Sarutobi Hiruzen was certainly not stupid.
In his eyes, Danzo was still too naive. Did he really think Uchiha Jin was a soft target?
Even if Danzo was given these men, it was hard to say how many would remain 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? Because, as Hokage, his authority was not sufficient. He had no reason to openly target the Uchiha, and the other Shinobi Clans would never support him.
But if the Uchiha rebelled, those Shinobi Clans would have no choice but to act!
"So that was it!"
"In that case, I can rest easy."
After exchanging glances, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura could not help but nod.
Afterward.
Once they confirmed there was nothing else, the two naturally chose to leave.
Konoha had already descended into chaos.
The air everywhere was thick with conspiracy theories. Countless people whispered among themselves, and whenever they looked toward the Hokage Building, fear unconsciously surfaced in their eyes.
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 by, they would rather take a long detour than walk past the Hokage Building's entrance.
"Why did this happen to Lord Sakumo?"
"I thought it was strange back then. Logically speaking, a B-rank commission should have been top secret, yet that S-rank intelligence was suddenly leaked. Within a single day, all of Konoha knew about it, and the Konoha Higher-ups never made a statement..."
"Lord Sakumo must have committed suicide to protect Kakashi."
"Definitely. If he had not killed himself, Kakashi would not have survived either!"
"..."
The streets were filled with discussion.
And Kakashi, wearing an Anbu mask, crouched in the shadows nearby, turning a deaf ear to their words.
Yes.
As a Konoha Anbu, how could he have failed to figure it out after all these years?
It was just that he had long since become completely numb!
Especially after the deaths of Obito, Rin, and the Fourth Hokage Couple, he was now almost a walking corpse. Every day, he merely existed as if he were alive, numbly going through the motions.
Revenge?
It was meaningless!
Even if he took revenge, so what? Could his father come back to life?
Now, just as the name Hatake Sakumo had given him implied, he was like a scarecrow planted in a field. He was merely a living shell, a walking corpse.
"Kakashi!"
Just as Kakashi sank into his memories, a watermelon-shaped head appeared above him.
Kakashi's face darkened. "Guy, stop messing around!"
"I am on a mission. I cannot talk to you."
And yet.
Might Guy turned a deaf ear and pulled him into an embrace. "Is what everyone is saying true? Did your father really do it because..."
"Guy, shut up!" Kakashi's eyes turned icy. "Do not talk nonsense."
"This has nothing to do with you. Pretend you never heard those words, and go do whatever it is you need to do."
"Do not get involved in this!"
At that moment, Kakashi's tone was terrifyingly cold.
Might Guy was one of the very few friends he acknowledged now, with no equal!
Even people like Yūhi Kurenai and Asuma could only be considered colleagues—people he merely knew.
Therefore.
He did not want Might Guy to encounter danger. He knew very well just how deep these waters ran.
Might Guy: "..."
Seeing the grave expression on Kakashi's face, his heart instantly sank to the bottom.
He might have been simple-minded, but he was not stupid!
With Kakashi having said so much, how could he fail to understand the truth?
So, sigh!
After a helpless sigh, he could only nod heavily.
"I—I understand!"
His words were filled with helplessness.
Yes!
Even if he knew, what could he do? Hatake Sakumo had been dead for years.
Even if he confronted the Hokage, what would it mean?
Kill the Hokage?
He did not want Konoha to fall into turmoil either. After all, this was his home!
Seeing this, Kakashi also let out a sigh of relief.
His entire demeanor became lazy once more. "Guy, go back."
"Got it." Might Guy nodded.
Kakashi watched Might Guy leave, then watched the village grow ever more chaotic, and could not help releasing a helpless sigh.
What a headache!
But what 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?
Yes.
Even though he was an Elite Jonin, in today's Konoha, he truly was just a small fry.
Not far away, atop the Teahouse.
The Clan Heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio sat there drinking tea. Naturally, they had also heard the discussions below.
"The Uchiha are truly ruthless!"
Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head, then his expression turned serious. "Shikaku, should we step in?"
"Step in?" Nara Shikaku's mouth twitched. "And then what?"
"Although Sarutobi Hiruzen is a bastard, if we really bring that old man down, who are you planning to make the Fifth Hokage?"
"Given Konoha's current situation, who is qualified to become the Fifth Hokage?"
"Danzo? Or the Uchiha?"
After hearing this, Yamanaka Inoichi instantly fell silent.
Yes!
Konoha was far too weak now. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen could suppress the Uchiha.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen were truly forced from office, who could take his place and keep the Uchiha in check?
After Namikaze Minato's sacrifice, had they not held their noses and chosen to put Sarutobi Hiruzen back in power precisely so he could suppress the Uchiha?
"Sigh, what a headache!"
"Konoha is in a gap between generations now. There is not even anyone capable of holding things together."
"That old bastard Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly ruthless. He ruined so many of Konoha's strong fighters."
Yamanaka Inoichi let out a sigh.
Even Nara Shikaku revealed a bitter smile, but what was the point of saying such things?
Even if they were furious, they had to hold it in!
In fact, it was not just the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. Had the other Shinobi Clans not stayed out of it as well?
Everyone shared the same concern.
They did not actually care who took power, but the Uchiha absolutely could not be allowed to do so, because the Uchiha were one of Konoha's founding clans!
Yes.
All that nonsense about extreme temperaments was just an excuse. The true reason was this simple point.
The Uchiha were too powerful!
If the Uchiha truly took power, then with their strength and control over Konoha's authority, Konoha would become an appendage of the Uchiha in the future.
When the Senju and Uzumaki clans were destroyed, why had these Shinobi Clans not intervened?
The reason was the same: those great clans had been too powerful!
They all wanted 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 were the same.
Although no one had reached any agreement, nearly every village followed the same course: supporting Commoner ninjas while intensifying efforts to weaken the great Shinobi Clans within their villages.
However.
Unlike the troubled Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza was still eating and had no interest in getting involved in any of this.
Before you continue