The Third's Vigilance

The Hokage Building

In the meeting room, the Konoha Quartet—Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura—sat on the floor mats.

Sarutobi Hiruzen usually worked in his office. Meetings like this, with the four of them discussing affairs of state, had become increasingly rare since Hiruzen secured his position as Hokage. They only happened a few times a year, at most.

"Such a tiny country dares to challenge Konoha again and again. Salamander Hanzo truly doesn't know what's good for him."

Mitokado Homura held a report in his hand and spoke with disdain.

The Land of Rain, the main stage of the Second Shinobi World War, had not settled down even after the war.

Utatane Koharu added, "Our intelligence personnel report that the Land of Rain is heavily training ninjas, reorganizing its forces, providing relief to villages, and developing its economy. They seem to have grand ambitions. We must stay on guard."

"Salamander Hanzo still hasn't come to terms with reality."

Third Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head as he held a report.

Konoha's intelligence agents had gotten most of the facts right, but they'd missed one key detail. Salamander Hanzo was a skilled ninja, but he had always been arrogant. This wasn't the sort of thing Hanzo could have pulled off.

The agents knew little about the leader of the Land of Rain and assumed Hanzo had ordered it, so they'd sent that information back.

Shimura Danzō's Root organization had uncovered more specific details. Several mercenary groups had recently emerged in the Land of Rain, and Root had even identified some of their leaders. Clearly, Danzō's Root organization was a cut above Konoha's intelligence network.

Besides, Danzō had led a campaign in the Land of Rain during the Second Shinobi World War and crossed paths with Salamander Hanzo, so he knew something about him.

Danzō had no desire to explain any of this to the others. As if it were no trouble at all, he said coolly, "I'll take Root to the Land of Rain."

Hiruzen glanced at Danzō. He respected his old comrade.

Wherever Shimura Danzō took Root, chaos followed.

He sowed discord among other nations and stirred up trouble. Konoha's peace owed much to Danzō.

Still, Hiruzen was wary of how large Root had grown.

Since the Second Shinobi World War, Hiruzen had lost track of Root's exact size.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura shared the same concern. They exchanged a look with the Third.

The Third nodded slightly and said in a low voice:

"Danzō, I'll leave it to you."

Danzō didn't reply. He simply nodded.

Utatane Koharu set down the scroll in her hand, picked up another, and frowned as she read it.

"So the Uchiha leader now controls the Military Police Force as well?"

"The system established by the Second Hokage has its merits. We don't need to involve ourselves too much in their affairs."

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke. The Military Police Force's leadership change still had to be reported to the Hokage, at least in name.

"This shows that Uchiha Nara has quite an appetite for power. We should be wary. But with all the work in the Uchiha Clan and the Police Force, can one person really manage it all?"

Mitokado Homura picked up a report and glanced through it.

"Uchiha Nara may be a formidable ninja with great skill, but he's still a family dog, a bird in a cage."

The Third took a puff of his pipe and slowly shook his head.

The Military Police Force was an inescapable trap. Its authority was indeed considerable and important, but first of all, the Hokage Building kept its funding on a tight leash.

The Hokage decided how much funding it received. It had once been allocated more than 150 million ryō, but the Quartet had gradually cut it down, citing the Shinobi World Wars, the Ninja Academy, the hospital, and other expenses as reasons.

Second, ninjas were originally just tools. Konoha's Ninja Academy might offer a progressive education, but it still ruthlessly weeded out the weak. Nearly every ninja who survived the fires of war eventually reached the level of a jonin.

The Uchiha Clan might control the Military Police Force and appear powerful, but they were really no more than family dogs kept in a cage.

The Uchiha Clan had been renowned during the Warring States era and the early days of Konoha, but since the Second Hokage took office, they had hardly ever left the village, let alone produced any renowned ninjas.

The Uchiha Clan had lost its edge. Many Uchiha ninjas took Konoha missions to make a living. The Third would select some decent, easy C- and D-rank missions for them so they could earn a living without taking risks.

In other words, it was perfectly fine for Uchiha ninjas to make a little money by taking low-level missions.

They could also take posts in the Military Police Force and refuse to be called up for the battlefield.

It all looked like special treatment, but it had left the Uchiha Clan decadent and complacent in peacetime.

Most of their ninjas were weak, like tigers without claws or fangs.

Perhaps, given the chance, they could simply take away all of the Uchiha Clan's authority. If they refused to accept it, the clan could be wiped out.

In the anime, by the end of the Third's rule, the Uchiha Clan had indeed become thoroughly decadent—and Konoha had wiped them out.

"We must never let our guard down against the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha are a naturally evil clan. Don't forget that man. Even after all these decades, thinking of him still brings to mind an insurmountable mountain."

Shimura Danzō offered a reminder. Danzō and Root operated in the shadows and weren't suited to the public eye. They were merely a blade in Hiruzen's hand.

The Third had indulged Root and allowed it to grow fat and strong because Danzō was reliable and always willing to get his hands dirty.

The Third could never have imagined that the bold, hard-working comrade he saw before him would eventually become even more ruthless than he was—and that, to preserve his strength, Danzō would watch Konoha crumble into ruins without lifting a finger...

The Quartet discussed Konoha's current affairs and future, almost as if they were young again.

At the Yamato Izakaya in Konoha, the owner personally brought a bottle of sake to a customer and said warmly, "Please enjoy."

"Thank you."

The customer thanked him softly, picked up the sake bottle, examined its mouth, and then poured a cup.

Just then, eight oddly dressed ninjas entered the shop. They wore blue hats with a shuriken encircling a Gunbai on the crest, blue shirts, and black ninja vests.

The armband on each left sleeve bore the same shuriken-and-Gunbai emblem, while the right sleeve had a shield insignia.

The eight split into two groups. Four surrounded the izakaya owner, and the other four surrounded the customer.

"You're Kimura Sasuke, owner of the Yamato Izakaya, right? Come with us."

After speaking, the Criminal Investigation Division ninja from the Military Police Force took out a pair of restraints and cuffed the izakaya owner.

The owner stared at the oddly dressed ninjas, looking utterly bewildered.

On the other side, Uchiha Saburo, an elite ninja of the Military Police Force, stood in front of the customer who'd been drinking. He took the customer's sake bottle and inspected it carefully.

The customer looked just as confused as he stared at the Military Police Force ninja.

"Genin Mitsui Yo, come with us."

"Sir, I'm a Genin who respects Lord Hokage. What have I done wrong?"

Uchiha Saburo couldn't be bothered to explain. He impatiently waved a hand.

"You don't know what you did?"

Genin Mitsui Yo looked puzzled. He was about to speak when he met Uchiha Saburo's gaze. He froze on the spot.

"What are you waiting for? Cuff him and take him away."

The Military Police Force officers beside them took out restraints and cuffed the Iwagakure spy.

Uchiha Saburo pulled a kunai from his ninja pouch and split the sake bottle in his hand in two. He studied the two halves carefully. There were many words written on the inside.

This was how Iwagakure's spies passed along intelligence.

The spy had seemed so honest that Uchiha Saburo had wondered if they'd arrested the wrong person.

Now that the evidence was right in front of him, Saburo was relieved.

"Iwagakure's spies really are elite."