When Kato Dan used the spiritual transformation technique to transmit the information analyzed by Danzo to Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not at the Hokage Building, but at home.
Sitting on the ground on the verandah connecting the courtyard, Hiruzen Sarutobi was wearing loose clothes at home, sitting cross-legged.
In his arms was his youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma, who was now three years old.
While his wife was away at home and working in the hospital, Hiruzen Sarutobi held the pipe in his mouth without any scruples, teasing his young son and smoking at the same time.
"Dad, do the cigarettes taste good?" Asma sat on his father's lap and looked at his father puffing away smoke. Asma was very curious.
Raising his hand and tapping Asuma's forehead, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and said, "It tastes terrible! You are not allowed to smoke in the future, do you understand?"
Covering his head, Asuma looked at his father angrily.
It tastes bad but you still eat it? You're lying to me at first glance! Damn stinky daddy!
Looking at his son's cute look with his mouth puffed out, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled even happier.
Kizaru, who was called home by Hiruzen Sarutobi, saw exactly this harmonious scene of a loving father and a filial son when he entered the courtyard.
"Oh! Sarutobi-sensei, you are slacking off at work!"
Hearing Kizaru's laughter, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head and tapped Asuma with his right hand.
After being reminded by his father, Asuma left his father's arms, stood up, and looked at Kizaru.
"Uncle Kizaru!" Asuma looked well-behaved, completely unable to predict that he would turn into a rebellious young man when he grew up.
Smiling and nodding, Kizaru walked forward, walked to Sarutobi Hiruzen and in front of Asuma, raised his hand and touched the little guy's head.
"Asuma, let's go out and play!"
"Um!"
Asuma, who was still a toddler, ran out of the yard very excitedly.
Watching Asuma run away, Sarutobi Hiruzen took off his pipe and slowly blew out the smoke.
"Kizaru, let Asuma become your master in a few days!"
After laughing, Kizaru sat directly next to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Uncle, before he left, I told you all the conversations he had with me."
Nodding, Sarutobi Hiruzen admitted: "He and I are very happy that you are willing to take over the important task of Hokage."
After saying that, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head and looked at Kizaru with a pleased smile on his face.
"Leaving the Hokage to you, I can retire with peace of mind."
"Sarutobi-sensei, you are only in your forties! You can still work for a long time!"
"Hahaha!"
After laughing, Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the pipe again, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled the smoke.
"This old guy like me has been sitting in the position of Hokage for too long, and everyone is tired of it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said this with emotion. Over the past three years, he could feel that some of the ninjas and ninjas below had become more and more restless.
Especially the Shimura and Uchiha clans, the two ninja clans who were once hostile to each other, actually started to cooperate.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also amazed at this.
"Tired of watching? It's too much. I think you are still very interesting to watch! Sarutobi-sensei!" Kizaru replied in a joking tone.
"Hahaha!" Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed again, looking at Kizaru, his expression gradually became serious.
"Kizaru, the village will be counting on you from now on."
Putting his hands on the wooden floor behind him, Kizaru looked up at the sky, took a breath and said, "I will take good care of both Konoha and Asuma."
Hearing Kizaru's promise, the smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew wider, and the corners of his eyes and forehead were full of wrinkles.
With Kizaru here, he can rest assured about the future of the village and his family.
At this point, the handover of Konoha's highest power was successfully completed in a relaxed and happy atmosphere.
If nothing else goes wrong, one month later, Kizaru will take over the position of Hokage from Hiruzen Sarutobi under the watchful eyes of all the ninjas in the village.
Of course, in this month, Sarutobi Hiruzen still had a lot of things to do.
The first is to inform everyone at the high-level meeting of the village that Kizaru has become Hokage.
The second was a vote of confidence in the Jonin class regarding Kizaru's appointment as Hokage.
After completing the above two steps, the last and simplest thing left is to inform the Daimyo of the candidate for the new Hokage and wait for the Daimyo's approval.
Of course, so far, the selection of Konoha's third Hokage has been approved by the daimyo and officials, and no one has raised any objections.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was smoking and mentally planning how to make all arrangements for the succession within a month, an ANBU ninja jumped into the courtyard from outside the wall.
"Lord Hokage, there is urgent information coming from Sunagakure."
Hearing the word "emergency", Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression became serious. After he and Kizaru looked at each other in tacit understanding, they both looked at the ANBU ninjas.
"What?"
"The elders of Danzo have received news that there are suspicions that there are forces within Sunagakure Village colluding with other ninja villages. This scandal in the garrison may be Sunagakure's conspiracy."
"Go back to the Hokage Building and ask the two consultants, as well as Shinnosuke, to come to the office to see me." Standing up, Sarutobi Hiruzen entered working mode, his expression extremely serious.
"Yes!" In response, the ANBU ninja disappeared in the courtyard instantly.
"Kizaru, what do you think?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kizaru.
"The village is becoming more and more prosperous, and other ninja villages are getting anxious." Kizaru said speculatively.
Nodding, Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed with Kizaru's speculation and sighed inwardly.
If this is true, the ninja world will be in chaos again.
"Kizaru, how is your senjutsu practice? If a war breaks out, can you take action?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with concern, having prepared himself for the worst.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that Kizaru was now the strongest fighting force in the village, and his strength was comparable to that of the first generation. If he was inconvenient to take action due to his celestial training, then this war would be much more difficult for the village.
"No problem." It was about war, so Kizaru would not continue to make excuses to fish.
Hearing Kizaru's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt more relaxed.
There is Kizaru in Konoha, even if he fights the other four great ninja villages alone, he is not afraid!
"The most important thing now is to stabilize Sunagakure Village first and not let them fall to other ninja villages."
After experiencing the siege during World War I, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to fall into such a passive situation again.
"I asked Uchiha Fugaku to go to Sunagakure Village with my order. I think the people in Sunagakure Village will still give me face."
Regarding this, Kizaru is still somewhat confident. Although he does not have the ability to obtain the Face Fruit, with the ability of the Shining Fruit, Kizaru feels that no one in this small ninja world will not give him face, right?
In a small place like the Ninja World, Kizaru can complete the flight in less than 20 minutes.
If Sunagakure Village dares not to give face, as long as Kato Dan's information reaches Konoha, within 20 minutes, either Sunagakure Village will be gone or Sunagakure Village will surrender.
Stronger shinobi villages like Iwagakure and Kumogakure may be able to hold on for a while longer.
A mere Sunagakure who had been maimed had absolutely no strength to resist Kizaru and Konoha.
"What order did you arrange for Uchiha Fugaku?" Sarutobi Hiruzen did not care about Kizaru's overreaching arrangements, but was curious about Kizaru's order?
"I told him, if someone makes trouble over there in Sunagakure, just ask them, have you ever been bombarded by light?" Kizaru asked with a smile.
"Ahem!"
Choking on the smoke, thinking that the position of Hokage would soon be passed to Kizaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt a little sympathetic to the other Kages of the Ninja Village.
To be Kizaru's opponent, you not only have to endure physical pain, but what's worse, you also have to endure mental torture! What a miserable word!
