Such a Hokage

Boom~

As he left, a ki blast slammed into the Sarutobi Clan's protective barrier.

The Sarutobi Clan showed no reaction. Not even a single ninja came out to investigate what should have been an obvious disturbance. Clearly, special arrangements had been made.

Is this what Konoha is like now?

When the village came under attack, everyone only thought of protecting themselves. There was none of the unity shown when the Nine-Tails invaded Konoha.

Back then, the village's Kage had led the charge himself!

It was because Konoha's new sprouts had burned away back then that the Konoha of today came to be.

Without realizing it, Uchiha Feng arrived at where Sasuke lived. This location had been arranged by the Third Hokage.

It was not far from the Hokage Building, making it easy to monitor their movements at any time.

A squad of Anbu was also monitoring them at all times. It was unclear whether they were watching the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki or Sasuke.

With his sensory abilities, Uchiha Feng detected the hiding places of that Anbu squad.

The three of them had concealed their presences well, but they were still discovered.

"Quick Draw!"

Descending from the sky, Uchiha Feng swung the long blade in his hand through one of them.

"Dodon Ray!" At almost the same moment, a beam of light from his index finger pierced through another ninja.

One ninja was split in two, while another had his forehead pierced through.

Only one ninja remained. He raced into Naruto Uzumaki's house, and moments later, he dashed away with a figure tucked beneath his arm.

Is this why the Third Hokage stationed Anbu here?

Seeing how practiced the movement was, Uchiha Feng knew they must have rehearsed it countless times in secret.

The figure tucked under the Konoha ANBU member's arm was Naruto Uzumaki.

Just as Uchiha Feng was about to attack, a figure interrupted him.

"Feng, it's you, isn't it?!" Uchiha Sasuke shouted excitedly. "I knew it was you! What exactly happened?"

The more Uchiha Sasuke spoke, the more agitated he became. By the end, his words had become incoherent.

"Sasuke, you should know why I used another identity and didn't acknowledge you. You still aren't worthy! You should understand that!"

Uchiha Feng spoke to Uchiha Sasuke with some pity. What kind of surprise would a Sasuke with ideas of his own bring to Konoha?

"Where is Itachi? Was he really controlled by Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan?" Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were filled with hope. He desperately wanted an answer, searching inwardly for an excuse.

His brother had been so gentle. For him to undergo such a drastic change, there had to be some unknown secret behind it.

"Sasuke, you need to discover Itachi's matters for yourself. What I can tell you is that the strongest genjutsu will always be the human heart. Remember every word I've said!"

With that, Uchiha Feng shot into the sky. He did not want to waste any more time on Uchiha Sasuke.

"Feng..." Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were filled with complicated emotions.

"A village without history?" he murmured, looking in the direction Uchiha Feng had flown away. His eyes were filled with longing.

If he had such strength, he could uncover the truth behind the Uchiha Clan's destruction. At this moment, he was equally filled with yearning for power.

Yet he was also wondering what Uchiha Feng had experienced.

His impression of Uchiha Feng remained that of an Uchiha Clan orphan. He had gotten to know Feng because Uchiha Feng's guardian had been the Great Elder.

But when they met again, he had become completely different.

And the connection between them had become faint.

Why were there so many people in this world hiding entirely different sides of themselves?

"Father~ Mother~ and Brother~" Uchiha Sasuke turned and returned to his room.

High in the sky, Uchiha Feng used the cover of night to survey the entirety of Konoha from above.

He went to the compounds of every major Konoha clan he could name and harassed them.

Boom~

Boom~

Boom~

Uchiha Feng gave every major Konoha clan a grand gift, not even sparing the Hyuga Clan.

He gave special attention to the Sarutobi Clan's little brothers, the Ino–Shika–Cho Clan.

Every clan was thrown into chaos.

Tien's clone had transformed into Yajirobe. According to Tien, Uchiha Feng's appearance would likewise put Konoha on guard.

