Chapter 201: Hold the Emperor Hostage to Command the Lords
Sarutobi Residence
Hiruzen Sarutobi, home alone with nothing to do, had just finished brewing tea and was settling in for a nap when he saw his old friend Homura Mitokado hurrying toward him.
"Welcome back. Come try some."
At the sight of his friend, Hiruzen smiled instinctively and moved to offer him a seat and a cup of his newly arrived tea.
But Homura ignored the gesture entirely. He sat down across from Hiruzen with an urgent expression and shoved the Daimyo's official response directly into the old man's lap.
"Read it."
Hiruzen frowned at his friend of several decades, a bad feeling rising in his gut.
He opened the document, and those slightly clouded eyes descended upon the page.
To His Esteemed Lordship, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire:
In the 12th Year of Konoha, this humble servant Hiruzen of the Sarutobi clan was graced with Lord Tobirama's favor and entrusted with the mantle of Hokage in a time of crisis, when the shinobi world teetered on the brink. For decades hence, I have served diligently, never daring the slightest misstep.
In the 46th Year of Konoha, I passed the burden of the Hokage's office to Minato Namikaze, whose name shook the shinobi world.
I had believed that Namikaze's strength would secure peace for the Land of Fire. Fate, however, is cruel to the gifted — the Nine-Tails broke free of its seal, and Namikaze gave his life for his country at barely twenty years of age. A hero cut down in his prime.
With no alternative, this old servant dragged his aging body back into harness and once more took the reins of Konoha's ever-moving carriage.
Now, in the 64th Year of Konoha, I am past seventy. Chronic injuries plague me, my body fails, and I no longer possess the stamina to fulfill the Hokage's duties.
When this old man looks back on his life, he cannot help but weep. The warrior who once accepted the Hokage's mantle on the battlefield, full of ambition and fire, is now nothing more than rotting timber awaiting death.
I can no longer carry the Hokage's responsibilities. The selection of a Fifth is imperative.
In the 48th Year of Konoha — the year the Fourth gave his life — Haruno burst onto the scene and eclipsed her entire generation.
As though ordained by fate, she inherited the rise and fall of Konoha itself.
In the 61st Year of Konoha, when the Fourth Great Ninja War erupted, Haruno single-handedly captured Tailed Beasts, slew the Raikage, destroyed the Kazekage, felled the Mizukage, and in the Land of Whirlpools stood alone against five thousand Mist shinobi — forcing the Hidden Mist of the Land of Water into unconditional surrender.
One person, suppressing the entire shinobi world. Since the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, she is the only individual who could rival that legacy.
Heaven blesses Konoha. Heaven blesses the Land of Fire.
Haruno Sakura — though merely sixteen — possesses power beyond measure. In all the shinobi world, not a single person can claim certain victory over Haruno.
Her strategic mind surpasses this Sarutobi's a hundredfold.
Her battle record is unmatched, the people's hearts are with her, and the seat of Fifth Hokage belongs to no one but Haruno.
Sarutobi stakes his life on this: Haruno is the only suitable candidate for the office of Hokage. There is no other.
With deepest respect to His Lordship the Daimyo,
May the Land of Fire endure ten thousand generations.
Written in the hand of Sarutobi Hiruzen
Hiruzen ignored his own nomination letter entirely. His eyes fixed on the Daimyo's response at the bottom.
So terse it seemed as though the man couldn't be bothered to write a single word more.
Denied.
Accompanied by the official seal of the Fire Country Daimyo.
Hiruzen knew that seal better than anyone. It was authentic. Even the single brushstroke of that character bore the Daimyo's distinctive hand.
"How can this be..."
Hiruzen's thoughts spiraled into chaos. His head pounded, and he instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead.
"What do we do now, Hiruzen?"
Homura regarded his old friend gravely.
They'd assumed Sakura's ascension would be a formality. No one had expected the very first gate to slam shut.
"Does Sakura know about this?"
Hiruzen fought through the splitting headache and asked quietly.
"...I told her immediately when I returned."
Homura hesitated.
Had he made a mistake? Should he have come to Hiruzen first?
"Then where is she now?"
