"So then, part of the Uchiha and Danzo Shimura's Root launched a rebellion, while another faction of the Uchiha opposed it. Konoha's reaction was unusually prompt, so the rebels failed to succeed, and the village quickly restored order… isn't that something worth celebrating?" Haseo summarized Jiraiya's intelligence report without detecting any necessity for himself to return to Konoha.
"The idea of 'restoring order'… isn't technically wrong either. However, this is merely a fragile calmness. Everyone knows the village is currently full of undercurrents."
"You surely don't really think such a large-scale rebellion caused no damage to the village?"
"A war had just ended not long ago. Konoha is still recovering, its strength inherently weakened, and now this turmoil… exaggerating slightly, you could even say things are in imminent danger."
Haseo's words sounded rather heartless, making Jiraiya somewhat dissatisfied.
"How exaggerated can you get? The top-tier combat power remains intact."
"Did Sakumo Hatake die or something?"
"As long as ninjas like him exist, how could Konoha collapse from a single rebellion?"
"…However, the losses in strength were significant. About half of the Uchiha who took part in the rebellion suffered heavy casualties. Root and their forces were nearly wiped out completely."
"In comparison, the number of Konoha ninja lost wasn't much less than the rebels'."
"Dealing with the aftermath alone is headache enough. Those rebellious Uchiha ninja may be dead already, but what about their families…? Both the rebels and those who suppressed them were Uchiha."
To be honest, it's a real mess. So how exactly do you deal with the Uchiha now?
"No one had a good answer for that. Besides, it wasn't Haseo's job to figure out anyway."
"Alright, let's set aside the heavy casualties among the rebels—well, at least they've been thoroughly dealt with. However, the issue lies in the key figures successfully escaping after the rebellion failed… including core individuals such as Danzo Shimura, who have already fled Konoha."
"Currently, Anbu and the Uchiha are tracking them down. Setting aside Anbu, the Uchiha clan has also taken active measures this time in order to correct their own mistakes."
"That's odd. Did Clan Leader Fugaku really have that much foresight?"
Fugaku was already acknowledged as the smartest person within the Uchiha clan, but Haseo seemed far from trusting his intelligence.
"Speaking of which, Kushina actually played a crucial role during this rebellion. It was her who first detected Danzo's unusual movements… According to her account, Haseo, this is the result of your teachings."
"When she was little, you apparently told her, 'First, beware of child traffickers; second, beware of Danzo Shimura. Whenever some unknown bad deed happens in Konoha, going after Danzo will always hit the mark,' right?"
Jiraiya, who shared Haseo's dislike for the Hokage title, couldn't understand why Danzo—a Konoha elder and practically ancient—still insisted on chasing the position. Wouldn't it be better to just live freely?
If analyzed thoroughly, Danzo's lust for power was one aspect, but the deeper cause likely stemmed from a psychological layer—self-loathing... The roots of this matter could be traced back to the time of the Second Hokage's death.
When the Second offered to stay behind to cover their retreat, Hiruzen Sarutobi volunteered instantly. Yet Shimura Danzo was trembling.
The difference between them was clear even to Danzo himself, and he hated that weakness within him. To escape such feelings, he needed to outdo Sarutobi.
Thus, he needed to become "the great Hokage."
Unfortunately, Danzo's ambition exceeded his abilities, so in the end, everything amounted to nothing—he would never surpass Hiruzen Sarutobi in his lifetime.
"There are two problems," Haseo raised two fingers toward Jiraiya, then curled one inward. "First, when exactly did I say something like that? Remember, I never make baseless accusations... Is it fair to blame every problem on Danzo? That's irresponsible."
Then he curled the second finger inward too. "Second... Who is Kushina?"
"..."
Jiraiya suddenly didn't want to talk with Haseo anymore.
But he had no choice but to continue because the mission wasn't over yet.
"Anyway, Konoha is now in a state of unrest. We urgently need you to stabilize the situation, intimidate those with rebellious intentions, and reinforce our strength. In times like these, shouldn't you return to the village?"
Finally, Haseo turned serious. Since Jiraiya wanted a formal response, he'd give one formally.
"I've already said it before—I don't see any reason for me to go back to Konoha.
Thank you for informing me about recent developments, but I've retired already. Don't bother me again with all that bullshit.
If you just want to have dinner or drink tea, feel free to drop by. But anything else—Jiraiya, you know exactly how I deal with uninvited guests, so do yourself a favor and stay out of that category."
