Jumping across rooftops, The Third's mind drifted through countless memories and reflections.
Decades of service as Hokage.
He had received the mantle from his mentor—the Second—becoming the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, bearing the fate of the entire village on his shoulders.
At that time, the village was still fragile, reeling from the loss of its strongest warrior. The title of "First Ninja Village" had become a set of training dummies aimed directly at them.
Back then, everyone wanted a bite of Konoha. It was a group of people who loved the village deeply that shouldered everything, carrying the village forward on their backs.
Among them stood Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, along with Danzo Shimura—who was not well-regarded in the village—as well as Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Of course, many other ninja who had once contributed to the village did not live long enough to see this era. They gave everything for the village, and now could only be honored in stone upon the Hero Memorial Stone.
At that time, each of them carried fire in their hearts. They were young, vibrant, and driven by passion.
Just like… just like Minato, Shikaku, and today's generation of Hokage-affiliated ninja.
Decades can change a person's nature—and everything about them.
They were no exception, having weathered every kind of storm.
Hiruzen Sarutobi himself had changed—he was no longer as resolute and bold as before. He had become a politician—measured, calculating, placing strategic gains above all else.
In the last dozen or so years of his career, he had indeed done many things that his younger self would have despised, actions that still brought shame even when recalled now.
And it wasn't only Hiruzen who changed—many others did too.
Danzo Shimura, due to events in his life, grew increasingly gloomy and gradually turned extreme, becoming ever more reckless in his actions.
During those years, out of respect for their longstanding friendship and due to the demands of the times, Hiruzen hadn't opposed these actions—in fact, he had quietly condoned many of them.
This ultimately led to Danzo's downfall, planting a time bomb that would decide his final fate.
As for the other two Elders, years of power had made them accustomed to controlling the direction of the village, and they had begun to rot from within, growing obsessed with authority.
As these thoughts settled in, Hiruzen let out a bitter smile—one that carried far more than simple regret.
After lunch, he began packing his belongings, saying goodbye to Biwako, and bidding farewell to Konohamaru. Without discussing anything with Homura and the others, he went directly to find Minato.
This was between him and Danzo. There was no need to drag anyone else into it anymore.
For decades, he and Danzo had been light and shadow in the village—a connection deeper than most could ever grasp.
Earlier, when speaking with Koharu and Homura, he claimed to have moved on, even accepted Danzo's death—but there was some truth he kept hidden behind those words.
He had only accepted Danzo's deserved punishment, accepted his inevitable end.
But he could never accept that Danzo had been killed by Saitama Uchiha.
It seemed contradictory—if he had accepted Danzo's fate, how could he refuse to accept his death?
Simple. Because the bond between Hiruzen and Danzo ran deeper than most could understand.
To Hiruzen's mind, even if Danzo had committed crimes, it would be himself or the village that should ultimately punish him, not some random outsiders.
This time leaving the village, he did so as Danzo's companion to fulfill his final wish.
Once everything was done, he'd go back to the village, retire peacefully, and raise his grandson to become someone the village could count on.
And with that, even after death when he met Danzo again, he could hold his head high and tell him he'd done one last thing for him.
This was Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal perseverance — his final way of honoring Danzo's memory.
He knew Danzo had made mistakes, but the old saying "blood runs thicker than water" wasn't wrong either.
Besides this, he hadn't brought along any of Minato's people or his former subordinates.
This was the last act he would do for Danzo — a way to honor the memory of his long-lost comrade.
Right or wrong was for others to judge. He just wanted to give his old friend back the respect he deserved. This was a battle without right or wrong.
Gazing toward Konoha's gates, the Third Hokage's aged face wore a heavy expression.
Hokage Building.
"Minato, it must be Sanjin. The intelligence I've gathered clearly points to him!"
Shikaku barely left the office when he came back, showing extreme efficiency.
"Mmm, I understand. Leave it alone for now."
Minato sat in the Hokage seat, hands resting beneath his chin. Behind him sprawled an enormous transparent window offering a view of the thriving, ever-growing village below.
"Understood."
Shikaku didn't ask further questions. He simply nodded respectfully while waiting for Minato's next command.
"Send a squad of scout medical ninja to follow the Third's group! I want to know what happens out there, and we need to prepare for unexpected developments — after all, the opponents are Orochimaru and Saitama Uchiha!"
Minato issued his final order, slowly dropping his hands onto the desk.
"Got it. I'll make the arrangements immediately."
Shikaku hesitated momentarily before skillfully pinching his beard between two fingers and nodding decisively. Then he turned and departed.