Hiruzen's heart clenched. Forgetting his headache entirely, he pressed urgently.
"After learning the news, Sakura left. I don't know where she is."
Homura felt a growing sense of dread, his unease deepening.
The fears he'd had earlier seemed to be crystallizing into reality before the old Hokage's eyes.
"Go find her!"
"You MUST find her!"
Hiruzen's voice came out in a low, commanding growl.
"Right... I'll go now!"
Homura gritted his teeth and turned to leave — only to find a figure he knew all too well standing directly in his path.
"No need to search."
"She's already left Konoha."
White hair, crimson eyes, clad in deep blue armor — Tobirama Senju blocked Homura's way.
"Lord Tobirama?!"
Homura was stunned and furious.
The moment he saw Tobirama, his heart sank.
He was Tobirama's direct student, yes — but on something like this, was Tobirama actually siding with Sakura?
At that thought, Homura's mind reeled. He looked instinctively toward the figure still seated behind him, back turned.
The hunched old man's frail frame sat in silence.
"Regardless of anything else, Sakura is still my student."
"Bring her to me first..."
Homura's spirits lifted at the words. He strode quickly past Tobirama and out the door.
They were both Tobirama's students.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi was still — right now — the Third Hokage.
Tobirama made no move to stop Homura. He simply stood there, watching Hiruzen in silence.
The Sarutobi residence seemed to sink into stillness.
After a long while, the hunched old man spoke.
"Sensei... do you share Sakura's thinking?"
Tobirama's gaze had never left this student who'd devoted his entire life to Konoha.
"I have no thoughts on the matter. I merely came to inform you that Sakura has left."
In the face of Hiruzen's question, Tobirama chose retreat.
Not because he feared Hiruzen. Not because he pitied or admired a man who'd spent his life toiling for Konoha, and therefore refused to challenge him.
It was because the moment he'd placed Konoha in this man's hands, he'd ceased to be the Second Hokage and become simply a shinobi of the Leaf.
The current Hokage was the critically ill Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting before him — not a Leaf shinobi named Tobirama.
And a shinobi of the Leaf follows the Hokage's orders.
It was that simple.
Besides — the Hiruzen before him was a Hokage worthy of his respect.
"I see..."
Before long, Homura came rushing back, his face ashen.
"Hiruzen!"
"Sakura — she—"
His expression was dire, his manner frantic.
"Speak!"
The hunched old man turned to face Homura, eyes blazing with suffocating pressure.
Critically ill or not, he was still the current Hokage of the Leaf.
"Sakura went to the Intelligence Division first! She searched their records for the Seven-Tails' location — then left Konoha with Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Kushina, and Uchiha Hikaru!"
The Seven-Tails!
The Seven-Tails of the Hidden Waterfall!
The only Tailed Beast not controlled by one of the Five Great Villages!
It wasn't surprising that Konoha's Intelligence Division had information on it. The endless scheming and power plays between villages meant every hidden village was obsessed with anything that could strengthen them.
And Konoha's intelligence apparatus was the most sophisticated and formidable in the entire shinobi world.
The Hidden Waterfall had always been one of Konoha's primary surveillance targets beyond the four other great villages — not for any other reason than the fact that they possessed the Seven-Tails and had successfully sealed it within a jinchūriki.
Even Hiruzen felt his composure crack.
What is Sakura trying to do?!
Is she planning to unleash a repeat of the Tailed Beast catastrophe from sixteen years ago — right on the Daimyo's doorstep?!
Hiruzen clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay calm.
He'd anticipated that Sakura might react drastically. He hadn't anticipated this drastically.
Searching for the Seven-Tails. Taking Sasuke with her.
She'd laid her intentions bare for Hiruzen to see.
Others might not know, but Hiruzen was perfectly aware that Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan — controlling a Tailed Beast would be child's play for him.
This wasn't merely pushing Hiruzen's limits. It was handing every external power a weapon to condemn Konoha.
Would she really resort to something this extreme — killing the Daimyo — just for the Hokage title?!
Even Danzō had never dared go that far!
All he'd ever dared was to assassinate Hiruzen himself!
Wait—
Danzō?
