Chapter 135: Konoha's Vice Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi
Danzo was not like Hiruzen.
If it were Hiruzen, Kei could use him with complete peace of mind and not worry about anything.
But Danzo was different.
Kei could only say that watching him with two eyes was nowhere near enough.
If he did not arrange several more people to monitor him and keep him firmly suppressed, Kei would not even be able to sleep peacefully.
Otherwise, heaven only knew what new mess this man might create and leave for him to clean up.
After all, this was Konoha's famous scapegoat Hokage. One could never let down their guard around him.
Because of how important this matter was, Kei had not only arranged for Utatane Koharu to serve as Danzo's superior and keep him restrained, but had also deliberately planted informants within Root, placing many eyes around Danzo to watch his every move.
If not for the fact that Kei truly could not find anyone more suitable to handle Konoha's dirty work, he would have been tempted to crush this man to death long ago.
Under such intense surveillance, every move Danzo made was laid bare before Kei's eyes without the slightest omission.
From that perspective, Kei knew perfectly well about all the unsavory things Danzo had done.
He knew far more than Hiruzen did, and he understood the problems surrounding Danzo with absolute clarity.
"Since you know, why do you still tolerate him?"
Hiruzen was somewhat puzzled.
He did not mean to question Kei's judgment.
He knew Kei's abilities were above his own. If even he could see the problem, then Kei would undoubtedly understand it even more clearly.
Precisely because of that, Hiruzen felt confused.
What benefit could Konoha gain from tolerating Danzo's actions?
"There always needs to be someone willing to do the dirty work."
Kei spoke calmly. "And in my view, Danzo still has some merits."
"For example, his contempt for the powerful and noble."
"Contempt for the powerful and noble?"
Hiruzen was confused. "Can that really be considered a merit?"
"How can it not?"
Kei chuckled.
Konoha was currently undergoing reform, transforming from a purely military organization into something closer to a nation.
In this process, the original Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the noble class behind him were the ones who suffered the greatest losses.
No one was willing to lose power and interests. That much was certain.
So once their interests were damaged, what would those people do?
It was impossible for them to simply sit still and wait for Konoha to take everything from them.
Since they were unwilling to behave with dignity, Konoha naturally had to help them behave with dignity.
At this point, a new problem arose.
Who would play the villain?
Most of Konoha's Ninja, like the previous Hiruzen, carried traditional Ninja thinking.
They believed that Ninja should simply be Ninja and should not get involved in other fields.
To be honest, this kind of thinking had major flaws, but unfortunately, people with this mindset still made up the vast majority of today's Konoha.
Kei had to take their views and opinions into consideration.
Using people with this mindset as a blade to strike at those nobles and the Daimyo was unrealistic. It was not entirely impossible, but the result would likely be half the gain for twice the effort.
At a time like this, letting Danzo take the lead was very appropriate.
Compared to others, this man had no psychological burden.
The so-called Daimyo and nobles were no different from ants in his eyes, merely people he could crush with a casual squeeze.
This could also be seen from the original history.
Even in the later era of Konoha, Danzo had no respect for the Daimyo at all. He simply treated them as a convenient source of money.
Since that was the case, using him as the blade was undoubtedly the most suitable choice.
As for the evils he committed in the process, he would naturally bear responsibility for those as well.
"Is that so?"
Hearing Kei's words, Hiruzen could not help falling silent.
He had not expected that his old friend Danzo would actually possess such a merit.
But on further thought, it was true.
"The courage to strike at the Daimyo?"
He smiled bitterly. "I truly do not have that."
He was a top-tier Ninja, a man who would be known in the later era as the Professor and a peak example of what an ordinary Ninja could achieve.
But even someone like him would still have misgivings if he had to act against an existence like the Daimyo.
In that regard, Danzo was just right.
After all, his old friend had no scruples and dared to use any means necessary.
"On this point, I am indeed inferior to him."
Hiruzen sighed and admitted the fact.