With that, Haseo stood up. "Most of the customers here don't really come to eat. The dishes may look nice, but they don't taste good at all.
I'd rather go home and have my dà bǔ tāng (tonic soup)."
Although Jiraiya had been scolded by Haseo, he couldn't really get angry. After all, that was simply Haseo's personality.
And if Haseo wanted to act like a senior figure, he really was Jiraiya's senior.
"Wait, Haseo."
Jiraiya called out, stopping him.
"What else is there?"
If Jiraiya continued babbling, Haseo really wouldn't hold back anymore... Would it look good if a ninja his age got his ass kicked?
"Don't rush. There's still another thing I haven't told you yet. Hear me out before making your decision… If you still refuse to return after that, then I'll pretend I was never here."
Jiraiya pulled Haseo back to the table and began explaining the other matter.
"...You're telling the truth?"
"Haseo, not everyone shares your weird habit of making stupid, unfunny jokes about everything."
Even though he wasn't joking, Jiraiya still made a small counterattack.
"..."
After a brief silence, Haseo gave his response.
"I understand."
He then parted ways with Jiraiya and quickly returned home.
"You smell like you've been drinking, Haseo. That's not like you at all."
Tsunade had an excellent sense of smell; the moment Haseo showed up, she made that remark.
It was already getting close to evening, so naturally Tsunade was at home. At this moment, she was teaching little Niyu Haseo something—in any case, the child's little face clearly showed grievance... But since studying was important, Haseo had to act like he didn't notice that expression.
Recently, due to a few recent bad investments, Tsunade temporarily lacked the resources to continue her beloved financial activities. So these days she'd been keeping busy around the house, constantly checking in on the child's studies.
And looking after Haseo too.
"Tsunade, something came up. We might need to return to Konoha for a while."
Upon hearing Haseo speak thus, the playful look on Tsunade's face quickly vanished... If it were just some ordinary matter, Haseo definitely wouldn't return to the village.
In contrast, upon hearing this, little Niyu's eyes lit up with a special gleam.
To her, Konoha was just a place she had heard about from her parents' conversations, so she carried natural curiosity about that village.
...
While Haseo and Jiraiya discussed the incident instigated by Danzo Shimura in Konoha, Danzo himself wasn't actually far from them... After failing his operation and fleeing Konoha, Danzo and his subordinates had been heading eastward all along.
Their destination: the Land of Water.
After the Fourth Mizukage's death, the ongoing chaos and turmoil in the Mist Village caused the entire Land of Water to carry a certain "lawless territory" vibe. And now, this instability hadn't calmed—it had intensified instead, making this place a haven for many rogue ninjas.
This area swarmed with outlaws beyond the law.
"Lord Danzo, this way."
Badly wounded, clearly exhausted, and in tatters, Danzo Shimura followed one of his subordinates, moving in a specific direction.
Yes, they had successfully escaped Konoha, yet they had paid a corresponding price.
They had fled—but now the direction they were heading seemed somewhat troubling.
Inside a hidden cave over there, four individuals were engaged in a secret meeting. Among them, the masked man soon sensed someone approaching.
"Discovered, huh? You all retreat first—I'll hold off the intruders."
"Chief, we..."
"There are only two people. You just need to remain concealed and retreat safely."
The "masked man" ordered his subordinates to withdraw, then proceeded toward Danzo's location.
Not long afterward, under the cover of dark night, both parties met within a forest... In that instant, Tobi's eyes widened abruptly.
Of course, beforehand he didn't know who was approaching would be none other than Danzo Shimura—and now he knew.
Isn't it ironic? It was Danzo Shimura's own actions that sparked the Senju radicals' rebellion—and ultimately led to its failure?
Tobi had a profound impression of Danzo Shimura... his impression of the latter was only second to Haseo.
The moment the two encountered each other, Danzo suddenly felt his body uncontrollably rushing toward a certain direction, as if he were being pulled toward a massive star by its overwhelming gravity.
One was worn out and battered. The other, fully rested and ready for battle—this wasn't the same war anymore.
Thus, a single decisive palm strike pierced straight through Danzo's chest cavity.
"You... what..."
"Hello, Lord Danzo. Long time no see.
I'm Tobi—you probably haven't heard of this name before. But back then in Konoha...
my name was Nawaki."
Nawaki had indeed improved somewhat—at the very least, he now understood that one must first ensure the enemy is completely finished off before introducing oneself.
Guess you could call that on-the-job training.
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