"Now that the Third's on board, things are definitely gonna swing in our favor. Although his motives aren't pure, he'll still become the enemy's nightmare and strong reinforcement for us!"
Minato picked up the pen from his desk, lifting it into the air with focus on its form.
It was a birthday gift from Naruto, his little prankster. Though cheap, it quickly became one of his favorite pens.
Whenever working, he always used this particular pen crafted by his little prankster — because it made him feel like his family was constantly supporting him.
Thinking about Naruto brought Kushina back to his mind too — Kushina with her red hair and Minato with his golden locks were both among the most important presences within his heart.
Thus, he did not want anyone disturbing the peace of the shinobi world or disrupting this hard-earned order!
His gaze hardened with determination as Minato popped off the cap and got back to work.
The document came from the Fire Daimyo himself. It discussed relations between the village and the nation, clarified positions between Kage and Daimyo, and touched upon the budget allocation plan for the upcoming year.
The first two issues were common problems that arose between every village and nation, and over time, these tensions had only grown sharper.
This was not the first time Minato had received such inquiries from the Fire Daimyo.
According to what he knew, the Fire Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja had already been drawn into a chain of internal conflicts over this matter.
Not long ago, Asuma had returned to the village from the Land of Fire. In the struggle concerning the Tama, he belonged to the moderate faction.
Asuma Sarutobi was indeed one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, identifiable by the cloth marked with "Fire" hanging at his waist.
Minato didn't dwell too much on these difficult-to-resolve matters. Instead, he flipped through the final pages outlining the budget allocation plan.
At the end of each year, Konoha would report its ninja deployment strategy for the following year, along with the current year's shinobi numbers and military supply estimates to the Fire Daimyo.
Only then would financial support from the Daimyo begin to be distributed.
Besides the annual fixed funding provided to hidden villages, the Daimyo would also issue various missions throughout the year, giving ninjas opportunities to stay battle-ready.
The relationship between the Fire Daimyo and Konoha had always remained strong, rarely experiencing any discord.
Unlike other rulers who might cut back on military funds due to political disagreements, the Fire Daimyo had never acted in such a way.
That was precisely why the Land of Fire had continued to thrive, maintaining control over the most fertile lands—a reflection of the co-governance model between the Hidden Village and the country, a system that had endured across generations.
Continuously scanning the list of allocations for the current year, Minato made sure there were no omissions before proceeding further.
This was a major undertaking. Once he finished reviewing, Shikaku would go through it again, followed by discussions with the major clans and civilian ninja representatives—ending inevitably in endless debates and disputes over resource distribution.
Although Minato had done his best to maintain balance, the reality was far more complicated than it seemed. The interests of various factions were deeply intertwined; this was no small matter.
...
"Huff... huff..."
Guy's arms hung limp at his sides. His body was clad in clothing torn to shreds, wounds covering him as blood dripped steadily to the ground.
He stood hunched forward, nearly parallel to the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily like a pumping bellows, each breath deep and labored.
Standing upright seemed almost impossible now—one strong gust of wind could topple him. His legs trembled beneath him.
Within a several-meter radius around him, the area was charred black. Gravel had cracked apart, some reduced to dust, scattering into the air with the breeze.
"Guy..."
Shisui stood nearby, expression complex.
Earlier, he sensed Nagare's jutsu. Knowing Guy likely couldn't block it alone, he had prepared to rush in and assist.
But Guy had directly refused, saying, "This is his battle—please believe in me!"
And so, things ended up like this.
Shisui narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan reverting back to the Three-Tomoe state.
Unlike Nagare, his Sharingan couldn't sustain the Mangekyou form indefinitely.
Since Guy refused to help me, I respected his decision. A ninja's Ninja Way was a personal belief in constant self-improvement, and Guy's Ninja Way was relentless effort and self-belief.
There was no need to keep his Sharingan active either, so he decided to conserve his Sharingan chakra for the upcoming battle.
Even an empowered Guy still wasn't a match for Saitama; so it was up to him to step in.
So he decided to save his Sharingan power and strike the killing blow against Saitama!
"Can you keep fighting, Guy? Is this really the limit of your hard work?"
Saitama stood across from Guy, his entire body wrapped in white lightning, like a thunder god descending from heaven.
He had just claimed victory in their jutsu clash — Guy's [Morning Peacock] was completely shattered by Saitama's [Sage Art - Thunder Dragon Roar].
Hearing Saitama's words, Guy lifted his head. His eyes locked onto Saitama with unwavering focus.
