Hokage's Office
"Naruto, huh..." The Third Hokage considered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."
"Okay, then when do we leave?" Sakura asked.
"Not so fast. As you know, Tsunade isn't exactly easy to find. Besides, Konoha is still on high alert. You'll set out once things have stabilized," the Third Hokage explained.
"...So, are there any other missions? If not, I'm out of here." Sakura was already turning to leave.
"Actually, there is one more thing," the Third Hokage said.
The girl, who had already taken a step, stumbled and nearly fell. "Could you please just say everything at once?"
The Third Hokage chuckled at Sakura's reaction. "Aren't you curious about Karin Uzumaki's situation?"
"Oh? Has she passed the test?" Sakura hadn't heard any news about Karin in a month. With everything that had happened in the last few days, she'd forgotten to ask the Third Hokage about her.
"Karin's situation has been confirmed. Many buildings in Konoha were destroyed, but once new housing is built, she'll be assigned a room..." the Third Hokage said. "However, until then, you'll need to take care of her."
"Wha~~~? 'Take care of her' means she's going to be staying at my house...?" Sakura asked, slightly bewildered.
"You're the only person she knows in Konoha, and you seem quite concerned about her... so she'll be staying with you for a while," the Third Hokage said. "I've already informed your parents."
Sakura didn't object, but she only had two bedrooms in her house. If Karin came, wouldn't that mean they'd have to sleep together? Even though she'd been a girl for over ten years, Sakura had never actually been to a public bathhouse and had never seen another woman's naked body besides her own. This would be the first time she'd be sleeping with someone of the same sex. It should be fine, probably. Karin was still a little girl, after all.
The Third Hokage had put a lot of thought into this. There was a reason for having Karin stay with Sakura's family. Konoha still had an orphanage; if there was absolutely no space, Karin could have stayed there for a while. However, to foster a sense of belonging in Karin towards Konoha, he arranged for her to stay with the Harunos.
Karin's past had been thoroughly investigated. By having Karin develop an emotional attachment to Konoha while she was still young, the Uzumaki clan could be re-established in Konoha.
The Third Hokage's foresight was truly impressive. This generation already had a jinchuriki, so settling Karin in Konoha was for the next generation's jinchuriki, even if that was decades away.
"Then, Hokage-sama, what are your plans for Karin's future?" Sakura asked. Karin was technically a genin, but she hadn't received any systematic training.
"Hmm... I've arranged for her to study in the Sealing Corps," the Third Hokage said. "You can go directly to the Sealing Corps to find her."
"Alright. Then, Hokage-sama, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Sakura was satisfied with the Third Hokage's arrangements; the Sealing Corps was a good fit for Karin.
After Sakura left, Jiraiya appeared in the Hokage's office.
"Old man, are you really sure about this...?" Jiraiya asked with a sigh.
"There's no need to say any more. My mind is made up," the Third Hokage said.
"Alright. Finding Tsunade is no problem, but you need to seriously reconsider that matter. While I don't have any particular prejudice against people from that clan, if you insist on doing this, you'll face significant resistance..." Jiraiya said.
"I understand. I will treat everyone in the village like family. Where the leaves dance..."
"Okay, okay, old man, you don't have to say that to me. I'm not getting involved in this. Since you've made up your mind, I won't say anything more..." Jiraiya interrupted the Third Hokage.
"Sigh... If only you would accept the position of Fifth Hokage..." the Third Hokage muttered again.
"Come on, you know me. Tsunade is more suitable than me, both in terms of status and prestige. I'm better suited to gathering intelligence..." Jiraiya said.
Just then, there was a "thump-thump" sound against the windowpane. The Third Hokage turned to see a messenger hawk. He opened the window, and the hawk flew onto his desk.
"This is... the Sand's symbol." Jiraiya noticed the ring on the hawk's leg was engraved with the Sand Village's icon.
The Third Hokage removed the ring from the hawk's leg, took out the letter, and began to read.
"Old man, what does it say...?" Jiraiya asked curiously.
The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe. "A peace offering from the Sand. They want to renegotiate our alliance..."
"Pfft.... Did the Kazekage lose his mind...?" Jiraiya sputtered, spitting out the water he'd just been drinking. Even though Jiraiya wasn't interested in politics, he thought the Kazekage was being naive.
"It's not the Kazekage... it's the Sand's advisor, Elder Chiyo," the Third Hokage said, looking at the signature on the letter. "The Fourth Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru..."
"Hahaha... Serves him right... Hahaha..." Jiraiya laughed loudly.
