Chapter 127 - A Sudden Resurrection from Death's Door
Uchiha Fugaku—already imposing in appearance—looked downright terrifying when he laughed. After chuckling coldly, he stood up and said to everyone, "Elder Danzo has certainly contributed much to Konoha. I'm just curious… why is it that during the war, we never saw Root operatives on the battlefield?"
As the head of Konoha's most powerful clan, Fugaku's words carried immense weight.
The surrounding clan heads immediately fell silent, all turning their attention to the Inuzuka clan head to see how he would respond to Fugaku's challenge.
But the Inuzuka leader, though he had agreed to support Danzo, wasn't foolish enough to directly confront the Uchiha. Pride could be discarded—but you only had one life. So, without a word, he simply sat back down.
"Hmph! Hokage-sama, I recommend your disciple, Lord Orochimaru. I believe everyone here is well aware of Lord Orochimaru's accomplishments during the battle in the Land of Earth."
"And within the village, Lord Orochimaru is deeply respected and beloved by the people. I believe there's no one more suitable to become the Fourth Hokage."
Fugaku snorted in the direction of the Inuzuka leader, clearly looking down on him. But he didn't forget why he stood up in the first place. Turning toward Hiruzen, he voiced his full support for Orochimaru.
Compared to the Inuzuka's earlier endorsement of Danzo, Fugaku's words carried more conviction.
After all, Orochimaru's contributions to Konoha were known to all.
Danzo, by contrast, had always hidden Root in the shadows, and few had seen him make any real contribution.
Even during the Third Great Ninja War, Root only showed up a handful of times behind Kazane—and even then, merely as background support.
And no one at the meeting was a fool. Kazane—Orochimaru's disciple and the strongest shinobi in the world—was sitting right there.
Who would dare speak ill of Orochimaru?
You think that title, "Strongest in the Ninja World," was earned through empty boasts?
After Fugaku's statement, the meeting room fell into silence.
In truth, nearly every clan in the village had already sided with Orochimaru.
Even the clans Hiruzen had always trusted most—the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi—had quietly pledged their support to Orochimaru over two weeks ago.
So in reality, this clan meeting was little more than a formality.
Hiruzen understood this well. Even his trusted elders, Homura and Koharu, had betrayed him.
It was only natural that the self-serving clans had long since abandoned him for Orochimaru.
But since Danzo insisted on trying, and they'd been comrades for over forty years, Hiruzen saw no reason to stop him.
Fine. I'll give you a hand.
Hiruzen gently tapped Hyuga Hiashi's foot beneath the table, signaling him to speak up.
The only clan capable of rivaling the Uchiha was the Hyuga.
And Orochimaru had already instructed Hiashi beforehand—to go along with anything Hiruzen tried to do.
Orochimaru was biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to eliminate all the parasitic cancers feeding off Konoha.
"Fugaku-san, you're joking. Lord Orochimaru is certainly qualified to become Hokage, but Elder Danzo is equally qualified."
"Danzo has contributed greatly to Konoha for many years. How can a single war invalidate everything he's done?"
"And as I understand it, the reason Elder Danzo couldn't join the war effort… is because of Kazane-sama."
"Before the final battle against the Mist, Kazane-sama struck a fellow Konoha ninja so brutally, Elder Danzo was nearly killed."
Now that he'd committed to the act, Hiashi played his part to the letter. He also used the opportunity to subtly express his own dissatisfaction with Kazane.
But the other clan heads were stunned. No one had expected Hiashi to dare say such things in front of Kazane himself.
Did he really think Hiruzen could still protect him?
Even those on Danzo's side—like Shibi Aburame and the Inuzuka clan head—were surprised.
Is Hiashi out of his mind?
Best to stay far away, before the fallout hits us too.
But Hiruzen's heart chilled at the sight.
It's over. Even Hiashi has turned against me.
The same Hiashi who always played it safe and avoided conflict now dares challenge Kazane directly?
That could only mean one thing—he's working for Orochimaru.
And in truth, Hiruzen wasn't wrong—except he was still underestimating things.
Hiashi didn't just work for Orochimaru. He was one of Kazane's personally subdued and loyal subordinates.
At that moment, everyone turned to look at Kazane, eager to see how he would respond to Hiashi's provocation.
"So… what you're saying is, Elder Danzo avoided fighting in the war… because of me?"
