Village Chaos, Shinobi Clans Silenced!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was certainly no fool.

In his view, Danzo was still too green. Did he really think Uchiha Jin was some soft target?

Even if he gave Danzo those men, it was hard to say how many would be left in the end.

Of course.

Even if Danzo truly failed, it did not matter. At the very least, he could drain some of Uchiha Jin's Dojutsu Power, which would still be a great thing for him.

As for angering the Uchiha?

Heh heh!

That was what he feared least.

Why was he willing to endure for now? It was because, as Hokage, his authority was not yet sufficient. He had no justification to openly target the Uchiha, and the other Shinobi Clans would never support him.

But if the Uchiha rebelled, those clans would have no choice but to act!

"So that was it!"

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

After exchanging glances, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura could not help but nod.

Afterward.

Once the two confirmed there was nothing else to discuss, they naturally chose to leave.

Konoha had already fallen into chaos.

The air was thick with conspiracy theories, and countless people whispered among themselves. Especially when they looked toward the Hokage Building, fear instinctively appeared on their faces.

Of course.

Anyone observant enough would notice that the street in front of the Hokage Building was so quiet today that not even a single pedestrian could be seen.

Even if people had business that required them to pass through, they would rather take a long detour than walk past the entrance to the Hokage Building.

"How could this have happened to Lord Sakumo?"

"Actually, I found it strange from the beginning. Logically speaking, a B-rank commission should have been top secret, yet S-rank intelligence was suddenly leaked. In just one day, all of Konoha knew about it, and the Konoha Higher-ups didn't even make a statement..."

"Lord Sakumo must have committed suicide to protect Kakashi."

"Definitely. If he hadn't killed himself, Kakashi wouldn't have survived either!"

"..."

The street was filled with discussion.

As an Anbu, Kakashi wore a mask as he crouched in the shadows nearby, turning a deaf ear to everyone's words.

Yes.

As Konoha's Anbu, how could he have failed to figure it out after all these years?

It was simply that he had long since become completely numb!

Especially after the deaths of Obito, Rin, and the Fourth Hokage Couple, he was now practically a walking corpse. Every day, he merely existed numbly, looking as though he were alive.

Revenge?

It was meaningless!

Even if he took revenge, so what? Could his father come back to life?

Just like the name Hatake Sakumo had given him, he was like a scarecrow planted in a field. He was now nothing more than a living shell, a walking corpse.

"Kakashi!"

Just as Kakashi sank into his memories, a Bowl-cut appeared above his head.

A vein throbbed on Kakashi's forehead. "Guy, stop messing around!"

"I'm on a mission. I can't talk to you."

But in response.

Might Guy turned a deaf ear and wrapped him in a hug. "Is what everyone said true? Was your father really because..."

"Guy, shut up!" Kakashi's gaze turned icy. "Don't talk nonsense."

"This has nothing to do with you. Just pretend you never heard those things. Go do whatever it is you need to do."

"Don't get involved in this!"

Kakashi's tone was frighteningly cold.

Might Guy was one of the very few friends he truly acknowledged—his only one, in fact!

Even people like Yūhi Kurenai and Asuma could only be considered colleagues, people he merely knew.

Therefore.

He did not want Might Guy to be put in danger. He knew very well just how deep the waters ran here.

Might Guy: "..."

Seeing Kakashi's grim expression, his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

He might have been simple-minded, but he was not stupid!

With Kakashi having said this much, how could he not understand the truth?

So, sigh...

After a helpless sigh, he could only nod heavily.

"I—I understand!"

His words were filled with helplessness.

Yeah!

What could he do even if he knew? Hatake Sakumo had been dead for so many years.

Even if he confronted the Hokage, what would it accomplish?

Kill the Hokage?

He did not want Konoha to fall into chaos either. After all, this was his home!

Seeing this, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief.

He once again became lazy and listless. "Guy, go back."

"Got it." Might Guy nodded.

Kakashi watched Might Guy leave, then looked at the village growing ever more chaotic. He could not help but let out a helpless sigh.

What a headache!

But what else could he do?

This was a struggle between the Uchiha and the Konoha Higher-ups. How could a small fry like him possibly take part?

That was right.

Even though he was an Elite Jonin, in Konoha as it stood now, he truly was just a small fry.

Not far away, in the teahouse.

The clan heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio sat upstairs drinking tea. Naturally, they had also heard the conversation below.

"The Uchiha are ruthless!"

Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head, then spoke in a serious tone. "Shikaku, should we interfere?"

"Interfere?" Nara Shikaku's mouth twitched. "And then what?"

"Although Sarutobi Hiruzen is no decent person, if we really bring that Old Thing down, who are you planning to make the Fifth Hokage?"

"With Konoha's current state, who is qualified to become the Fifth Hokage?"

"Danzo? Or the Uchiha?"

Upon hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi immediately fell silent.

That was right!

Konoha was far too weak now. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen could suppress the Uchiha.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen were truly removed, who could take his place and suppress the Uchiha?

After Namikaze Minato's sacrifice, had they not reluctantly chosen to let Sarutobi Hiruzen return to power precisely so he could keep the Uchiha in check?

"Sigh, what a headache!"

"Konoha is facing a generational gap now. There isn't even anyone capable of holding the fort."

"That Old Thing Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly ruthless. He had ruined so many of Konoha's powerful shinobi."

Yamanaka Inoichi sighed.

Even Nara Shikaku revealed a bitter smile, but what was the point of saying such things aloud?

Even if they were angry, they had to hold it in!

And it was not just the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. Hadn't the other shinobi clans also stayed out of it?

Their concerns were all the same.

They did not actually care who took power, but the Uchiha were absolutely unacceptable, because the Uchiha were one of Konoha's founding clans!

That was right.

All that nonsense about extreme temperaments was just an excuse. The real reason was this simple.

The Uchiha were too strong!

If the Uchiha truly ascended to the position, then with their strength, once they gained control of Konoha's power, Konoha would become an appendage of the Uchiha in the future.

When the Senju and Uzumaki clans were destroyed, why had shinobi clans like theirs not stepped in?

The reason was the same: those great clans had all been too powerful!

They all hoped for those great clans to disappear. Otherwise, Bloodline families like theirs would never have a chance to rise.

In fact.

This was not unique to Konoha; the other shinobi villages did the same.

Though no formal agreement had been reached, every village followed nearly identical steps—supporting Civilian Ninja while intensifying their efforts to weaken the major Shinobi Clans within their villages.

However.

Unlike the troubled Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza was still eating, with no interest whatsoever in getting involved.