Realization struck Hiruzen like a bolt of lightning. Something didn't add up.
In his experience, the Fire Country Daimyo — while hardly a great ruler — was no fool either. At worst, the man was mediocre and passive.
With a force of nature like Sakura under his domain, how could he possibly dismiss the nomination with a single word?
There was something rotten behind this!
Hiruzen's chest heaved violently, fury blazing in his heart.
"Get Danzō over here. NOW!"
In this moment — with his beloved student on the verge of going off the rails — Hiruzen refused to lay the blame on Sakura. Instead, he ordered Homura to bring Danzō to him directly.
No matter what Sakura did or whether she succeeded, this entire disaster had to land on Danzō's head!
Attacking the Daimyo's court as a shinobi—
That was a charge Sakura could not afford to bear!
Defying the feudal order. Shattering the ancient covenant between shinobi and nobility.
It didn't take much imagination. It would send shockwaves through the entire shinobi world.
Even the Land of Snow — Sakura's only state-level supporter — would abandon her in a heartbeat!
In the worst case, every nation in the shinobi world would unite against Konoha in an unprecedented coalition.
And within Konoha itself, hearts would waver. The vast majority would immediately cut ties with Sakura, drawing the sharpest possible line.
Every achievement she'd ever earned would crumble to dust in an instant.
This pot — Sakura could not carry it. Must not carry it.
"Hiruzen. You sent for me."
Danzō appeared at the Sarutobi residence as if he'd been expecting the summons all along. He received Homura's notice with perfect composure.
The only thing that broke his stride was the sight of Tobirama — at which point he dutifully lowered his head and greeted his teacher.
In response to Danzō's courtesy, Tobirama simply gave a calm nod and watched everything unfold in silence.
Three years, and Danzō hadn't changed one bit.
The only things that had changed were Konoha's new generation and Hiruzen, the Hokage himself.
"Danzō..."
"Tell me. What did you do?"
Hiruzen's eyes were cold as he regarded his friend of several decades.
Right now, he had no desire to play word games with this man. He only wanted the truth.
"What could I do?"
Facing Hiruzen's gaze, Danzō sneered openly.
"Hiruzen — you've gotten old."
"You're not the great warrior you once were."
Danzō's voice was utterly flat, tinged with contempt.
"Danzō — I am the Hokage!"
Looking at the man before him, Hiruzen was incandescent with rage. He'd looked the other way time and again — for the sake of their bond as fellow students, for a lifetime of friendship.
But this time, Danzō had dared to aim his schemes at Sakura's head.
This time, Hiruzen was done tolerating.
"Hiruzen — do you regret it?"
Danzō spoke softly, watching the old friend who glared at him with murderous eyes.
"I DO regret it!"
"I regret not eliminating you sooner!"
Hiruzen rose to his feet, and from that frail, wasted body erupted a hurricane of killing intent!
The very walls of the house seemed to tremble!
"Hiruzen!"
Homura stared in horror. If Hiruzen actually attacked in this state — there would be no surviving it.
"Hiruzen. Look carefully. Do you know what this is?"
Facing the full force of Hiruzen's fury, Danzō calmly produced from within his robes a piece of silk that gleamed even in shadow.
Hiruzen's pupils contracted to pinpoints.
That wasn't silk.
That was an imperial decree from the Fire Country Daimyo.
For the first time in his life, Danzō wore the expression of a victor before Hiruzen Sarutobi. With undisguised satisfaction, he unrolled the decree in front of Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Homura.
"Shall I read it to you?"
Without waiting for an answer, Danzō began.
"By the mandate of His Lordship the Daimyo, be it proclaimed:"
The smile at the corners of Danzō's mouth could no longer be contained.
Hokage. The Fifth Hokage!
What he'd fought for his entire life — the Fifth Hokage's seat!
This moment — it was his.
The title of Hokage finally belonged to him, Shimura Danzō!
"Sarutobi Hiruzen of the Sarutobi clan has served as Hokage for decades. Now elderly and infirm, he can no longer bear the Hokage's responsibilities."
