Shinobi Hero Hiruzen Sarutobi!

As night gradually fell, the Uchiha Compound remained brightly lit.

Well-equipped Uchiha ninjas stood guard on the rooftop, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

A sense of oppression immediately enveloped them. Most of the Genin within the Uchiha Clan were unaware of what was happening, only knowing that it was the clan leader's order.

However, when the Uchiha Clan learned that the spy monitoring their clan had been removed, they immediately showed expressions of anger and satisfaction.

The middle- Jōnin vaguely knew something; it seemed the assassination of the former clan chief was related to the village, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Within the clan's territory.

Shibi Aburame arrived at the Uchiha Compound with two Jōnin members from her clan.

"Clan Chief, the recent incidents Shin'nosuke Sarutobi and the two tragedies at the Fire Temple have caused widespread panic in the Land of Land of Fire. The Aburame Clan is just a small clan, and it just so happens that the two clans' territories are adjacent. Today, the Aburame Clan has become arrogant and wants to seek the protection of the Uchiha Clan."

Although Shibi Aburame is usually taciturn and has no presence, she is, after all, the head of a clan, and her communication skills are not as bad as one might imagine.

That's the power of language; it directly refers to two incidents within the Land of Fire. Actually, there was another incident: the assassination of Uchiha Fugaku, but that couldn't be mentioned in front of the Uchiha.

The meaning is simple: the Aburame Clan is no match for the Fire Temple, much less for the Uchiha. Even the Hokage's eldest son has run into trouble, so naturally, the Aburame clan is filled with unease.

The two clans happened to be neighbors, and the Aburame Clan, due to their secret insect-raising techniques, were already scattered and unable to protect themselves. Therefore, they swallowed their pride and wanted to settle in the Uchiha Compound.

Tsk tsk, after all that, she didn't lose any face at all. As for those who say the Aburame Clan is spineless? The Fire Temple, which has no backbone, was wiped out, and the eldest son of the Third Hokage was killed. Who would dare to say they're tough?

"Security issues within Konoha are the responsibility of the Konoha Military Police Force. Now that so many things have happened, it is the responsibility of our Uchiha Clan. The Aburame Clan may move in."

Uchiha Yoru was equally adept at polite words, and he spoke with an air of righteous indignation in front of everyone.

"It just so happens that the Konoha Military Police Force is being reorganized, Aburame Clan ninjas can join the Konoha Military Police Force. The Uchiha and all Konoha Ninjas are originally one family, so as the saying goes, we don't speak two languages when we're all in the same family."

Uchiha Yoru turned around and solemnly addressed one of the clan's elite members. "Uchiha Tekka, you will personally oversee the settlement of the Aburame Clan. Do not be careless; ensure that the Aburame Clan feels the warmth of home here."

"Yes!"

Before anyone could react, Uchiha Yoru turned to another person and gave them a meaningful instruction. "The Konoha Military Police Force has discovered clues about unidentified ninjas in the Aburame Clan's territory. You are to lead a police squad to investigate on your own. You absolutely cannot make any mistakes."

"Yes!"

Good heavens! Upon hearing the second half of that sentence, Shibi Aburame's lips twitched. He cursed inwardly how shameless this was, as it was a blatant attempt to claim the Aburame Clan's territory under the Uchiha's name.

Naturally, the Uchiha Clan, with their established resources, wouldn't even consider this territory. But the problem is, the Aburame Clan can't do that; they need to raise insects, and that's where this lush area comes in.

The Uchiha wants to completely bind them to their war machine.

Although she was prepared, the other party's shameless methods still made Shibi Aburame secretly alarmed. The young man in front of her was as cunning as the Third Hokage, and was a mature politician.

At the same time, he felt a secret sense of relief. Lord Orochimaru valued this disciple so much and was training him in this way; this was clearly a preparation for the next Hokage.

Does this mean that Orochimaru had already prepared for the next Hokage? If two of the other Sannin rise to power this time, and Orochimaru returns, with the Sannin's influence, Uchiha clan will definitely be Hokage of the Sannin faction, and the Aburame Clan will also benefit.

After the matter of the Aburame Clan was settled, Elder Setsuna was somewhat shocked. For so many years, the clan had been suppressed, but suddenly it seemed that they were on the verge of turning the tables.

First Hyuga Aburame Clan— the Uchiha now has two allies, no longer the weak and isolated clan it once was.

All of this happened too fast. Uchiha Yoru naturally noticed the elder's bewilderment and said quietly, "All schemes are based on power."

