Chapter 179: Reconstruction

Chapter 179: Reconstruction

Tsunade confessed in the hospital room that she was still troubled by her hemophobia. Could a ninja who couldn't bear the sight of blood become Hokage?

Jiraiya's qualifications, abilities, and prestige were all without question, yet he used a lackadaisical excuse to say he couldn't be Hokage. The Third Hokage simply didn't believe it; wasn't that just nonsense?

Who was born capable of being Hokage?

According to common sense, the order of succession in Konoha should have been the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Minato Namikaze. Their ages and master-disciple relationships were perfectly aligned.

When the Third Hokage aged, Jiraiya's strength would have reached its peak. During the Nine-Tails' attack, if he and Minato had joined forces as master and disciple, along with the retired Third Hokage, they most likely could have weathered the storm through sheer power. This would have given Minato more than a decade to grow, allowing him to smoothly become the Fifth Hokage after Jiraiya stepped down.

If Minato hadn't died during the Nine-Tails' attack and instead sealed half of the Nine-Tails within himself, he could have essentially achieved everything Naruto would later accomplish.

Think about it: the Rasengan, Nine-Tails Mode, Sage Mode – except for the Ashura chakra, Minato had everything Naruto possessed. And unlike Naruto, he also had the brains.

By the time of the Konoha Crush, a thirty-something Minato facing a fifty-year-old Orochimaru wouldn't have needed the Third Hokage's Reaper Death Seal. An enhanced version of Minato could have beaten Orochimaru to a pulp.

This sequence was the most appropriate. Now that Minato had died prematurely, Konoha could only rely on the aging Third Hokage to hold the fort, throwing the succession order into disarray.

If Jiraiya were willing to take the position, he would definitely be more suitable than Kakashi.

The Third Hokage, bedridden and frail, tried to persuade Jiraiya, but with little success.

"Hiruzen, you are no longer fit to be Hokage. The village needs someone to step forward and make decisions. Can you even stand up?" Danzo asked from the shadows of the hospital room, his voice laced with a sinister undertone.

The Third Hokage's life force was rapidly dwindling, his face extremely aged, and his voice weak and feeble.

Hearing Danzo's sarcasm, he remained unmoved. "Indeed, I cannot stand. Since Konoha Village was attacked, I will also bear the responsibility."

"Therefore, I believe you should step down from the position of Hokage," Danzo pressed, closing in.

The Third Hokage looked at him with some effort. "And then? Are you suggesting that you are the most suitable candidate for Hokage? Unfortunately, you won't have the chance. The Daimyo will not agree."

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, standing to the side, both nodded in agreement. Danzo was completely bewildered. What was going on? The Daimyo? What did the Daimyo have to do with this?

Homura Mitokado scoffed at him, "You know very well what you have done."

What do I know? What did I do?

The number of shady deeds he had secretly committed was too many to count, and for a moment, he couldn't pinpoint which incident Koharu was referring to.

He only knew that this matter was related to the Daimyo. Since he knew the target, things became much simpler. Danzo's methods were always crude and direct, and he had no respect for the Daimyo. He lightly covered his right eye, hidden beneath bandages. The Daimyo? Hmph!

Konoha Village had suffered a great calamity this time. Floods, overgrown vegetation, and yellow sand made the cleanup work extremely tedious.

Ino took the opportunity to bring in Karin and Baki, using the Hidden Waterfall Village's reputation to participate in the reconstruction project.

As a friend of the Hidden Waterfall Village's leader, she would naturally introduce the Cross Guild to the village. Who was currently responsible for coordinating supplies and organizing personnel for the village's reconstruction? It was Shikaku Nara.

These were all allies. Shikaku roughly understood Ino's intentions and agreed without hesitation.

The Cross Guild was affiliated with the Hidden Waterfall Village, establishing a formal, government-to-government relationship with Konoha. With Shikaku's approval, the Hidden Waterfall Village's Shibuki's approval, and Ino's connections, there were no obstacles in their way.

However, Karin's identity as a ninja from the Hidden Grass Village couldn't be concealed forever.

Ino gave her instructions in private.

She whispered into Karin's ear, "Later, you'll go and see my dad."

Karin exclaimed in surprise, her face flushing red. "Y-yes, am I going to see Father?"

Ino squinted at her. "Don't go around claiming relatives! He's my dad!"

"Yes, yes!" Karin replied obediently, nodding vigorously.

"When you see my dad, if he asks, you just say this..."

Fifteen minutes later.

Inoichi, in Konoha's interrogation department, was officially questioning Karin.

"Were you previously a ninja from the Hidden Grass Village?"

"What is your purpose in coming to Konoha using the identity of a Hidden Waterfall Village ninja this time?"

Karin's expression was slightly exaggerated as she spoke in a strange, affected tone.

"I love Konoha! Konoha is truly wonderful!"

"The Hidden Grass Village is bad, Konoha Village is good!"

"Our Konoha defeated Orochimaru! Our Konoha Village is so amazing!"

After a barrage of flattery, Inoichi was completely bewildered. He looked at Ibiki Morino, who was accompanying the interrogation, as if to say, "Is this kid crazy?"

Apart from her origin in the Hidden Grass Village, Karin's background was otherwise unproblematic. Moreover, she was now considered a Hidden Waterfall Village ninja, and the Hidden Waterfall Village was much stronger than the Hidden Grass Village. If those two villages didn't see any issues, Konoha certainly wouldn't either.

Inoichi waved his hand, indicating she could leave.

"Goodbye, Father!" Leaving behind this sentence, Karin vanished in a flash.

Inoichi was filled with question marks. He looked left and right, then behind him. There was no one behind him. Who was she calling out to?

The Cross Guild brought nearly a hundred skilled workers. They were logging trees, building walls, and assisting Konoha Village in its reconstruction efforts.

Baki indeed had a knack for construction. He could build the mountain bandits' hideout in an orderly manner. The plains environment in Konoha was much better than the mountains. With his skills and Ino's connections, he skillfully maneuvered and ultimately secured nearly one-fifth of the reconstruction project.

It was impossible for one entity to take on the entire project; other ninja clans also needed their share.

Another day passed. Elder Ebizo from the Hidden Sand Village arrived at the border between the two countries, accompanied by over a thousand Hidden Sand Village ninjas. By this time, the Hidden Sand Village had amassed over three thousand ninja troops along the border.

Gaara, after all, was not the Kazekage, and the three siblings had no say in front of the village elders.

Ebizo dispatched a messenger with a formal letter to Konoha Village, demanding that Konoha immediately hand over the Fourth Kazekage's body and provide an explanation for the entire incident.

"They are threatening Konoha Village! Hiruzen, step down, and I will lead our people to wipe them all out!" Danzo hadn't even had time to set off for the Land of Fire's capital when he received the Hidden Sand Village's declaration of war. He immediately became excited, clamoring to teach the Hidden Sand Village a lesson they would never forget.

The Fourth Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru. Where would Konoha find his body? This was just an excuse.

Konoha currently had the Third Hokage still alive, Jiraiya and Tsunade had both returned to the village, and the mid-tier forces like Kakashi were all present. The younger generation, including Ino, had also grown. This level of strength was more than enough to overwhelm the Hidden Sand Village.

Danzo wanted to take this opportunity to stir up trouble, but the Third Hokage absolutely refused. "You actually believe such blackmail? If we were to start a war over such words, the ninja world would have been destroyed long ago."

They would offer no response. Let them make their noise; Konoha would focus on their own affairs.