Change

Indeed.

No Kakashi Hatake.

At this critical moment of shifting winds within Konoha's walls, he was at the cemetery sweeping his father's grave.

Wind swept the clouds away, leaves scattered in the air.

In the distance, explosions rang out one after another.

But here, it was eerily quiet.

"Father... if it were you, you would definitely help the Hokage, wouldn't you?" Kakashi's voice came through his mask.

He seemed to be speaking to a stone monument.

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth, as if laughing at himself, or at something else: "But in the end, I'm not you."

If it were an enemy invasion, he wouldn't hesitate for a moment—he'd charge straight into battle, even if it meant dying on the battlefield.

But now?

Just a civil war within Konoha.

Whether it was the Three Ninja or the Hokage's direct line, they were all legitimate Konoha shinobi.

Who was he supposed to help?

In theory, Kakashi drew his pay from the Third Hokage, so he should side with the Hokage faction.

Yet for some reason, he couldn't muster the slightest fighting spirit, nor any urge to act.

Jiraiya's speech on the main street had also reached his ears.

Perhaps what Kakashi wanted was exactly the same as those helpless civilians.

"Konoha White Fang, Hatake Sakumo..."

"A renowned powerhouse who shook the ninja world, an elite who killed countless enemies, abandoned a mission to save his comrades, couldn't bear the gossip, and ultimately took his own life..."

Kakashi's voice carried a hint of sorrow.

"A kid like Naruto Uzumaki faced an even harsher environment from childhood."

"If even he could make it, my father... were you worse than a child?"

The past was the past, and no one could sort out the truth of those days anymore.

But this knot in his heart left Kakashi unable to find a reason to step forward.

"Looks like... it's over?"

He noticed that the explosions seemed to...

have suddenly died down.

The Hokage faction had lost.

And it was a crushing defeat, a complete defeat, a defeat with no power to fight back!

The chunin and jonin were caught off guard by a group of young people backing the Three Ninja, who hit them with all kinds of bizarre jutsu. One wrong step led to another, and they were pushed back until their chakra and stamina were completely drained.

The only two bright spots were a elite jonin and a genin who had graduated just a year ago.

Might Guy and Rock Lee!

The other comrades had already lost their will to fight, but these two alone radiated chakra like tangible flames, swirling and surging without end, their presence utterly terrifying.

"Ohhh!!! This is youth, Lee!" Might Guy blazed with light and flame, his style completely different from everyone around him.

The chakra exploding from Lee evaporated all the sweat and tears on his body: "Yes, Sensei!!"

The two melon-heads, big and small, moved each other to tears and snot, hugging and weeping, looking utterly ridiculous—but the ninja surrounding them didn't dare underestimate them in the slightest.

Hozuki Suigetsu's shattered half of his head turned to water and slowly regenerated, his voice trembling: "Are these two monsters? I almost died just now!"

He couldn't even tell which one had attacked him.

His body couldn't keep up, his eyes couldn't keep up, even his thoughts couldn't keep up!

Kabuto Yakushi spat out two teeth, activated the Mystical Palm Technique, and pressed it against his broken jaw, his voice slurred: "I'm fine. Kimimaro, how about you?"

Not far away, Kimimaro and Jugo stood back to back, their bodies covered in pipe-like black patterns, clearly having unleashed the Stage Two Cursed Seal.

He clutched his chest and abdomen, expressionless: "Six ribs broken, minor internal organ damage. I can continue fighting."

As for Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon, Jirobo, Kidomaru, Akado Yoroi, Zaku Abumi, Dosu Kinata, Kido Tsumiki, Kinu Tsuchi...

These Small Fry with weaker combat power were already lying in a mess on the ground, the only difference being that some were completely crippled, while others were merely unconscious.

Hozuki Suigetsu finally calmed down and couldn't help snorting: "Trash is trash. Lord Orochimaru used precious materials from other worlds to strengthen and modify them, and they can't even block a single attack! Too bad I don't have a suitable weapon. If I could get the Kubikiribōchō..."

Orochimaru had changed a lot recently, and even the once-rebellious Hozuki Suigetsu had finally submitted under Scientific Conditioning.

This battle was his letter of fealty.

"Enough! Everyone stop!"

The Third Hokage's aged voice suddenly rang out.

Yet no one in the field obeyed his command.

The ninjas from the Sound Village only followed Orochimaru and Tsunade's orders, while the Konoha ninjas who were willing to listen found themselves unable to stop even if they wanted to, forced to fight back.

Still, his words had some effect. Orochimaru, who had been relentlessly pressing him, suddenly withdrew, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze fell on Tsunade and Jiraiya, like a furious aging lion king: "Disciples, why don't you make a move?"

Tsunade crossed her arms, standing proudly: "We're just doing what's right. Dealing with you, Orochimaru alone is enough."

After becoming a Reincarnator, Orochimaru's entire combat power center of gravity had long since shifted, mostly focused on scientific ninja tools, bio-modifications, and Scientific Ninjutsu.

And now, relying solely on the 15% combat power boost from the team contract, Orochimaru could already suffocate the Third Hokage without using a single trump card.

With such an overwhelming advantage, how could he lose?

Impossible to lose!

"Teacher Sarutobi, before we fight, I just want to ask one thing."

Jiraiya's emotional intelligence clearly wasn't high enough to grasp the leading lady's mental directive.

Drowned in sorrow, his eyes fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi: "You're the Hokage! Can't you even take care of a single child?"

His words were vague, but the Third Hokage understood.

Having stood on the moral high ground, his momentum suddenly faltered: "I had my reasons."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt bitter inside.

People had their close and distant ties. Naruto's relationship with him was, after all, one step removed, while Danzo, Koharu, and Homura were his comrades from life-and-death battles back in the day.

Sometimes, he had to make choices.

"Reasons?"

Jiraiya finally grew angry. To his straightforward mind, black was black, white was white, and those in the middle were unreliable fence-sitters: "What did Naruto do to wrong Konoha? Or did Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage, Naruto's father, do something to harm Konoha that requires the son to pay the father's debt?"

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face flushed red and pale by turns.

Silent for a long time, he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

After a while, his lips trembled, and he said weakly: "For the sake of Konoha..."

"Heh."

Orochimaru's cold laugh cut off the Third's forced argument. "Everything for the village. I've heard that sanctimonious nonsense from the old farts so much I'm sick of it."

Why was Naruto's childhood so miserable?

Some thought it was all Danzo's doing, but as Hokage, if the Third didn't tacitly allow it, who would dare bully the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? Did they really think that if Naruto's mentality shattered and the seal cracked, Kurama wouldn't kill?

Gilding the lily, others might not remember your kindness; offering fuel in snowy weather, they'll remember your favor.

That was the Third's thinking, and it was what he had done all these years.

In truth, this was playing with fire. If Naruto hadn't been influenced by Asura Chakra since childhood, naturally inclined toward kindness, Konoha might have GG'd in laughter and joy years ago.

"Tch... Jiraiya, you idiot..."

Tsunade sighed, her gaze sharpening: "Then let's go together! Finish this quickly!"

Moments later, everything was settled.

That day, Wind Rises in the Land of Fire, Konoha's banner changed hands, power shifted.

There's still one more chapter before 12:30.