Taken Down!

ANBU.

Their full name was the Hokage's directly subordinate Assassination Tactics Special Forces.

They were established during the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's tenure.

Konoha was neither particularly large nor particularly small.

Tobirama Senju had a plan regarding certain things within the village that could not see the light of day.

After all, during his elder brother's tenure, he had been the one managing the village's affairs.

The establishment of the ANBU was necessary. Some missions were simply not suitable for ordinary ninja, whether externally or internally. A powerful force was needed to become the sharp blade in the Hokage's hand.

In addition, the clever Second Hokage had also aimed at the differing personalities of his two outstanding disciples and nurtured them in different ways. His methods of cultivation had, in fact, already determined who would bear the Hokage's responsibilities in the future.

He believed that even if he was no longer in the village one day, with Sarutobi serving as the light in the open and Danzo taking root beneath the shadows, their cooperation would surely make Konoha even stronger.

Even in the original work, when Tsunade took office, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had used those exact arguments to whitewash the two of them.

It was hard to imagine how they had the shamelessness to say it out loud.

One had learned a politician's hypocrisy and how to stabilize his own position, while the other had surpassed the master and personally created Root, an organization even more brutal than the ANBU.

And now, as the Hokage-sama's private soldiers, an ANBU squad was meticulously carrying out the task assigned by their superior.

"Kakashi-senpai, why don't you get some rest?"

Outside the Uchiha Clan Grounds, inside a concealed room.

A masked ANBU ninja spoke softly.

He watched the man who had been staring intently in the Uchiha's direction, feeling a trace of emotion in his heart.

No one ignored Kakashi Hatake's presence because of his youth.

He was a man ruthless toward his enemies and even more ruthless toward himself. When executing missions, his cold-bloodedness was enough to send chills down one's spine.

His diligent performance had also earned everyone's high approval.

It was said that Kakashi-senpai had not closed his eyes for several days, all so he would not miss a single detail.

"Any unusual activity?"

Kakashi's hoarse voice came from beneath his mask, devoid of any emotion.

"No. Everything is normal, just like before. They're gathering the Konoha Military Police Force to patrol the streets right now."

The ANBU ninja reported on the mission. Although they felt that a mission to monitor comrades was not suitable, as the Hokage's blade, they had to obey the Hokage's orders unconditionally.

"You all rest for a while. I'll keep watch."

His words still carried no emotional fluctuations.

He did not demand that others be like him.

And unlike what others believed, his dutiful behavior had never stemmed from any great loyalty to the Hokage.

When your companions, your teacher, and your family members were killed in action one after another, all you could feel was endless loneliness. Being alive itself seemed to become a sin.

It was hard to imagine how Kakashi had spent his days since the Fourth's death.

He had finally felt that familiar warmth again after so long while carrying out the mission to protect Kushina, but with the deaths of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, that warmth had vanished too.

Did he really not want to rest?

It was just that whenever he awoke with a start and saw the blood on his hands and the burning eyeball in his eye socket, he could not help asking himself why he had not been the one to die.

That feeling was not pleasant.

He did not want to numb himself, either.

But honestly, he did not even have a target he should seek revenge against.

"Kakashi-senpai is as dedicated as ever."

"Yeah. As expected of the Fourth's disciple."

"Speaking of the Fourth... what a pity."

It was indeed a pity.

But his teacher had fulfilled his duties as Hokage.

Well, as a husband and father, he had not exactly been qualified.

Just like his father, who had silently chosen suicide.

Kakashi was suffering inside.

"By the way, did you hear? That baby—"

"Shh. That isn't something we should discuss."

As ANBU, the information they received naturally differed from that of ordinary people. They knew a little about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

But discussing it now was absolutely taboo. No one would be foolish enough to do that.

"True, but why did the Nine-Tails go berserk? Was it really the Uchiha?"

"Isn't it obvious? The Three Tomoe in the Nine-Tails' eyes were so huge that anyone who wasn't severely nearsighted could see them."

"Man, that's a bit too arbitrary. To be fair, I suspected them too, but right from the start, Uchiha Fugaku was ordered to lead the Konoha Military Police Force in protecting civilians, while the other Uchiha Clan Members were all inside the barrier."

"And the higher-ups ordered them to stay far away, wasn't it because they feared the Uchiha would seize the chance to control the Nine-Tails? The only thing they could do was either defy orders and fight the Nine-Tails to prove themselves, or obediently stay away to avoid suspicion."

This was normal discussion.

The Sharingan's genjutsu could control tailed beasts. The clans that had lived through the battle at the Valley of the End all knew that.

The Uchiha themselves knew it too, so whether they stayed far away from the Nine-Tails to avoid suspicion or fought a bloody battle to prove themselves, they would have been stained either way.

But from another perspective, those Three Tomoe had been so huge that anyone could see them. Were the Uchiha really brainless enough to openly control the Nine-Tails where everyone could see?

Even if their coup succeeded that way, could they control Konoha? Even if they somehow used a single Nine-Tails to defeat the entire village, how long could they control Konoha? How many people would submit to them?

When foreign enemies invaded, what would they use to defend against them? Continue controlling the Nine-Tails?

It was completely ridiculous!

Would they create such massive chaos just to prove themselves? That was even more impossible.

"I always feel there's something strange about this."

One of the masked ANBU ninja spoke in a tone brimming with wisdom.

"This whole matter reeks of conspiracy from beginning to end, but we can analyze it from another angle!"

The surrounding ANBU ninja became interested as well, gathering around and pricking up their ears.

"Without question, the Nine-Tails Attack was a disaster for everyone in the village."

"But... it wasn't as though no one benefited from it!"

Holy shit?

Bold.

The ANBU ninja present were stunned at first, then wished they could stab their own ears deaf.

They truly regretted hearing those words.

Obviously!

Looking at the entire Nine-Tails Attack, it had been an unprecedented disaster for everyone.

Yet someone had profited from it!

It was just that person's name was far too dangerous to speak. What a joke—did you dare gossip about your direct superior?

The topic absolutely could not continue any further.

Yet the kid who had started it clearly had not had his fill.

Seeing that his companions had all been stunned by him, he smacked his lips and leisurely dropped a bombshell.

"I heard Sarutobi Clan stink can hallucinate tailed beasts."

Fuck!

It was over. He had actually said it!

His companions' faces turned green.

But it was not too late to make amends!

They absolutely could not let him continue.

Without another word, the ANBU ninja swarmed him and pinned the foul-mouthed kid to the ground. A chaotic series of sounds immediately came from the concealed room.

Kakashi also frowned and turned his head, intending to stop his companions.

At the same time.

Not far outside the room, the personnel Fugaku had arranged sent a signal as well!

That was right.

In fact, no idiot would publicly discuss such matters, much less an ANBU ninja trying to whitewash the Uchiha.

But unfortunately, beneath the Uchiha Clan's evil bloodline, anything impossible could become possible!

The strange pattern in Fugaku's eyes dispersed again, returning to the ordinary Three Tomoe form.

"Although I don't know how the seniors did it, it seems controlling someone and making them spout nonsense is much easier than controlling a tailed beast."

Fugaku rubbed his aching eyes, let out a breath, then pointed ahead with a flash of madness on his face.

"Take them all down. Not a single one gets away!"

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