Konoha's Pride

Zabuza looked up at Kakashi and said with utter disdain, "No need for your concern!"

Then Zabuza rapidly formed hand seals, and thick mist rose all around them.

Kakashi instantly lifted his eye patch and formed hand seals as well. The same thick mist spread out.

Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!

It was not that Kakashi did not want to let Zabuza go. It was that Zabuza's appearance in Konoha had caused far too many consequences!

First, a rogue ninja had killed a Konoha higher-up. Would that not make Konoha a laughingstock?

Second, Zabuza was a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist. How could he possibly know how to infiltrate Konoha's barrier? Someone had to have been working with him from the inside, intending to kill Homura Mitokado!

So Zabuza could not be allowed to leave!

The two layers of mist left Zabuza unable to tell which way was which. He could see clearly within his own mist, but not within Kakashi's.

As Zabuza's jutsu took effect, the fog slowly continued to spread.

Zabuza tried to use this method to confuse Kakashi's senses and escape successfully!

Konoha's ANBU moved quickly!

Four ANBU rushed over, and one of them happened to possess the Byakugan!

The Byakugan activated, and the Konoha ANBU immediately learned Zabuza's location!

Zabuza's red chakra stood out exceptionally clearly amid the white fog.

But then, within the dense mist, Zabuza's chakra vanished!

The Hyuga ANBU said, "Zabuza has disappeared!"

Kakashi said, "Impossible!"

But a cold voice, like one from hell, sounded beside Kakashi's ear. "Nothing is impossible!"

The Hyuga ANBU shouted, "Blue chakra has appeared beside Kakashi!"

Hearing that voice, Kakashi immediately felt chills run down his spine.

He swiftly turned, gripping a kunai, and stabbed at the figure with it.

But the kunai passed straight through!

Seeing that ability, Kakashi's pupils constricted. "It's you!!!"

The true culprit who had once released the Nine-Tails and caused Konoha's Fourth Hokage to die in battle!

He was also Kakashi's teacher's murderer.

Kakashi relentlessly attacked Obito with Lightning Release, Water Release, and Earth Release, launching one attack after another.

But Kakashi's attacks had no effect whatsoever on Obito.

The one eye Obito revealed looked at Kakashi with the pity one might show a clown. "Kakashi, you're pitifully weak now..."

With that, Obito's figure twisted and vanished.

Kakashi froze, because that voice had sounded ever so slightly... familiar.

But Kakashi could not remember who it was!

A moment later, the Third Hokage arrived. Looking at the gradually dispersing mist, he took a puff from his pipe and asked, "Who died?"

"Advisor Homura Mitokado."

The Third Hokage said nothing, but the pipe clenched in his hand crumbled to dust.

Someone had swaggered into Konoha and killed one of Konoha's higher-ups, a Hokage advisor.

This was practically a slap across the Third Hokage's face!

The Third Hokage's expression darkened as he said, "Investigate thoroughly!"

The ANBU were dumbfounded.

What am I supposed to investigate with!?

There's no intelligence at all. How am I supposed to investigate?

The only two pieces of intelligence they had were that Zabuza was the killer.

And that the person who had rescued Zabuza seemed to be a member of the Uchiha.

A member of the Uchiha...

Kakashi thought of something. Could it be that the Uchiha had developed even greater ambitions?

Kakashi's expression darkened. If that was the case, Konoha might truly not be a match for the Uchiha.

The Uchiha had Sasuke, who was already extremely powerful at only ten years old.

They also had Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi, both wielders of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Kakashi possessed one of Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan.

Naturally, Kakashi knew how powerful that eye was. He even used Kamui as a trump card. One eye alone was immensely powerful.

Two would be even more terrifying, and besides...

According to Kakashi's intelligence, although Uchiha Shisui had defected from Konoha and become a rogue ninja,

he remained in frequent contact with the Uchiha clan...

And every member of the Akatsuki organization was an S-rank rogue ninja!

There was very little intelligence on every Akatsuki member, practically none at all!

A moment later, members of the other clans gradually arrived as well.

After all, the death of a Hokage advisor was no small matter.

Shikaku Nara leaned close to the Third Hokage's ear and said, "Lord Hokage, I suspect the Uchiha. They have greater ambitions!"

The Third Hokage said nothing and quietly waited for the Konoha Police Force to arrive.

If possible, stripping the Konoha Police Force of its authority would mean Homura Mitokado had not died in vain.

The Third Hokage had always wanted to strip the Konoha Police Force of its authority!

The Konoha Police Force was the last to arrive, strolling in at an unhurried pace.

Led by Fugaku, the members of the Konoha Police Force all had slightly flushed faces, as though they had been drinking.

The Uchiha clan had all been very happy today!

It was Sasuke's tenth birthday, so everyone had drunk alcohol.

The Third Hokage questioned Uchiha Fugaku, "Fugaku, as the Uchiha clan head and captain of the Konoha Police Force, how could you drink so much?!"

Uchiha Fugaku let out a drunken burp and said, "Hm? Lord Third, did something happen?"

The Third Hokage snapped furiously, "Something happened! And you have the nerve to ask! A Hokage advisor of Konoha was murdered! What has your Uchiha Police Force been doing?!"

Fugaku froze. That bastard Homura Mitokado had been killed?

Who was carrying out justice for the heavens?

Fugaku said, "Lord Hokage, it is currently rest time."

The Third Hokage was instantly left speechless. It really was rest time. There was a two-hour break from midnight to two in the morning.

And Homura Mitokado had happened to die during those two hours...

This was an error within the rules. The Third Hokage truly had no way to deal with Fugaku over it.

Just like that, Homura Mitokado had died for nothing. His death had created no value for Konoha!

Of course, that was only from the Third Hokage's perspective.

But for the Uchiha, the Uchiha clan had one troublesome enemy fewer.

Elsewhere.

Within the Kamui space, Obito looked coldly at Zabuza.

He said to Zabuza, "Trash. As an assassin, you fought with others after completing your target. Simply idiotic!"

Facing Obito's reprimand, Zabuza did not dare utter a single word.

Because the enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stood behind Obito.