During the First Great Ninja War, he had been called upon in a time of crisis, entrusted by his teacher—the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—to inherit the mantle of Hokage.
For decades, Sarutobi Hiruzen had ruled with diligence, guiding Konoha forward. Yes, he had his faults—but also many merits. Even now, in his disgraced state, his heart still burned with devotion—to Konoha, and to the ideals of his teacher.
Though Konoha was now thriving under Uchiha Fugaku's leadership, to Hiruzen, it all seemed laughable.
After all, when a village has hit rock bottom, any step forward looks like progress.
He remembered what Konoha had been under his reign:
Vast military strength. Rich resources. Whether in overall power or international standing, Konoha was the undisputed number one.
Even after enduring two wars, and being besieged by multiple great nations in both, they had stood tall—never broken.
That was his Konoha.
(Though admittedly, that strength came from the legacy of his predecessors—just like how the Qianlong Emperor couldn't squander everything the Yongzheng Emperor had built, no matter how hard he tried.)
And now?
Even with Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan, he was still just riding the coattails of Yuki Yoru, bowing to Kirigakure, letting others hold power over life and death.
Of course, if that were all, Hiruzen wouldn't be so disturbed. After all, Konoha had clearly weakened. Submitting to greater power wasn't inherently wrong.
But the problem was Yuki Yoru's ability.
The power to kill and devour souls, and grow stronger with each one.
That power was too domineering—too monstrous. With it, Yoru had risen from an ordinary jōnin to a being atop the world in just a few years. His strength, his terror, was unimaginable.
Yes, for now, Yoru acted friendly toward Konoha. He had formed the Three-Nation Infrastructure Alliance, taken Hyūga Hiashi's daughter as his student, and even voluntarily ended the war between Konoha and Kumogakure.
But in Hiruzen's eyes, all of that only made things worse.
He was clearly gradually tightening his grip on Konoha.
First by helping Fugaku seize political power.
Then by recruiting influential ninja clans through mentorship.
And finally, by ending the war to win the hearts of the people.
If things kept going at this rate, it wouldn't be long before Konoha became Yuki Yoru's personal playground.
And if what Uchiha Obito had said really came to pass...
Then Konoha would become nothing more than a field of souls, ripe for harvest.
"I won't let that happen... never..."
"I may no longer be Hokage... but I am still the one who shields Konoha from the storm."
Hiruzen muttered quietly, then suddenly looked up at Obito, eyes sharp.
"I'll cooperate with you—to take down Yuki Yoru."
"Hahahahaha! Now that is the Third Hokage I know—the man once called the 'God of Shinobi'!"
Obito burst into laughter, clearly unsurprised by the agreement.
This old man, so widely revered, hadn't taken up the Hokage title again after Minato's death for no reason.
He wasn't someone who could accept failure easily. Nor someone who would just give up power, status, or reputation.
Someone who had once held everything—only to lose it all in a few short years—how could he possibly accept such a fall from grace?
Obito didn't even need to tempt him.
He only had to state the facts, then offer the smallest sliver of opportunity—and Hiruzen would seize it.
And that was exactly what happened.
"So, what's your plan?" Hiruzen asked, voice calm but serious. "Let me be clear: I will not join any shady organizations, nor do anything that would harm Konoha."
"Of course," Obito replied with a soft chuckle.
Hiruzen's reputation mattered to him.
The fact that he had been willing to sign a surrender agreement with Yuki Yoru during the war was already pushing his limits. His current exile wasn't because he lost to Fugaku politically—it was because the entire village, including the Sarutobi clan, had come to loathe him.
Hearing Obito's agreement, Hiruzen let out a small breath of relief.
He had truly feared being asked to betray the village—or join some missing-nin organization.
"Yoru's power and threat are undeniable," Hiruzen continued. "If you don't have a foolproof plan, any move against him will only provoke worse retaliation."
"That's exactly why I came to you," Obito replied calmly. "But with your current frail body—forget Yuki Yoru—even Danzō might be stronger than you."
"Don't give me that look. Danzō and Fugaku have both successfully fused cells from the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
"Hashirama-sensei's cells...?" Hiruzen's expression darkened.
He had known about that research long ago—had even been involved.
He had once taken the First's only viable living clone, "Kinoe", away from Danzō himself.
But now? Both Danzō and Fugaku had successfully integrated Hashirama's cells.
"What are you proposing?" Hiruzen asked darkly. "I have no resources, no power, and no access to anything anymore... And if I recall correctly, you also possess the First's cells, don't you?"
"Indeed. I wield Hashirama's strength too. But even that isn't enough to defeat Yoru."
"To do that... we need a higher level of power."
"Higher...?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"Do you remember a shinobi named Hiruko?"
Obito pulled a scroll from his robes—the scroll of the "Chimera Technique"—and tossed it over.
Hiruzen opened it and studied the contents. His already pale brows furrowed deeply.
After a long silence, he lowered the scroll.
"I've known of this jutsu for a long time. It was because of his research into these taboos that Hiruko was declared rogue and ordered hunted by my command. You're not seriously suggesting I use this, are you?"