His bloodshot eyes revealed severe burns on the upper eyelids, which had fused with surrounding tissue damage, making his appearance extremely gruesome.
Surviving that attack was already pushing the limits of human endurance.
Even so, his whole body still felt weak, paralyzed by the lingering sensation of electric shocks coursing through him and damaging internal organs.
Moreover, countless wounds covered his body, especially inside his torso — he could clearly sense internal bleeding setting in.
Guy tried to stand upright, but his physical condition wouldn't allow it. Were it not for sheer willpower keeping him conscious, he might have collapsed into unconsciousness in an instant.
Through blurred vision, he scanned the surroundings and saw Kakashi and Obito, then turned his gaze toward Itachi Uchiha, who was still struggling, pain evident on his face.
"If that's the case, let me send you off then!"
Saitama raised his right hand, lightning flaring forth as the very air under the influence of this ninjutsu became scorched and distorted.
"Hmph..."
Guy curled his lips slightly, his gaze gradually dimming, yet still showing contempt toward Saitama's attack. Perhaps this was his final act of defiance.
Guy was still too young, his strength had not yet reached its peak as remembered by Saitama, but given time, he would steadily climb toward the level Saitama expected.
This was the power of relentless effort!
"No choice then!"
Shisui unsheathed his sword, his Sharingan continuously transforming until finally settling upon a mysterious pattern.
He had to intervene now, or else Guy might be killed outright by Saitama.
In his current state, Guy had absolutely no capacity to fight back and no way to dodge Saitama's next move.
His expression turning increasingly serious, Shisui tightened his grip on the ninja sword, his right arm tensing up as the muscles hardened.
"Da!" Saitama swung his right arm upward, electricity manifesting as blades several inches long crackling through the air.
Planting his foot firmly, he lunged straight at Guy — this was the perfect chance to kill him and eliminate a major future threat.
Saitama moved with incredible speed. As he cut through the air, it appeared as though the very atmosphere was being sucked away, leaving behind a visible white vacuum trail.
"Is this how my youth ends?"
"But I still feel a bitter sense of injustice," he muttered, frustration evident in his voice. "But my body's already reached its limit. How weak I am! It seems effort alone isn't enough after all!"
Guy straightened his battered body slightly, seeing Saitama standing before him. A surge of resentment welled up inside him instantly, though it held no real significance for the battle at hand.
A bitter smile formed on his lips. He knew it was time for his prime to come to an end.
"Ding!" A figure suddenly blocked between Guy and Saitama, sending a flicker of hope through Guy's otherwise hopeless world.
The next moment, Guy's world plunged into darkness as he collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
His injuries were too severe—he had taken a direct hit from [Sage Art Lightning Release].
If not for his years of physical training and having opened the Six Gates, he might have died on the spot!
Saitama's right hand collided with the weapon of the newcomer, creating a sharp metallic clang.
The arrival was none other than Shisui Uchiha, who had been watching idly from the sidelines until now.
"I won't let you kill my comrade right in front of me!"
Shisui struggled to resist Saitama's strength while the Mangekyou pattern in both his eyes began emitting eerie light.
He wasn't going to waste time with words. The moment he made contact, he activated the dojutsu he'd been saving for this very moment.
This was the fastest and most effective approach.
Even with his Mangekyou active, there was no way he could match Saitama in a direct fight.
He didn't think he could withstand multiple attacks like that from Saitama.
Why bother with preliminaries when he could just unleash his ultimate move?
This was what Shisui thought. He wanted to catch Saitama off guard and shut him down before he could react.
A powerful aura radiated from Shisui's eyes. Saitama immediately sensed something wrong and alarm bells rang loudly in his mind! He had always been wary of genjutsu attacks from Shisui and had already made preparations!
Fueled by some adventurous spirit, he used himself as bait, waiting for Shisui to make his move.
Earlier, he had also said, "Even before this battle started, you'd already lost—because we're not on equal footing when it comes to intelligence."
He knew Shisui's trump cards, but Shisui had no intelligence on his own hidden strengths.
In Shisui's eyes, Saitama's sage chakra surged rapidly, seemingly trying to break free from their confrontation, but apparently too late.
"[Kotoamatsukami]!"
Shisui locked eyes with Saitama, face-to-face, quietly uttering the name of his ninja art.
Normally, with just one eye he could activate this powerful dojutsu ability, but for safety he used both eyes simultaneously, enhancing the technique's effect.
