Chapter 121: The Fifth Hokage!

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*Konoha Village.*

*Hokage's Office.*

Jiraiya sat in the office, feeling utterly bored as he looked at the mountain of scrolls piled up before him, all filled with pending approvals.

"This is such a hassle!"

Jiraiya was holding a pen, scribbling a love story—the one Kakashi liked most—into his little red book.

Knock knock knock...

At that moment, a knock sounded at the office door.

"Come in!"

Jiraiya stretched lazily. He was eagerly anticipating the return of the Third Hokage; the position of Hokage was truly not a job for humans.

Since taking on the role temporarily, Jiraiya hadn't had time to pick up his binoculars.

No materials.

No inspiration!

Jiraiya felt that being Hokage was like being imprisoned, stuck here without any escape.

Creeeak!

With the sound of the door creaking open, a figure entered the Hokage's office—none other than the man in orange-red armor, Senju Hashirama.

"First Hokage-sama!"

Jiraiya's eyes lit up immediately. He jumped from his chair and looked at Hashirama with a gleaming expression, as if seeing a chance for release from his current predicament.

"You've finally returned!"

Jiraiya's eyes were almost filled with tears. He had never longed for anything so much before.

"Mm."

Hashirama nodded, looking Jiraiya up and down. He noticed that Jiraiya's smile was tinged with a bitter, pained undertone and that he seemed uncomfortable.

It seemed he had misunderstood before.

Jiraiya wasn't just reluctant to be the Fifth Hokage after his disciple became the Fourth; he simply wasn't suited for the position.

"How are you adjusting to being Hokage?"

Hashirama asked knowingly, feigning ignorance with a smile, as he continued to stare at Jiraiya.

"Well... it's... not too bad..."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched. He couldn't say he disliked it; after all, the person in front of him was the First Hokage and Tsunade's grandfather!

"You haven't been in this position long, and it's only temporary, so you probably don't feel much sense of belonging. But that's okay. I plan to appoint you as the Fifth Hokage soon."

Hashirama said with a beaming smile.

As the saying goes,

A forced gourd is not sweet.

But...

Even a forced gourd is still a gourd; it's still edible!

"Uh... well... First Hokage-sama... I..."

Jiraiya was utterly stunned. The situation had taken a turn so suddenly that even someone who had written millions of words could hardly find the right way to refuse.

The problem was the speaker's identity was too special.

If the person talking was the Third Hokage or one of Konoha's advisors, Jiraiya would have rejected the offer on the spot, simply stating it wasn't appropriate.

Even if forced, he could just walk away.

But now...

The person speaking was the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. The usual methods wouldn't work here; he would need to find another way.

"Be happy! Becoming Hokage is the lifelong dream of many ninjas in the village. But don't get too excited; this is just the beginning. The days ahead are long!"

Hashirama approached Jiraiya and gently patted him on the shoulder.

The touch of his hand was devoid of warmth.

It rested lightly on Jiraiya's shoulder.

There was no real strength behind it.

Yet to Jiraiya, it felt like an immense burden, almost making him collapse to the floor.

Heavens!

Such a harsh reality.

He thought it was over.

And now it's just beginning?

Is this even livable?

Jiraiya felt like he was losing his mind. For the sake of his freedom, his research, and to contribute more love stories for his readers...

Jiraiya decided he had to resist Hashirama's offer.

"First Hokage-sama, I appreciate your kindness, but I don't think I'm suited for this position..."

Before Jiraiya could finish, Hashirama interrupted him.

"There's no need to be modest with me!" Hashirama said with a smile.

"It's not modesty..."

Jiraiya was at a loss for words, feeling a sense of helplessness. He couldn't be too direct about his true feelings, especially when addressing the First Hokage, who was also Tsunade's grandfather.

He couldn't exactly tell the First Hokage that he wanted to use his free time to spy on hot springs with binoculars...

That was definitely not an option!

If he said that, his chances with Tsunade would be completely ruined!

"First Hokage-sama, I genuinely believe my abilities might not be enough for the Hokage position..."

Jiraiya tried to decline again, his previously bitter expression softening. He had to consider Hashirama's feelings and couldn't afford to come across as annoying.

"Jiraiya, you need to have confidence in yourself. Your abilities are more than sufficient for the role of Hokage."

"Look at your teacher, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. When he took on the role of Hokage, it was during the Great Ninja War. Yet he managed to do it and held the position for many years."

"Then look at your student, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. After the war, he took on a Konoha Village that was in ruins."

"If your teacher could do it, and your student could do it, then surely you can do it too."

Hashirama's words were heavy with meaning, leaving Jiraiya speechless. He couldn't simply say he didn't want the position!

He couldn't say that!

"This is the first thing I wanted to discuss with you. Now, onto the second matter."

Hashirama shifted the topic, not giving Jiraiya any chance to further refuse.

"Uh..."

Jiraiya's mouth twitched, feeling utterly defeated. After living a carefree life for so long, he found himself trapped in the Hokage position.

There was no escaping it!

Damn it!

Jiraiya was already considering potential candidates for the Sixth Hokage, hoping to find a way out of this burden soon.

"I've heard you've been tracking Orochimaru and discovered an organization called Akatsuki, which consists of rogue ninjas. Am I correct?"

Hashirama fixed his gaze on Jiraiya. According to the timeline in the anime, at this point, Sasuke Uchiha had already defected.

Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki had already appeared.

The mysterious veil of the Akatsuki organization was slowly being lifted.

"Yes, First Hokage-sama, you're aware of this?"

Jiraiya's expression grew serious. His years outside the village weren't just for gathering material for his books; he had been involved in extensive intelligence work as well.

"Do not investigate the Akatsuki any further. Leave that to me. From now on, you should focus more on the village."

Hashirama commanded in a tone that brooked no argument.

There was no need for Jiraiya to continue the investigation. After all, Hashirama already knew all the relevant information.

This directive made sense.

If Jiraiya were firmly entrenched as Hokage, he would inevitably have Konoha's resources dedicated to investigating Akatsuki.

It was better to focus on managing the village efficiently rather than wasting time and effort on investigations.

(End of Chapter)