In April of the 41st year of Konohagakure, two major incidents shook the ninja world.
The first was the mysterious death of a Kumogakure ninja inside the Hyuga Clan compound.
Both Konoha and Kumogakure refused to back down on the matter, and tensions that had only just begun to settle after nearly a year since the end of the war were once again stirred.
However, those with sharper insight understood that a full-scale war was unlikely. The Fourth Raikage was primarily using the incident to pressure Konoha for concessions.
In contrast, Hyuga Hiashi, the Hyuga Clan Head, took an unusually firm stance. He directly accused Kumogakure of coveting the Byakugan and publicly declared that the entire Hyuga Clan would resist any aggression.
The ninja world was thrown into heated debate.
Yet while this controversy was still unfolding, another shocking piece of news emerged from Konoha.
Shimura Danzo, the man behind Root, had been exposed for conducting human experiments and transplanting Kekkei Genkai such as Wood Release and the Sharingan.
Just two days after the rumors surfaced, Konoha's Yellow Flash, Uchiha Hayashi, alongside Senju Tsunade and Hyuga Hiashi, surrounded the Root base and demanded an explanation.
Soon after, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, officially declared Shimura Danzo a rogue ninja and issued a special pursuit order.
Danzo resisted fiercely with his remaining forces but ultimately escaped the village and vanished without a trace.
The entire ninja world was shaken.
Danzo's defection had a far greater impact than the death of the Kumogakure envoy.
Even Fugaku's attack on Konoha paled in comparison.
The so called Hidden Leaf Destruction Plan had only caused structural damage, which could be repaired within a year.
But Danzo was different.
Shimura Danzo was not just any ninja.
He was the disciple of the Second Hokage, the leader of Root, a high ranking official of Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's closest comrade from their youth.
He knew every secret buried within the village.
If those secrets were exposed, Konoha's position in the shinobi world would collapse.
On the surface, the Five Great Nations remained at peace.
But in the shadows, every village had already dispatched intelligence units to locate Danzo.
Whoever captured him would gain access to Konoha's deepest secrets.
The shinobi world once again slipped into quiet chaos.
Hokage Office Meeting Hall.
"The intensity of the pursuit on Danzo must be increased," Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly. "But the priority is to prevent other villages from reaching him. If necessary, engage them directly."
His voice carried exhaustion.
Dealing with the aftermath of Danzo's actions had worn even him down.
Although Hiruzen had ensured Danzo's escape, he now had to ensure that no foreign village could capture him.
Fortunately, Danzo had prepared multiple bases across other countries. His survival was not immediately in danger.
The shinobi in the room simply nodded.
No one spoke Danzo's name freely anymore.
It had become a taboo word, much like Madara in the past.
Too many inconsistencies surrounded his departure. Despite being declared a rogue ninja, Danzo had somehow slipped out of the Land of Fire without resistance.
But no one dared to investigate too deeply.
The truth was something the village was not ready to face.
Mitokado Homura would normally have been the ideal person to lead the pursuit. As a high ranking advisor, he understood Danzo's methods better than anyone.
But even he had left the village.
He refused to believe Danzo had truly defected and personally went after him, swearing to bring him back.
When Hayashi heard this, he could not help but feel a strange sense of irony.
It was almost like something out of Jiraiya and Naruto's kind of story.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not respond to the thought behind Hayashi's expression.
Instead, he continued.
"Additionally, I will appoint Orochimaru to temporarily take over Root."
"Yes, understood," the attendants replied.
Hiruzen's face remained neutral, but internally the decision satisfied him.
Orochimaru was, at this moment, the most suitable candidate. He had both the capability and the trust required for such a sensitive position.
The meeting ended shortly after.
No one mentioned compensation for the Uchiha Clan, and Hayashi did not bring it up either.
---
Since that day, Konoha seemed to sink into an endless rainy season.
In the dim evening rain, Hayashi walked out of the Hokage Office and looked up at the overcast sky.
A familiar figure approached, waving from a distance.
When he caught up, the two walked side by side.
Far away, several ninjas were stunned by what they saw.
The Third Hokage himself was holding an umbrella over Hayashi while walking with him.
And Hayashi did not refuse.
Hiruzen spoke first.
"With Danzo gone, the village is in turmoil. The Fourth Raikage also seems genuinely ready to start a war."
From the Kumogakure incident to Danzo's defection, Konoha had been in constant instability.
What had once been political pressure might now become real conflict.
This topic had been briefly mentioned in the meeting, but Hiruzen had not elaborated then.
Now, under the rain, he spoke more openly.
Hayashi answered without hesitation.
"If the Fourth Raikage moves, I will go directly to Kumogakure. The Eight Tails Jinchuriki is in the Lightning Gorge. If something happens to the Eight Tails, the Raikage will be forced to retreat."
Hiruzen patted his shoulder with quiet approval.
"You had this planned already, didn't you?"
Hayashi gave a simple nod.
After a moment, Hiruzen asked, "If you become Hokage, what will you do?"
Hayashi replied immediately.
"I want to be the First Hokage first, then the Second Hokage."
The meaning was clear.
The First Hokage built the village system itself. To become like him was to reshape an era.
The Second Hokage refined and structured the village into what it had become. To follow his path was to establish lasting systems for the future.
Hiruzen, a man who had ruled for decades, understood the implication instantly.
After a long pause, he sighed softly.
"I am old. I probably will not live to see that future."
He looked at Hayashi, the young man whose influence already rivaled his own.
Then he asked again.
"And after that? If you become both the First and Second Hokage, what comes next?"
Hayashi simply pointed at himself.
Hiruzen chuckled, saying nothing more.
They walked through the village streets together, passing familiar buildings.
Hiruzen murmured, almost to himself.
"I should have killed Danzo that day. I hesitated, and he escaped. Homura went after him, but… perhaps it is better to leave it at that."
Hayashi remained silent.
Without realizing it, they had reached the Ninja Academy.
Children poured out, laughing and shouting in groups.
The moment they saw the Hokage and Hayashi, they instinctively quieted and bowed their heads.
Hiruzen stepped forward and began speaking with them, laughing occasionally as he listened to their answers.
Hayashi stayed back.
Watching the old man's back, then the heavy sky above, he felt something shift quietly in the atmosphere.
There was no sunset, no golden light.
Yet it still felt like someone who had carried the village for decades was slowly stepping into dusk.
Danzo's defection had broken something within him.
Hayashi looked at Hiruzen again.
As if sensing the gaze, Hiruzen turned.
For a brief moment, something in Hayashi reminded him not of appearance, but of the past itself.
Of Kagami.
And of his own youth.
A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
He walked back, placed the umbrella into Hayashi's hand, and said quietly.
"From now on, you hold it."