Haseo was a person with strong inner resilience and high adaptability because his personal lower limit was relatively low; therefore, the lower limit of things he could accept was also low. However, this didn't mean he wouldn't feel shocked or astonished—it didn't mean he could stay calm and composed under any circumstances.
For example, the death of the Third.
An Anbu Ninja would absolutely never joke about something like this. Yet Haseo still repeatedly confirmed with the messenger before finally understanding what had truly happened.
War always triggered unexpected events, but in Haseo's estimation, even if situations elsewhere were complicated, he had never considered the possibility of the Third dying on the battlefield.
Although the Third was certainly not the strongest Hokage, there was no doubt about his comprehensive strength at his peak.
Without even putting down the cat in his arms, Haseo rushed toward the Hokage's office building like a lovesick teenage girl doting on her pet.
There, the two Elders and Danzo Shimura—who had been injured and deliberately laying low in Konoha—had already arrived, appearing unusually quiet and tense.
After Haseo arrived, he simply sat down silently...
They were waiting for detailed battlefield reports from the front line.
Feeling the oppressive and tense atmosphere, Haseo looked at the two Elders and Danzo Shimura, sensing the subtle opposition between them—the news of the Hokage's death had been transmitted back to Konoha through the emergency channel of the Anbu Ninja, and naturally, Haseo had no idle hands planted within the Anbu—he had absolutely no interest in these internal struggles.
In other words, theoretically speaking, he could easily be kept in the dark.
However, the Anbu immediately passed the information directly to him. Thinking further, he knew it must have originated from the instructions of the two Elders. As for Danzo Shimura, if he had intercepted the message first, there was no way that man would have shared it with Haseo.
By suppressing the news, Danzo Shimura could take the opportunity to make all sorts of preparations.
Thinking along these lines, Haseo couldn't help but direct his gaze toward the two aging Elders... He had to admit, if nothing else, that moment alone justified their positions and proved they were worthy disciples of the Second Hokage.
After some time had passed, Danzo Shimura finally broke his silence:
"Haseo," he said, "the Northern Front is clearly experiencing severe turmoil now. This is precisely when your kind of combat power is most needed there, so instead of waiting here, you should head to the battlefield as soon as possible. That way, you can grasp firsthand intelligence... Only you have the ability to reverse Konoha's deteriorating situation."
The gazes of Haseo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane locked instantly onto Danzo Shimura's face—not because he had broken the silence, but due to the intentions hidden behind his words.
Faced with such words, Haseo might have smiled faintly—if not for the hard, thin line of his lips, the sharpness of his brows like drawn blades, and eyes that blazed with lightning yet gleamed with the clarity of the ocean, seeing through every illusion cloaked in reality.
"First, if the Third Hokage were truly to die... Actually, no need for suppositions anymore. We can basically confirm this news regardless of our subjective willingness to accept it. In that case, I should remain in Konoha.
Second, Sakumo Hatake is still at the front line. Only after hearing news of Hatake's death and confirming total collapse along the Northern Front will I consider issues related to the front line."
In reality, even if Sakumo Hatake and the Third Hokage both died on the battlefield and Konoha's Northern Front completely collapsed, Haseo would absolutely never leave Konoha.
He had a crystal-clear grasp of which side was fundamental and which merely an extension, which side was the trunk and which the limbs, which side primary and which secondary—Haseo knew all this very well.
Haseo didn't hold any special emotional attachment toward Konoha, but he could never allow significant overall turmoil to occur within this village either. He had both personal feelings and vested interests in Konoha, so even purely out of "selfishness," he had to maintain control over Konoha now.
During this particularly sensitive period following the Third Hokage's death, there was no need to consider complex internal relationships. Now, unquestionably, whoever possessed sheer strength would naturally have the greatest qualification to decisively handle matters. After hearing Haseo's words, Danzo immediately pulled his slightly protruding head back.
Haseo was already nearly forty years old—still trying to deceive him as though he were some young kid?
His meaning was very clear: at this crucial moment, anyone who reached out their hands would have their head chopped off; anyone who stretched out their legs would also lose their head.
Danzo definitely wouldn't utter a second word.
While continuing to wait for updates from the front lines, Haseo placed the cat he held onto the table. Then he used the Summoning Jutsu to summon a slug, placing it beside the Black Cat before beginning to write a letter by himself.
"The Western Front should've received the news already, so I'll give Tsunade a reminder—she has to keep things steady over there."
After finishing the letter, Haseo offered a brief explanation to everyone present, even showing them the letter briefly. During such unusual times, communications would certainly be restricted—who knows if someone might try reaching out to external powers?
However, when everyone saw it was through the slug messenger system, they all understood perfectly well who Haseo intended to contact.
What frustrated people, however, was that at first glance, the entire letter seemed written in a childish tone. Such a serious matter—it looked more like passing love notes than anything else?
Haseo indeed felt somewhat worried about Tsunade's condition. Overall speaking, for her, the feelings created by someone dying at fifty versus nearly seventy, or dying on the battlefield versus passing away peacefully in Konoha, were definitely different.
Tsunade hadn't gone through the things she was meant to experience, so she couldn't possibly display that inner despair combined with outwardly feigned acceptance...
The relationship between the Sannin and the Third Hokage was beyond question.
"Find an excuse to call Kohei Sarutobi back to the village. One reason would be humanitarian considerations, and the other to have him watch over his younger brother. Although the Third Hokage's youngest son is quite young, he always appears mentally handicapped. Who knows what ideas he might develop once the news becomes public?"
