Chapter 179 – The Collapse Plan for the Hidden Cloud?
The decline of Konoha's education system was something Sarutobi Hiruzen had long pondered.
What he hadn't expected… was to be lectured by the First Hokage himself.
Even more shocking—was that the First and Second Hokage could hold such completely opposing views.
---
"Honestly, I think that kid is pretty good," Hashirama mused late that night, within the Senju clan's ancestral home. He gave a thoughtful nod. "His bottom line might be a little low, but his ideas aren't bad."
Tobirama immediately frowned. "Tch. Even the fact that he can get along with that Uchiha brat is suspicious. Aside from Kagami, the Uchiha clan is—"
"Shut your mouth, Tobirama!" Hashirama cut him off sharply. "How many times have I told you? The Uchiha are comrades of the village!"
"And if it weren't for your policies," he snapped, "how would things have ended up this way?"
"Hmph, you're really going to pin this on me?" Tobirama retorted coldly.
"Didn't Gen already make it clear? All the chaos stems from Uchiha Obito! He's the one who caused the Nine-Tails incident!"
"But Gen also said it was Konoha's mistrust of the Uchiha that drove things to that point. Monkey here told me—wasn't it that brat from the Shimura clan? And isn't he your student?"
"Danzo went too far, I'll admit. But without Uchiha Obito, would any of this have happened?"
"And without Danzo's paranoia, would things have escalated this far?"
Hiruzen felt his scalp tighten. These two legendary Hokage arguing was a disaster in itself. Desperate, he glanced toward Tsunade for help—only to see her watching the scene with arms folded, a smirk on her face, clearly enjoying the show.
Helpless, Hiruzen tried to mediate. "Lord First and Second, arguing won't change the past. We need to focus on the present situation."
"You shut up, Monkey!" both Hokage barked at once.
"You couldn't even keep Danzo in check! Is that how a Hokage should act?"
"And don't get me started on Konoha's education—look what a mess it's become under you!"
"Education?!" Hiruzen snapped back. "You founded the Konoha Academy! You dare blame education on me?"
"The direction I set was clear—if you had followed it even a little, Gen wouldn't have turned out like this!"
"Your methods are outdated!" Tobirama shot back. "Gen has exactly the mindset a Hokage needs."
"Ha! So the collapse of Konoha's education really is your fault, you bastard!"
Watching the two Hokage trade insults yet again, Hiruzen could only sigh in defeat.
Still… he had a card to play.
"My lords, if I may… it seems you both agree that Gen is suited to become Hokage."
That silenced them.
Hashirama stroked his chin. "His temperament reminds me a lot of Tobirama… but he's the most talented of the bunch. With proper guidance, he'll do just fine."
"Hmph. He doesn't need your guidance—he's more than capable already," Tobirama retorted. In truth, he felt an odd fondness for Kitagawa Gen. His mindset was sharp, ruthless even—like his own, but sharper. His abilities surpassed even Tobirama's in many areas. How could he not be pleased?
"He's Konoha's pride," Tobirama declared firmly. "If it's him, I'll give my full support."
Hiruzen smiled, seizing the moment. "Koharu, Homura, and I share the same view. With your support as well, the process will go smoothly."
"But Gen still needs to keep learning," he added quickly. "And right now, we have more urgent issues to address."
"Agreed. Edo Tensei, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure," Tobirama said with a nod. "We should follow Gen's plan. Even Edo Tensei has… potential applications."
"Oi, don't go too far!" Hashirama barked. "Do you realize how much trouble that jutsu has caused? And you want to use it again?"
"It's for Konoha!"
"You bastard! Gen ended up this way because of you!"
"This is exactly the kind of mindset a Hokage needs!"
"Konoha's downfall in education is YOUR fault!"
The two brothers resumed their bickering, leaving Hiruzen rubbing his temples. He never expected their revival would lead to endless squabbles over Kitagawa Gen.
But maybe… that wasn't such a bad thing. At least it proved they both recognized his worth.
---
Meanwhile, life for Kitagawa Gen had returned to a deceptive calm. With no one suspecting that First and Second Hokages had been revived, only he knew what was happening behind the scenes.
Unfortunately, hosting duties fell entirely on him—which meant babysitting both Deidara and Mei Terumī.
"Man, this is boring." Deidara stretched lazily. "No offense, but the guys Konoha sent out don't really impress me. That Naruto kid? He's bound to get eliminated. Sasuke might have potential, but the rest? Meh. Did Konoha even prepare for this?"
"Deidara, you'd better watch what you say," Mei chuckled, clearly amused. By now, everyone was familiar enough to joke freely. "Careful or he'll wipe out all of Iwagakure's participants. Then the Third Tsuchikage will be furious."
