Chapter 54
Jiraiya looked at the Hokage as he comfortably sat on his chair before the Hokage sat the Fire Daimyo. After exchanging greetings, the meeting went smoothly. The Hokage told the Daimyo that the final test of the Chunin Exams would be taken mostly by Konoha genin apart from two from Suna. So, he didn't have anything to worry about as the village's future was secured.
"I will be waiting for tomorrow's performance," The Fire Daimyo said, sipping his tea.
"I am sure you will be satisfied with the performance of our shinobi's capabilities," The Hokage chuckled softly. "After all, our first match is against the two Hyuga. It is bound to be exciting."
"Then I certainly can't wait for tomorrow to come," The Daimyo replied. "But I heard you were admitted to a hospital. Is your health fine?"
"It is old age," The Hokage dismissed the Fire Daimyo's worries. "I am sure in a few decades. You will have a cough when you forget to close your window. The night's chills become dangerous when you are as old as I am."
"Then I will have to keep my windows closed at night," The Fire Daimyo smiled back as his worries disappeared. "I see I do not need to be concerned with the matter of the village, so I will leave it to you, as always."
Afterward, the Hokage and the Fire Daimyo had a small talk about the matters of the country before saying their goodbyes. The Hokage sighed and reclined into his chair. Just as the Fire Daimyo left, the Hokage spiled his tea into the flowerbed by the window. Jiraiya watched it while leaning on the wall. It was tiresome to deal with the Fire Daimyo. Even though he was soft-hearted and easily swayed, we still needed to be careful around him.
"Why do old people drink such bitter tea?" The Hokage asked.
"I always said sake was better than tea," Jiraiya replied.
"Shut it, old man," The Hokage said. "Even if you drink sake, you can't hide your age. Your wrinkles are showing up, and you can't hide them, no matter what you think."
Jiraiya sighed but didn't reply as Kaen's transformation jutsu wore off. It would be tiresome for the Third Hokage to retire now at the final test. After all, Chunin Exams were here to show our guests how strong the village is. Konoha would lose quite a few missions if it were known that the Third Hokage couldn't continue his duty.
"We should report to the old man," Jiraiya finally said. "He should wake up at any moment now."
Just as Jiraiya finished his words, a masked ANBU shinobi entered the office to inform of the Third Hokage's condition. He said the Third Hokage was awake and waited for them to report to him. Jiraiya could already imagine the berating his master would throw at him. They were impersonating the Third Hokage, so it wouldn't be surprising if they were killed for their actions.
…
Kaen didn't look as concerned as Jiraiya was. At worst, the Third Hokage would have few harsh words with them and leave it at that. Ultimately, it didn't matter much to Kaen as long as the Third Hokage stayed well long enough. Kaen was more concerned about Orochimaru and couldn't wait to hunt him down before he went back into hiding.
Before entering the hospital room, they met with Asuma and Konohamaru, who left the room. The little kid looked distraught, but Asuma kept an expressionless face. Kaen nodded to them before entering the room. The medics never left the site of the Third Hokage, but they looked more relaxed and weren't panicking anymore.
Kaen calmly took the most recent test results about the Hokage's health and looked over them. It looked like his health had stabilized for the most part. The blood pressure and body temperature were acceptable, too. Still, they would need at least a few more days to check if his heart and respiratory rates are normal.
"What you did was unnecessary," The Third Hokage said as Kaen finished inspecting the test results. "Your actions were reckless and could have cost us a lot."
"I knew what I was doing," Kaen replied. "I kept it short with the Fire Daimyo and other nobles that came to visit. Now, they think you are fine, and I assured them there was nothing to worry about. Nobody saw through my disguise."
"Take it seriously!" The Third Hokage didn't like Kaen's answer.
"I am," Kaen looked straight into the Third Hokage's eyes as he replied. "Everything went fine because I took it seriously and investigated your relationships with visiting people. I said only what you, yourself, would have said. And I put everyone's worries to ease by doing so."
This answer seemed to satisfy the Third Hokage as he visibly calmed down. But Kaen didn't forget the outburst. The Third Hokage showed signs of agitation. The Third Hokage, who is always calm to show such a reaction, meant that he still had a long way to go before full recovery. Kaen must inform the medics to monitor the Third Hokage's mental health closely.
"Very well then," The Third Hokage changed the topic. "Report what happened with Orochimaru."
"In the end, he managed to escape," It seems that Kaen couldn't delay it any longer. "One of his subordinates was more skilled than expected and intervened in the final moments. But my team and Kazekage are fine and haven't received any severe injuries."
"It wouldn't be that simple," Jiraiya said. "Will he try anything soon?"
"No, he won't," Kaen replied. "Or, more precisely, he can't do anything soon."
"Why is that?" The Third Hokage asked.
"Even though he escaped, it wasn't without a price," Kaen answered. "I suspected he would have few tricks to use, so I didn't hold back and used poison on my arrows. Few of them managed to hit him."
"What kind of poison?" Jiraiya asked.