"Sigh... The Sand Village is pushing all the blame for this incident onto Orochimaru. Their story is that Orochimaru assassinated the Kazekage and gave false orders, leading to the current situation. That's why they want to renegotiate the alliance," the Third Hokage said, shaking his head. "Things definitely aren't as they say. The Land of Wind's Daimyo has already withdrawn all the missions that were originally supposed to be entrusted to Konoha. That's probably the Sand's real objective."
"The Sand are certainly playing a clever game, but I won't comment on this. I'm out of here," Jiraiya said. "I'm leaving."
Jiraiya then jumped out the window.
Just then, the office door opened again, and Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura entered.
No wonder Jiraiya took off. The Third Hokage felt a headache coming on at the sight of the three of them. He hadn't discussed his recent decisions with the advisors. He'd intended to wait until Tsunade returned to the village, thinking it would be more effective, but it seemed they'd already gotten wind of it.
"Hiruzen, is it true that you're stepping down?" Koharu was the first to speak.
"Yes," the Third Hokage nodded.
"Then, do you already have a candidate for the Fifth Hokage?" Danzo asked, despite knowing there wasn't the slightest chance it would be him, he asked eagerly.
"I've decided to have Tsunade return to the village and take on the role of Fifth Hokage!" The Third Hokage emphasized his words.
"Hmm... Tsunade, huh..." Koharu considered for a moment. "She would be suitable as the Fifth Hokage. Her strength and reputation are sufficient. But can you find her?"
"I've entrusted Jiraiya with the task of bringing Tsunade back. The moment Tsunade returns to the village is the moment I'll step down," the Third Hokage said.
Danzo had originally wanted to object on the grounds that Tsunade was not in the village, but now he had no grounds to do so. Tsunade's lineage, strength, and reputation were all more than enough to make her Hokage. Danzo couldn't find any reason to refute Hiruzen. He had wanted to recommend himself, but with the Third Hokage, who was of the same generation, stepping down, Danzo would be a fool to suggest it.
"This is the letter we just received from the Sand Village," the Third Hokage said, handing the letter to Koharu, Homura, and Danzo.
After the three had read it, Homura asked, "So, Hiruzen, how do you plan to handle this?"
"Renegotiate the alliance with the Sand. Accept the terms they've offered," the Third Hokage said.
"Hiruzen, you're still too soft-hearted. This entire incident was entirely due to the collusion between the Sand and Orochimaru. Although the Sand has made concessions, if we simply accept the terms they've offered, won't it make the other ninja villages think that Konoha is an easy target?" Danzo said.
Danzo wasn't wrong. If the other ninja villages saw that Konoha had been invaded by the Sand and had taken no action, accepting the Sand's offer, they might think Konoha's military strength was depleted and would be tempted to follow the Sand's example and take a bite out of Konoha.
This was politics. The Third Hokage's intentions were charitable, but such charity had no place in the struggles between countries and villages. Only strength could silence the opposition. Danzo was the one who handled these dark matters on Hiruzen's behalf.
"The Sand's envoy will arrive in a few days. We'll discuss it then. I'll leave this matter to you, Danzo," the Third Hokage said. The Third Hokage knew his own shortcomings. He had always entrusted matters like these negotiations to Danzo, otherwise, Konoha wouldn't be so prosperous.
Danzo had done many unsavory things, but he had never been negligent in securing benefits for Konoha. Therefore, the Third Hokage merely set the general direction for dealing with the Sand, leaving the specifics of extracting concessions to Danzo.
Since he had been given the task, Danzo took his leave to go and make his calculations. However, as he reached the door, he suddenly said, "Hiruzen, I heard that a survivor of the Uzumaki clan has come to the village. Is that true...?"
"Danzo Shimura, she is my responsibility. You should focus on how to negotiate with the Sand when they arrive!" The Third Hokage emphasized Danzo's full name, raising his voice.
"Sigh... Sooner or later, you'll regret this..." Danzo shook his head and walked out.
"Hiruzen, we'll also take our leave. However, we hope that next time there's a major event, you'll inform us. These old bones can still move..." Koharu said, and she and Homura left.
The Third Hokage sat in his chair, smoking his pipe, feeling a wave of exhaustion. It seemed he needed to keep a close eye on Danzo to prevent him from laying a hand on Karin.
Danzo's vision was far inferior to the Third's. The Third Hokage's plan for Karin was to ensure that Konoha would have an Uzumaki in the future, but Danzo only thought about controlling Karin immediately, in case something happened to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. It was this difference in long-term vision that determined that Hiruzen became Hokage, and not Danzo.
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