Resolve and Belief

Inside the Hokage office, the task of cataloging the Uchiha Clan's legacy was nearing its end, and Konoha had completed the full seizure of their assets.

Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the asset inventory and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh: "Uchiha..."

Complex emotions welled up in his heart; in the end, the Third Hokage's personality was less about being deep and calculating, and more about being weak and incompetent.

This man, hailed as the strongest Hokage in the history of textbooks...

Always wandered in contradiction. After the clan extermination, on one hand, he could not resist the temptation of the Uchiha family's vast wealth.

On the other hand, he felt regret and pity for the demise of this top-tier bloodline family that had once dominated Konoha.

Thinking back to the past, how glorious the Uchiha Clan led by Uchiha Madara had been; at that time, they...

Were an existence that made the entire Shinobi World tremble.

Yet now, they had fallen to such a state, reduced to the dust of history.

When it came down to it...

It all started when the First Hokage became the Hokage...

Therefore...

Truly important things must be held firmly in one's own hands.

Before the Third Hokage could continue his deep lamentations, an urgent intelligence scroll was suddenly delivered by Uchiha Itachi.

A faint shock stirred in his heart, and he quickly opened the scroll to read it; the information inside caused his pupils to shrink instantly.

"Uchiha Yuan... awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, his abilities have mutated, and he has triggered the World-Ending Power..."

Hiruzen drew a sharp breath. Could this be the bizarre incident that Hyuga Hiashi had mentioned to him earlier?

He had previously dismissed it as an absurd rumor, but now that it was personally confirmed by Itachi, who had been there, it was truly hard to believe.

"Kakashi."

In an instant, Kakashi, dressed in Anbu attire, appeared inside the Hokage office.

"Bring me the intelligence gathered by the Anbu today."

"Yes..."

Soon, Kakashi flickered and vanished, returning a moment later to place the latest data on the desk.

Opening the report, Hiruzen's expression turned even uglier.

The black market intelligence almost perfectly matched Itachi's, and was even more detailed and specific; clearly, the severity of the situation had far exceeded his expectations.

Just as Hiruzen was filled with suspicion and immersed in the massive shock, the office door was suddenly pushed open. Danzo walked straight in, his face full of dissatisfaction and accusation.

"Hiruzen! Look at the mess you've made as Hokage!"

Danzo spoke coldly, his tone accusing him without the slightest bit of courtesy...

"I told you long ago that the Uchiha Clan was an evil existence from the start. Now that someone has actually awakened a Mangekyo capable of destroying the entire Shinobi World, you, as Hokage, cannot shirk the blame!"

"...?"

Hearing this accusation from Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi's already taut nerves instantly snapped. His brows furrowed, and his rage ignited.

He slammed his head up, glaring fiercely at Danzo, making no effort to hide his anger...

"Shut your mouth! If it weren't for you constantly pushing the Uchiha family into a corner and suppressing them in every way, how could the situation have evolved to this point today?"

Danzo sneered, tit-for-tat, and did not back down: "I was merely inheriting the will of Master Tobirama!"

"After the Nine-Tails Incident, we should have completely purged the Uchiha threat. It was you, this indecisive Hokage, who delayed making the decision, which led to today's catastrophe!"

With one sentence, he firmly pinned the blame on Hiruzen Sarutobi, his words filled with provocation and contempt.

"Shut up!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a roar, nearly slamming his hands on the desk as he stood up!

"Who exactly is the Hokage here? Is it you or me?"

Danzo met his gaze without flinching, responding in a cold voice: "Just a derelict Hokage, that's all."

"Danzo! You are too presumptuous!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was thoroughly enraged; the anger and dissatisfaction that had been accumulating in his heart for so long erupted at this moment.

The atmosphere in the office was tense to the extreme. The two old men glared at each other, the intense hostility and resentment between them almost enough to ignite the air in the room.

"Hiruzen, all you ever do is yell at me!"

After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly closed his eyes slowly and took a deep breath. He finally calmed his anger a little, and his tone became slightly more moderate...

"Enough, now is not the time for arguing. The top priority is to immediately verify the authenticity of the World-Ending intelligence. Where is Uchiha Yuan's body now? We must personally examine it to confirm the truth about the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Hearing Hiruzen's inquiry, Danzo haughtily raised his head: "It's gone."

"What!?"

"What did you say? How could the body be gone!"

"When I sent men to the Uchiha camp to dispose of the body, I found that Yuan's corpse had vanished into thin air, and even several Root ninja had inexplicably gone missing. The Mangekyo Sharingan he left behind also disappeared along with it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned deathly pale, his heart sinking like a stone: "Danzo, just how much have you been hiding from me?!"

Danzo let out a cold sneer: "Hiruzen, I have no need to hide anything from you. At this point, this situation is entirely the result of your own dereliction of duty as Hokage."

"As for Uchiha Yuan... hmph, all of this is simply the consequence of your indulgence."

Hiruzen, who had originally intended to speak with Danzo in a calm state of mind, suddenly flew into a rage...

"You are to dispatch men immediately to investigate the whereabouts of Yuan's corpse, as well as all intelligence regarding his Mangekyo abilities. Do not let a single clue slip by!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi commanded sternly.

Danzo continued to nod with arrogant detachment, then turned and walked away, leaving Hiruzen alone in the vast, chaotic office.

The office fell back into silence and gloom; Hiruzen Sarutobi heaved a heavy sigh, his face etched with exhaustion and anxiety.

Staring at the list of Uchiha assets before him, a bitter and indescribable regret welled up from the depths of his heart.

He finally realized that his past weakness and indecisiveness had indeed sown the seeds for today's crisis.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples wearily.

He felt as though he had aged ten years overnight, with an unconcealable fatigue and unease lingering even in his eyes.

"Kakashi..." he called out in a low voice.

From the shadows behind him, Kakashi reappeared, his mask hiding any trace of expression: "Present."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him, his gaze filled with a mix of trust and helplessness: "Trouble yourself to go and bring Jiraiya back."

Jiraiya maintained a close connection with Mount Myoboku, and the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku had long been renowned throughout the world for his ability to foresee the future.

If there truly were a way to counter the impending meteor catastrophe, that great prophet might be able to provide some critical clues.

"Understood."

Just as Kakashi turned to leave, his footsteps faltered slightly at the door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed his hesitation, looked up at him, and asked in a steady tone: "What is it?"

Kakashi spoke in a low voice, his tone tinged with a hint of bewilderment: "Lord Hokage... will the Shinobi World really be destroyed?"

Hearing this question, Hiruzen Sarutobi jolted, and after a moment of silence, he slowly raised his head, as if he had rediscovered that composure and dignity befitting a Hokage.

"It will not, Kakashi..."

As he spoke, his tone suddenly became exceptionally powerful!

"This world will not end here. So, I ask that you ensure Jiraiya is brought back."

Feeling the resolve and conviction in the Hokage's voice, Kakashi's eyes brightened, and he nodded heavily: "Yes!"