Early in the morning, Uzumaki Naruto received a toad message from Jiraiya.
The content of the message was concerning the Hokage election in Konoha Village. Shimura Danzō, a high-ranking official, was dissatisfied with the Sarutobi Hiruzen faction and was refusing to invite Tsunade back to the village. Moreover, due to the severe losses in Konoha and the casualties of prominent figures, the Fire Country Daimyō, who narrowly escaped death, was extremely angry.
However, after persuasion from Nara Shikaku, the leader of the Konoha Jōnin, and Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, a compromise was made. A step back was taken for the sake of Konoha's future peace with the Fire Nation. If Tsunade could not be found within a month, Shimura Danzō would become the Fifth Hokage of Konoha Village.
Although Naruto was aware of this, he wasn't concerned with the Hokage election at all. His primary focus was still on finding Orochimaru.
The news about Danzō's potential rise to Hokage caused a stir in the ninja world. In the original timeline, Danzō didn't officially appear as a candidate for Hokage until after the invasion of Konoha by Pain. Now, in this world, Danzō seemed to be stepping forward earlier than expected.
In this world, Danzō's ambitions had been stifled for years. After the Uchiha massacre, much of his power had been stripped away by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his Root organization was nearly wiped out. However, the destruction of Konoha, partly due to the events in this world, gave him a new opportunity.
Excited by the prospect of becoming Hokage, Danzō's hopes were reignited, even though he lacked the power to act decisively. If he could find a way to bring Tsunade back, he could strengthen his position. However, if Tsunade was not found soon, he could move forward with his plans to take the Hokage title.
Meanwhile, the high-level tensions in Konoha were growing. Sarutobi Hiruzen, always concerned about the future of the village, reminded Danzō not to get ahead of himself. Tobirama, too, voiced his frustration, saying that Danzō and Hiruzen had been causing trouble for decades.
In the midst of all this, Uchiha Sasuke's thoughts turned to revenge against his brother, Uchiha Itachi. The situation in Konoha was tense, but Naruto's focus remained on his search for Orochimaru. The news of Uchiha Itachi entering Konoha triggered an anxious reaction in Naruto. His perception detected two unfamiliar chakra signatures, one of which was as powerful as a small tailed beast. The first signature belonged to Uchiha Itachi, and the second was his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki.
Naruto's thoughts turned to his old comrade Sasuke, who was still bent on seeking revenge against his brother. Kakashi, meanwhile, had been taken to the hospital after being severely affected by Itachi's powerful genjutsu. Even Yūhi Kō, known for her illusion techniques, had failed against Itachi's genjutsu and was left incapacitated.
With the help of Might Guy, Kakashi avoided being taken away by Itachi, but Sasuke wasn't so lucky. The medical staff reported that Sasuke and Kakashi were in a critical condition. Both of them seemed to have suffered severe mental trauma due to the genjutsu, and their chakra was in disarray. The only person capable of helping them was Tsunade, the renowned medic-nin, but with her absence from the village, the medical staff had no other solution.
Naruto, however, saw an opportunity. He wasn't concerned about Sasuke or Kakashi's condition; his real interest lay in Sasuke's blood. The medical ninja's words confirmed that it would take Tsunade's skill to help them recover, which meant that the two were unlikely to regain consciousness anytime soon. Taking advantage of this, Naruto decided to draw blood from Sasuke. He had his reasons for doing so, and he knew that this was a chance he could not miss.
After secretly extracting Sasuke's blood, Naruto stored it in a scroll. As he was finishing his task, his perception detected four new chakra signatures entering Konoha. He quickly recognized them—they were from the members of Orochimaru's group. It was clear that Orochimaru had sent them to find Sasuke.
However, Naruto had already formulated a plan. He knew he couldn't afford to be too hasty. Sasuke would be of use later, and he wasn't about to wake him up just yet.
As Naruto made his move, the four members of Orochimaru's team—Kidomaru, Tayuya, Sakon, and Zaku—were already on their way to find Sasuke. They were unaware that Naruto had been watching them from a distance.
Naruto was aware that Orochimaru had a vested interest in Sasuke and his abilities. The snake sannin wanted to take Sasuke back to use him for his own experiments. As the members of the Sound Four began to argue over the urgency of their mission, Naruto silently prepared to intercept them.
The Sound Four were engaged in their usual bickering, unaware that they were being watched. Kidomaru, the leader, proudly praised Orochimaru for his destructive plans, while Zaku and Tayuya argued about the importance of finding Sasuke quickly.
In the midst of their infighting, Naruto decided to act. He appeared before them with a surge of chakra, overwhelming them with his presence. The Sound Four, taken by surprise, were unable to move under the weight of Naruto's chakra, a clear sign of his growing power.
Naruto smiled inwardly. He had made his move.
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