Fugaku had no idea what the Third Hokage was thinking. Even if he had known, he probably would have laughed it off.
Besides, he was losing respect for Konoha's current leaders. They were powerful, but they lacked the breadth of mind to match.
When the First Hokage founded Konoha, he had more than overwhelming strength. He had a generous spirit, too.
After becoming Hokage, he had never thought of securing power by suppressing the shinobi in his village.
Things changed with the Second Hokage. Without the strength to keep everyone in line, those who followed had to rely on schemes to hold on to power.
When they failed to raise another Hashirama Senju, they even chose to suppress the Uchiha. Deep down, they feared the clan would produce another shinobi as powerful as Madara.
But Fugaku saw such power as hollow. It was like a colorful bubble: pretty to look at, and gone with a single poke.
Now he intended to pop those bubbles one by one.
As the sky darkened, lights blazed throughout Konoha Camp. Shinobi gathered in the Command Headquarters.
They included not only the camp's Jonin squad leaders, but also the core fighters who had arrived in the Land of Rain with the Third Hokage.
After some rest, the Third Hokage was refreshed, his eyes bright.
A terrain model of the Land of Rain stood in the camp, marked with the locations of Sunagakure Camp and Konoha Camp.
Fugaku was the first to step forward. "After the blow I dealt Sunagakure Camp last time, they should have fewer than fifteen hundred shinobi left.
"Their strongest fighter is, of course, the Third Kazekage. I've seen his Magnet Release and have some understanding of his techniques.
"I've written the details in a scroll."
Fugaku took the scroll from his