They Were All Dead

A quiet voice echoed through the office.

Minato Namikaze's expression faltered, and he fell briefly silent.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo of the Salamander had bestowed the title of Legendary Sannin upon Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

For a time, the three of them had been the talk of the entire Ninja World.

Whenever they appeared on a battlefield, they were powerful enough to turn the tide.

If the three of them were stationed on every battlefield now, the three great nations would think twice before provoking the Land of Fire.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's betrayal and Tsunade's trauma had taken their toll.

And Jiraiya had left.

For Konoha, it was a tremendous blow.

If Qin Yu joined them as a new force, it would be the best chance they had to end the Third Shinobi World War.

"Lord Hokage, you can rest assured. Fugaku and I get along well. With him there to help, Qin Yu will most likely just be a Salted Fish," Minato said. As he spoke, he recalled what Qin Yu had just said.

He couldn't help but smile wryly.

The Third Hokage smiled helplessly and shook his head. "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

"As for Kannabi Bridge, we've received the latest reports. I want you to make time to go there as soon as possible. The Rock Ninja have dispatched a large number of elite forces, and their clash with the Cloud Ninja seems to be nearing its end."

Outside, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura walked out of the Hokage Office Building, their faces dark.

"It's Danzo!" Mitokado Homura's brows twitched.

"Let's go see him."

After saying that, Utatane Koharu hurried over.

"Why are you two coming out? Where's that brat?" Danzo had just been about to return to the Hokage Office Building.

"Hmph, that kid is far too arrogant. He actually used genjutsu on us in the Hokage's office. But his eyes are terrifying. He must be highly skilled in genjutsu," Mitokado Homura said indignantly.

"Danzo, didn't you send the S-Class rogue ninja Kakuzu to intercept and kill him? Why did it fail?"

"A powerful genjutsu?"

Danzo's expression shifted. "Looks like Sarutobi's intelligence network is still as effective as ever. He even knows who I hired."

"I did hire Kakuzu, the rogue ninja from Takigakure, along with the Fuma Clan, to intercept him. But judging by that kid's expression, he must have secretly changed his route and escaped."

"Hmph, I knew it. He's just a coward who's afraid of dying. How could he possibly be a match for the S-Class rogue ninja Kakuzu?" Mitokado Homura snorted.

"That kid is far too unruly. I'm worried he won't serve Konoha. Danzo, you should contact Kakuzu at once and find a way to get rid of him."

Utatane Koharu said nothing, but her expression made her meaning clear.

Looking at Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who had until recently stood in Sarutobi Hiruzen's camp, a smile appeared on Danzo's face.

"Don't worry. Sarutobi's decision has already endangered Konoha's foundations. I'll contact Kakuzu as soon as possible and find a way to eliminate that brat. But I think it's time you started considering who should be the next Hokage."

For Danzo, this was the best opportunity to seize the Hokage position.

With Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, two high-ranking officials, on his side,

and evidence that Sarutobi Hiruzen's decisions had failed, he would have a strong chance of competing with Minato Namikaze for the next Hokage position before the daimyo.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu couldn't help but falter.

They had already suspected as much.

But they hadn't expected Danzo to be so open about wanting the Hokage position.

"Lord Danzo, Yamanaka Fu is back," Aburame Torune suddenly said.

Danzo glanced at Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who both looked uncertain, then said, "You don't have to decide too quickly. I'll have Yamanaka Fu contact Kakuzu and tell him to deal with Qin Yu as soon as possible."

"Go back and think it over. This is a critical moment in the war. All four great nations have attacked our Land of Fire, and the daimyo is furious. This is all because of Sarutobi's so-called cautious approach—his talk of letting the village recover. If he'd listened to me sooner and used an iron fist to intimidate the four nations—"

"Then no one would dare provoke us, and Konoha would stand supreme."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fell silent.

Yamanaka Fu hurried over, drenched in sweat and looking anxious and impatient. If he hadn't been gasping for breath, he would have blurted out the news already.

"Fu, take your time. They're on our side now too." Danzo wore a smug smile. "Go contact Kakuzu. The target has returned to Konoha. We'll find a way to create an opportunity for him to strike. This time, he must succeed. Failure is not an option."

"F-failed, Lord Danzo. Kakuzu and the Fuma Clan must have failed." Yamanaka Fu couldn't hold back any longer.

Danzo's smile froze. His cheek twitched as he said, "Fu, what are you talking about? What exactly happened?"

In Danzo's eyes, no matter how formidable Uchiha Qin Yu was, he couldn't compare to a notorious S-Class rogue ninja who had even killed high-ranking officials.

"They're dead. Every elite member of the Fuma Clan was killed. There are signs of a large-scale battle inside the Post Station," Yamanaka Fu said, his face ashen.

"And judging by the damage left by some of the jutsu, their power reached S-Class."

"What?"

Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all paled.

Qin Yu had been traveling with two others, but there was no way the two rookies, Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, could use such powerful jutsu.

As for the possibility that the supposed S-Class jutsu had come from Kakuzu—

Qin Yu would never have made it back alive.

Putting all the clues together, the S-Class jutsu must have come from Qin Yu.

His return meant that the S-Class rogue ninja Kakuzu, in whom they had placed such high hopes, had likely fallen.

At that thought, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's faces turned ashen.

They had just stood up to Qin Yu. If he had caught them in a genjutsu and the Third Hokage hadn't stepped in to save them, and Qin Yu had suddenly attacked—

They would have been doomed.

"Mitokado, Koharu, don't forget what you promised me!" Danzo panicked and hurriedly returned to the subject.

"Koharu, the weather's lovely today. It's been a long time since we went out for coffee," Mitokado Homura suddenly said.

Utatane Koharu nodded. "That sounds nice. It feels like ages since we last spent time together."

Watching the two of them turn and leave after exchanging those empty words, Danzo's face darkened to the extreme.

"Bastards! The lot of them!" Danzo seethed.

This should have been his best chance yet to become Hokage.

But now Qin Yu had even killed Kakuzu. It was completely beyond what he had expected.

"Lord Danzo, what should we do now?" Yamanaka Fu couldn't contain himself. "Even the S-Class rogue ninja Kakuzu couldn't kill Uchiha Qin Yu. Are we just going to let him swagger around Konoha?"

"Fu, don't be hasty. Lord Danzo will think of something," Aburame Torune hurriedly said.

But despite his words, he couldn't think of anyone who could handle Qin Yu, either.

If even someone like Kakuzu couldn't deal with him, who would dare try?

"Don't worry. I've thought of someone suitable."