While waiting, Haseo continued conversing with the Elders about various minor details... Unquestionably, they were simply trying to ease their anxiety.
Cut to the chase.
The report has been verified. Today, Kumo launched a sudden large-scale ambush on our camp without warning. During the battle, the Third Hokage was confirmed killed by the Raikage's attack. Following that, our forces retreated, but thanks to Sakumo Hatake's actions, the Front Line has mostly stabilized—though at a heavy cost.
A lucky break amidst the tragedy—it seemed like the Front Line hadn't completely collapsed.
Just Kumo? Not a combined operation with Kumo and Iwa? If even Hatake managed to hold off the Raikage, why had the Third fallen?
The Third Hokage's taijutsu skills were absolutely nothing to scoff at—he was considered exceptionally strong. Just looking at his weapon proved that. When wielding that staff, he certainly shouldn't have lost to the Raikage.
His summoned beast, Enma, known as "Kongo"—was said to be invulnerable.
Though anything labeled "invulnerable" would undoubtedly break someday, until then, its durability was unquestionable.
Therefore, against the Raikage's straightforward physical attacks, the Third Hokage should have been able to withstand them.
No, only Kumo was involved. As for Iwa... they're still sitting still along the border of the Land of Earth (Tsuchi no Kuni).
That old turtle really knows how to stay calm under pressure.
Third Tsuchikage could endure; after all, he'd been bullied by Madara Uchiha since childhood. He truly knew how to bide his time.
As for the Third Hokage's defeat, it wasn't just from the Raikage's attack alone… He faced both the Third Raikage and the designated successor—the Fourth Raikage—attacking together, meaning two generations of A working in unison.
The Fourth Raikage sacrificed his own safety and took critical injuries to give the Third Raikage a killing chance...
Haseo fell silent, finally understanding.
In terms of speed and physical combat skill, someone with the title A wouldn't be much weaker than Haseo himself. In other words, it was as if the Third Hokage had been attacked by two people identical to Haseo—except these opponents were powerhouse bruisers combining both strength and speed—an unstoppable pair of living tanks.
Haseo vaguely remembered something about the Fourth Raikage being older than Minato by seven or eight years. Since Minato was currently sixteen, judging from age alone, this Fourth A must already be extremely powerful at this time.
Moreover…
What other bad news is there?
No, it's just that after seeing the Fourth Raikage, Sakumo Hatake recognized his identity. According to Sakumo, that same A had participated in the earlier attack which destroyed the Land of Whirlpools, and though gravely wounded during that war, he somehow survived.
Though still young, the Fourth Raikage already seems no less powerful than the Third. Based upon his physique, Sakumo suspects that the Fourth Raikage underwent long-term, self-torturous rigorous training.
Haseo: ...
What did that have to do with what? Land of Whirlpools? Why didn't Haseo remember anything about it?
How could he possibly know about someone using the Cleaver Sword—a massive cleaver known for its weight—as a walking cane while leaving the Land of Whirlpools?
So the current Fourth Raikage was much stronger than his historical counterpart? Could this nonsense actually circle back and hit me… Haseo couldn't help but feel an absurd sensation.
Surviving a fatal attack from the villain boss, then striving hard to become strong and eventually participating in taking down the boss's own master… Who even came up with this protagonist template?
Under constant questioning from the four, the Anbu ninja reported updates from the front line one after another. After practically grilling him dry, these four thick-headed nitwits finally figured it out… What the hell, why bother drilling him point by point when they could just ask the Anbu to hand over the written intelligence report directly? Wouldn't reading it themselves be faster than oral Q&A?
Then, the Anbu ninja was dismissed.
After a brief silence digesting frontline reports, Haseo spoke up, "Sakumo Hatake cannot defeat the Raikage. For him, those he can beat are simply cut down immediately, while anyone surviving his blade indicates someone he cannot beat… The Northern Front remains dire."
There was an issue of counter-matching here—Sakumo simply couldn't break through Raikage's defense.
For any ninja, handling enemies with excessive offensive capability was easier than dealing with ones overflowing in defense. Even someone as powerful as the Dust Release Tsuchikage could be stabbed dead with nothing more than a five-centimeter art knife. But what about Raikage?
He was extremely difficult to handle.
Ninjas building tank items already seemed ridiculous enough, especially when he still dealt massive damage.
"The Northern Battlefield is one problem; another being we must prevent Mist's frontline from reigniting after temporarily calming down.
Therefore… Danzo, next you'll have to continue guarding the Eastern Front. Right now, only you fit that position appropriately."
Unexpectedly, Homura Mitokado suddenly said this.
Haseo just blinked, looking genuinely clueless — like he'd stepped into a trap without seeing it coming.
What the hell…
Truly living up to the name of a "true friend"—stabbing you in the back out of nowhere, not once, but twice. That's what I call a double-cross.
With the Hokage recently deceased, selecting the next Fire Shadow had become crucial. Judging purely by age, the current Danzo Shimura was undeniably qualified for candidacy.
But determining whether a candidate was truly suitable varied depending on individual opinion. And now, Homura had expressed his choice.
Haseo needed to apologize for always considering the Elders as brain-dead.
Immediately afterward, he added, "Exactly! Mist is indeed dangerous. Right now, the only standing force in the village that combines both size and combat readiness capable of immediate deployment is Danzo-sama's 'Root.' Thus… all for Konoha, entrusted at critical moment—you're irreplaceable."
Backstabbing? Pfft, who doesn't know how?
Kick the most trouble-making guy straight into some remote corner first—that was currently the unanimous decision among three of Konoha's "Four Heavyweights."
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