Danzo Shimura still had the support of the Shimura clan, but over the years, he had been leeching resources from his family, causing a rift to form between them. Still, if the Shimura clan learned that the Third Hokage was determined to eliminate Danzo, it could lead to trouble.
Bang!
The door was suddenly pushed open. As expected, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane had arrived. Neither of them looked pleased. Homura was the first to speak. "Hiruzen, why didn't you consult us before making such a major decision?"
"Exactly. We received a notice from the Anbu first thing this morning that you sent Jiraiya to raid the Root headquarters. Weren't we in agreement that you would only detain Danzo temporarily?" Koharu added with a hint of complaint. Although she and Danzo were colleagues, her dissatisfaction stemmed from the Third Hokage bypassing them and issuing the order directly.
The position of consultant elder was created specifically to check the Hokage's power. For years, the Third Hokage had discussed everything with them. They had previously agreed to make a show of things by imprisoning Danzo for a short while, planning to release him after the Uchiha's succession ceremony was over.
But now, Hiruzen had moved to completely wipe out Danzo's Root organization. And it wasn't just a disbandment; he had directly executed Danzo's most loyal followers. Only a handful managed to escape.
All Anbu personnel had been issued a gag order and were confined to the Anbu headquarters. No one was allowed to leave until Jiraiya's team returned. As a result, the two elders' informants could only relay the news after the fact. The information they contained was utterly astonishing.
Thus, the two consultant elders had rushed over to demand what the Third Hokage meant by his actions.
The Third Hokage offered no explanation, merely stating in a flat tone, "Since when do my orders require your approval?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were stunned. When had Hiruzen become such a stranger?
"Konoha's situation is already precarious. For the foreseeable future, I will be issuing direct orders for the things that need to be done," Hiruzen continued. "You two should also keep your own people in line. I don't want any misunderstandings. As for your opinions, they can be set aside for now."
His voice wasn't loud, but his attitude was unyieldingly firm. The message was unmistakable: from now on, he would only inform them of his decisions, not seek their counsel.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave." The Third Hokage dismissed them.
Seeing the Third Hokage's unfamiliar expression, Koharu grabbed Homura's arm just as he was about to protest. "We understand, Hiruzen. We'll be on our way."
Homura was baffled, but he followed Koharu out of the office. Once outside, he asked in a low voice, "Koharu, what's going on?"
Koharu glanced back at the door, her face grim. "Hiruzen is just like he was back then. If you provoke him now, aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Homura froze, a memory surfacing that made his body tremble. In recent years, Hiruzen Sarutobi had become so easygoing that Homura had almost forgotten. He had almost forgotten the terrifying resolve Hiruzen had shown when he first took the mantle of Third Hokage, facing immense pressure from the great clans.
He had promoted talented individuals from civilian backgrounds, recruiting large numbers of promising ninja into the Anbu. The heirs of the major clans had suddenly begun to suffer various 'accidents.'
The most powerful of all, the Senju clan, was hit particularly hard. After Nawaki's accident, Tsunade's lover, Dan Kato, also met with an 'accident.' Crushed by grief, Tsunade left the village.
Under the pretext of researching Wood Style, the village began recruiting young men from the Senju clan for experiments. The experiments ultimately failed, but not before claiming the lives of many of the Senju's young and strong. From that point on, the Senju clan faded into obscurity.
The head of the prestigious Hatake clan, Sakumo Hatake, was subjected to immense public pressure after failing a mission... Incredibly, the very person he had saved came forward to condemn him. The village's public opinion reached a fever pitch.
As the village's leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to remain silent, neither intervening nor taking any measures to stop it. In the end, Sakumo Hatake took his own life.
Through these events, the Third Hokage achieved a state of highly centralized power over the village's systems. Among the remaining ninja clans, all but the Uchiha and Hyuga became little more than vassals of the Hokage's faction.
And the Third Hokage's own clan, the Sarutobi, had appeared quiet and unassuming over the years. However, Koharu knew that the Sarutobi clan had secretly trained countless ninja. Hiruzen had even had the two of them pull some strings behind the scenes, ensuring they all benefited handsomely.
