You're the one called Mitokado Homura?

Uchiha Izuna led the young and able-bodied men of the Uchiha Clan, marching with Shikaku Nara toward the former Uchiha compound.

A servant of the Mitokado household was cleaning the entrance when he looked up and saw a group of men dressed in the black or dark blue robes of the Uchiha Clan walking toward him.

They all wore standard-issue ninja swords at their waists, their faces twisted with a fierce and impatient expression as they approached!

Seeing this, the servant dropped his broom and retreated into the courtyard, his face pale.

At that moment, Mitokado Homura was playing chess with Utatane Koharu. As old friends and comrades-in-arms, they had originally intended to help Sarutobi Hiruzen when the newspaper first appeared.

However, a Root ninja under Shimura Danzō had arrived with a handwritten letter from him.

"Koharu, Homura, long time no see. How have you been? The winds in Konoha are blowing hard lately; I hope you two won't get involved. Once everything settles, you two will remain as you were before. Whatever Hiruzen could give you, I can as well."

After delivering the letter, the Root ninja left, but in that moment, both of them knew they were being watched by Shimura Danzō. If they insisted on going out now, it would mean a total falling out with him.

Offending Sarutobi Hiruzen was one thing—at most, it would result in a lecture—but offending Shimura Danzō meant their very lives would be under threat.

Shimura Danzō had changed; he was no longer the bright, ambitious youth he once was. He had become obsessed, constantly plotting how to seize the position of Hokage.

If not for Sarutobi Hiruzen's lingering sentimentality, Shimura Danzō would have long since gone to hell to meet Tobirama Senju.

"Koharu, do you think Shimura Danzō will succeed this time?" Mitokado Homura placed a black stone and looked up at Utatane Koharu.

Utatane Koharu captured a piece and searched for her next move, replying offhandedly: "I don't know, but this time, Sarutobi Hiruzen is in danger."

"Once the Konoha Daily was released, it exposed too many of Sarutobi Hiruzen's dirty secrets, and 70 percent of it is true. This is a fatal blow to his prestige."

"If a Hokage's prestige is damaged, who will listen to him anymore?" Utatane Koharu sighed and placed a stone at random.

This caught Mitokado Homura off guard. He remained silent, captured a piece to fill the gap, and then said: "You're actually right. I heard that the Anbu split into two factions this morning."

"Oh? Which two?" Utatane Koharu asked with interest.

Mitokado Homura replied: "The Hokage-Protection Faction and the Neutral Faction. The ratio is one to five."

"Hmm? I assume the Hokage-Protection Faction continues to take orders from Sarutobi Hiruzen, but what about the Neutral Faction?" Utatane Koharu captured a piece, her aged hand hovering in the air as she spotted a flaw in Mitokado Homura's defense. She placed a stone, and the situation reversed instantly.

Mitokado Homura chuckled, calmly placing another stone to restore the balance, and said: "The leader of the Neutral Faction is Hatake Kakashi, or more accurately, Minato Namikaze."

"Minato Namikaze left a contingency plan within Naruto Uzumaki; his soul power and chakra are inside the boy, only appearing when Naruto Uzumaki is in mortal danger."

"This time, Minato Namikaze took control of Naruto Uzumaki's body, not only wounding the Third Hokage but also killing over a dozen Root and Anbu ninjas."

Utatane Koharu paused and looked at Mitokado Homura: "In other words, the position of Hokage will likely return to Minato Namikaze?"

Although Minato Namikaze had not threatened them, he was simply too incorruptible, leaving the two of them no way to skim profits for their own clans. To be honest, Utatane Koharu did not want Minato Namikaze to take power.

"No, no, no. We don't know how long Minato Namikaze's soul can sustain itself, so they won't be vying for the Hokage seat." Mitokado Homura laughed.

Utatane Koharu nodded: "If that's the case, then Shimura Danzō is secure?" She smiled, took a sip of tea, and looked smug.

Mitokado Homura, however, turned serious: "No, Shimura Danzō is very insecure, because the next Hokage will likely be an Uchiha!"

"This newspaper is the tool the Uchiha Clan is using to topple Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Uchiha Clan and Shimura Danzō are mortal enemies. If the Uchiha Clan doesn't help Shimura Danzō, he will have absolutely no chance at the Hokage seat!" Mitokado Homura saw the situation clearly.

Now, the Hokage seat was likely to fall to the Uchiha Clan.

Utatane Koharu panicked: "Homura, how can this be? Don't forget, the compound where our two families live is the original Uchiha Clan territory."

"If an Uchiha sits in the Hokage seat, then what about us?" Before she could finish, she saw a servant sprinting toward them.

"What is the meaning of this panic!" Utatane Koharu's demeanor shifted; having served as a Hokage advisor for years, she displayed the air of a superior.

Mitokado Homura didn't speak, but he straightened his hunched back and gave the servant a look, signaling him not to hide anything.

Receiving the order, the servant immediately said: "Clan Head, Elder Utatane, a group of Uchiha have arrived at the gate! They are all wearing ninja swords at their waists! They are charging toward our home with murderous intent!"

At these words, both Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood up: "What? How dare they! Didn't Sarutobi Hiruzen tell them to get to the village outskirts? Why are they..."

Utatane Koharu suddenly realized that Sarutobi Hiruzen's influence had plummeted so sharply that his words couldn't even leave the Hokage Building.

If the Uchiha Clan wanted to reclaim their compound, there was truly no one left to help them!

"You may go!" Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his face full of helplessness.

"Yes!" The servant immediately retreated to his room.

"Now it all depends on Shimura Danzō. Will he step in to stop the Uchiha? If he doesn't, you and I, along with our families, will become the laughingstock of Konoha." Mitokado Homura rubbed the bridge of his nose.

As he said this, he already knew the answer.

Utatane Koharu sat down powerlessly: "Shimura Danzō is busy trying to win over the Uchiha right now; how could he possibly step in against them for the sake of two old fossils like us?"

"Comradeship? That works on Sarutobi Hiruzen, but for Shimura Danzō, nothing is more important than the Hokage seat!"

"Don't you know that for the sake of the Hokage seat, Shimura Danzō has been in contact with enemies, leaking vital information just to see Sarutobi Hiruzen dead?"

Utatane Koharu looked at Mitokado Homura in agony.

Mitokado Homura was just about to speak when a figure charged straight at him: "So you're the one called Mitokado Homura? You're pretty arrogant, aren't you!"

With a single slap, he was sent flying, his glasses shattering across the floor. A sickening crunch echoed as Mitokado Homura wailed in pain, unable to move as he tried to stand.

"You—who are you! How dare you lay a hand on a Hokage advisor of Konoha!" Utatane Koharu's face turned white as her hands scrambled to form hand signs.