Be the Main God from Naruto - Chapter 57

At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, deep within a mountain range, lies Foundation Secret Base Number Three.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi had been living here for a while, he still couldn’t get used to it.

It wasn’t because the environment was too harsh; on the contrary, it was because it was so good that he felt uncomfortable!
Luxurious and complete training facilities, standardized restrooms, baths, and a cafeteria…

Everything one could imagine was available here!

How much could Danzo’s salary possibly be to afford such a place?

Establishing such a facility wouldn’t be enough, even with the Anbu taking on private jobs.

This begged the question of what was going on.

“Hiruzen, it’s time for the meeting.”

Danzo brushed past him, leaving only these words behind without glancing.

For Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer the dazzling Third Hokage he once was; his only worth now was his combat ability and influence over the defected Leaf shinobi.

“Sigh…never mind.”

Hiruzen sighed. Regardless of where Danzo had sourced such vast funds, corruption or otherwise, it was all in the past, and there was no point dredging up old grievances.

When he arrived at the conference room, he found many were already present.

Genma Shiranui, Aoba Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi, Iwashi Tatami, Ebisu, Hayate Gekko…

Yamato, Sai, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Choji Akimichi…

“It seems everyone is here.”

Danzo clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

Feeling the focus of the gathered shinobi, Danzo’s lips curled into a slight smile, which he quickly suppressed.

He relished the sensation but did not wish to appear eager or pleased.

“We’ve been planning the strategy for three days now, and it’s time for everyone to cast their final vote.”

Upon hearing this, the ninjas showed a range of expressions—some were happy, some were anxious, and others were sad or in pain.

Hiruzen’s expression darkened.

Danzo’s so-called strategy, officially dubbed “The False Leaf Destruction Strategy,” was not aimed at defeating the Legendary Sannin or reclaiming Konoha but rather to cause significant damage to prove the existence of these “true inheritors of the Will of Fire” and make a name for themselves.

“I disagree!” The former Third Hokage immediately expressed his opinion.

Danzo snorted coldly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he concealed his murderous intent: “Do you think you are still the Hokage? Thinking of vetoing this with a single objection?”

He had only bothered to save Hiruzen because of his residual influence at the time.

Now that he had utilized that influence, Hiruzen’s continued existence was more of a liability than an asset.

With that thought, Danzo turned to the other participants, his tone stern and commanding: “After this ultimate Chunin Exam, the false Leaf regime will be solidified, and we will no longer have any chance!”

“Or would you prefer to live as renegades for the rest of your lives, scorned and despised, creeping around like rats in the shadows until you die?”

Danzo was somewhat self-aware.

Compared to the young and powerful Legendary Sannin, he was significantly outmatched in overt power and growth potential.

The Chunin Exam was their only chance and also their last.

“Let’s vote, everyone. Don’t let someone influence you.”

With that significant hint, many ninjas clenched their fists.

On the surface, this meeting seemed democratic and fair, but who would dare to vote against it and risk subsequent retaliation?

Danzo was certainly capable of such retribution.

The voting results came quickly.

Against: three votes.

In favor: thirty-five votes.

Those who voted against were naturally Hiruzen and his two advisors.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, although somewhat swayed by Danzo’s arguments, still valued their longstanding friendships deeply.

“Very well.”

Danzo smirked coldly, “Prepare yourselves. When Konoha is distracted by the Chunin Exam, with its forces spread thin, we will strike it down!”

Sparse applause echoed in the conference room.

The next day.
Koharu and Homura both died suddenly from an illness and were quickly cremated.

Hiruzen Sarutobi disappeared, and his whereabouts are a mystery.

…

Konoha, Tea Street.

“Tsck…”

Wang Yan nibbled on a takoyaki and looked up at the statue of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression complex.

“The Third Hokage, renowned as a formidable ninja, reduced to such plight.”

“Danzo,

Although not the sharpest tool in the shed, it is ruthlessly heartless. Hiruzen sacrificed so much for him, yet all past kindnesses and friendships were disregarded when it suited him.”

He ordered a hot tea at a beverage shop, sipping as he walked, soon pushing the matter from his mind.

If it weren’t for the disturbance in the mental imprint left deep within Danzo’s consciousness and the sudden increase in resource points in his inventory, Wang Yan might not have even noticed this event.

“Tsck tsck… Modern Konoha is a nest of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”

A stroll down the street had been quite enlightening for Wang Yan.

In the Akatsuki’s Five-Man Cell, aside from Gaara’s straightforward act, the others used transformation jutsu and disguises to appear younger.

Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Juzo Biwa, Hidan…

They all took on the appearances of twelve or thirteen-year-old boys and roamed the streets of Konoha, hardly behaving like spies.

So far, the Akatsuki hadn’t done anything outrageous and remained low-key, which was understandable given their weak vigilance.

Cloud, Mist, Stone, and Sand, the major ninja forces, were somewhat better, having only sent their elite genin for crash training.

As for some smaller ninja forces, they had completely abandoned all pretense.

Elite Jonin was demoted to Genin for errors and permitted to participate in this Chunin Exam due to their good attitude toward reform…

Special Jonin mysteriously disappears, and the village leader discovers his long-lost twin broth, specially appointed as a genin to compete…

Genin trained for fifty years without ever participating in a Chunin Exam…

Many participants from the smaller forces were “genin” like these, and some shameless “Kage” even went so far as to roll up their sleeves and enter themselves into the competition.

Unheard of before, Ninja villages like Star, Grass, Waterfall, Snow, and Hot Water sprang up everywhere to compete.

They wanted to show off their existence and demonstrate their worth in front of the country lords and top-tier powerhouses.

The higher their value, the better they could serve these powerful figures.

Wang Yan understood their motivations very well but refrained from passing moral judgment.

After all, not everyone has a golden finger, and for many who aren’t favored by fate, just surviving is a struggle.

…

The long-anticipated “Strongest Chunin Exam in History” arrived in no time.

There were 590 contestants from over 40 different ninja forces.

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