The Hiruzen before them now was clearly the same as he was in the past. Once he made a move, it was swift and decisive, eliminating all who stood against him.
The intelligence Koharu and Homura had received revealed that the leader of the operation against Root was none other than one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, and he had even used Sage Mode. The entire battle had been a one-sided slaughter, with the Anbu suffering almost no losses.
As this thought crossed Homura's mind, he couldn't help but frown. What was the reason for the Third Hokage's sudden display of absolute power?
...
Deep in a forest far from Konoha, coughing echoed from a hidden cave.
"Cough... cough..."
Shin emerged from a secret tunnel used by Root. Leaning on his long sword, he staggered out, coughing with every step. With each cough, blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers.
He looked back at the distant ruins of the Root base and thought silently, 'Brother, whatever you do, don't come back.'
...
The next day. Uchiha Compound.
Early in the morning, Qiming came to report. "Clan Head, Hyuga Yuto is here to see you."
Kawasaki yawned; he had just woken up. "This early? Send him in."
He casually washed his face. By the time he was brushing his teeth, Hyuga Yuto had arrived.
"Gurgle... gurgle... Yuto, you're here so early..."
Hyuga Yuto looked exhausted, his eyes riddled with bloodshot veins. Under the gaze of his Byakugan, they were especially prominent. Yuto handed a map to Kawasaki. "Lord Kawasaki, we thoroughly swept the area last night. These are all the detonation points, every last one."
Kawasaki took the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Don't tell me you were up all night, Yuto."
Yuto managed a weak smile. "With such a major threat hidden in the village, how could I sleep?"
Kawasaki dried his hands and patted Yuto on the shoulder. "Alright, you've worked hard. Go home and get some rest. I'll have Hizashi give you a reward later."
"You're too kind, Lord Kawasaki. It was my duty. I'll take my leave now."
Kawasaki waved him off, and Yuto departed. Kawasaki took the map and looked at it. A dense cluster of red dots covered a large area. If the economic center of Konoha hadn't shifted over the next thirty years, the detonation of these exploding tags would have caused significant casualties.
All he could say was that old Genno was truly impressive, to have planted so many exploding tags without anyone noticing for years. With this, he should have something to give Jiraiya.
...
After leaving a clone in the compound, Kawasaki headed into Konoha alone. He disliked having an entourage and was used to moving by himself. As soon as he entered the village, his attention was caught by the public notice board. The announcement must have been posted recently, or Hyuga Yuto would have informed him.
Kawasaki moved closer for a look and was taken aback.
"It has been discovered that Danzo Shimura (former honorary elder) abused his power for personal gain, turning the Root organization into his private army to openly eliminate dissidents. To realize his personal ambitions, he secretly planned and executed over sixty incidents involving the murder of infants."
"He stole the remains of the First Hokage for private human experimentation and framed the Third Hokage's student, Orochimaru, for the crime."
"This led to Orochimaru's defection, causing a great loss to Konoha."
"Danzo has been stripped of his position and is currently imprisoned. He will be dealt with after a thorough investigation."
Kawasaki had assumed the Third Hokage was just putting on a show, given his long years of collaboration with Danzo. But to suddenly issue a public notice like this... he was trying to nail Danzo's coffin shut for good.
Why had the Third Hokage suddenly become so decisive? Kawasaki didn't understand it, but it was a good thing nonetheless. Still, trying to win over the Uchiha clan only now... wasn't it a bit too late?
Kawasaki headed straight for the Hokage Residence to find Jiraiya.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Lord Hokage, Kawasaki requests an audience."
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow. Kawasaki was actually knocking and asking for permission to enter. "Let him in."
The Anbu guard withdrew, and Kawasaki quickly entered. "Lord Third Hokage, I'm here to see Jiraiya."
The Third Hokage looked Kawasaki over. "You can tell me what you need."
Kawasaki smiled amiably. "There are two matters. One is a personal affair concerning Lord Jiraiya. The other can be reported to you, Lord Third Hokage."
The Third Hokage tapped his desk, and an Anbu appeared at the door. "Bring Jiraiya here. Tell him Kawasaki is waiting for him."