His eyes stung painfully, making Shisui squint uncomfortably while blood trickled down from the corners of his eyes.
In less than a second, the technique succeeded. Shisui successfully altered Saitama's will, implanting the broad concept of 'protecting Konoha' into his mind.
This was the best solution Shisui could think of—one that would neither seem too abrupt nor fail to turn the current situation around.
As the dojutsu activated, Shisui clearly felt the oppressive force coming from Saitama steadily weakening.
When Saitama saw the increasingly sinister Mangekyou patterns forming in Shisui's eyes, he reacted immediately.
Ancient and intricate designs appeared within his own eyes, radiating the telltale crimson glow of the Sharingan.
Especially in his right eye, the pattern deepened like a bottomless pit—no one could tell how far it went.
"Shisui!"
Saitama's body trembled. He didn't understand what was happening to him—his thoughts and movements had fallen out of sync.
Physically, he wanted to attack Shisui, yet his mind urged him to abandon that very action.
In that instant, Saitama stood at the edge of intense conflict and hesitation.
"Saitama?"
Shisui noticed Saitama's reaction and realized his dojutsu had finally taken hold.
He pulled back the tanto he had held across his chest while Saitama slowly dispersed the ninjutsu forming in his right hand.
Their eyes met—Saitama's gaze was filled with complexity and inner turmoil, while Shisui wore an expression tinged with delight.
Although Shisui knew how powerful his dojutsu was, even he wasn't sure if it would work on someone else with the Mangekyou.
Yet now, it was clear—it had worked. Saitama's eyes no longer carried hostility and had returned to calmness.
Feeling his drained ocular power, Shisui smiled as the mysterious patterns in his eyes faded back into the Three-Tomoe state.
Even though the technique was tough to activate and left him drained for a long time, bringing Saitama back made it worth every cost!
Saitama wore a complicated expression—he hadn't lost his memories of the earlier battle, but deep inside, a voice kept telling him everything was wrong, urging him to stop!
Still, everything seemed too unreal. He even remembered how Shisui had attacked him earlier with a jutsu, yet now he had no resistance at all.
It was as if things were truly supposed to be this way.
With a soft "clack," he took a step back and looked down at his hands.
Externally, nothing had changed much about him, but internally, a persistent thought kept arising: protect Konoha.
But he also hadn't forgotten his original goal—to unify the entire Shinobi World.
These two conflicting ideas demanded a choice.
The thought implanted by Shisui was slowly gaining dominance.
Saitama hugged his arms tightly against himself, his whole body beginning to shake. Inside his head, a fierce clash erupted—one between two opposing beliefs.
"Huff!"
At the moment Saitama was caught in Shisui's ninjutsu, Itachi Uchiha broke free from his genjutsu.
Propping himself up with both hands, he knelt there panting heavily.
After a long pause, he lifted his head and stared toward the silent figures of Saitama and Shisui.
He could sense something was off with Saitama—he seemed locked in some kind of internal struggle, while Shisui, clearly exhausted, looked pale-faced.
Though he didn't fully understand what had happened, after taking several deep breaths, Itachi rose to his feet and began walking toward them.
Shisui's eyes widened. His eyes still burned, but joy swelled in his chest.
He had defeated Saitama using his [Dojutsu]. Physical exhaustion and eye damage no longer mattered!
"Saitama, now…"
Shisui straightened himself and placed a hand on Saitama's shoulder, his voice thick with relief.
Although something like [Mind Alteration] was inhumane, he hadn't completely overwritten Saitama's [Will]. He had simply planted the idea of protecting Konoha in Saitama's mind.
This way, Saitama wouldn't experience drastic changes in thinking and would retain his original personality.
Saitama would still be the same Saitama—he just wouldn't oppose Konoha anymore.
Everything seemed to have returned to the path Shisui had envisioned.
"Zrraa!" A white flash zipped by. Itachi, who had been walking toward Shisui, froze in place.
He had assumed that Shisui had already subdued Saitama somehow, and that the battle was over.
This was because he saw the smile on Shisui's face—the victorious grin Shisui often wore after winning a fight.
They had been partners for so long that Itachi had grown accustomed to seeing it.
That was why he lowered his guard and started walking toward them.
Though he didn't know exactly what had happened to Saitama, he chose to trust Shisui.
But the scene before him now sent chills down his spine, making him think he had fallen into a genjutsu again.
"Saitama… you!"
Shisui looked down at the arm piercing through his left chest, disbelief spreading across his face.
His body trembled. Without further thought, he already knew—his technique had failed.
