The Third Hokage's Concerns and Kaze's New Plan

Nighttime.

Konoha, Hokage Building.

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was drafting a peace agreement with Kumogakure.

Once both sides signed the agreement.

The village could enjoy a brief period of peace.

"Sigh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but let out a soft sigh.

Of his three disciples, one had defected from the village, one was traveling the world, and one had vanished without a trace.

The Fourth Hokage, on whom he had placed great hopes, had also sacrificed himself on the Night of the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

His own son had yet to mature.

This left his faction in the awkward position of having no successor.

Within his faction was Danzo, who eyed the Hokage's position greedily.

Within the village, the Uchiha Clan had long harbored resentment toward the Konoha leadership's rule.

Whenever he thought of these matters, his head began to ache.

"Once we reach peace with Kumogakure, it will be time to deal with the village's problems."

"Especially the Uchiha Clan's problems."

Hiruzen Sarutobi began considering his next move.

But just then, a knock came from the office door.

"Come in."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, but still ordered the visitor to enter.

The newcomer was none other than an Anbu ninja directly under his command.

The Anbu ninja had black hair, wore an Animal Mask, and carried a short sword on his back.

The moment he entered, he dropped to one knee.

"Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi casually placed something atop the peace agreement and looked directly at the visitor.

"What is it at this late hour?"

Though the man wore a mask, Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized him at once.

He was the Anbu ninja Hiruzen had stationed near the Uchiha Compound to monitor the Uchiha Clan's movements.

For him to come this late, could something have happened at the Uchiha Compound?

Of all times...

The Anbu ninja then reported his discovery in full detail.

Shortly after nightfall, a bolt of lightning had suddenly appeared above the Uchiha Compound.

It had struck directly at the Uchiha Clan Head's home, turning one-third of its roof to ash.

However, the incident had also alarmed the Uchiha Compound.

The Anbu ninja had not had time to investigate the truth and could only retreat for the time being.

But considering that the peace agreement would be signed the day after tomorrow.

He still felt it would be best to inform Lord Hokage.

"One thing is certain: the ninja who unleashed that Lightning Release was very powerful."

The Anbu ninja lowered his head and voiced his assessment.

When that Lightning Release Ninjutsu tore through the sky, he had been nearby.

The Lightning Release alone had a diameter of four or five meters.

Its length had exceeded ten meters.

In the blink of an eye, it crossed dozens of meters of street and blasted apart Fugaku's roof.

"Judging by Lightning Release Ninjutsu alone."

"This person's strength is certainly no less than Captain Kakashi's."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed dramatically.

He suddenly recalled hearing a tremendous boom not long ago.

At the time, he had found it strange that such a huge disturbance had occurred in the village.

Combined with the Anbu ninja's report.

That sound had clearly been the Lightning Release Ninjutsu!

After the Night of the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Uchiha Clan had been driven to the edge of the village.

Whoever the culprit was.

Their strength was anything but ordinary!

At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

"The Raikage is already preparing to sign a peace agreement with us. He would never cause trouble at a time like this."

"Could it be Danzo..."

The face of this "friend" inevitably surfaced in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.

Danzo had always held radical views regarding the Uchiha Clan.

He had even argued that, if necessary, the entire Uchiha Clan should be eliminated to stabilize the village.

And the roof that had been destroyed belonged to Fugaku.

Could this have been a warning sent by Danzo?

"Danzo, Danzo..."

But soon, another thought emerged in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.

What if...

The person who had unleashed that Lightning Release Ninjutsu was not Danzo, but a member of the Uchiha Clan?

"Keep a close watch on the Uchiha Clan's movements."

Only after careful consideration did Hiruzen Sarutobi give the order to the man before him.

At the same time...

He felt it was necessary to ask Shisui about this matter.

Elsewhere.

Uchiha Compound.

After confirming that Kaze was the one who had blown up his roof, Fugaku lifted the compound's alert.

He also told Kaze to be more careful in the future.

When developing new Ninjutsu, he should find somewhere uninhabited.

He should not experiment in densely populated areas.

Fortunately, Kaze lived on the third floor.

If he had been on the first floor and done something like that.

He might have hurt innocent people!

Kaze repeatedly nodded at Fugaku's reminder.

After seeing everyone off, he plopped down onto the Tatami, leaned back, and fell stiffly onto it, sprawled out in the shape of the character for "wood."

As for the hole he had blasted through the wall.

He could only find someone to handle it during the day.

Fortunately, it was summer now, so the hole made the room cooler.

However...

Kaze's heart could not settle down.

Not only could it not settle down, it was like a stone had crashed into a tranquil lake, stirring wave after wave of ripples.

As a Transmigrator, he knew very well what Itachi Uchiha would do a year from now.

Before, because he had possessed no power of his own, he had once felt that his future was bleak.

But now...

The situation was different.

"I never thought the fruit I ate really was the Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit..."

"Though I still can't freely wield the fruit's abilities."

"A year is enough time for me to develop them."

Even so...

Itachi had another ability that Kaze found troublesome.

Following the normal course of events.

By the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, Itachi had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He had evolved an ultimate Genjutsu known as Tsukuyomi.

A Logia fruit might grant immunity to physical attacks, but against Genjutsu that attacked the mind.

It probably would not be so useful.

After giving it serious thought, Kaze felt that if he wanted to survive the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall.

He needed a thorough, airtight plan.

"What if I lead the clan in a coup ahead of time?"

"Not only could we stop the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, I might even become village chief..."

"But how could something like that possibly work?"

"The Konoha leadership's Combat power isn't weak either."

"Shisui and Itachi are both traitors. If we really fight..."

Kaze had originally been considering whether, now that he had power, he should lead his clansmen in a coup.

But just then, inspiration suddenly struck him.

He was a Transmigrator.

Not only did he know something about the Naruto World's future course.

In his previous life, he had received Nine-Year Compulsory Education.

Especially all those political schemes from Flame Country's history.

Using them in this world would be nothing less than overwhelming them from a higher dimension.

He had not used them before because in the face of absolute power, any scheme was merely flashy nonsense.

But now, he had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

His strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation!

"That's right. I don't necessarily need a Bloody Coup to rise to power."

"I can win over other forces and openly run for Fifth Hokage."

"The day Kumogakure signs the peace agreement with Konoha is also the day Kumogakure's leader abducts Hinata."

"Perhaps..."

The more deeply Kaze considered it, the more active his thoughts became.

He could use the opportunity to save Hinata and first win over the Hyuga Clan!