"We have heard that Shimura Danzō, of Konoha's Root Division, is a man of courage and cunning, of exceptional ability, who has devoted his life to Konoha — laboring in the shadows, contributing without recognition."
"This spirit of tireless, selfless dedication pleases Us greatly. As Sarutobi's grave illness renders him unfit to continue, he should lay down his duties and enjoy retirement."
"By this decree, We appoint Shimura Danzō as the Fifth Hokage."
"We trust the new Hokage shall not fail Our expectations — that he shall command awe in all directions and bring glory to Konoha's name."
As Danzō finished reading, the Sarutobi residence sank into deathly silence.
Before, Hiruzen hadn't been certain whether this was truly Danzō's doing. Now he was certain beyond doubt.
Courage and cunning?
Go to hell.
Selling four thousand lives to Kakuzu on the battlefield — that's what you call courage and cunning?!
"You son of a—!"
Hiruzen was so furious he was swearing.
"Hiruzen — you're no longer the Hokage."
"Now..."
"I am the Hokage."
Danzō couldn't contain the grin splitting his face. The suffocation of decades spent crushed under Hiruzen's thumb evaporated in an instant. Even the air seemed fresher.
"You'll regret this, Danzō!"
Unlike Danzō's elation, Hiruzen was shaking with rage, naked killing intent blazing in his eyes.
He didn't know what methods Danzō had used to extract such an absurd decree from the Daimyo — but right now, Danzō had to die immediately.
If this decree's contents leaked and Sakura attacked the Daimyo at the same time, she wouldn't just be publicly condemned — it would give Danzō grounds to order every shinobi in Konoha to hunt her down and kill her.
In the span of a few moments, the situation had spiraled catastrophically. Hiruzen's regret was bottomless.
But just as Hiruzen moved to drag his broken body into battle and cut Danzō down where he stood — Tobirama caught the hand reaching for seals.
"Sensei?!"
Hiruzen was stunned.
Was Tobirama siding with Danzō?!
At that exact moment, dozens of operatives in ANBU-style uniforms wearing striped masks appeared from every direction, drawn swords in hand — Root members, surrounding the Sarutobi residence with an airtight perimeter!
If Hiruzen truly tried to attack, these fanatically loyal Root operatives would cut him down without hesitation!
Even with Tobirama present!
"Shimura Danzō!"
"What is the meaning of this?! Are you staging a COUP?!"
Homura stared at the dozens of Root members, his face twisted in horror.
This was a coup.
A blatant, naked coup.
"Hiruzen — the Daimyo's right. You should stay home and enjoy your retirement."
Ignoring Homura's accusations entirely, Danzō regarded the old man who'd been about to attack and allowed himself a small smirk before turning away.
Then he offered Tobirama a respectful bow.
"Sensei — I will prove myself to you."
"It appears that this time, I've won."
Tobirama regarded Danzō with calm, impassive eyes. Unmoved by the words, he simply said:
"Very well. Then prove it."
Seeing that distant, unmoved expression, Danzō's lips pressed together with barely suppressed frustration.
"Even now — you still won't acknowledge me?!"
But Tobirama said nothing more, merely gesturing that Danzō could leave.
Faced with that wall of indifference, Danzō's expression darkened. His voice turned cold.
"What are you standing around for?"
"Move out!"
At his command, the Root operatives sheathed their blades and fell in behind Danzō as he left the Sarutobi residence.
At the threshold, Danzō paused and looked back at his lifelong friend.
"Hiruzen — my inauguration ceremony is in two days."
"I hope you'll attend."
The moment Danzō vanished from sight, Hiruzen's fury overwhelmed his body.
"Hurk—!"
A mouthful of vivid red blood burst from Hiruzen's lips.
"Hiruzen!"
Homura went white with shock and rushed to steady the swaying old man.
"We need to get to Tsunade!"
Without another word, Homura dragged Hiruzen out of the residence and sprinted toward the Senju compound.
Tobirama — who had watched everything unfold as a silent observer — vanished from the spot.
Sakura.
Danzō has made his move. Using the Daimyo's decree, he's pulled off a last-second reversal.
How will you break this game?
Break what game?
What game?
I'll flip the whole damn board over and beat everyone who objects to death with it!