Kazane remained seated calmly, but no one dared ignore him.
His voice was even—but the tension behind his words was palpable.
"N-no, of course not. Kazane-sama is the strongest in the ninja world and has earned countless honors for Konoha. We all admire and respect you. I feel the same."
"I just hoped, regarding Elder Danzo, that you might offer an explanation. After all, no other shinobi has ever struck a commanding officer right before a decisive battle."
Hiashi instantly regretted going too far earlier, but there was no backing out now. He could only continue the performance and pray Kazane wouldn't settle accounts afterward.
This had all been orchestrated by Orochimaru.
"…Fine. You want an explanation? Then I'll give you one."
Kazane narrowed his eyes slightly and said coolly:
"Shimura Danzo defied the Hokage's orders and refused to relinquish his authority. And he was the one who asked me to hit him. Does that answer satisfy you, Hiashi?"
Kazane was quite pleased with Hiashi's acting. This sort of setup would help mislead any clans still loyal to Hiruzen.
The goal: draw them out during the Hokage selection… and eliminate them in one fell swoop.
"Haha… Kazane-sama, you're joking, right? How could Danzo have asked you to beat him? Please, don't treat us all like fools."
Seeing that Kazane was playing along, Hiashi felt more at ease. He continued his provocation with renewed confidence.
The other clan heads couldn't help but admire him.
The Hyuga Clan truly is a major family… what boldness!
Though once Orochimaru became Hokage, there was no doubt the Hyuga would pay a price for this "performance."
Satisfied that the drama had run its course, Kazane noted that Hiruzen still hadn't reacted.
Let's see if we can prod him into action…
He lightly released a portion of his Conqueror's Haki.
It wasn't his full strength—but it was more than enough to make the room of mostly jōnin-level clan leaders feel suffocated.
Hiashi, in particular, was pinned to his seat by Kazane's pressure. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. He couldn't move.
Sigh…
Watching Kazane and Hiashi put on such a show, and feeling Kazane's deliberate provocation, Hiruzen let out a sigh in his heart.
What else can I do at this point?
I can only hope Orochimaru shows mercy for all my cooperation.
Weary to the core, Hiruzen finally decided to join the act.
BANG!
He slammed the desk in front of him, feigning anger and drawing everyone's attention.
"Enough! If there are no other nominations, we'll end it here!"
"The Hokage candidates will be Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru."
"We'll reconvene in seven days for the Jōnin Council. All jōnin will vote to decide who becomes the Fourth Hokage of Konoha."
With everyone now focused, and Kazane withdrawing his Haki at just the right moment, Hiruzen spoke darkly.
He looked as though Kazane's arrogance had pushed him over the edge.
Without saying another word, Hiruzen turned and stormed out of the room.
---
The clan meeting had just ended—and its entire proceedings had already begun to circulate throughout the village.
While the villagers were thrilled that Orochimaru would be running for Hokage, they were also curious: Who the hell is Danzo?
Danzo, the Hokage's advisor, had remained hidden from the public for many years.
Most of the younger villagers had never even seen him. If not for the day's announcement, they wouldn't have known Konoha had a second advisor.
And after hearing the results of the meeting, Danzo was quite pleased.
Looks like Hiruzen is really backing me after all.
With the support of Hiruzen, Homura, Koharu, and the three clans—Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka—
Along with Root and the Shimura clan—
Danzo felt confident. He believed he could stand on equal footing with Orochimaru.
For the first time in decades, he saw a real chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was far from idle.
After hearing the results from Fugaku, Orochimaru laughed to himself.
Even Danzo is stepping up to challenge me now? That only means Hiruzen has no cards left to play.
The next morning, Orochimaru left the village with Fugaku.
He had one more matter to settle before returning to finish off Danzo.
As for whatever tactics Danzo might attempt?
Orochimaru didn't care. He had never considered Danzo a threat.
---
Seven Days Later
Hokage Tower — Meeting Room
The long-awaited Hokage election had finally begun.
Hundreds of jōnin from across Konoha gathered in the massive conference hall, hundreds of meters in diameter.
Only a hall this large could fit more than 500 people.
Hiruzen, Danzo, and the two elders sat at the head of the room.
Next to them stood a podium.
Soon, the two Hokage candidates would take the stage and present their vision for the village's future.
Directly across from them sat Orochimaru and the other Sannin, along with the clan heads led by Uchiha Fugaku.