So You're the One Called Mitokado Homura?

Uchiha Izuna led the young men of the Uchiha Clan behind Shikaku Nara, heading toward the former Uchiha Compound.

The Mitokado family's servant was cleaning the entrance when he glanced up and saw a group of men in black or dark-blue Uchiha robes approaching.

They all wore standard-issue Ninja Blades at their waists, and they advanced toward him with fierce, impatient expressions!

Seeing them, the servant dropped his broom and hurried into the courtyard, his face drained of color.

At that moment, Mitokado Homura was playing Go with Utatane Koharu. They were old friends and comrades-in-arms. On the day the newspaper had first appeared, they had wanted to help Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But Root Ninja sent by Shimura Danzō had shown up with a letter in Danzō's own hand.

"Koharu, Homura, it's been a long time. How have you been? Konoha has been turbulent lately, so I hope you two won't get involved. Once everything settles down, things can be as they were before. Hiruzen could give you what you wanted, and so can I."

After delivering the letter, the Root Ninja left. But in that moment, the two of them knew that Shimura Danzō had set his sights on them. If they insisted on stepping out now, they would be openly breaking with Danzō.

Offending Hiruzen was no big deal. At worst, they'd get a scolding, and that would be the end of it. But if they offended Danzō, their lives might be in danger.

Danzō had changed. He was no longer the bright, ambitious young man with lofty aspirations. He'd become obsessed, thinking day and night about how to seize the Hokage Position.

If Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't been mindful of their old friendship, Shimura Danzō would have gone to hell long ago to join Tobirama Senju.

"Koharu, do you think Danzō will succeed this time?" Mitokado Homura set down a black stone, then looked up at Utatane Koharu.

Utatane Koharu picked up a stone and searched for her next move. As she did, she said, "I don't know. But Hiruzen is in danger this time."

"The Konoha Daily exposed too many of Hiruzen's dirty deeds, and seventy percent of them are true. It's a devastating blow to his reputation."

"If a Hokage loses the people's confidence, who will still listen to him?" Utatane Koharu sighed and casually placed a stone.

Mitokado Homura paused, then silently picked up a stone to fill the space. "You were right. I heard the Anbu Ninja split into two factions this morning."

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

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

"Hmm? I assume the Hokage-Protection Faction will keep following Hiruzen's orders. What about the Neutral Faction?" Utatane Koharu picked up a stone. Her aged hand hovered in the air as she spotted a weakness in Mitokado Homura's position. She placed a stone, and the situation instantly turned in her favor.

Mitokado Homura chuckled and calmly placed another stone, restoring the balance between them. Then he said, "The other side—the leader of the Neutral Faction is Hatake Kakashi. More precisely, it's Minato Namikaze."

"Minato Namikaze left a failsafe in Naruto Uzumaki. His soul and chakra are inside Naruto, and they'll only emerge if Naruto's life is in danger."

"This time, Minato took control of Naruto's body. He not only injured the Third, but also killed more than a dozen Root and Anbu Ninja."

Utatane Koharu stopped and looked at Mitokado Homura. "Does that mean the Hokage Position will most likely return to Minato?"

Minato Namikaze hadn't threatened them, but he was simply too upright. That meant the two of them couldn't skim anything for their families. Honestly, Utatane Koharu didn't want Minato Namikaze to take power.

"No, no. We don't know how long Minato Namikaze's soul can hold out, so they won't fight for the Hokage Position," Mitokado Homura said with a smile.

Utatane Koharu nodded. "In that case, Danzō's a sure thing?" she said, taking a sip of tea with a smug look.

Mitokado Homura grew serious. "No. Danzō's position is far from secure. The next Hokage will most likely come from the Uchiha Clan!"

"This edition of the Konoha Daily was a tool the Uchiha used to bring Hiruzen down. The Uchiha and Danzō are mortal enemies. If the Uchiha don't help Danzō, he'll have no chance of becoming Hokage!" Mitokado Homura saw the situation clearly.

At this point, the Hokage Position would most likely go to the Uchiha.

Utatane Koharu panicked. "Homura, how can that be? Don't forget, the compounds you and I live in now were originally the Uchiha Clan's territory."

"If the Uchiha Clan takes the Hokage Position, what will happen to us?" Before she could finish, she saw a servant rush over.

"What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?" Utatane Koharu's manner changed. Having served as a Hokage's aide for years, she now exuded authority.

Mitokado Homura said nothing. He straightened his hunched back and gave the servant a look, signaling that he didn't need to hide anything.

At the signal, the servant immediately said, "Clan head, Utatane clan head, a group of Uchiha are at the entrance! They're all carrying Ninja Blades at their waists! They're charging toward our home in a menacing manner!"

At those words, both Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood up. "What? How dare they! Hiruzen told them to get out to the village entrance. How could they..."

Utatane Koharu suddenly realized that Sarutobi Hiruzen's influence had plummeted. His words might not even make it out of the Hokage Building.

If the Uchiha Clan wanted to reclaim their territory, no one would come to stop them now!

"You can go," Mitokado Homura said, pushing up his glasses with a helpless expression.

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

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

As soon as he said it, he knew the answer.

Utatane Koharu sank back into her seat. "Danzō is busy trying to win over the Uchiha. How could he possibly fight them for the sake of two old folks like us?"

"Comradeship? That might matter to Hiruzen, but to Danzō, nothing matters more than becoming Hokage!"

"Don't you know how many times Danzō has contacted our enemies and leaked important information, all to try to get Hiruzen killed?"

Utatane Koharu looked at Mitokado Homura in anguish.

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 damn cocky!"

A slap sent him flying. His glasses shattered across the floor. With a sharp crack, Mitokado Homura howled in pain. He tried to get up, but couldn't move.

"You—who are you? How dare you attack a Hokage's aide in Konoha!" Utatane Koharu's face paled as she frantically tried to form Hand Seals.