Chapter 437

They were Konoha's famous young leading ninjas, Senju Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.

"The three of you, prepare yourselves."

"The war is about to come, and this time I intend to let the three of you lead the army to set off."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the three disciples in front of him, his expression full of seriousness.

"Why us three, old man?"

Orochimaru asked Sarutobi Hiruzen in a cold and hoarse voice, with a bit of confusion in his eyes.

At this moment, Konoha was full of talent; even if ranked from top to bottom, whether in terms of seniority or strength, it shouldn't have been the three of them.

"Recently, the small nations nearby have been a bit restless, and the Uchiha and Hyuga have already been sent to quell the riots in the small nations."

"Homura and Koharu are not convenient to lead the army now, and Danzo and I need to sit in the village to prevent any accidents."

"Overall, only the three of you are the most suitable candidates."

"Besides..."

"If I don't seize the time to temper you, how can I retire with peace of mind in the future?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen said unhurriedly, a meaningful look appearing in his eyes.

And regarding this meaningful look from Sarutobi Hiruzen, not to mention Jiraiya and Tsunade, Orochimaru seemed to understand something, and a flash of heat first crossed his eyes.

Regarding Sarutobi Hiruzen's almost "explicit" hint, how could Orochimaru not understand?

Go to the battlefield, get war merits, accumulate prestige, and then...

Become the Hokage!!!

Thinking of this, the heat in Orochimaru's eyes became more and more obvious.

Among all the ninjas in Konoha, who doesn't want to sit in the position of Hokage? Even Orochimaru at this time could not be an exception.

Now, Orochimaru, who had not yet seen through Sarutobi Hiruzen's true face, still had an unrealistic fantasy about becoming Hokage at this moment.

It is no wonder that under Sarutobi Hiruzen's such obvious "painting of a pie," it would be strange if Orochimaru were not moved.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru looked around at his side.

Although Tsunade was of noble birth, as a woman, before this, there had been no talk of a woman ascending to become the Kage of a country; for Tsunade to ascend, it would naturally be extremely difficult.

And Jiraiya...

Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya, who was picking his nose beside him, and a trace of relaxation flashed in his eyes.

No matter how one looked at it, he, Orochimaru, was the best candidate for the next Hokage.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru was full of hope and longing for this expedition.

With Sarutobi Hiruzen's methods, it was naturally impossible to leave any flaws at this time; in order to let the three of them lead the army legitimately, he had already found all the reasons.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice fell, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at the three of them embarrassedly, revealing a kind smile.

But if one looked closely, one could see a trace of depth in the eyes of the two.

And Shimura Danzo, on the other side, was sitting in place without saying a word, just like a wax figure.

Ever since it was determined that he had nothing to do with participating in the war, Shimura Danzo had been in such a state of being unconcerned.

Seeing this, a trace of realization flashed in Tsunade's eyes; as the most excellent medical ninja in Konoha today, she naturally knew that Utatane Koharu was currently pregnant.

After all, not long ago, Tsunade, who had just returned from the Land of Iron, was invited by Utatane Koharu for a consultation.

Among the three, only Jiraiya's eyes flashed with a serious look.

Coincidentally, whether it was Tsunade, Jiraiya, or Orochimaru.

The three of them had just finished their work and returned to Konoha.

Before this, Orochimaru led the army to confront the Sand ninjas at the border of the Land of Rivers.

Tsunade first went to the Land of Rain to investigate intelligence, and then went to the Land of Iron to purchase weapons.

And Jiraiya had always been "studying abroad" at Mount Myoboku.

In other words, the three of them had not seen each other for a long time.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya had been old rivals for many years; although the two loved and killed each other, they still maintained a posture of ignoring each other on the surface at this moment.

And whenever Jiraiya's gaze shifted to Tsunade, there would always be a trace of imperceptible admiration and love in his eyes.

Perhaps it was an illusion, or perhaps they hadn't seen each other for too long.

Jiraiya always felt that Tsunade at this moment seemed to have a bit less strength and a bit more of the feminine charm and gentleness, and her charm seemed to have ascended another level.

Especially the mature charm between her brows and eyes made Jiraiya even more moved.

Unfortunately...

Jiraiya knew that with his status and position, he was not worthy of Tsunade.

The other party was destined to be the woman he could look at but never reach in this lifetime.