Land of Fire, Northern Central Town — Residence of the noble Fujiwara clan.
Fujiwara Kōya, the head of the clan, had completely lost his former composure. He curled up under a table, tightly covering his mouth with both hands, forcing himself not to make a sound.
"How dare you, you insolent ninja! This is the territory of the noble Fujiwara clan! How dare you intrude!"
In the courtyard, a middle-aged samurai in plain clothing held his sword with both hands, eyes wide with helpless rage as he watched two of his subordinates being strangled to death by the intruder right before him.
"What does being noble matter? As long as there's money to be made, I'd even kill a daimyō."
Kakuzu rolled his shoulders, finally finding the time to glance at the middle-aged man in front of him.
"You're..."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes, as if recognizing the man's identity.
"That's rare. Aren't you the kind who doesn't bother to remember worthless bounties? What's a samurai doing on a bounty list?"
Without a second thought, Pakura appeared beside the man, having casually killed the two wandering ninja hired by the Fujiwara clan.
"Of course. But this one's no ordinary samurai — he's Imagawa Nobunari. Over ten years ago, he claimed a bounty worth fifteen million ryō just before I could. I've been waiting for the chance to settle that debt."
Kakuzu said with a sinister tone.
"What are you talking about?" Imagawa Nobunari frowned, clearly not understanding Kakuzu's words.
Kakuzu didn't answer. In a flash, his figure disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Imagawa.
So fast — a Body Flicker Technique.
Without hesitation, Imagawa swung his blade.
...
The next day, Konohagakure.
Looking out the window at his face being carved into the Hokage Rock, Sakumo's taut lips finally relaxed, and his eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.
Rasa's failed attempt to assert dominance in Sunagakure had inadvertently earned Sakumo immense prestige.
The daimyō's office had issued a letter praising Sakumo and increased Konohagakure's military budget for the year.
Kumogakure's covert actions remained within a controllable range. The children could finally say goodbye to the brutal battlefield.
Overlooking the now-thriving streets of Konoha from his office window, Sakumo couldn't help but utter a timeless phrase:
"What a scene of flourishing vitality, where all things strive to grow."
"Fourth Hokage-sama!"
Minato suddenly appeared in the office with a flash.
Having served as Hokage for a while now, Sakumo had already grown used to his subordinates' aversion to knocking on doors.
"What is it, Minato?" Seeing Minato's serious expression, Sakumo smiled, gesturing for him not to panic.
He was very pleased with Sarutobi Hiruzen's recommendation for head of the ANBU. The two of them got along well even during casual chats.
He had to admit — this blond-haired man before him was someone truly suited to be Hokage.
"Fourth Hokage-sama, envoys from the daimyō's office have arrived."
"I know. They're here to discuss the increased military budget, right? I've already assigned Counselor Koharu to receive them."
Sakumo reached out for the documents related to the matter.
"No. They're here to hold us accountable for the extermination of the Fujiwara clan."
Minato's words made Sakumo freeze mid-reach.
"...Huh?"
...
Half an hour later, having finished discussions with the envoys from the daimyō's office, Sakumo returned to his office with a stern expression.
"How did it go, Fourth Hokage-sama?" Minato asked with concern — the envoy had looked downright aggressive.
"It's nothing." Sakumo waved a hand and closed his eyes, massaging his temples.
After a moment, he finally spoke:
"Minato, I need you to check the archives for all death investigation requests involving nobles that were directly commissioned by the daimyō's office over the past few years."
"Understood."
Thanks to his Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato moved quickly. That very night, he delivered the files Sakumo had asked for.
After reading through them all overnight, Sakumo quickly noticed some discrepancies.
These commissions had clearly been personally reviewed by the Third Hokage — his signature was present on every single one.
Though he no longer held the title, Sarutobi Hiruzen still came to the Hokage building every day to handle affairs in his capacity as a counselor.
Sakumo soon found him in his designated office.
Hiruzen's complexion hadn't worsened from the poison he'd suffered on the battlefield. In fact, freed from the burdens of being Hokage, he looked even more radiant.
"Is something the matter, Sakumo?"
Hiruzen, who had been practicing calligraphy at his desk, wasn't surprised at all to see Sakumo.
This was, after all, the reason he had stayed on as a counselor — to help Sakumo get up to speed with the responsibilities of Hokage.
"Third Hokage-sama, I'd like you to review these documents."
Handing over the materials he had gathered, Sakumo fixed his eyes on Hiruzen's expression.
"This is..."
Upon seeing the contents, Hiruzen's brows twitched. He already had a rough idea of why Sakumo had come.
Especially when he saw that a single infant from the Fujiwara clan had survived — he clenched the brush in his hand.
Even though the expression on Hiruzen's face confirmed what Sakumo had suspected, Sakumo was smart enough to stay silent. He simply waited for Hiruzen's response.
"Where there is light, there must be darkness. Without one or the other, the world cannot function properly."
Hiruzen's expression turned somber.
"Even as Hokage, there are things we cannot be allowed to know. Sakumo, I never told you about this."
The answer was now all too clear.
"But why? As shinobi, isn't it our duty to protect the villagers, our comrades, and the daimyō?"
Sakumo couldn't comprehend. The values of the Hatake family made it difficult for him to accept what was happening.
"You're mistaken, Sakumo. From the very beginning, we have had only one objective."
Hiruzen refuted Sakumo's statement.
"And that is to protect Konohagakure itself — the village beneath our feet. That's the will that has been passed down since the First Hokage's time."
"Whether friend, brother, or one's own flesh and blood — anyone who becomes an enemy of the village, I will not spare."
"Those were the words once spoken by the First Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen's face grew stern, trying to dispel the unease brought on by that document.
"Let me handle this, Sakumo. If your heart is not yet as strong as the Second Hokage-sama's, then you'll need someone who can shoulder the burdens for you."
Having said that, Hiruzen carefully put away his calligraphy and took the documents Sakumo had brought, then left the room without another word — leaving Sakumo alone to reflect on their conversation.
...
At this moment, Root was lying dormant.
With the Fourth Hokage in office, Danzō's position had naturally shifted into that of an Advisor.
Aside from continuing essential intelligence-gathering operations, Danzō now spent most of his days training Asuma and Yamato.
However, due to Yamato's special identity, Danzō usually only trained him when no outsiders were around.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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