What Shiyu Uchiha had said earlier had indeed left some impact on the former Hokage. If this were before the Second Great Ninja War, Hiruzen would've seriously considered the matter and ordered an Anbu investigation.
Even the slightest possibility would catch his full attention—because that was the responsibility of a Hokage.
That's why during the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha was fully prepared in advance. Unfortunately, Hiruzen failed to assess people's characters correctly.
He trusted his childhood friends, only to be backstabbed, costing Konoha dearly.
This war even caused Hiruzen to develop a slight fear of warfare. Normally, after losing badly in Ame, he should have personally taken up arms, corrected his mistakes, and led Konoha out of crisis.
He should've marched straight into Ame Village, slain Hanzo, and honored those from Konoha who had fallen—that was the duty of a Kage. But instead, he hesitated in fear, terrified of repeating the same mistakes as his two fallen comrades.
So, on the advice of his old allies, he handed this duty over to the Sannin (the Legendary Three Ninja) and the White Fang—this decision further boosted the White Fang's already rising reputation.
Additionally, the fall of the Land of Whirlpool (Uzumaki Nation) was also due to his narrow vision. As Hokage, he failed to see the broader picture of the entire Ninja World, ultimately leading to the destruction of Konoha's greatest ally and wiping out the strongest pillar supporting his position—the Senju Clan.
Although the four of them benefited greatly at the time, in the long run, they suffered heavy losses. The fact that Konoha was soon besieged by four villages during the Third Great Ninja War served as undeniable proof.
Back then, after receiving distress signals from both the Land of Whirlpool and the Senju Clan, if Hiruzen had considered the situation with more foresight,
and if he hadn't been afraid of provoking Kirigakure—setting up an ineffective defensive line that delayed rescue efforts, allowing Kirigakure to invade the Land of Whirlpool and plunder its wealth—
it wouldn't just have given Kirigakure a chance to recover, but also cost Konoha its most powerful ally.
If Hiruzen had acted decisively and sent reinforcements back then, he might've saved more survivors from the Land of Whirlpool. He could've also preserved what was left of the Senju Clan's power.
At the time, Konoha might have gained a clan rivaling the Hyuga—the Uzumaki Clan—and the Senju wouldn't have completely withdrawn from politics. With the support of these two clans, Hiruzen's position as Hokage would've been far more stable, rather than now having to cautiously monitor the Uchiha.
Finally, Hiruzen didn't launch a timely counterattack against the weakened Kirigakure, missing the opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Land of Water and reclaim Whirlpool's stolen treasures. This significantly increased the difficulty of the upcoming Third Great Ninja War.
This caused his reputation to plummet to its lowest ebb. Thankfully, news of victory from the Second Ninja War and his clever political gamesmanship helped bring back much of his lost prestige.
After the victory of the Second Ninja War, even Hiruzen Sarutobi, driven by a slight fear of war, chose not to reap the fruits of victory. Instead, he chased after peace and the illusion of triumph.
That small fear became a flaw in his heart, constantly poisoned by the corruption of power. His fall had already begun—building up his power through Root. Along with the other three, digging into Konoha's foundation was only the beginning; strengthening his own clan was his true goal.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's problem left the other three in silence. Even Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's eyes betrayed a flicker of fear. Only Danzo Shimura remained relatively calm, though he wouldn't stay unaffected for long—his journey to Ame would eventually change him.
Time ticked away minute by minute. Finally, unable to bear the suffocating silence any longer, Utatane Koharu broke the stillness: "The Great Ninja World War ended only a few years ago. Based on our experience from the First Great Ninja World War, we should have at least ten years of peace ahead." Still haunted by the horrors of the Second War, he tried his best to stay positive.
Mitokado Homura silently nodded, agreeing with Koharu's view. Like Koharu, he had endured the brutal trials of the Second War and still vividly remembered the pain it brought. Therefore, they both hoped to believe there would be a relatively peaceful period ahead.
They had been terrified by external wars, so they became timid outwardly. However, since the Third Hokage won the internal power struggle, he grew ruthless domestically.
Danzo Shimura wasn't as optimistic, but he also believed war absolutely wouldn't break out within the next five years.
Moreover, if another Great Ninja World War truly erupted, their plans to suppress multiple clans—including the Uchiha Clan—would fail, which went against his personal interests.
Therefore, Danzo Shimura chimed in support: "I agree with Koharu. I also believe war absolutely won't break out within the next five years. Could someone be deliberately spreading such rumors for self-interest?" As soon as those words left his mouth, even Danzo himself felt this explanation made sense, quite pleased with his own cleverness.
Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fell into thought before nodding in agreement with Danzo's opinion.
After all, they knew well that once war broke out, they'd need to unite every available force in the village to fight together—something they'd learned from two Great Ninja Wars. They also knew the Uchiha Clan was secretly stockpiling supplies under the pretense of preparing for war.
"Trying to make us back down using the threat of war? Absolutely ridiculous! Hiruzen, don't ever fall for such nonsense—it's likely a well-orchestrated plot hatched by the Uchiha Clan and other ninja clans. Perhaps they've already caught a whiff of something. We must act immediately—we can't hesitate any longer!" Mitokado Homura shouted seriously toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Meanwhile, Danzo Shimura and Koharu Utatane also chimed in, "That's right, Hiruzen. We can't afford to be careless about this kind of matter. We must act decisively!" Their voices carried a firm and determined edge.
Faced with their persuasion, Hiruzen Sarutobi's lingering doubts instantly vanished without a trace. He started doubting Shiyu Uchiha, wondering if he had secret motives and thoughts, but those thoughts barely lingered before he pushed them aside, saying nothing.
Actually, it wasn't because Hiruzen intentionally wanted to conceal anything for Shiyu Uchiha—it was simply too difficult for him to bring up. After all, as the Third Hokage, known as the strongest of them all, if others found out he had just been nearly intimidated by a young man, wouldn't that make him a laughingstock?
He could never endure such shame. Thus, he could only bury this secret deep in his heart, hoping no one would ever discover it.
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