- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 135
When Danzo heard Leo’s words, his eyes instantly lit up, and his gaze towards Leo gained a notable amount of favor.
From Leo’s words, Danzo inferred some underlying messages—that in the eyes of the daimyo, Danzo was considered the most suitable person to become Hokage after the Third Hokage.
Does this mean that once the Hokage dies, the daimyo would support him in becoming Hokage?
“Your Highness, you flatter me. However, if I were to assume the position of Hokage, I would dedicate myself entirely to the Fire Country and Konoha, leaving no effort spared.”
Danzo’s old, sinister face tried to show a smile that appeared kind and sincere.
Yet, in Leo’s eyes, that smile was even more chilling than a lack of expression. It just goes to show how a person’s dark mindset can truly affect their aura.
“I believe so too.”
Leo nodded in agreement.
Danzo’s smile broadened:
“If Your Highness needs anything in Konoha, please feel free to come to me.”
He then turned to Tenzō, who was beside Leo:
“Ka, Your Highness’s status is exalted. Do not slack off in your duties.”
“Lord Danzo, I am no longer called Ka but Tenzō. I will not slack off in my duties as assigned by Lord Hokage.”
Tenzō replied expressionlessly to Danzo.
His point was that he no longer belonged to Root and was no longer under Danzo’s control. He took his duties seriously not because of Danzo’s orders, but because of the Hokage’s instructions.
“Whether Ka or Tenzō, you are still a ninja of Konoha.”
Danzo gave Tenzō a meaningful glance, then smiled at Leo:
“Please enjoy your time, Your Highness. I have matters to attend to and must take my leave.”
Once the Third Hokage dies, Danzo will become Hokage, and Tenzō will become one of his subordinates. This was the underlying message he was conveying.
Tenzō could not comprehend this subtext, but Leo understood it perfectly.
Leo chuckled to himself at Danzo’s naive thoughts. When the Third Hokage dies, the Konoha upper echelons and the daimyo would not choose Danzo but rather Jiraiya. If Jiraiya refuses, they would opt for Tsunade.
Danzo was a staunch hawk; once he became Hokage, he would undoubtedly initiate wars. The daimyo and other Konoha higher-ups, like the Third Hokage, were doves who preferred the current stability and peace.
“Chuan, does the daimyo really appreciate Lord Danzo?”
After Danzo left, Tenzō asked with a frown.
After spending some time together, and with Leo’s deliberate efforts to befriend him, along with Kakashi and Naruto’s involvement, Leo and Tenzō had become quite good friends.
Thus, Tenzō no longer used honorifics and addressed Leo directly by name in private.
“Impossible. The daimyo actually dislikes him the most; he constantly advocates for war, disrupting the current peaceful times.”
Leo waved his hand dismissively.
Tenzō was taken aback:
“Then what about what you just said?”
“That was naturally to deceive him. The daimyo instructed me not to offend any of the high-ranking officials here, so of course, I said what he wanted to hear. It’s a kind lie, isn’t it?”
Leo laughed heartily.
Tenzō nodded. Although he wasn’t skilled in politics, he understood Leo’s approach.
“By the way, isn’t today the written test for the Chunin Selection Exams? Let’s go see if Naruto and the others passed.”
Leaving the area near the training grounds, Leo and Tenzō went to the ninja school, where the first round of the written test was being held.
In his view, neither Danzo nor the Third Hokage was particularly admirable.
Danzo was thoroughly evil, while the Third Hokage was somewhat better. He only compromised his own principles and made harsh decisions when necessary for the village’s benefit.
Didn’t the Third Hokage know about the bad deeds Danzo did? He probably knew most of them and had the ability to stop them but chose to overlook them.
But that’s understandable. In a world like this, where Konoha occupies the best resources, if the Hokage were purely a good person, the village would likely have been devoured by other villages long ago.
Different positions lead to different choices.
Unless you are like the First Hokage, who could crush the entire ninja world by himself, you wouldn’t have the luxury of choosing to be kind.
“It seems the test is already over.”
When Leo and Tenzō arrived at the school, they saw Naruto and the other ninjas coming out.
After a brief chat, it was no surprise that Naruto and his team passed the first written test. Tomorrow, they would undergo the second survival test in the so-called Forest of Death at Training Ground 44.
……
The second round involved team-based survival tests. Each team would receive one of two types of scrolls: Heaven or Earth.
Teams must steal the opposing teams’ scrolls, possessing both Heaven and Earth scrolls, and reach the tower in the center of the Forest of Death within five days to advance to the preliminary selection.
So at least half of the participants would be eliminated.
But this had nothing to do with Leo. His only concern was the disguised Orochimaru posing as a Grass Ninja.
He needed to find out where Konoha’s forbidden technique scrolls were hidden before the village’s Invasion plan unfolded.
He had already scouted around Konoha, and once he knew the location of the forbidden technique scrolls, he could use the Shadow Clone Jutsu to forcefully enter and take them during the chaos of Konoha’s Invasion.
After Naruto’s incident with stealing the forbidden scrolls, Konoha would have surely moved the scrolls to a new location, known only to a few high-ranking officials.
He considered finding Danzo but was unsure. Danzo was bad, but he might not hand over the forbidden scrolls to a stranger.
Orochimaru, however, was different. As an S-rank rogue ninja who planned to destroy Konoha himself, he wouldn’t care much about the forbidden scrolls. If conditions were right, a deal could be struck.
However, you needed to have the strength to negotiate with him at the table.
So, early the next morning, Leo went to Training Ground 44 with Tenzō.
“Your Highness, what brings you here?”
The examiner for the second round, Anko Mitarashi, paused her explanation of the rules when she saw Leo and Tenzō. She quickly came over to greet them.
Leo, as the prince, had been making quite a splash in the village, so everyone knew him.
Anko hadn’t expected Leo to visit now, as he was scheduled to be invited to visit the tower and see the preliminary selection on the fifth day.
“Anko, please continue with your work. I’m just here to cheer for Naruto and the others!”
Leo waved at Naruto and his team, but as his gaze returned, it lingered for a moment on a ninja dressed in Grass Ninja attire within the crowd.
Hello, Orochimaru!