- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 294
“Alright, time to have a heart-to-heart with Lord Danzo.”
After dismissing Sage Mode and returning his Sharingan to its normal state, Leo used Apparition and disappeared from the spot.
In the forest behind the Hokage Rock, he reappeared and began walking toward the approximate location of the Root base’s entrance, guided by his senses.
He hadn’t gone far when two masked ninjas, each wielding a katana, emerged to block his path.
“This is a restricted area. You cannot enter. Please turn back,” one of the ninjas said.
“Go tell Danzo that I have something very important to discuss with him. It concerns his chance of becoming Hokage,” Leo replied calmly.
The two ninjas exchanged glances. One remained behind to guard the path while the other swiftly left to relay the message.
Two minutes later, the ninja returned, speaking with newfound respect, “Prince, Lord Danzo will see you now.”
Leo nodded and followed the ninja toward the base’s entrance.
The Root base was located beneath Konoha, with its entrance hidden in the forest near the training grounds, about a kilometer from where Leo had first appeared.
After navigating a series of twists and turns, they arrived in a spacious rock chamber where Danzo was already waiting, tea prepared.
“So late at night, yet Prince Leo is taking a stroll around the training grounds. Quite the mood,” Danzo said as he pushed a cup of tea toward Leo.
Leo took the cup, sipped, and smiled, “Lord Danzo, aren’t you still awake at this late hour as well?”
“Haha, unlike you young folks, an old man like me doesn’t need much sleep. Three or four hours a night is enough,” Danzo replied with a half-smile as he drank his own tea.
Leo waved his hand dismissively. “That’s not quite right. Lord Danzo, if you’re only sleeping three or four hours a night, it must be because you’re too busy worrying about Konoha. That’s truly admirable.”
“I’ve always thought you were more suited to be Hokage than the Third, but alas…” Leo added with a casual tone.
“Oh? Isn’t that a bit odd? I thought you favored the Third Hokage. After all, you are his fourth disciple,” Danzo said, narrowing his visible eye.
Leo shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “I had no choice. If I wasn’t the Third’s disciple, I wouldn’t be qualified to become Hokage. And if I can’t become Hokage, how can I help you become Hokage, Lord Danzo?”
Danzo put down his cup, an unreadable expression on his face. “I must be getting old because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
When Danzo first met Leo, he had a favorable impression of him due to the prince’s connection with the Daimyo. However, after Leo saved the Third Hokage and became his disciple, that fondness turned to disdain, feeling that he had been played.
But now, with Leo showing up at his base in the middle of the night and speaking this way, Danzo couldn’t figure him out. Could it be that Leo also had his eyes on the Hokage position? If so, he was delusional. As a prince of the Land of Fire, the Third might take him in as a disciple for political reasons, but he would never let him become Hokage.
“I know you want to become the Fifth Hokage, Lord Danzo, but you must understand that the Third Hokage will never allow it. Neither will the two advisors.
Even if the next Hokage isn’t Jiraiya or Tsunade, it will undoubtedly be one of the Third’s loyal allies. When the Third steps back to become an advisor, working with the Fifth Hokage to manage Konoha, unless something drastic happens, you will likely never get the chance to become Hokage before you die,” Leo said, laying out Danzo’s predicament clearly.
Danzo’s expression darkened as he heard these words. He knew Leo was right. Even though he had forced the Third to retire by exploiting the recent attack on Konoha, his chances of becoming the Fifth Hokage were still slim.
As long as the Third was alive, neither the advisors nor the Daimyo would have the final say. They could only make recommendations.
But if he didn’t seize this opportunity now, he would die without ever fulfilling his ambitions of expanding Konoha and conquering the other ninja villages.
“Hmph, I have you to thank for this. If you hadn’t interfered, I might already be Hokage by now,” Danzo said coldly, letting his anger toward Leo surface.
At this, Leo’s smile faded, and his tone became more assertive. “Lord Danzo, it’s pointless to dwell on the past. You need to look ahead. You won’t become the Fifth Hokage, but if you help me, I have a real chance. And once I’m Hokage, you will be the Sixth.”
“Hahaha, do you take me for a fool?”
Danzo laughed, though it was tinged with bitterness. “Even if I help you, with your status as a prince, it would be nearly impossible for you to become Hokage. And if, by some miracle, you did, why would you pass the title to me? What’s the point of you becoming Hokage if you just plan to hand it over?”
Leo remained calm, his expression still serious. “Because my goal isn’t to become Hokage—it’s to become the Daimyo.”
“My uncle is weak, just like the Third Hokage. Our Land of Fire is the strongest nation, and Konoha is the most powerful village, yet we remain passive, only defending ourselves when attacked.
That’s why I intend to replace my uncle as Daimyo and find a Hokage with true ambition to help me conquer the world. That person is you—the Hawk of Konoha, the ideal Hokage in my eyes.”
“You help me become Hokage, and I’ll pass the title to you. Then you’ll help me become Daimyo, and together we will achieve total dominance. Nothing will stand in the way of the Land of Fire or Konoha’s rise.”
Danzo was stunned by Leo’s explanation.
It sounded far-fetched, but as he thought about it, it made sense. Given the current situation, Danzo knew he had little chance of becoming Hokage unless some drastic change occurred.
The Third Hokage was as cunning as Danzo, making it difficult to find a flaw in his plans. And if Jiraiya returned with Tsunade, her status as a Senju princess and the lives she had saved, combined with the Third’s backing, would make Danzo’s path even harder.
If what Leo said was true, his best chance of becoming Hokage might be through helping Leo ascend to the position and then taking it from him.
But how much of what Leo said was true, and how much was a lie?
…