"Sometimes, you do not need to think so much."
Kei spoke softly. "Thinking too much only exhausts the heart, and it does not change anything."
"However, since you have returned, Sarutobi-sensei, I am willing to give you a chance to make a change."
"Sarutobi-sensei, are you willing to become the Kage of Konoha?"
"The Kage of Konoha?"
Hiruzen was stunned for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly. "You are doing very well now. There is no need to give up the position of Hokage."
He thought Kei was planning to step down from the Hokage position and hand it back to him in accordance with Tobirama's final words.
On this point, he refused from the bottom of his heart.
If it had been back then, he would have been confident in becoming an excellent Hokage.
But looking at the current situation, the qualifications required to be Hokage had already far surpassed those of the past.
One not only needed to manage Konoha's military, but also handle a vast number of administrative affairs.
Becoming the Hokage now was no different from becoming the leader of a nation.
In this regard, Hiruzen considered his talents far inferior to Kei's. It was better not to invite humiliation.
He did have the desire to become Hokage, but that desire came from wanting to make Konoha better, not from wanting the position itself.
"You have misunderstood."
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Kei chuckled and said, "I plan to establish the position of Vice Hokage within Konoha."
"In my view, how about you take on this role, Sarutobi-sensei?"
"Konoha's Vice Hokage?"
Hiruzen was taken aback.
"Going forward, Konoha will have two Kage at the same time."
Kei's said, "The Hokage governs everything, while the Vice Hokage assists the Hokage in handling Konoha's internal affairs."
"If the Hokage is assassinated or killed during wartime, the Vice Hokage will automatically succeed as Hokage."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then nodded. "If this is your intention, then I am willing to accept."
"Then it is settled."
Kei smiled and led Hiruzen back to the previous office.
Making Hiruzen the Vice Hokage of Konoha was Kei's compensation to him for these past three years.
In addition, in terms of ability, Hiruzen was qualified for the position.
After all, he had been the Third Hokage in the original timeline. No matter what, he certainly had the ability.
Ideological problems could be gradually corrected, but there were not many people whose status and strength were enough to hold down the situation.
At Kei's signal, the news quickly spread.
Soon, the news of Hiruzen's return and appointment as Konoha's Vice Hokage spread far and wide.
The reactions of the various parties were different.
Bang!
Inside the Shimura Clan compound, when Danzo learned that Hiruzen had been appointed Vice Hokage, his emotions immediately surged.
"Hiruzen, you have surpassed me again..."
At this moment, the feelings in his heart were extremely intense and complicated.
His attitude toward Hiruzen had always been this way. He did not want Hiruzen to live too poorly, but he also did not want Hiruzen to live better than him.
Emotionally, he was happy for Hiruzen.
At the same time, he could not help feeling a surge of intense jealousy.
Konoha's Vice Hokage, according to Kei's explanation, was almost like Konoha's prime minister, able to interfere in the affairs of the entire Village just like the Hokage.
This was practically a junior Hokage.
If the Hokage were diligent enough and liked handling various affairs personally, then the Vice Hokage's power might be limited.
But if the Hokage was willing to delegate authority, then this Vice Hokage would be nearly equal to the Hokage.
Coincidentally, Kei was precisely the kind of Hokage who was very willing to delegate power.
Most of the time, he viewed the authority of the Hokage as a job and was more than willing to throw it to others.
The tasks that Kei saw as troublesome, time-consuming, and exhausting were seen by others as the most precious form of power.
Danzo could already imagine what kind of authority this so-called Vice Hokage would possess under Kei.
This was practically being Hokage in all but name.
Thinking of this, Danzo's breathing could not help becoming hurried.
Such a position could be said to be exactly what he dreamed of.
Under Kei's radiance, becoming Hokage had become impossible for most people.
But if there was a chance, Konoha's Vice Hokage seemed like a worthy goal as well.
As long as one became the Vice Hokage, then as long as the Hokage did not personally intervene, it meant possessing almost absolute power.