"As expected of the 'Ninjutsu Professor'—you're sharp," Obito nodded. "Yes, I am suggesting that."
"After Hiruko defected, he refined this jutsu even further. And with my modifications, it's now fully optimized."
"With Senju cells and Uchiha Sharingan, you can replicate the power of the Sage of Six Paths."
"Fugaku and Danzō possess both components. That's why their power is so overwhelming."
"But even they have only scratched the surface. These two powers are wild and unstable. Ordinary people can't handle them—only through extensive modification or rare compatibility can one survive the fusion."
"However, this 'Chimera Technique' allows for deep fusion."
Obito fixed Hiruzen with a heavy gaze.
"I assume you still have some of Hashirama's cells?"
"Then all you need... is a compatible Uchiha."
"You want me to go to war with Fugaku?" Hiruzen snapped. "Forget it. I won't touch Uchiha blood. That is my line."
Whether it was his old friend Uchiha Kagami, or the teachings of his mentor, Hiruzen had always held complex emotions about the Uchiha.
He had known of Danzō's experiments with both Uchiha and Senju bloodlines long ago—never doubt a Hokage's awareness of his village. Especially when the one experimenting was his so-called closest friend.
He had felt the changes in Danzō's chakra—had sensed the unnatural power from the mingled blood.
But even then, Hiruzen had never dared to take that step himself.
Because to him, the Uchiha and Senju clans occupied sacred places in Konoha's legacy.
"Still clinging to the honor of your predecessors?" Obito scoffed, but didn't push further. Instead, he said, "Then perhaps we try... a different recipe."
"Different...?"
"Yes. One that can also lead to the Six Paths realm."
"Uzumaki. Hyūga. Shikotsumyaku…"
Obito's body slowly vanished into a space-time vortex, leaving behind only a single scroll on the table.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
The gentle night breeze stirred the paper.
He tapped the table rhythmically, thinking.
Konoha had never lacked forbidden jutsu.
He had ruled for over three decades. As the so-called "Ninjutsu Professor," he had studied nearly every technique in the village—including countless forbidden ones.
He had researched the Chimera Technique before.
And now, with Obito's so-called "upgraded version," he saw something different.
He didn't even need to test it.
With just a glance, his experience told him that this was a terrifying jutsu.
A technique capable of breaking through bottlenecks and elevating the body to new heights.
Bloodline fusion. Reversion to ancient lineage.
The potential was immense.
But it also carried horrific risks.
This kind of bloodline integration destabilized one's very foundation. Failure could lead to irreversible damage.
For someone who wanted to someday step back into the light—to protect Konoha again—that price was too great.
But if it were someone who already lived in darkness...
"Someone."
Hiruzen formed a hand seal and gave a quiet order.
A figure appeared behind him.
"Lord Hiruzen."
"Bring Danzō to me."
"Yes!"
As for this move of Hiruzen's—Obito wasn't particularly concerned.
If the old man could produce some chaos and cause Yuki Yoru even minor trouble, all the better.
If not? No big deal. He already had the Zero-Tails ritual in hand.
...
Somewhere in the forests of Konoha…
"Sharingan Windmill Triple Attack!"
"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
A massive flame roared out, riding along steel wires, lighting up the clearing as it spiraled through the trees.
After unleashing the technique, Uchiha Itachi dropped to one knee, panting hard—but quickly stood again and resumed throwing shuriken at distant targets.
Up in a tall tree nearby…
Obito stood on a branch, watching silently.
"He's definitely a genius."
From the trunk beside him, half of Zetsu emerged and nodded.
"This is Uchiha Itachi—Fugaku's son. Opened the Sharingan early. Said to be even more talented than Shisui. Right now, he's the most outstanding prodigy in the Uchiha clan."
"And his personality is unusual. If guided well, he has high potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
As Akatsuki's top scout, Zetsu's sensory skills were among the best in the shinobi world. With Black Zetsu riding shotgun, every Uchiha was under surveillance from the moment of birth.
And Itachi—who had shown talent from the start—had been a top priority since day one.
"A genius, huh…"
Something stirred in Obito's memories.
His visible Sharingan flickered with emotion.
His tone remained cold.
"But talent alone won't awaken the Mangekyō. You need enough hatred."
Only intense emotion could trigger that evolution.
Obito knew this well.
Everything he had seen, everything he had experienced that day... it still haunted him.
It was that grief, that rage, that had awakened his own Mangekyō.
"The deeper the love... the more powerful the hatred that follows."
"That's the curse buried deep in Uchiha blood."
"Does he love anything—or anyone?"
"Hiruzen's 'Will of Fire,' maybe?" White Zetsu offered with a snort. But under Obito's glare, he quickly changed his answer.
"Besides his parents, Fugaku and Mikoto, the only one he really cares about is his younger brother."
"Oh, and… he has a childhood sweetheart he's very close to."
"Oh?" Obito's eyes lit up with interest.
"A childhood sweetheart? Now that is useful…"