"Painful and deadly, but slow working," Kaen answered. "Orochimaru should feel its effects soon. He might be able to cure himself, but the poison will take its toll on Orochimaru's body within that time. So, he won't be able to do anything anytime soon."
"Will the rest of your team return with the Kazekage?" The Third Hokage asked.
"Yes, they are escorting him to Konoha right now," Kaen answered.
Kaen kept it as short as possible. The Third Hokage shouldn't even think about Orochimaru right now, as stress would work against his recovery. It was better to finish this quickly and let the Third Hokage rest for the night. And Kaen needed to prepare for tomorrow. He also needed to convince the Third Hokage to let him impersonate him in the Chunin Exam.
"I guess you won't let me participate in the Chunin Exam," The Third Hokage said.
"It is still too early for you," Jiraiya said. "Leave it us and rest. Even if we couldn't fool the Kazekage, there wouldn't be any other trouble."
"Fine, I won't be a stubborn fool anymore," The Third Hokage agreed. "I guess I should pass this to you, Kaen."
The Third Hokage took out a glass container. Kaen took the container with Mangekyo sharingan inside. He recognized the eye immediately. It was Shisui's. At first, Kaen thought of destroying it immediately, as he didn't feel like he deserved the eye, but he couldn't do it. Kotoamatsukami was too powerful of an ability to destroy it. An ability that places opponents under a suggestive genjutsu, making them think their thoughts are their own, might be useful in the future.
…
Kaen returned home after convincing the Third Hokage to leave everything to him. He would need to meet his students before the exams, too. Either way, he needed to review what he would need to do. Even though the jonin of Konoha knew of the Third Hokage's condition, it was still kept under tight lips for the rest of the village.
He still needed to meet Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. They were the council members, so they knew what happened with Danzo and the Third Hokage. They were silent about these matters, but it was probably because they didn't have much say, with Jiraiya and Kaen taking control. Still, it was better to meet them before the test.
Kaen felt a slight breeze as he reviewed the documents on his desk. Looking up, he found Jiraiya before him. The white-haired Sannin entered the room with his usual air of laid-back confidence. But Kaen noticed black bags under his eyes. He hasn't rested for some time, probably since the fight between Danzo and the Third Hokage.
"Busy night, huh?" Jiraiya asked, looking at the papers before Kaen.
"You could say that," Kaen replied, leaning back in his chair. "But it's all in a day's work, I suppose. I should memorize it soon."
"You've taken on the role of the Hokage, haven't you? Impersonating the old man and managing village affairs," Jiraiya chuckled.
"Someone has to do it," Kaen replied. "How is Naruto's training?"
"The brat resembles his mother more than his father," Jiraiya answered. "What he lacks in intelligence, he compensates with his explosive personality and hard work. He should be fine tomorrow."
"So, will you tell me why you are here so late at night, or will we beat around the bush for longer?"
"Well, you got me here," Jiraiya smiled. "You should take the Hokage position after the Chunin Exams."
"Even though it was my plan, it is too early," Kaen replied.
"Plans don't survive long," Jiraiya said. "The Third won't be able to lead the village as he used to. Someone has to take the reigns. I know my master. He won't rest until you officially take his hat. Otherwise, he will worry unnecessarily."
"There are things I need to do before that," Kaen replied.
"Leave Orochimaru to others," Jiraiya knew what Kaen was thinking. "Even if you went for him yourself, you don't know where he is hiding. You will need the help of others either way. So leave it to the shinobi of Konoha."
"I will think about it," Kaen replied.
"That's all I ask," Jiraiya said before leaving. "And one last thing, after the Chunin Exams, I am thinking of finding Tsunade and taking her back to the village."
"I would have suggested it myself," Kaen said. "Remind her of our bet if she refuses to return."
As the conversation with Jiraiya concluded, Kaen was left alone with his thoughts again. The weight of his responsibilities and the challenges that lay ahead were palpable, but he also found solace in the support and guidance his sensei provided. The night was growing darker, and the air held a sense of anticipation as the Chunin Exams approached.
Kaen looked out of the window into the still-awake village. Kaen thought that maybe Jiraiya was right and that he should trust the other shinobi to do some work. Even though Sound was a small village, it was still a hidden shinobi village. Who knew how many experiments Orochimaru had done? It was hard to know the Sound's power, and he alone might be unable to destroy it.
The wind rustled through the open window, bringing a cool breeze into the room. Kaen's Sharingan eyes glinted briefly as he contemplated the path ahead. He knew that the decisions he made now would shape the destiny of Konoha and its inhabitants. So, he needed to think carefully. His priority after the Chunin Exams should be formulating a plan to destroy the Sound and hunt down Orochimaru.
As the night wore on, Kaen finally leaned back in his chair, his mind racing with thoughts and ideas. Tomorrow was a new day filled with promise, challenges, and opportunities. With a sense of determination burning in his chest, he extinguished the lamp, allowing the darkness to envelop him as he finally succumbed to sleep.
A.N. As always, If you want more, up to seven advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852. And if you have any requests for stories, I will only take them on my pa treon.