"Without power, even the deepest scheming is nothing more than a game within the rules of the chessboard. Only by possessing the power to turn the tide will your opponent treat you as an equal."

Uchiha Yoru's profound words caused Elder Setsuna to tremble, and a look of sudden realization seemed to appear in his cloudy old eyes.

The Uchiha was not on equal footing with the Hokage's higher-ups.

"Is this the power of the Mangekyo?!"

Seeing Elder Setsuna's muttering expression, Uchiha Yoru shook his head. This Shinobi World was far inferior in this regard.

Mangekyo is like a nuclear weapon—a powerful deterrent. When are nuclear weapons most threatening and frightening?

The answer is clear: nuclear weapons have been loaded onto the launchers and are aimed at specific individuals. The period before launch is when they are most effective as a deterrent.

Hiding it away has no deterrent effect, while revealing it is like leaving it to gather dust in a warehouse, which greatly reduces its deterrent effect, and the enemy may even constantly test your bottom line.

On the other hand, loading the Mangekyo directly clearly shows that you've been bullied and you're going to retaliate. This instantly intimidates the enemy, because they weren't even planning to fight you to the death.

Inside the Hokage Building.

As night fell, the Konoha F4 looked grim after receiving news from the Aburame Clan.

This time, it wasn't that they lost in terms of tactics; it was simply that they had all their plans aligned. Border Instability, turmoil in the Daimyo's Mansion, and other issues had all tied them down.

With Konoha in turmoil, they dare not even imagine whether other ninja villages might take advantage of the situation and try to take a bite out of them. If it were them, they would definitely have such thoughts.

"Sarutobi, Konoha cannot afford any more turmoil now."

"Yes, Danzo has already taken care of it. Now that they have enjoyed the benefits, they should naturally bear the responsibilities they should bear."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu took turns comforting Third Hokage, as they certainly didn't want to see their old friend collapse at this moment.

So many things weighed on this sixty-year-old man, and he had just experienced the pain of losing his son. At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his brow wearily and smoked his pipe in a haggard manner.

"The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans enjoy the benefits they receive, so it's only right that they lend a hand when trouble arises. What I'm worried about now isn't the opinions of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, but rather the problems of the Uchiha Clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi his head, his eyes filled with exhaustion. He had too many things to deal with. As for the opinions of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans? Nobody was a fool. If problems arose, they would naturally share the burden. Did they expect him to only want the benefits and then hide when it came to contributing?

Dream on.

"Danzo shouldn't have been in such a hurry to attack Fugaku."

At this moment, Utatane Koharu remembered how good Fugaku was when he was around, and a look of regret immediately appeared on her face. How much better the Uchiha was before! Every now and then they would give her an ugly look, and the Uchiha Clan would not dare to say a word and could only suffer in silence.

But now, Fugaku's assassination is like someone slapping the Uchiha in the face. They were immediately enraged, their eyes turning red as they glared at everyone, determined to find the person who slapped them in the face and get their revenge.

To put it bluntly, when Fugaku was around, they were like frogs being slowly boiled in water. The sudden assassination attempt was like someone pouring a small pot of boiling water on them, which naturally made the frogs jump up.

"At this point, it's not a matter of pursuing Danzo's mistakes. Besides, Fugaku's Mangekyou Mangekyo is hidden far too deeply. It's only right that Danzo took action when he had suspicions."

Mitokado Homura, however, disagreed. He believed Danzo's actions were correct, but the timing was wrong. If Konoha were peaceful, what would have happened if they had acted? They would have eliminated a major threat.

Looking at the two, Hiruzen Sarutobi a thick cloud of smoke and said hoarsely, "Fugaku's Mangekyo is indeed troublesome. Fortunately, Danzo his move; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable at the crucial moment."

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that this crucial moment was when the conflict between the village and the Uchiha was at its most intense, and when Fugaku revealed Mangekyo Mangekyou Sharingan, it would be a momentous event.

The hidden Mangekyo was a destabilizing factor for them, while the exposed Mangekyo, though intimidating, also prepared them psychologically.

It's like this: if you don't have Mangekyo (knife), I'd dare to go to your doorstep, throw excrement, and curse you. But if you suddenly tell everyone you have Mangekyo (weapon), naturally people will at most just go to your doorstep and curse you; they wouldn't dare throw excrement, in case it turns into a fight.

This illustrates the difference between displaying and concealing weapons as a deterrent; there are advantages and disadvantages.

