Konoha's Concerns

After receiving the declaration letter from the newly formed Shigaraki Village, four months had passed, and the responses from all parties had been sent and received.

Deep within an underground base in Konoha's Forest of Death, Danzo sat in the Root Headquarters, his lone visible eye glaring as he read the response brought to him by one of his Root ninjas.

Frustration welled up within him, crumpling the letter in his hand, and a simmering rage coursed through him as he cursed Orochimaru with every fiber of his being.

"Daring to not cooperate with me, that Orochimaru," Danzo muttered, tossing the letter aside and rising from his chair. He made his way towards the door, determined to inform Hiruzen about the situation and begin preparing countermeasures against the snake.

Perhaps he could seize this opportunity to bring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki into Root, Danzo thought, leaving the Forest of Death base under the escort of a squad of Root operatives.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage Office within Konoha's Hokage Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat behind his desk, his face etched with worry. Orochimaru's Shigaraki Village had led to the decrease of missions received by Konoha, leaving Hiruzen frustrated.

It was not just the impact on the village that bothered him, but also the pressure from the Land of Fire's Daimyo, as Orochimaru was his former prized pupil.

As Hiruzen contemplated this predicament, smoke wafted through the room from the pipe he held in his hand. The sudden opening of his office door startled him, as he hadn't been informed of anyone's arrival.

However, when he realized it was Danzo, a glimmer of hope flickered within him. He hoped that Danzo had made some progress in communicating with Orochimaru.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Hiruzen spoke with a note of anticipation, "Danzo, I hope you bring me good news."

Contrary to Hiruzen's hopeful expectations, Danzo scowled and responded, "Unfortunately, Hiruzen, your former pupil refuses to communicate because of you. As the Hokage, what do you plan to do about this?" He aimed to exploit the situation to his own advantage.

While on his way to the Hokage Tower, Danzo had dispatched two of his Root operatives to inform the other two elders about the situation, hoping to win them over to his side.

As Danzo relayed the news to Hiruzen, the Third Hokage couldn't help but lower his head and sigh, contemplating the mistakes he might have made with his former students. Orochimaru had become a burden to the village, and Hiruzen regretted not dealing with him years ago. But now, he needed to focus on the present crisis while raising his head.

Before Hiruzen had a chance to respond, the office door swung open without permission once again.

Although he was initially irritated, he immediately recognized the two intruders as Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitocado, his former teammates from their early ninja years, now serving as elders in the village's governing body.

Hiruzen realized that Danzo must have already briefed them on the situation. Koharu, a retired medical ninja responsible for communication with the Daimyo, spoke up first, reminding Hiruzen of the Daimyo's growing frustration and the potential consequence of his continued displeasure.

"Hiruzen, what do you plan to do about Orochimaru and this Shigaraki Village? The Daimyo is still upset, and he's only one step away from demanding your resignation," Koharu emphasized, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Homura, a retired Jonin ninja responsible for Konoha's internal development, joined in with urgency.

"Indeed, Hiruzen. This issue needs to be addressed. Our budget has already been significantly reduced, resulting from fewer missions. We can't allow this to continue," he added, his voice reflecting the sense of urgency shared by the village development team.

Hearing his former teammates' concerns, Hiruzen could feel the weight of the impending problems if they failed to take action. Internally, he cursed Orochimaru once again, but outwardly, he composed himself and spoke up.

"We must establish direct communication with Orochimaru and assess his intentions personally. To thoroughly plan our next steps, I suggest inviting the Shigaraki Village to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams," Hiruzen proposed, taking a pull from his pipe to gather his thoughts.

Before Danzo and the elders could respond, Hiruzen continued, "Over the past few months, the new Shigaraki Village has displayed exceptional seriousness in their mission records and reputation. By taking advantage of that, we can potentially lure Orochimaru to our village while also gaining a closer look at these new Shigaraki ninjas," he explained, releasing a stream of smoke from his nostrils.

Koharu and Homura remained silent, contemplating Hiruzen's proposal and acknowledging the validity of his points, considering the recent intelligence reports on the Shigaraki ninjas. However, Danzo, realizing he was losing the support of the other two elders, quickly interjected with a skeptical tone.

"How can you be so sure this isn't a ploy by Orochimaru to destroy Konoha? You can't seriously be considering allowing him to enter Konoha through the exams," Danzo questioned Hiruzen, his tone filled with accusation.

Not taking kindly to Danzo's tone, Hiruzen released a portion of his chakra, causing a strong pressure to descend upon the small office, affecting Danzo and the two elders. His brow furrowed, Hiruzen glared at Danzo and asserted his authority.

"Danzo, you forget yourself. I am the Third Hokage, not you. If I say we are going to invite the Shigaraki Village to the Chunin Exams, it means I have a plan," Hiruzen said firmly, his eyes filled with determination.

Feeling the pressure of Hiruzen's chakra and recalling his own ambition, Danzo experienced a wave of anger and fear. Adding to that, the fact that their sensei, the Second Hokage, had chosen Hiruzen over him fueled his frustration. Realizing the situation, Danzo decided to remain silent and back down for now.

"Alright, Hiruzen. You've made your point. Stop releasing your chakra and tell us your plan," Koharu intervened, accustomed to the dynamic between Hiruzen and Danzo over the past few decades and often serving as the voice of reason.

