefore, whether it was for personal grudges or for the sake of Konoha, Ziruoye had to find a way to eliminate the other party.
"Hokage-sama, I wonder what punishment will Monkey King Enma receive?"
Douhei spoke out what he had been wanting to say, causing the faces of the Hokage Faction members to darken.
It was like a public slap in the face!
"This requires a thorough investigation!"
Mizuki quickly took over the conversation to prevent Ziruoye from saying something inappropriate.
"Oh!" Douhei said sarcastically, "This investigation won't take a few years or even decades, will it be after someone dies that we deal with it?"
His words weren't baseless; such an outcome was very likely.
Even if Ziruoye and Tsunade were reluctant, the decision didn't rest solely with them in the Hokage Faction.
At the same time, Monkey King Enma was a figurehead of the Hokage Faction. If he were to be truly punished, it would be a complete loss of face for the Hokage Faction, and even for the sake of their reputation, they couldn't possibly punish him.
However, it couldn't be denied that he had indeed committed numerous wrongdoings. Not punishing him was also unacceptable, so the best option was to drag out the investigation, stalling until the matter was no longer in the public eye, and then quietly letting it go.
As Douhei spoke, the two advisors and Nara Shikaku's eyes flashed with horror, and their expressions became unnatural.
This was because they had already discussed this idea yesterday.
Seeing this, Douhei naturally wouldn't give them the chance to escape this predicament.
"It seems I was right. Before, it was difficult to handle because there was no Hokage, but now that the Hokage has been chosen, I wonder what our Fifth Hokage will say. It won't be like Monkey King Enma and Danzou, where it's just 'a slap on the wrist, and it won't happen again', right?"
Douhei raised his voice.
Although there were many people from the Hokage Faction in the hall, there were also some non-Hokage Faction members present, naturally making them pay close attention to this matter.
Especially when Danzou was mentioned, it filled them with resentment.
Danzou was truly unworthy of being called a human. He had committed countless misdeeds, but he had always relied on Monkey King Enma's support, leaving them with no choice but to seethe in anger without speaking up.
Now that the other party had escaped, Monkey King Enma, who had supported him, naturally became the target of everyone's pent-up resentment.
Although they didn't dare to openly say anything, after all, Konoha was the Hokage Faction's territory.
But just by showing their concern, they had already made their stance clear.
"Of course not!" Ziruoye shook his head. He was also extremely dissatisfied with the relationship between his teacher and Danzou, but he wouldn't follow in his footsteps. So, he seriously contemplated how to impose punishment.
Too severe or too lenient were both unacceptable!
If the punishment were too severe, it would be a blow to the Hokage Faction's reputation.
If it were too lenient, it would be even more unacceptable, because everything Monkey King Enma had done was true. A lenient punishment wouldn't be enough to satisfy the public.
After all, if the Hokage Faction dared to do something, they couldn't blame others for following suit!
"Ziruoye, today is a great day for you to become the Hokage. This matter can be discussed later!"
Tsukino Harumi tried to persuade him.
No matter what they did now, it would be wrong. It was better to first drag it out for a few days, wait for Douhei and most of the ninjas to leave, and then impose the punishment. At that time, the initiative would be in their hands.
"This..."
Ziruoye was somewhat tempted.
However, at this moment, Douhei naturally wouldn't let go of the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. He directly revealed the ace he had kept hidden before.
(End of Chapter)
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