The downside is that once they actually make a move, even if they're not entirely confident, they'll definitely be prepared for the Mangekyo, and it won't be a trump card for turning the tide anymore.

"Sarutobi, first and foremost, appease the Uchiha Clan. The village can't afford any major unrest."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even raise his head, and said weakly and hoarsely, "The Uchiha Clan spies should be withdrawn for now. The most important thing now is to stabilize the Border Instability and deal with the matters of the Daimyo's Mansion."

Upon hearing the Daimyo's Mansion, Mitokado Homura frowned and shook his head, saying, "The matter of the Fire Temple, along with the disagreements among the Twelve Shinobi, have caused extreme dissatisfaction within the Daimyo's Daimyo's Mansion. Furthermore, these upheavals have led to the Daimyo's extreme discontent."

"The daimyo used this as an excuse to divert 20% of the funds to rebuild the Fire Temple, which led to all the ninja monks of the Fire Temple defecting to the Daimyo's Mansion."

They were also having a headache. The Fire Temple was definitely a powerful force, and they had finally managed to gather a group of people, but this time the Fire Temple was destroyed.

The lord was furious when he first saw the news, but then a hint of joy appeared on his face.

The Fire Temple was destroyed, but its power remains. After all, the ninja monks also need to carry out missions and even guard temples in various places on the orders of the Daimyo's Mansion. To put it bluntly, they are still a force, only their stronghold was destroyed.

But right now, the Fire Temple faction faces a problem: how to revitalize the Fire Temple! Where will the money come from? Where will the fame come from?

In short, the Fire Temple was so easily destroyed that the daimyo has begun to question its legitimacy. If they want to rebuild the daimyo's Daimyo's Mansion with the daimyo's support, they'll need a pledge of loyalty. Their previous duplicity is no longer acceptable.

The daimyo wasn't stupid; he didn't use his own money and resources to raise a bunch of ungrateful wretches. As a result, everyone in the Fire Temple had no choice but to side with the Daimyo's Mansion and completely stand on the daimyo's side.

The Daimyo's Mansion, ironically, benefited from the misfortune, gaining complete control of the Fire Temple, such an important force.

"Let Asuma return first, and have Root lie low for now."

After analyzing the pros and cons, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a hoarse voice, and Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, the signs of division among the Twelve Ninja have affected many, but they've also given themselves away. The Daimyo is now dissatisfied with Konoha, so we really can't go down now."

They were aware of the plan Danzo's Root was carrying out against the Daimyo's Mansion, and even quite approved of it. After all, when it comes to stirring up trouble, they could at most play the role of fanning the flames.

But these are turbulent times, and they are already overwhelmed with problems.

However, at that moment, after an Anbu brought back some intelligence, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, as if he had experienced too much and his ability to accept information had greatly increased.

"The Twelve Guardian Shinobi of the Daimyo's Mansion have now split into two factions due to internal conflicts."

Upon hearing Sarutobi's words, Mitokado Homura frowned, then shook his head and said, "Recall Asuma, sever all of Root's connections, and have them go into hiding. Don't provoke the Daimyo's Mansion at this time."

"Good. Let's stabilize the border situation first, and wait until the village is completely settled before we make our next move."

Utatane Koharu agreed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in agreement, though his expression was somewhat grim. He looked up at the two of them and hoarsely uttered the words that had been weighing on his mind.

"Is Shinnosuke's situation really unrelated to Root?"

With just that one sentence, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's expressions immediately changed. They had been deliberately avoiding the topic, but they hadn't expected it to be brought up again.

At this moment, the two also fell silent. The four of them had experienced countless hardships since childhood, and it was precisely this tacit understanding of trust that had enabled Konoha to develop to its current state. But now, a major crisis of trust had emerged.

"Danzo never gave up on the Hokage Position, and he had that motive."

Shinnosuke was, after all, his own son. Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi was a tyrannical Shinobi Hero, even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs; how could he not love his son dearly?

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi made an objective statement, saying that Danzo had this motive, something that Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were both aware of.

"Sarutobi." Utatane Koharu's throat went dry when he talked about this, but he suppressed his inner turmoil, not wanting their relationship to break down.

Before Utatane Koharu could say anything, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sighed, and waved his hand, saying, "No need to say anything. Shinnosuke is gone. The village needs stability now."

Shinobi Hero of Shinobi Hero, for the sake of the village and his own Will of Fire, he was willing to temporarily suppress any factors that might affect the village's stability, even if it involved his own son.

However, the seeds have already been sown.

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