Hiruzen withdrew his chakra pressure, regaining his composure. He picked up his pipe once again, taking a pull and releasing a stream of smoke before elaborating on his plan.

"First, as the host of the Chunin Exams, we will have the advantage of the home field. Second, we can extend invitations to our allied smaller villages once it becomes known that the Shigaraki Village has been invited. And finally, with these factors in place, we can establish a means of communication and deter any of Orochimaru's ulterior motives," Hiruzen explained confidently, believing in the effectiveness of his plan.

Homura, seizing the opportunity, followed up on Hiruzen's statement. "I understand the risks, but perhaps we could rely on the Sand Village, since we signed the treaty with them after the last war, by inviting them into an alliance and offering certain benefits in case of a battle with Orochimaru," he suggested.

Koharu, in agreement, added her thoughts. "Additionally, we should send someone to locate Tsunade and have Jiraiya bring her back before the exams, even if she initially refuses. Having Tsunade Senju back in the village would greatly help, despite her current hemophobia. Her presence would act as a powerful deterrent," she suggested, recognizing the significance of Tsunade's return.

Hiruzen nodded in agreement to both Homura and Koharu's suggestions, acknowledging their input. "Very well. We will proceed accordingly, preparing for the Chunin Exams and taking these measures. Together, we shall safeguard Konoha," he declared with a renewed sense of determination.

Danzo, still determined to take advantage of the situation, spoke up once again, suggesting that Hiruzen should turn over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to Root. He claimed that he could transform the young boy into a weapon to protect Konoha, emphasizing the supposed need for the village's safety.

Homura and Koharu remained silent, refusing to take a side in the debate surrounding the fate of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. They understood that this was a personal dispute that had been ongoing since the attack five years ago.

Hearing Danzo's request for Naruto Uzumaki, the young blonde boy with whisker marks and the Nine-Tails within him, Hiruzen couldn't help but recall the rumors and allegations of him being a demon fox, which Danzo had played a part in spreading. Hiruzen was determined not to let Naruto fall into Danzo's hands, but he also knew that they could no longer afford to keep the boy weak in the face of their current circumstances.

Looking directly at Danzo, Hiruzen sighed and responded with exhaustion in his voice, "No, Danzo. I will not turn Naruto over to you, so you can turn him into one of your emotionless puppets. I owe his father, my previous successor, more than that. I won't let his only son become an empty vessel."

Continuing his statement, Hiruzen declared, "I will involve Jiraiya, who is currently in the village, to train Naruto. As his godfather, Jiraiya will take care of him. And when Jiraiya goes to retrieve Tsunade after, I will personally train Naruto myself. I promise you, Naruto will become a force for good and protect this village," he affirmed, radiating confidence as he stared directly at Danzo.

Danzo was about to respond, but Hiruzen cut him off, speaking loudly and firmly, "And whose fault is it that the village treated Naruto the way they did? Don't act like we don't all know who leaked an S-Class secret to the village," Hiruzen's voice filled with anger as he recalled the mistreatment Naruto had endured.

The boy had been kicked out of the orphanage at the tender age of four after the news of his status as the Jinchuriki had leaked. It was only six months later that an Anbu reported finding Naruto malnourished and living on the streets, eating discarded food.

Danzo, hearing the tone in Hiruzen's response, realized that he was not going to succeed in getting Naruto into Root. He reluctantly fell silent, accepting that he would not have his way in this matter.

However, Koharu, listening to Hiruzen's plan of personally training Naruto, felt the need to voice her concern. "Hiruzen, while I agree that Jiraiya should be involved in the boy's training, as Hokage, you must maintain the favor of the people. Naruto has become the scapegoat for the village's hatred, and it would not be wise for the Hokage to be seen openly associating with him. The people's hatred may turn towards you," she cautioned, reminding Hiruzen of the political implications.

Feeling a wave of guilt wash over him for the mistreatment Naruto had endured, Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh. He understood Koharu's point and the delicate position he was in as Hokage.

"I understand your concerns, Koharu. I will assign Kakashi Hatake to train Naruto since he was his father's student. I am aware of Kakashi's psychological issues, but I will handle that matter. Let us end the discussion here," he said, his voice tinged with sadness, knowing the weight of responsibility of caring for Naruto.

Hearing Hiruzen's decision, both Koharu and Homura were satisfied with the preliminary plan they had formulated. Recognizing that there were no further opportunities for action, Danzo remained silent and joined Koharu and Homura in leaving the Hokage's office. Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, lighting up his pipe once again.

As the Third Hokage watched his old teammates depart, he couldn't help but feel a sense of lamentation over the heightened paperwork that would come with this decision. He would need to inform both Jiraiya and Kakashi of their new roles and responsibilities.

Hiruzen knew it might require some convincing, especially with Kakashi due to his psychological state, but he was resolved to make it work. He knew that once he mentioned Orochimaru, Jiraiya would likely be fully on board, even if the boy reminded him of his former student, the Fourth Hokage.

Hiruzen also recognized that convincing Kakashi to take on the serious role of teaching Naruto would require additional effort. However, understanding the significance of the task at hand, he was determined to make it happen.

Now, the next step was to plan for the upcoming Chunin Exams in the next four months. Hiruzen understood that the fate of Konoha could very well depend on the outcome of these exams.