Konoha Hidden Village.
Upon receiving the frontline intelligence, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally felt a sense of relief after reading through the reports.
Hiruzen's tone couldn't hide his joy. From the intel, it was clear that Iwagakure, who had been aggressively pushing forward and seemed to be gaining the upper hand, had suffered a crushing defeat in this operation.
A frontline assault team of over fifty, mostly special Jonin and Jonin, had been wiped out by Minato Namikaze.
Although the frontline also suffered heavy losses, with nearly all of the first defense unit wiped out, leaving only four survivors, the results were still favorable.
On the other hand, Onoki had been forced to retreat by Orochimaru.
Tsunade's fear of blood was suspected to have been cured, restoring her combat abilities.
The Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails from Iwagakure launched a surprise attack on the injured soldiers' base but was captured after being defeated by Kagetsu.
The series of good news caused the Third Hokage's tense heart to relax. Not long ago, the reports from the Iwa battlefield had made him restless, even considering heading to the front lines himself.
If it hadn't been for Jiraiya bringing back Tsunade and the advisors unanimously persuading him to stay, he would likely be confronting Onoki on the battlefield instead of being in this office.
No matter how you look at it, from the intelligence, Iwagakure had suffered a significant defeat, leaving them severely injured. At the very least, it eased the tension and anxiety in the village.
"What does the report say?"
Seeing the undisguised joy on the Third Hokage's face, the two advisors exchanged a glance before Mitokado Homura stepped forward to ask.
When they were younger, their strength was far beyond that of a typical Jōnin, but after years of being away from the battlefield and focusing on village affairs, their abilities had clearly declined.
Back when they followed the Second Hokage, the strongest of the members was undoubtedly the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Even though he had been away from frontline battles for a long time, his strength remained uniquely powerful.
The second in line was the leader of the Root, Danzo Shimura. As the leader of this assassination organization, Danzo had the most experience with frontline combat. He frequently had to leave the village on missions, engaging with enemies in battle.
Although their strength remained, both their mental and physical conditions had inevitably deteriorated over time.
"Take a look at this. I plan to spread this information soon," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, handing the scroll to the two advisors.
The two advisors quickly skimmed through the scroll, and immediately understood why Hiruzen was so happy. They too were pleasantly surprised by the information reported in the scroll.
"Orochimaru has lived up to your expectations," Mitokado Homura acknowledged.
Though Orochimaru occasionally provoked them in recent years, making them uncomfortable, everyone had to admit that he had done well this time.
"Minato and Kagetsu have also done well! No wonder they're the students of the Legendary Sannins," Utatane Koharu also nodded in approval, praising Kagetsu.
If everything goes as expected, the ninjas who had succeeded in this mission would likely be the candidates for the next Hokage and the one after that. The direct descendants of the Hokage line!
As long as it's not Shimura Danzo, neither Orochimaru nor Jiraiya, nor anyone else, the two advisors have no objections.
Although they often speak on Danzo's behalf, it doesn't mean they support someone like him, who has a strong desire for control, has spent a long time immersed in darkness, is tough, and will stop at nothing to become Hokage.
"Yes, Minato is fine. His strength stood out after going through many wars. But it's surprising that Kagetsu could independently handle the Five-Tails Jinchuriki," the Third Hokage said with a hint of admiration. Follow current novᴇls on novel fire.net
He knew that Kagetsu's talent was excellent. Like his disciple Orochimaru, Kagetsu had exceptional skills and interest in ninjutsu and other studies.
However, the Nara clan's physical limitations and clan background were there, and the ceiling of their potential was clear.
Although Kagetsu often left the village for missions, his reports showed that he fulfilled the responsibilities of a Nara ninja in his team very well.
The brain, the support.
The one with the real power in the team, according to intelligence reports, was undoubtedly Uchiha Shisui.
"Kakashi has also done well. Taking advantage of the opportunity when they're escorting the Five-Tails back to the village, let's promote both Kakashi and Kagetsu to Jonin together," Mitokado Homura said.
Kagetsu's promotion to Jonin was already agreed upon, but it had been delayed due to the front-line war.
"Orochimaru and Kagetsu have indeed done well, but the only hidden danger is that they are too close to the Uchiha. I've heard that Fugaku and the Uchiha elders are waiting for Kagetsu to be promoted to Jonin, and then they'll arrange for Fugaku's child, Itachi, to be Kagetsu's disciple."
Koharu's face showed some worry.
Due to the past impact of Uchiha Madara's defection and the Second Hokage, they carried some prejudice and caution toward the Uchiha clan.
"Itachi? I've heard his talent is quite impressive. Shisui even called him more excellent than himself," the Third Hokage commented, seemingly not hearing the concern in Koharu's words, and spoke with great interest.
"I know what you're worried about, but whether it's Orochimaru or anyone else becoming Hokage, they will have to face the issue of how to deal with the Uchiha and the rift between the village.
If Orochimaru becomes the Fourth Hokage, at least for two generations, the issue of the Uchihas won't be a problem. After that, we'll probably have passed on and gone to meet the First and Second Hokages in the Pure Land."
Looking at the two who remained silent, the Third Hokage spoke softly.
He didn't actually advocate for using violence to suppress the Uchiha's discontent, but it couldn't be denied that he was also cautious about them.
However, he could accept that if he couldn't solve the problem, he could leave it to his successor.
"Are you sure it's Orochimaru?"
Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, the two advisors instinctively thought that the Third Hokage had already made a final decision about the Fourth Hokage candidate.
They weren't really surprised by this decision since, although there seemed to be many candidates like the Sannin, Danzo, and Minato, in reality, Danzo was the least likely, and Tsunade and Jiraiya had both clearly shown no interest in becoming Hokage.
That left only two candidates, Minato and Orochimaru.
If Orochimaru hadn't established the Technology Development Department and instead stayed with Danzo in the Root organization, the advisors might have had some reservations about Orochimaru's rise to power.
After all, in their eyes, and in the villagers' eyes, the Hokage should ideally avoid any dark past and be a symbol of light and trust. The fewer dark secrets, the better.
Minato did this very well. Strong, gentle, with excellent relationships in the village, a husband to the Jinchuriki, and harmonious ties with both the various ninja clans and civilian ninjas.
He had connections, achievements, and strength.
An almost perfect ninja!
Unfortunately, his competitor was Orochimaru.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen had made a final decision, then Minato would most likely only become an advisor.
"Let's wait and see. The war isn't over yet," Sarutobi Hiruzen mused for a moment before shaking his head.
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