CHAPTER 193 - 193 – THE PREREQUISITE FOR CONTROLLING KONOHA!

If you can avoid becoming an enemy of a ninja like him—don't.

That was Kakashi's hard-earned lesson.

"Haru, Lord Jiraiya is the best candidate for the Fifth Hokage," Kakashi said sincerely as he looked at Uchiha Haru.

Of course, Kakashi had dreams of becoming Hokage.

But compared to Jiraiya, he knew very well he wasn't qualified.

Uchiha Haru remained calm.

Kakashi's answer was exactly what he'd expected.

"But what if Jiraiya refuses the position?" Haru asked.

"That..."

Kakashi's brow furrowed slightly.

He didn't question why Jiraiya might refuse.

Because he understood Jiraiya. He knew what kind of man he was.

To most shinobi, the Hokage's seat was the pinnacle of power, a dream worth dedicating one's life to.

But to Jiraiya... it meant nothing.

Otherwise, the title of Fourth Hokage would have fallen to him, not his student, Namikaze Minato.

Uchiha Haru looked at Kakashi with a subtle smirk.

"If Jiraiya refuses to become the Fifth Hokage, and you don't want the seat either..."

"Then who do you think is the most likely to be named Hokage?"

Danzo.

There was no need to even think.

The name sprang immediately to Kakashi's mind.

Aside from himself and Jiraiya, the most likely candidate was undoubtedly Danzo Shimura.

And letting Danzo take that position would be a complete disaster.

For years, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo—head of the Foundation—had operated as light and shadow within Konoha.

Everyone had heard of Danzo's methods, his reputation, and the things he'd done behind the scenes.

It was precisely because of that history that Kakashi knew—Danzo must never become Hokage.

That would plunge Konoha into darkness.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had made mistakes, many of them. But at the very least, he still cared about appearances.

Even when he operated in the shadows, he would consider how his actions would affect his image and reputation.

Danzo was different.

He was the kind of man who would sacrifice everything for his goals—anything, anyone, any ideal.

If Danzo seized power, Konoha wouldn't just suffer. It would rot from the inside out.

Kakashi couldn't allow that to happen.

After only a moment of hesitation, he looked up and made his decision.

"What should I do?"

His question was simple—what must he do to become the Fifth Hokage?

Hearing that, Uchiha Haru gave a slight nod.

As long as Kakashi was willing, the rest would be easy.

"You don't need to do anything," Haru said, his voice calm. "As long as you're willing, you can sit in that seat."

Of course, things were not as simple as he made them sound.

After all, this was the position of Hokage—leader of one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

But it all depended on who was pulling the strings.

Back in Kirigakure, things had been far more complicated.

Even though Mei Terumi had no base of support, Haru had lifted her to the rank of Fifth Mizukage through sheer power and manipulation.

Now, in Konoha, Kakashi already had deep roots.

For others, this might be difficult.

But for Uchiha Haru, it was simple.

Whether something could be done was never the issue.

The only question was—did he want to do it?

"Hmm?" Kakashi still didn't fully understand. How could he become Hokage without doing anything?

That wasn't how this worked.

Danzo was a power-hungry monster. He would seize this chance with everything he had.

And Kakashi... would just sit back?

"Yeah," Haru replied coolly. "Just watch."

"As long as you want it, the position of Fifth Hokage is yours."

Kakashi glanced at him, eyes narrowed in thought.

He couldn't make sense of it.

But he didn't ask further.

Because he knew—Uchiha Haru never lied.

And more than that, if Danzo became Hokage, it would benefit neither Haru nor the Hidden Mist.

There was no way Haru would allow that man to rise.

Yuhi Kurenai and Might Guy, who had been standing nearby the entire time, stayed silent.

They didn't interrupt.

They'd heard every word.

And when it came to this matter—the leadership of the Hidden Leaf Village—they agreed completely with both Haru and Kakashi.

If it wasn't going to be Jiraiya, then it had to be Kakashi.

Even Might Guy, who had always seen Kakashi as his eternal rival, agreed without hesitation.

