stonecrandall Chapter 249 5th Generation
Chapter 249 5th Generation
Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already begun his new day's work. However, the wrinkles between his brows were deeper than usual; he had too many things to worry about lately: the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru's presence in the village, and Jiraiya's deliberate avoidance of the Hokage position…
What weighed heavily on his mind was the intelligence that Hayate Gekko had risked his life to bring back not long ago—the Sound Village and the Sand Village seemed to be secretly plotting a conspiracy against Konoha, and the target was none other than himself…and Naruto! The intelligence indicated that the leader of the Sound Village was very likely Orochimaru, who had already infiltrated Konoha.
Assassinate him? Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe and slowly exhaled smoke. He wasn't afraid of death; decades ago, when he stepped onto the battlefield, he had already prepared himself to sacrifice himself for Konoha. What he truly worried about was who would inherit the Hokage position after he fell.
He had indeed been in this position for far too long... He knew that in other villages, some people might mock him behind his back for being power-hungry... But the truth was, Konoha was truly unable to find a successor Hokage capable of shouldering the responsibility.
After Minato Namikaze's untimely death, one of the former "Legendary Sannin" defected, and the other two left the village for an extended period. As for the Jonin remaining in the village now... his sons Asuma and Kakashi are still some distance from the level of "Kage"... and as for Might Guy... the thought of all Konoha ninjas possibly wearing green bodysuits and shouting "Youth" in the future gives him a headache.
That's why Jiraiya was so eager to promote his former disciple to the position of Hokage when he returned to the village. He was almost the most suitable and convincing candidate at the moment.
The second thing that worried him was the "seizure of Naruto" mentioned in the intelligence report. This was the core issue that caused the Third Hokage the most anxiety and confusion! Seizing a Jinchuriki? This is usually an extreme action taken only during a full-scale war to weaken the enemy's strategic forces!
He couldn't understand why Orochimaru, or rather the forces behind him, would target Naruto at this particular time. But regardless, the thought of the potential danger Naruto might face and the resulting disaster left the Third Hokage feeling utterly exhausted. So much so that early in the morning, his office was already shrouded in thick smoke rising from his pipe.
"Old man, I advise you to smoke less. I don't want you to collapse in this chair before you even retire."
Hearing that familiar yet somewhat irreverent voice, the Third Hokage turned around and met Jiraiya's gaze as he nimbly flipped in through the window and landed steadily.
"I thought you'd hide until the Chunin Exams were over, which saved me the trouble of going to Konoha's gates or even Mount Myōboku to catch you afterwards..."
The third generation knocked on his pipe, ashes falling in a soft rustling sound. "And besides, couldn't you have just used the front door?"
Jiraiya chuckled and dusted himself off, saying nonchalantly, "I was wondering why I haven't seen any Anbu members on the streets lately. Going through the main entrance? That's not my style."
After a brief silence, the Third Hokage took a deep drag on his still-smoldering pipe and chose to cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"...You came to see me specifically because of Naruto, right?" Through that crystal ball, he already knew that Jiraiya and Naruto had been inseparable lately; Jiraiya's appearance at this moment was definitely not just for casual conversation.
Jiraiya's playful expression faded slightly. He walked to the desk, placed his hands on the surface, and leaned forward slightly.
"Old man, you...you plan to make Naruto the future Hokage, right?" His voice lowered slightly. "But you should know better than anyone how the villagers in the village...are looking at that kid, right?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage's eyes dimmed slightly, and he slowly put down his pipe completely.
"This is indeed my responsibility. My hesitation back then led to the current situation... Because of this, I didn't know that, given the current tense relationship between the villagers and Naruto... I should have rashly revealed his true identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage..."
Human nature is pragmatic; people often only feel guilty about past wrongs when they desperately need someone.
He feared that revealing Naruto's true parentage now would not only fail to immediately reverse prejudice but would also trigger a stronger backlash, putting Naruto under even greater pressure. He wanted to make amends, yet he was also afraid that his decision would hurt the child again. He was caught in a deep dilemma.
"But Naruto isn't the kind of person who would turn a blind eye to the suffering of others." Jiraiya's tone carried an undisguised pride as he straightened his back and looked intently at the Third Hokage.
"Indeed, the attitude of the Konoha villagers is troubling. However, even though Naruto himself no longer cares about those indifferent looks, when danger strikes and others need help, he will still step forward without hesitation and choose to save them."
Jiraiya's voice became even more steady and powerful. "Old man, do you know just how strong Naruto has become?"
Before the Third Hokage could delve into the matter, Jiraiya delivered his answer with conviction.
"If we're only talking about strength... Naruto right now is probably about as strong as Minato and Kushina combined."
"At least, it's much better than you and me now..."
The Third Hokage's pupils contracted slightly. He knew Jiraiya well and knew the man would never speak carelessly about such a matter. Moreover, he had already witnessed Naruto's astonishing control of the Nine-Tails' chakra through the crystal ball. However, hearing such a straightforward and shocking assessment still left him in disbelief, and his fingers gripping the pipe tightened unconsciously.
"In any case," Jiraiya's tone returned to its usual nonchalant tone, "let Naruto face what comes next. I believe in him; he will not let us down."
Finally, Jiraiya took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and recalled the events of the past few years. After a moment, he opened his eyes again, his gaze now devoid of any hesitation.
"And I will never repeat your mistakes, old man. After the Chunin Exams... I will take over the position of Fifth Hokage."