Thinking of this, Danzo suddenly could not sit still.
"Prepare a gift for me. I am going to visit Hiruzen!"
He spoke to the servants around him and quickly rose to leave.
It was not just Danzo. Many people within Konoha began to move as well.
They headed toward the Sarutobi Clan compound, wanting to personally visit Hiruzen.
As for all of this, Hiruzen quickly felt the change.
"This truly is unimaginable treatment."
Hiruzen looked at the congratulatory letter in his hand, his face still carrying a faint trace of shock. "Even the Daimyo sent a letter to congratulate me?"
He had not expected such an outcome.
If the Hokage were taking office, it would be natural for the Daimyo to send a congratulatory letter.
But he was not the Hokage, merely the Vice Hokage. Was he truly worth such serious attention from the Daimyo?
Beside him, the Sarutobi Clan Head sat there, his face full of excitement and pride.
"I knew Hokage-sama would not forget you, Hiruzen."
He said excitedly, "Konoha's Vice Hokage. This is the highest honor within Konoha. Other than you, Hiruzen, no one else could have obtained it!"
"Standing too high might not always be a good thing."
Hiruzen sighed softly.
Although he said that, he was actually quite satisfied in his heart.
Hiruzen was human after all. He had his own desires and goals.
Although he did not have Danzo's extraordinary desire for control and power, he also hoped to change Konoha and gain the ability to make it better.
The position Kei had given him now was just right.
However, the guests before him were truly troublesome.
He looked at the thick stack of visiting cards before him and could not help sighing.
"You entertain them for me."
He thought for a moment, then pulled the Sarutobi Clan Head over. "Just say I have important matters to handle and do not have time to meet guests for now."
With that, he stuffed the visiting cards into the Sarutobi Clan Head's hands and left directly.
The commotion caused by Hiruzen becoming Konoha's Vice Hokage took quite some time to gradually settle.
Then, another event appeared and drew everyone's attention.
That event was the Hokage's wedding.
Yes, after such a long wait and preparation, Kei was finally getting married.
His wedding was conducted in a very low-key manner, not as luxurious as many people had imagined.
In many people's minds, as the Hokage of Konoha, Kei's wedding might not need to be an enormous spectacle, but at the very least, it should not be inferior to the wedding of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
But in reality, Kei's arrangements were very simple.
He did not pursue excessive extravagance. The wedding banquet was held according to normal standards.
However, although the scale of the banquet was ordinary, the guests who attended were anything but ordinary.
Those who could take a seat here were either Konoha's Elite Jonin or prominent figures.
Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's desire to attend was because of Tsunade.
Tsunade's mother was a princess of the Land of Fire, the daughter of the previous Daimyo.
Because of this relationship, the Senju Clan and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire could be considered relatives.
Now, as relatives, sending someone to attend Tsunade's wedding was perfectly normal.
As for the other guests, they were either high-level officials of Konoha or distinguished guests specially invited from other countries. In short, none of them had simple identities.
Even a random ordinary guest among them would have the status of at least a Jonin.
The guest lineup could be described as extremely luxurious.
"I never expected that we would one day sit together like this."
Below the guest section, Uchiha Kawaaki looked at the Senju Clan Head beside him and could not help speaking.
"The feeling is mutual."
Beside him, the Senju Clan Head snorted coldly, equally unable to stand the sight of Uchiha Kawaaki.
As the heads of the Uchiha and Senju Clans, they were natural rivals who had fought for many years in the past.
They were old enemies.
It was just that back then, they had never imagined that one day they would attend a wedding together.
In a way, this could be considered the beginning of a new era.
"The marriage alliance between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan. It really is something to look forward to."
The guests below watched the wedding and could not help feeling expectant.
"One is a genius of the Uchiha Clan, and the other is the princess of the Senju Clan. What kind of descendants will their union produce?"
"It truly is worth looking forward to."
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