While the Fourth Kazekage was coming to terms with his status as a rogue ninja, the Third Hokage, one of the Five Kage, was in the Hokage Office, overwhelmed by the ongoing war on the frontlines.
The war between Iwagakure and Konohagakure had been going on for three months.
During this period, there had been no large-scale direct confrontation, but small-team skirmishes had never ceased. The casualties continued to rise daily.
And so, the Third Hokage desperately wanted to change the current deadlock, but there was nothing he could do.
He attempted to summon elite jōnin from the major clans to the battlefield, but they always found various excuses to decline, forcing him to rely on ANBU forces, further depleting his already limited manpower.
The root of the issue was the lack of trust between the clans and the Hokage's administration.
After the Uchiha incident, the relationship between the Hokage's administration and the major clans had grown strained for a very simple reason. The Senju and Uchiha, the two great clans that founded Konohagakure, had all but disappeared from the village.
The Senju clan was absorbed into the village after suffering heavy losses in the First and Second Shinobi World Wars. Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan was wiped out by Itachi Uchiha, vanishing from the ninja world altogether.
The remaining clans had taken note of these events and were wary. They didn't want to become the second Senju or the second Uchiha. Therefore, they refused to send too many jōnin to the battlefield. Even going so far as to avoid earning too much merit in the war.
The Third Hokage had no choice but to accept this attitude. Unless he wanted to make enemies of all the major clans, he couldn't force them to act.
With a sigh, he turned his attention to the two intelligence scrolls that had just been delivered.
The first scroll came from Sunagakure and contained explosive information. It reported that the Fourth Kazekage had attempted to assassinate a jinchūriki, conspired with the S-rank rogue ninja Orochimaru, and ultimately defected.
The Third Hokage was stunned. Each piece of information from Sunagakure was more shocking than the last. Why would the Kazekage attempt to assassinate a jinchūriki? Wasn't the One-Tails' jinchūriki his youngest son?
As for working with Orochimaru, that wasn't particularly surprising. Orochimaru was a rogue ninja from Konohagakure, not Sunagakure, so it wasn't a big deal for the Sand Village. Even though the two villages were allies, alliances were often just words—few truly took them seriously.
Could it be that Sunagakure had finally decided to accept becoming a vassal of Konohagakure?
The Third Hokage doubted that possibility. The most shocking part of the intelligence wasn't even the assassination attempt or the connection to Orochimaru—it was the fact that the Fourth Kazekage had attacked the Wind Daimyō and then defected.
The idea of a Kage defecting was unimaginable. It sounded like a pure joke.
However, after reading the entire report, the Third Hokage began to understand. The reason for the Kazekage's defection wasn't just the assassination attempt or his dealings with Orochimaru—it was his suspected involvement in the murder of the Third Kazekage.
Logically speaking, if rumors spread that he had assassinated his predecessor, his position as Kazekage would be unsustainable.
If the same situation had happened in Konohagakure—if he were accused of killing his teacher, Tobirama Senju—he wouldn't be able to remain Hokage either.
Pulling his thoughts back together, the Third Hokage began considering his next moves regarding diplomacy with Sunagakure.
With the Fourth Kazekage gone, Sunagakure would soon appoint an acting Kazekage. It could be an elite jōnin, or perhaps his old acquaintance, Chiyo.
If it was Chiyo, negotiations would be easier. If it was a new jōnin leader, he would have to analyze their stance carefully.
Setting aside the first scroll, the Third Hokage picked up the second one, which bore the seal of a toad—intelligence from Jiraiya at the front lines.
A brief glance at its contents brought a wry smile to his face.
Jiraiya had sent good news. In a time of crisis, Tsunade had appeared at the Konoha military camp, offering her services as a volunteer medical ninja.
With two of the Three Sannins present, the frontlines had stabilized.
It wouldn't be long before Iwagakure sought peace talks. In a deadlock like this, the war couldn't continue unless Iwagakure was willing to suffer mutual destruction. But that shorty old bag Ōnoki wasn't that reckless.
However, according to Jiraiya, Tsunade still refused to return to the village. She didn't want to see him, nor did she want to set foot in a Konoha that was no longer the same as before.
After writing his reply, the Third Hokage's expression changed slightly, as if he had just remembered something. He then ordered an ANBU agent to summon Danzō.
Three months ago, he had personally ordered the dissolution of Root, using it as a scapegoat for the Uchiha massacre to appease the major clans.
But now, he wanted to restart it.
To end the war with Iwagakure quickly, Tsunade and Jiraiya alone weren't enough—he also needed Danzō and Root.
Half an hour later, the ANBU agent returned to the office with an uneasy expression.
"Hokage-sama, Danzō-sama refuses to come to the Hokage Office. He also said that Root has been disbanded and that he has retired."
"…Danzō refuses to come? And he claims Root has been disbanded?"
The Hizuren was skeptical. Danzō had always coveted the Hokage position. There was no way he had really disbanded Root, even if he had been ordered to.
Noticing the Hokage's doubts, the ANBU agent added, "Hokage-sama, Danzō-sama also asked me to tell you that he no longer seeks the Hokage position and doesn't want to remain in the shadows anymore. He said that, in the time he has left, he just wants to enjoy living under the sun."
The Third Hokage's expression darkened. He didn't believe Danzō would truly give up on becoming Hokage. This was probably a negotiation tactic—he was holding out for better terms.
But Root already controlled much of the village's power. If he gave Danzō even more authority, Root's leader would become the true shadow ruler of Konoha.
After a long pause, the Third Hokage coldly replied, "Tell Danzō that he has done well, that he has faithfully carried out my orders. Since that is the case, he no longer needs to serve as the leader of Root. From today onward, he can retire and enjoy his old age."
"…Understood, Hokage-sama."
With that, the ANBU agent departed from the Hokage Office.
Once he was gone, the Third Hokage's face turned grim. Danzō would find someone else if he no longer wanted to be his enforcer. There were plenty of subordinates eager for power.
Even without Danzō, he would find a suitable replacement—someone who could do the job just as well, if not better.
His son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, and Kakashi were both strong candidates.