CHAPTER 187

Jiraiya Seizes Power

"The evidence has been collected long ago… But are you and Tsunade-sama truly ready?"

"Lord Third and Danzo are the masters of Anbu, with the Sarutobi and Akimichi clans behind them."

Kakashi questioned Jiraiya and Tsunade's plan. Having once served in Anbu, he understood the sheer terror of both Anbu and Root. Although the official roster only listed sixty-four members, the true number—counting alternates and support staff—was in the hundreds.

Jiraiya-sama had dealt with Anbu before, but he underestimated its significance.

This force alone surpassed all other ninja factions, with only the Uchiha clan coming close in strength.

Moreover, the combined power of Anbu and Root lay almost entirely in the hands of the Hokage and Danzo—no one else could command them. Even when Minato-sensei was Hokage, Hiruzen and Danzo still retained control over Anbu.

Jiraiya glanced toward the Hokage Building, deep in thought.

He had considered these factors, but a slow infiltration of Anbu and Root was not an option. Civil strife was a dangerous gamble, and the faster it ended, the less Konoha would suffer.

Seeing Jiraiya's resolve, Kakashi sighed softly and said, "Master Jiraiya, I wish you and Lady Tsunade success. May the winds of change sweep through Konoha soon."

With that, Kakashi handed him a pre-prepared scroll.

Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, took the scroll, then left the Hatake estate.

---

The next morning, Konoha awoke to another seemingly peaceful day.

After making his final rounds among allies, Jiraiya and Tsunade led their loyal subordinates to surround both the Hokage Building and the Anbu headquarters under the banner of "Loyalists to the True Lord."

Upon seeing Jiraiya approach, the guard at the entrance greeted him as usual, "Master Jiraiya, are you here on business?"

Jiraiya glanced at the guard. Without a word, he signaled with his eyes. Two Chūnin swiftly appeared behind the guard and subdued him.

The man struggled, bewildered. "Master Jiraiya, I have always performed my duties with integrity! At most, I've accepted a few gifts, but I have never betrayed Lord Hokage!"

It is I who will betray the Third Hokage…

Jiraiya remained silent, leading his forces to seal off all communication between the Hokage Building and the outside world before heading to the office alone.

The distance from the entrance to the Hokage's third-floor office was only a few dozen meters.

A short walk.

Yet for Jiraiya, every step felt impossibly heavy.

He had seen Konoha's flaws for years but had drowned himself in missions to avoid facing them. Now, there was no escaping reality. He had to solve these problems through force—a coup d'état.

Finally, he arrived at the office door, inhaled deeply, and pushed it open.

Inside, the Third Hokage sat in his chair, wearing his faded Kage robe.

As a seasoned Kage-level shinobi, he had sensed the disturbance outside long ago. He already knew the Hokage Building was surrounded by dozens of ninja. He also knew that the ones leading the coup against him were none other than his own students.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed at Jiraiya and said, "Since you've come this far, why don't we sit and have a proper conversation as master and student?"

Jiraiya did not refuse. He sat across from his former teacher, and the two spoke as they once had in the past.

"Jiraiya, why did you have to resort to a coup? And why drag Tsunade into this?"

"With the prestige you both hold, if you participated in the Hokage election, the Fifth Hokage title would be yours. There's no need for war. The village does not need to be divided."

Jiraiya stared at Hiruzen, his voice low. "Sensei, you already know the answer."

The Third Hokage sighed. "You're worried that I won't deal with Danzo, aren't you? But every village has men like him. Danzo may be ruthless, but he does the things that a Hokage cannot afford to do…"

"If you, as Hokage, enact policies for the good of the village but face resistance, what then? The Hokage cannot directly act against fellow ninja—that would violate the Will of Fire. Instead, someone like Danzo carries out the necessary evils. Then, by punishing him afterward, the Hokage maintains the villagers' trust while still achieving necessary reforms."

"Even if it means going against the Will of Fire?" Jiraiya asked.

Hiruzen nodded, his gaze distant. "Yes. If that is what it takes to hold this village together and ensure its survival, then so be it."

"I am not the First Hokage, with his overwhelming strength, nor the Second Hokage, who built our shinobi system. I have only kept this village intact through political maneuvering, secrets, and necessary sacrifices."

Jiraiya was unmoved. Instead, he asked:

"So that's why you allowed the Kumo envoy to attack the Hyūga? And why you turned a blind eye to Danzo's actions against the Uchiha? Because the Hyūga weren't obedient enough? Because Uchiha posed a threat to the Hokage's authority?"

"Then what about Naruto? Why did you let the village ostracize him? Was it to make him desperate enough to rely on Konoha as his only salvation? Sensei, you truly live up to your reputation as the Professor of Ninjutsu. Your methods are nothing if not calculated."

Hiruzen's expression darkened. He could no longer respond with his usual confidence.

It was true—he had never spread the rumor that Naruto was the Kyūbi's reincarnation, but he had allowed it to spread. And deep down, he had the same thought as Jiraiya suspected.

Controlling the village's Jinchūriki was a Hokage's responsibility.

The First Hokage had married his Jinchūriki to keep her close. The Second had personally overseen the Jinchūriki's selection. And he… he had played the role of a doting grandfather to Naruto, all while ensuring the boy had no other ties to the village. If Naruto strayed from his control, Konoha's stability would be threatened.

In the end, it was Minato who had left him with this impossible dilemma.

After a long sigh, Hiruzen spoke slowly. "I will not stop you from taking Konoha and becoming the Fifth Hokage. But I am curious—after taking power, how do you plan to handle the village's crisis?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Our plan has three simple steps: First, we occupy the Hokage Building. Second, we dismantle Anbu. Third, we capture Danzo and expose all his crimes to the public."

"So that's it…" Hiruzen sighed deeply. "You seek to strip the old guard of all power… That is the true purpose of your coup, isn't it?"

He gave Jiraiya a long, searching look. Then he muttered, "You've changed. This is not something you would have done before. Was it Naruto who convinced you? That boy is a force of nature."

"But under your rule, the village may be worse off than it is now."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Tsunade and I will lead Konoha better than this. Old man, you may not have noticed… but most of the village has already given up on you."

"The shinobi of Konoha have remained silent throughout this entire event. They haven't moved, haven't taken action—because they don't care whether you remain Hokage or not."

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