Might Guy's strength was undeniable. Once he opened the Eight Gates, he could completely overpower Kakashi in combat.

But becoming Hokage wasn't about being the strongest. It was about leadership. About ability.

The Hokage needed to handle the affairs of the village, mediate disputes among the various clans, and navigate the complex relationships between Konoha and other great nations and hidden villages. It wasn't something a pure fighter could do.

Might Guy knew himself well enough to understand that he wasn't suited for such responsibilities.

So if Kakashi could become the Fifth Hokage, Might Guy would offer his full and sincere support.

The same went for Yuhi Kurenai.

She had entered the academy around the same time as Kakashi, and later, they had both been part of the mission to track down Tsunade, when they learned the truth about the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Over the years, Kakashi had helped her on many occasions.

Their bond ran deep.

If Kakashi became Hokage, she would be proud to see it.

Now that the matter of the Hokage had been decided, Kakashi wasted no time. He began organizing the villagers to start rebuilding their homes. It was something that needed to be done anyway, and it would also help him gain the support of the people—important if he were to take up the mantle of Hokage.

Might Guy and Kurenai joined in to assist.

Asuma, on the other hand, was still trapped in grief over his father's death.

Uchiha Haru stood silently, watching Asuma kneel on the scorched earth, his face hollow and despondent. He made no move to comfort him.

Some things needed to be vented—only then could they truly be laid to rest.

What Haru didn't say out loud was that aside from Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Danzo Shimura... there was actually one more person who, in theory, had the qualifications to be Hokage.

Sarutobi Asuma.

But in this generation, Kakashi was far superior.

Asuma simply wasn't ready.

If the Third Hokage had lived for another ten years, perhaps Asuma could've grown into that role.

But with the Third's sudden death, Asuma's chances at the Hokage position were all but extinguished.

After a moment of quiet observation, Haru vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

Kakashi, Guy, and Kurenai had their respective duties.

And Haru had his own mission to complete.

He was going to ensure Kakashi's path to becoming Hokage was unimpeded.

When Haru reappeared, he was deep within the forest outside of Konoha.

He recalled how, in the original Naruto timeline, Danzo was never one to stand his ground in times of crisis.

Whether it was Orochimaru's assault or Pain's catastrophic attack, Danzo's first instinct was always to flee, not fight.

No matter how much he professed to be doing things "for the sake of Konoha," it was all just a front to serve his own ambitions.

And that—above all—was why Haru despised him.

The Third Hokage may have been flawed, but at least he was willing to give his life for the village.

Danzo? He'd abandon it in a heartbeat if things didn't go his way.

With his deep understanding of the Naruto world's events, Haru knew exactly where Danzo would be hiding.

He arrived on the outskirts of Konoha and activated his advanced sensory abilities, honed to an inhuman degree. At the same time, he unleashed his Wood Release: Multi-Wood Clone Technique.

Each clone carried a mark of the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing Haru to teleport instantly to any location once a clone found the target.

With hundreds of clones scouring the area simultaneously, Danzo didn't stand a chance of escaping detection.

And sure enough, it didn't take long.

One clone reported in: Danzo had been located.

Haru immediately activated the Flying Thunder God mark and arrived at the scene in an instant. Then, he followed silently from the shadows.

Danzo was holed up with members of his secretive Root organization.

Not far from them was the ruined shell of Konoha.

Even in the face of catastrophe, Danzo remained unmoved—calm, collected, and hiding in the shadows.

The Root members around him were highly capable. Their strength was nothing to scoff at.

If they had mobilized during the actual battle, their combat power could have made a massive difference.

But instead, they stayed hidden—doing nothing.

These shinobi had been completely brainwashed by Danzo.

They had no families. No loyalty to Konoha. Only to Danzo.

They obeyed him unquestioningly.

It was hard to imagine how the Third Hokage—champion of the Will of Fire—had ever allowed this cancerous faction to exist within the village.

When Haru arrived, Danzo was standing just outside the base, scanning the distance as if trying to glean information from the horizon.

Just as Haru prepared to strike, a Root ninja suddenly appeared before Danzo.

Danzo's expression shifted subtly.

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