His right hand swung downward—the blade glowing with a swirling blue [Chakra Vortex]—aimed at Saitama's arm embedded in his chest.
"Whoosh!" Saitama moved even faster—thrusting and pulling out in an instant. He stepped back, dodging Shisui's counterattack.
"Shisui!!"
Itachi's eyes shot wide open. He couldn't believe his eyes. Why had Saitama attacked Shisui again? And...
"Heh… Why didn't it work?!"
Covering the gaping wound on his left chest with his left hand, blood gushed like a fountain through the gaps between his fingers.
The Sharingan within his eyes spun rapidly, seemingly trying once more to enter Mangekyou form, but due to his injuries and prior ocular chakra depletion, he couldn't activate it.
Staring at the emotionless Saitama, Shisui spoke weakly.
He had entered Saitama's mind. He altered his Will. He planted the idea of protecting Konoha.
And judging from Saitama's earlier demeanor, he appeared to be struggling—not as if he were pretending.
"Oh, are you talking about your [Kotoamatsukami]?"
Looking at his childhood companion, whose life was slipping away before his eyes, Saitama showed no expression, though his eyes still held some complexity.
At the moment Shisui activated his [Dojutsu], he himself also unleashed his own ocular technique—the flawless [Izanagi] housed within his right eye.
Unsure how much time was required for [Kotoamatsukami] to fully take effect, he had set his own [Izanagi] to materialize sixty breaths later.
And that was exactly why he had just now appeared to be clearly under the influence of [Kotoamatsukami].
"Because of it!"
His bloodied right hand rose as Saitama pointed his index finger at his own right eye.
"I see..."
Shisui, the Uchiha ninja whose chest ached with intense pain and whose strength rapidly drained away, stabbed his tanto into the ground. Kneeling halfway, he looked up at Saitama.
With a bitter smile on his face, he never expected Saitama's dojutsu could resist or even block his Mangekyou ability.
Though he still couldn't figure out how, it was likely due to Saitama's Mangekyou dojutsu hidden within his right eye.
"It ends here!"
Saitama raised his right hand, expressionless as he stared at Shisui kneeling before him, his gaze gradually hardening with determination.
If they couldn't walk the same path, then they could only be enemies. That's just how the world of ninjas works—it's brutal by nature.
It wasn't that he was heartless—it was just a matter of choice. He himself chose a lofty goal, while Shisui chose to protect the village. And so conflict arose, strange yet inevitable.
"Yeah... It ends here."
A thick stream of blood slowly dripped from the corner of Shisui's mouth. Looking at the ground, his entire body had lost all strength, leaving no energy left for resistance.
Saitama had pierced straight through his left chest in one strike—an injury beyond healing, especially with no medical ninja around.
"No, no!"
Itachi saw Saitama raise his right hand high again; the white lightning crackled once more, forming clearly into a spear-like weapon.
Stretching out his arm, he weakly reached toward Saitama.
Stumbling forward, for an instant, he seemed to have forgotten he was a ninja at all—one who could use powerful techniques.
With a sharp *pa*, he collapsed onto the ground, as Saitama's right hand swiftly lunged toward Shisui.
"Swoosh!"
The white spear transformed into a flash of light, shooting straight through Shisui's chest, carrying his body flying far away.
Blood began to trail along the ground even before his body hit the earth.
"No! No! Brother Saitama!"
Itachi stared in disbelief as Saitama delivered the final blow to Shisui. A change began to stir deep within his eyes.
He collapsed to the ground, his eyes locked on Shisui's body flying through the air, pierced by the lightning spear, until it smashed violently into a distant stone wall and fell completely still.
He couldn't accept that Saitama would really kill Shisui. Though they'd fought, Itachi believed this wasn't truly a battle requiring life or death.
But the scene before him declared otherwise—Saitama really would kill them, and already had!
Tears rolled down his face without control. Itachi gazed longingly at where Shisui lay, then shifted his eyes toward Saitama, standing silently at the spot where it all happened—Saitama Uchiha.
"I will...kill you! Kill you! Saitama Uchiha!"
Never before had Itachi felt such hatred toward anyone. This man, whom he used to call "Brother Saitama" and deeply admired, was now his very first enemy.
"How interesting!"
Saitama ignored Shisui for now. First pierced through the left chest, then struck directly by a jutsu—he was practically declared dead already.
He turned, following the sound, and looked at Itachi. Without paying attention to the somewhat hatred-filled gaze of Itachi, his eyes met his for a moment before finally giving a faint smile.
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