Chapter 370: I Am a Konoha Shinobi (Part One)
"Who are you?"
The Third Hokage sat upright in the Root headquarters, his expression calm as he looked down at the Cloud ninja standing below him.
Hiruzen did not recognize this man. From his perspective, the person before him was certainly not anyone of great stature.
And yet, what troubled him was this—
This man possessed the seal used to contact him directly.
Every Kage possessed a unique, highly confidential seal that allowed others to establish direct contact with them.
Its purpose was simple: to facilitate discreet communication between Kage.
The shinobi villages were riddled with secrets. Any movement by a major village could ripple across the entire shinobi world. Because of this, private, untraceable dialogue between Kage was not merely useful—it was necessary.
For example, if Iwagakure intended to enter the Land of Rain to suppress Hanzō's forces, the country's sensitive geography would inevitably draw attention from surrounding villages. The Land of Earth would need to make concessions—but such compromises could never be made openly.
Instead, the Kage would communicate in secret.
Ōnoki would clarify his motives, while simultaneously committing to certain boundaries he would not cross. Only then could Iwa act without provoking an extreme response from neighboring nations.
That was the purpose of such seals.
And such seals were known to Kage alone.
Sarutobi acknowledged that he had stepped down.
He acknowledged that he had lost ground in certain political struggles.
But no matter what—
He had been Hokage.
And even now, though his position was awkward, he believed he could still reclaim his footing.
Kumogakure's actions, however, were beginning to cross a line.
Still, he remained composed.
Because if the Cloud Village had gone to such lengths to contact him through this channel, then something significant was at stake.
He understood Kumogakure's current situation well. Even after relinquishing the title of Hokage, he continued to observe Konoha—and the entire shinobi world.
"I am Atsubi," the Cloud ninja said, bowing slightly. "It is an honor to meet you, Third Hokage."
"Atsubi…" Sarutobi searched his memory.
Nothing.
There was no such person among Kumogakure's diplomatic corps.
So this man was not a negotiator.
Sarutobi's irritation deepened.
Sending someone inexperienced in diplomacy—and teaching him the Kage-only contact seal—
The Cloud Village was being blatantly disrespectful.
"State your purpose," Sarutobi said, rising to his feet, his voice steady and dignified.
"You came in secret. You used a seal meant only for Kage-level communication. I expect a reasonable explanation."
"Otherwise, you will be escorted out."
"Oh?" Atsubi chuckled, unfazed.
"To be honest, Third Hokage, I expected you to arrest me—then have the Yamanaka clan dig through my mind."
Sarutobi's brow furrowed further.
"If necessary, I would," he replied coolly.
"But I will not be the one to shatter the peace Konoha and Kumogakure have maintained for so long."
He could not quite grasp what this man's true purpose was.
Was this… a provocation?
Hiruzen pondered silently.
Coming all the way here—just to provoke him?
That was crossing the line.
Did this man truly believe that he dared do nothing?
Hiruzen's fingers curled slightly into a fist.
But after a moment, he let out a quiet, helpless sigh.
He realized something unsettling.
He truly did not dare act.
If time were turned back twenty years—no, even ten—he would have taken this insolent brat down without hesitation.
But now…
Now he was older.
And with age came caution.
He had too much to consider.
He knew very well that if he acted discreetly—killed the man cleanly, erased all traces, and simply denied ever meeting him—then even if Kumogakure came knocking, the matter could be buried.
Yet he did not dare.
What if that was exactly what Kumogakure wanted?
What if they were merely searching for an excuse—to reignite war with Konoha?
Hiruzen knew all too well how devastating Kumogakure still was, even after the Third Shinobi World War.
He absolutely did not want Konoha to be dragged into another conflict.
The Third Great War had already taken far too many exceptional shinobi.
Peace had only just been restored.
He could not allow a moment of impatience to plunge the village back into bloodshed.
Taking a deep breath, the Third Hokage fixed his gaze on the man before him, weighing how best to proceed.
"Is that so?" Atsubi sneered.
"But I don't believe the Third Hokage would actually do that."
His grin turned feral.
"Of course, even if you did, it wouldn't matter. After all, I came alone."
"State your purpose," Hiruzen said coldly, his expression darkening.
"If this is nothing more than vulgar provocation, then leave. There's nothing left for us to discuss."
"Really? That's disappointing." Atsubi shook his head.
"I thought the Third Hokage was a wiser man. Seems I overestimated you."
He turned slightly, as if preparing to leave.
"In that case, farewell. Oh—and one more thing. Next time, I'll come openly. And I'll be meeting the Fourth Hokage."
"What do you mean by that?" Hiruzen exhaled slowly, forcing his emotions back under control.
Decades as Hokage had forged his restraint.
Though Atsubi's behavior infuriated him, Hiruzen had extracted one crucial piece of information:
Kumogakure would soon officially visit Konoha.
And this man would be at the center of it.
That meant Atsubi was worth studying.
For a moment, Hiruzen considered detaining him and calling in the Yamanaka clan.
But after careful thought, he dismissed the idea.
This man was clearly a combat-type shinobi—poorly trained in diplomacy.
Sending someone like him was likely deliberate:
to provoke Konoha, test its limits, or bait it into making the first move.
If Konoha attacked, Kumogakure would gain justification.
Hiruzen decided to probe instead—see if he could extract something meaningful.
Unexpectedly, Atsubi spoke first.
"I hear the Third Hokage hasn't been having an easy time lately," he said with a faint smile.
"Care to… cooperate?"
"Cooperate?" Hiruzen scoffed, a cold smile appearing.
"A Hokage cooperating with Kumogakure? Are you joking—or has the Cloud Village taken to daydreaming?"
"Leave," he said. "I'll pretend I never saw you."
"No need to rush, Third Hokage." Atsubi's tone remained casual.
"This is just a proposal. And tonight, we never met—did we?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me… do you truly intend to be suppressed forever by a junior?
By someone allied with the man who killed your closest friend—while they dismantle the order you built?"
Hiruzen stared at him for a long moment.
"…Are you truly just a combat shinobi?"
"I am," Atsubi replied bluntly.
"But people like you love your schemes and conspiracies—don't pretend you're transparent."
He snorted.
"A shinobi's essence is strength. A village's essence is strength.
Without it, none of this matters. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here."
This was classic Kumogakure thinking—raw power above all else.
And to some extent, Hiruzen understood it.
If the Cloud were not strong, Atsubi would never dare stand before him and speak so brazenly.
The truth was simple:
Kumogakure was strong.
Konoha was still recovering.
War was not an option.
"You're no politician," Hiruzen said flatly.
"Your thinking is crude."
He shook his head.
"These words—did the Raikage put them in your mouth? Speak plainly. What do you want?"
"Hypocrisy." Atsubi laughed openly.
"You want your power back, don't you?
And you want revenge for your friend, don't you?"
He straightened.
"From now until the end of the year, Kumogakure will obstruct Konoha missions.
At year's end, I'll personally lead a delegation to Konoha and meet the Fourth Hokage to discuss how this stops."
"That will also be when Kumogakure states its position."
He smiled coldly.
"I don't believe the Fourth Hokage will stay patient forever. You've noticed our movements—so have we noticed yours."
"But Kumogakure still desires peace."
"That's why I came—to meet you.
The Hokage who claims to love peace."
He paused.
"Will you let Konoha fall back under the shadow of war?
Or will you seize this time—stand against Namikaze Minato—and reclaim what was once yours?"
"The choice is yours, Third Hokage."