I'm the Hokage!

Again!

Every single time!

Ever since the Second Shinobi World War, whenever the two of them had a disagreement, it always ended like this.

Teacher, look at Hiruzen, so arbitrary and unwilling to heed advice.

Was it just because I didn't cover your retreat that, in your eyes, I became inferior to him?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words made Danzo clench his fists, his expression dark and gloomy.

Unwillingness and humiliation filled his mind.

But in the end, Danzo could only snort coldly before turning and leaving.

Bang!

The heavy sound of the door slamming shut made Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane exchange glances.

To be honest, the reason they had come with Danzo was naturally because they agreed with his views.

But now that Hiruzen Sarutobi had put it this way, what else could they say?

What Danzo wanted was to seize this opportunity and ensure that Konoha could secure an absolute advantage amid the chaos of war.

What Hiruzen wanted was to stabilize the overall situation and keep Konoha from standing beneath a crumbling wall.

It could only be said that both of them had their reasons.

But Hiruzen was the Hokage...

"Hiruzen!"

Danzo, who had stormed out after slamming the door, suddenly returned. His cold face stared fixedly at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "I can leave the deployment of the battle lines alone, but we must treat Yotsuki Sora with caution."

"You've seen that man's aptitude and strength. If he isn't restrained, his threat will become unimaginable given enough time!"

"...What do you intend to do?"

"Since you don't intend to make enemies of Hidden Stone, then let's simply help Hidden Stone."

"Help Hidden Stone?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.

"That's right."

Danzo said coldly, "Those Hidden Cloud bastards have deployed troops in the Land of Hot Water. You and I both know what they're planning. Since Hidden Stone wants to make a move against Hidden Cloud, we might as well fan the flames and deal with the threat of Hidden Cloud first!"

"Especially Yotsuki Sora!"

His aptitude was extraordinarily high, and his talent was exceptionally strong—rare in this age.

At this stage, no one in Konoha could compare to him.

If he were allowed to keep growing, it was not impossible for him to become someone on the level of the First Hokage.

Such a threat had to be eliminated!

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reject Danzo's proposal. He, too, had sensed Yotsuki Sora's threat.

But the question was, who should they send?

To take care of Yotsuki Sora, even if they were merely assisting Hidden Stone, they needed someone capable of standing on their own.

Yet Konoha had very few people it could currently put forward, and they all had their own duties, leaving them unable to spare the time.

They couldn't possibly send him, the Hokage, could they?!

The gap between Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War and during the Second Shinobi World War was simply enormous.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha not only had Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage in his prime, Danzo, the darkness of the shinobi world with Wind Release at its peak, the three Sannin of lust, gambling, and poison, Konoha's White Fang, but also an explosive emergence of clan heads and gifted talents from every shinobi clan.

The sheer number of talented powerhouses was the greatest since Konoha's founding!

But now...

"I propose that Shisui Uchiha carry out this mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe. Before he could speak, Danzo's voice drifted over.

That single sentence made all three people present frown.

"That Uchiha brat is famed for his speed. He couldn't be more suitable for dealing with a brute like Yotsuki Sora." Leaning on his cane, Danzo fixed his one eye on Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Moreover, he has already earned considerable fame on the eastern front. The name of the Body Flicker resounds throughout the shinobi world—everyone knows it... Hiruzen, you should understand what I mean."

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed tightly. Naturally, he understood what his old companion was planning.

Konoha's current political stance toward the Uchiha clan was a complete inheritance of their teacher, the Second Hokage.

Suppress!

Strip!

Isolate!

That was—suppressing their strength and prestige, stripping away their authority to remove them from the core leadership, and completely isolating the Uchiha, creating rifts and conflicts between them and Konoha's shinobi and civilians, causing them to become alienated from one another.

Now that Shisui Uchiha's reputation was rising rapidly, making him one of the most outstanding talents of Konoha's younger generation, allowing him to continue expanding and developing clearly did not align with the interests and political decisions of those in the upper ranks.

"...No."

To Danzo's confusion and shock, Hiruzen Sarutobi actually shook his head, rejecting the proposal.

Come on, are you seriously the contrarian type?

You were even against such a politically correct decision. Whatever I say, you just have to disagree, don't you?!

"Shisui may be exceptional, but he clearly cannot be Yotsuki Sora's match."

"Moreover, this mission requires infiltrating deep into enemy territory. It would not be appropriate to send an Uchiha."

The Uchiha situation was highly complicated. Fugaku and the others were all on the eastern front; transferring Shisui over rashly would inevitably stir up some unpleasant talk.

Konoha still needed the Uchiha's strength.

Secondly.

This was a lone-wolf mission. If Shisui failed, there was a high chance that his Sharingan would be lost.

If the Sharingan were seized, it would be unacceptable to both Konoha and the Uchiha.

Not long ago, a member of the Hyuga Main House had died on the eastern battlefield. When the body was discovered, the eyes were already gone, leading the Hyuga Clan to forbid Main House members from going to the battlefield. Only branch family members were sent out now.

With such a precedent before them, the Uchiha, likewise a bloodline clan with dōjutsu, would naturally be cautious—cautious, and then even more cautious.

With his request denied, Danzo snorted coldly and said no more.

However, Homura Mitokado, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke.

"Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze, would be a good choice."

"Minato?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze paused slightly. As if he had thought of something, his eyes immediately lit up.

"Could it be...?"

"Mm."

Homura Mitokado smiled and nodded.

"He has already fully mastered our teacher's Flying Thunder God Technique. Furthermore, on the eastern front, he has fought the [AB] brothers of Hidden Cloud. He has considerable experience dealing with them."

"What?!"

"He's fully mastered it?!"

At those words, even Danzo gripped his cane tightly, his face full of shock.

Their teacher, the Second Hokage, had created countless ninjutsu and forbidden techniques throughout his life, earning the title of Master of Forbidden Techniques. Yet among them, the technique most favored and frequently used by the Second Hokage was a space-time ninjutsu known as the "Flying Thunder God Technique."

Through Flying Thunder God Formulas left behind in advance, the caster—or objects indirectly in contact with the caster's chakra—could be moved instantaneously.

This technique could be used for offense, to shorten the distance of long-range ninjutsu, to disrupt and ambush opponents, and to transfer targets. It could also be used to evade danger or escape in critical moments.

Most importantly, it required no hand seals to activate. It was practically a divine technique!

It was said that during the Warring States Era, their teacher, the Second Hokage, had relied on this single technique to defeat his lifelong rival.

But unfortunately.

Learning the Flying Thunder God required not only immense chakra reserves and exceptional control over instantaneous movement, but also an innate sensitivity to space-time power, extremely precise control over one's own chakra, and extraordinary talent in ninjutsu before one could master it.

The four present were all disciples of the Second Hokage and powerful figures in the ninja world, yet not one of them had been able to learn the Flying Thunder God. This showed just how difficult the technique was.

They had thought the technique would be lost forever, yet Minato Namikaze had unexpectedly stepped forward!

"In that case, let Minato go!"