At this moment, Yajirobe was also on the ground, reaping the lives of Konoha's ninjas.

They were like vicious ghosts crawling out of hell, harvesting the lives of ninjas moving through the dark night.

Konoha ANBU was in motion, while the Third Hokage had somehow already arrived at the Hokage Building.

Batch after batch of Anbu ninja guarded him, and Kakashi was among them.

One figure stepped forward to deliver a report.

"Hokage-sama, someone launched a surprise attack from the sky and shattered Konoha's protective barrier.

After fighting at the Shimura Clan compound, they vanished without a trace. The Shimura Clan was nearly massacred, and the few ninjas who escaped accused Uchiha Clan ninjas of being responsible.

They have mastered a flying ninjutsu and are even more agile than expected. Of the ninja dispatched so far, half have not returned to report. This includes the ninja sent to the Sarutobi Clan, who have likewise not returned.

I'm afraid the Sarutobi Clan may also be under attack?"

By the end of his report, the Anbu ninja was somewhat worried that the Hokage would reprimand him.

As a ninja closest to the Third Hokage, he understood the Third Hokage's true nature even more clearly.

However, the expected reprimand never came.

"There is no need to worry. Though the Sarutobi Clan is my clan, it is also part of the village. They should be prepared to fight for the village. We should trust them.

Now, the village is entering first-level combat readiness. I will remain here at all times." The Third Hokage still held his ever-present old pipe.

The surrounding Anbu ninja all turned solemn. This is our Hokage?

Hah! Is this our Hokage? Kakashi's thoughts seemed to match those of the other ninjas, but their meanings were completely opposite.

His investigations during this period had shown him an utterly unfamiliar Konoha.

The more he investigated, the more alarmed he became.

Every aspect of Hidden Leaf Village had already been thoroughly infiltrated by the Sarutobi Clan. The mission center that controlled the economy, the Ninja Academy that controlled education, and the Konoha Ninja Center that controlled military power all bore the Sarutobi Clan's influence.

Moreover, this situation had begun over twenty years ago, precisely when the Third Hokage had been carrying out sweeping reforms.

As for the Sarutobi Clan compound that ninja had just reported on, it was probably nothing but an empty shell now.

There might even be tunnels for escape.

Otherwise, why would Hiruzen Sarutobi be here at a time like this?

The Sarutobi Clan's side must have already been arranged.

Among the Anbu now, neither Asuma Sarutobi nor Kurenai could be seen.

They had both been placed under the Third Hokage's protection.

"Kakashi~" A voice called Kakashi back. He had just been lost in deep thought.

"Take people to check on Sasuke. Bring him back. If anything is unusual, kill him if necessary!" The Third Hokage's expression was conflicted, but he ultimately gave the order.

After observing through the Telescope Technique, Uchiha Sasuke was actually still sleeping in his room?

The ninja protecting Naruto had already been killed, and only after risking their lives had they managed to take the jinchuriki away.

"Ah?" Kakashi's heart jolted. His visible eye stared straight at the Third Hokage.

"Kakashi, carry out the order." The Third Hokage's tone turned cold.

"Yes!"

Kakashi seemed to return to the state he had been in during his Anbu days, but a stormy sea churned in his heart.

The Uchiha Clan? What exactly happened? And what about my teacher's child?

That was his final question.

He activated the Body Flicker Technique and rushed toward Uchiha Sasuke's location.

Boom!

A ki blast struck the top of the Hokage Building directly.

Half of the Hokage Building collapsed.

However, a transparent barrier inside the Hokage's office defended against the energy attack.

"He's in the sky!"

A jonin shouted a warning.

Everyone looked up into the sky. A chubby man with tiny eyes floated there in an exceptionally righteous pose.

The attack just now had been launched by Tien, who had transformed into Yajirobe, but he had not expected the Third Hokage to be so afraid of death!