"Tch, like I care." Deidara huffed. Still, after a pause, he glanced at Gen nervously.
"…Hey, uh, your Konoha isn't that petty, right?"
Gen smirked wickedly. "Depends on my mood. If I'm in a bad one, who knows? After all—Konoha is both referee and competitor. We can do whatever we want."
A bead of sweat slid down Deidara's temple. Even for him, that sounded… dangerous.
Mei quickly changed the subject. "I've heard Sunagakure has already surrendered. Kumogakure, though, is preparing for war. What's Konoha's move?"
Gen raised a brow, smiling. "What about you?"
"Sand's surrender isn't surprising. They'll hand over their border territories near Iwagakure, and we've already granted you control of the Land of Waves. As for Kumogakure's preparations… well, let's just say we'll follow the plan. Maybe we'll even fight side by side."
"…Fight side by side?" Deidara's eyes lit up. The idea of turning this boring waiting game into battle sparked a wild thought in his mind.
"What if," he said suddenly, "instead of waiting for the exams to finish, we launch a surprise attack now?"
"…Huh?" Both Gen and Mei froze, staring at him.
Gen rubbed his chin. "Theoretically, it makes sense. Everyone expects nothing major until after the exams. A sudden strike could be effective."
"True," Mei admitted reluctantly. "But if they counterattack, we'd struggle to respond. And most villages are still mustering their forces—they can't mobilize instantly."
"But what if we send an elite strike team?" Deidara leaned in conspiratorially. "Say… you, me, and Mei. Just the three of us!"
Gen blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Deidara to be that reckless. And yet… the idea stirred something in him.
"…This could work."
Mei's eyes widened. Was he seriously considering this? Still, since Deidara was Ōnoki's disciple, she held her tongue.
"Isn't this too reckless?" she asked cautiously.
"Not necessarily." Gen pretended to analyze calmly. "Deidara can fly—he can get us there fast and provide aerial bombardment. His clay explosives and Dust Release make him devastating in large-scale combat. I can target their key leaders directly. And you can provide wide-area support with Water Release. If things go wrong, I'll use Flying Thunder God to extract us instantly. Honestly… it looks solid."
"Uhh…" Mei hesitated. She didn't trust Deidara, but Gen's reasoning was hard to ignore.
This was the man who had once fought three Kage at once and slain both the Fourth Kazekage and the Fourth Raikage. A true powerhouse, without question.
The more Terumi Mei thought about it, the more the idea started to sound… tempting.
"Exactly! That's what I've been saying all along!"
Deidara practically bounced with excitement, his restlessness written all over his face.
"I'll fly us in—we raid, sabotage, hit them hard, and cover each other's backs. With the three of us together, there's no way we can fail!"
"But…" Kitagawa Gen let out a long, drawn-out sigh, then shook his head. "Without the village's authorization, it's too reckless. Sure, the credit would be enormous, but the higher-ups will almost certainly choose stability over risk."
"I agree." Terumi Mei nodded after some thought, though something about the situation still felt off to her.
"No problem! We'll just slip out quietly."
Deidara slapped his chest with absolute confidence.
"You just need to get us out of Konoha. After that, I'll summon a clay bird and carry us the rest of the way. If trouble comes knocking, I'll take full responsibility!"
"..."
Mei glanced at Kitagawa Gen's smiling face, then at Deidara, whose eyes were sparkling with unrestrained excitement. And in that instant, she finally realized what had been bothering her.
This isn't right.
"This really doesn't seem like a good idea..." she began carefully.
But Gen only sighed again, his expression serious.
"If we succeed, the glory belongs to us three. But if we fail… you, as the supposed 'mastermind,' will shoulder most of the blame."
"No problem, no problem. Hm!"
Deidara shook his head without hesitation, his tone uncharacteristically firm.
"It was my idea in the first place. If it goes wrong, I'll take the fall. If it goes right, the credit's ours to share. No issues at all!"
"..."
Terumi Mei had no words. The successor of Iwagakure seemed far too simpleminded for someone of his station… while the successor of Konoha standing beside her—was far too sly.
"What about you?" Mei finally asked, looking at Gen.
He smiled faintly, eyes gleaming.
"I think it might be worth trying. Of course, if you oppose it, I'd completely understand—it is dangerous."
"I—"
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, Deidara peeked out from behind Gen's shoulder, silently mouthing:
'You don't want this bastard staying here and eliminating the other candidates, do you?'
"..."
Mei hesitated, then exhaled a long sigh before smiling lightly.
"Fine. Let me think on it. And besides—the timing isn't right yet anyway. But don't worry…"
Her eyes curved, voice soft but carrying an edge.
"I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. And truth be told—part of me finds the idea… exciting."