Fire Country border. Dense forest.
"Who goes there!"
The Leaf shinobi guarding the border checkpoint barked the challenge.
"It's me."
Four figures emerged from the treeline.
"L-Lady Sakura?!"
The border guard stared, dumbfounded.
"I'm leaving Fire Country to travel to the Land of Waterfalls."
"Let me through."
The tall, pink-haired girl with the cool expression regarded the guard calmly.
"Y-yes, of course — but Lady Sakura, I'll need to see your travel papers."
The guard spoke with obvious trepidation.
Behind Sakura, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Crimson three-tomoe blazed to life, ready to act.
"I don't have papers."
"I'm forcing my way through."
Sakura stopped Sasuke with a look before he could move — then glared at him.
The Sharingan deactivated.
"Um... this... this..."
"That's... against regulations..."
The guard looked at Sakura helplessly, at a complete loss.
"You can't stop me. Let me go, and I'll be back in a couple of days."
"Leave the gate open for me."
Without waiting for a reply, Sakura walked straight past the guard with Kushina, Sasuke, and Hikaru in tow — a party of four.
The guard stood there with his mouth open, staring after Sakura in blank disbelief.
Look — I know I can't stop you. You could've just walked past without saying anything. But did you really have to tell me to my face? Could you at least let me keep a shred of dignity?
And she wants me to leave the gate open?
But despite everything, faced with Sakura's overwhelming presence, all he could do was stand frozen in place. He didn't try to stop her.
Sakura glanced back at the guard.
Good instincts. I'll get him promoted when I come back.
"Sakura — according to the Intelligence Division's files, the Seven-Tails jinchūriki should be in the northern part of the Land of Waterfalls, not far from the Hidden Waterfall Village."
"We should hit fast and clean — secure the target before the Waterfall shinobi even realize what's happening."
Kushina studied the intelligence reports in her hands, her expression grave.
"Agreed."
"Find her. Three minutes to wrap this up."
The party of four raced toward the Hidden Waterfall Village at top speed.
Sakura didn't know why the Daimyo had lost his mind and denied her the Hokage title.
But did it matter?
It didn't.
Breaking the class hierarchy between shinobi and nobility wasn't something you could accomplish overnight.
Every system had to be adapted to fit its era.
Trying to shatter an entire age in one stroke was pure fantasy — just like Cao Cao in her previous life.
He'd held the Emperor in his grasp. So why had he never declared himself Emperor?
Because declaring himself Emperor was suicide. Controlling the Emperor to command the realm's lords — that was the winning play.
Hold the Emperor hostage to command the lords.
Anyone who dared refuse was a traitor. A dead man walking.
With that arrangement, every military action carried imperial legitimacy — and the right to command any lord at will.
The plan was straightforward: drop the Hidden Waterfall's Seven-Tails on the Daimyo's palace. Kill the current Daimyo. Then Sakura — who would "happen" to be "passing through" on a "routine mission" — would "discover" the disaster, descend from the heavens, suppress the Tailed Beast, and save the day. After that, elevate one of the dead Daimyo's sons — whichever one was most pliable — to the throne, and have him reissue the Hokage appointment decree.
Sakura could copy Cao Cao's playbook move for move.
And in this world, there was no Liu Bei. No Yuan Shao.
This way, Sakura wouldn't actually break the shinobi-nobility hierarchy — while simultaneously planting a seed for the future.
If some fool ever picked a fight with Sakura down the line? Use the Daimyo's mouth to declare them a traitor.
Sentence: death!
And you dare slander Haruno Sakura — such a "loyal minister and valiant general"?!
Meanwhile, to "prevent such tragedies from ever recurring," the Daimyo would be relocated to Konoha for his own "protection."
And in recognition of Haruno Sakura's heroic rescue of the sovereign, she would be granted the privilege of entering the imperial court with sword and shoes, exempt from announcing her name in audience.
With that, all real authority would rest firmly in Sakura's hands.
Who would dare step out of line?
Even if foreign Daimyo raised objections, Sakura could fire back through her own Daimyo's mouth.
This is a family matter. Mind your own business.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you