207
Nine-tailed Foxes Leave the Village
"Heh, the Sixth Hokage?"
Jiraiya chuckled self-deprecatingly, "My student is the Fourth Hokage. I never imagined that one day someone would want me to become the Sixth Hokage."
Jiraiya's words made Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura's hearts jump. They stared intently at Jiraiya, waiting for him to make a decision.
"No need," Jiraiya suddenly smiled broadly, waving his hand dismissively as if to clear away the jumbled thoughts in his mind.
"People will laugh at me if I take over my apprentice's position as a master. Sarutobi-sensei, you should find someone else for the Hokage position. I'm going to the ninja world to find Tsunade. Also, I'll take Naruto with me to train."
"No, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki cannot leave Konoha!"
Danzo's face darkened even more upon hearing the news that Naruto was to be taken away. He glared at Jiraiya and then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, urging him to refuse.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled another puff of his pipe to obscure his face. "Jiraiya, think it over again. Konoha needs you. Besides, Naruto can only grow better if he stays in Konoha. He won't get proper care if he wanders with you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words stopped under Jiraiya's sarcastic gaze. Everyone knew what kind of life Naruto had lived in the past few years; Jiraiya had previously made a huge scene over this very issue.
Helpless, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only try a different approach and appeal to emotions. He coughed a few times, his face filled with a weary and sorrowful expression, "Now, you are the only family I have left in Konoha. Jiraiya, can't you stay and help me? I will continue to send people to search for Tsunade."
Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but cough violently. For a moment, the two elderly people in the room were bent over coughing together, creating a desolate scene of someone whose days were numbered.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did look very miserable, but Jiraiya had made up his mind this time, and no matter how much he tried to persuade him, Jiraiya did not budge.
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only agree to let him take Naruto out to train and teach him, but it could only be for a maximum of three years, and he must bring Naruto back to Konoha after three years.
Jiraiya nodded in agreement, deciding to leave the village and find someone first, regardless of the circumstances.
......
"Hiruzen, we can't let the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki leave the village!"
Danzo had been repeatedly insulted by Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had given him the cold shoulder, so he shut up and sulked to the side. But as soon as Jiraiya left, he jumped out again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt utterly powerless as he watched his old buddies become more active.
"Danzo, you just saw how resolute Jiraiya's attitude was. Tsunade has already disappeared. If we fall out with Jiraiya again, what will those large and small clans and commoner ninjas think? Once they start making trouble, can Konoha still remain peaceful?"
Danzo's expression froze upon hearing this, but then he seemed to remember something and regained some confidence. However, considering Hiruzen Sarutobi's status as Hokage and Jiraiya's attitude, he simply poked a hole in the floor with his cane and walked out step by step.
"Hiruzen, you're too weak!"
"Halt! After Jiraiya leaves the village, Root will send someone to follow him. If he reacts strongly, say that they sent someone to protect Naruto. I will also frequently send ANBU to maintain contact with him. Make sure he has our people around him and don't let him make contact with Tsunade first!"
Danzo stopped and turned around when he heard Hiruzen's cold voice. He saw that Hiruzen had put down his pipe and straightened his back, his old and cloudy eyes shooting out a chilling light.
This long-lost aura of ninja power made Danzo's heart skip a beat. In a daze, he seemed to see the figure of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just taken over as Hokage.
In the blink of an eye, Hiruzen Sarutobi's aura relaxed again, and he returned to his aged appearance. Now Danzo's aura had returned.
"Hmph, if you were worried that your two good disciples would meet and harm Konoha, why didn't you just be more forceful and keep him here? I don't believe he would really dare to risk becoming a rogue ninja and break out of Konoha. Besides, even if he could force his way in, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would still be in Konoha in the end."
"Jiraiya is different from Orochimaru!"
Furthermore, Tsunade didn't mean any harm; she just couldn't accept some things. Some people don't even know how to be discreet in their actions, which is why things have come to this point!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words left Danzo Shimura speechless for a moment. After a brief silence, he finally gave in under his old friend's piercing gaze.
"I will select elite members of Root to track Jiraiya, at least to ensure that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki does not fall into enemy hands."
Especially the organization that Itachi Uchiha joined!
As Shimura Danzo spoke, he became more assertive, "In all the years you let Uchiha Itachi leave the village, has he sent back any information?"
Last time, he even brought people to Konoha to cause trouble. If someone hadn't intervened, who knows how much bigger the mess he would have made. Before, there was Uchiha Sasuke in Konoha who could keep him in check, but now that Sasuke has defected, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause in the future?
"You're always too soft-hearted!"
As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Danzo speak more and more fluently, his brows furrowed involuntarily.
You old codger, you can't even clean up your own mess, yet you keep dragging me along? If it weren't for the fact that you're so useful in many situations, and we've been friends for decades, who would tolerate your arrogance?
Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi became increasingly annoyed as he listened, and eventually he couldn't help but slam his hand on the windowsill.
"Enough! I am the Hokage! Go back and arrange for people to be put in charge right now. If this goes wrong again, you can forget about leading Root!"
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