"Alright, speak."
Kawasaki placed a hand on his chest and bowed to the Third. "Thank you, Lord Third, for imprisoning Danzo. You have removed a great menace from Konoha. On behalf of the Uchiha clan, I express our deepest gratitude."
The Third Hokage frowned. "What happened with the Hokage Monument?" When Jiraiya had returned from his investigation yesterday, he had only said that Kawasaki was up to something, without giving details. Busy with the raid on Root, the Third hadn't had time to press the issue. Now that the man himself was here, he had to ask.
Kawasaki chuckled inwardly. Jiraiya was really protecting Konan. "Lord Third, your face on the monument has fallen into disrepair over the years, and rocks have begun to fall from it. It's becoming a safety hazard, so on behalf of the Uchiha clan, I would like to donate ten million ryo to fund its restoration."
The Third Hokage noted that Kawasaki didn't mention the explosion from the previous day. Since Kawasaki was proactively offering to pay for the repairs, he decided not to pursue the matter. Who blew it up was no longer important.
Creak...
The door opened, and Jiraiya walked in, wearing a bathrobe and yawning. He had clearly just finished bathing and was still giving off steam. But Kawasaki detected something else—the faint smell of blood. It seemed Jiraiya hadn't gone to see Naruto last night; he must have had other business.
"Kawasaki, what do you need me for?" Jiraiya was still yawning. He had been about to go to sleep after his bath when an Anbu had dragged him over.
Kawasaki handed the map in his hand to Jiraiya, patting his shoulder gently as he whispered, "These are the locations where Konan placed the exploding tags. She gave me this map after Danzo was captured last night. I've already had the Hyuga clan disarm all of them overnight. How you report this to the Third is up to you."
Jiraiya jolted, suddenly wide awake. He unfolded the map and saw it was covered in dense red dots. They were everywhere, from the deserted old streets to every corner of the Academy. If these exploding tags had gone off, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
When did Konan plant so many? Or did she have accomplices?
...
"Lord Third, Lord Jiraiya, something urgent has come up, so I must be going." Kawasaki gave Jiraiya a knowing look before leaving the office.
With Kawasaki's departure, only Jiraiya and the Third Hokage remained. The Third Hokage lit his pipe and asked slowly, "Alright, what happened?"
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly. If Konan's destruction of the Hokage Monument yesterday could be covered up, the sheer scale of this exploding tag operation was something the Third Hokage was bound to find out about. The only reason he hadn't received a report yet was because all Anbu had been confined yesterday, preventing them from going out and gathering intelligence.
After all, to scout such a large area, the Hyuga clan must have deployed a significant number of people. How could the Third Hokage possibly remain unaware of such a large-scale personnel mobilization? The delay in timing was the only reason Jiraiya had a chance to speak first. He decided to be honest. "...Your face on the monument was blown up by Konan last night."
As he spoke, Jiraiya carefully watched the Third's expression, but it remained unchanged. So he continued, "In fact, Konan didn't just place exploding tags on the Hokage Monument. She set them up in other places as well."
The Third Hokage glanced at the map in Jiraiya's hand. "Let me see."
Jiraiya reluctantly handed it over. The Third Hokage took one look and drew a sharp breath. "This many!?"
"Hmm?" Upon closer inspection, he noticed something. "Why are they all in deserted places?"
A faint smile appeared on Jiraiya's face. "I know that girl, Konan. She has a kind heart. Placing these tags in those areas was just for show. After all, when she blew up the monument, there was no one around, so even an explosion wouldn't have harmed any innocents. After we imprisoned Danzo, she gave the information on all these areas to Kawasaki."
The Third Hokage took a long drag from his pipe. It seemed his little grand-student wasn't so bad after all.
"Jiraiya," he said, "do you think it's possible to win Nagato over to our side?" The one thing Hiruzen couldn't stop thinking about was Nagato's Rinnegan. It was too great a power to not be used for the village's benefit.
Jiraiya's face lit up. "Old man, you're willing to accept Nagato?"
The Third Hokage waved his hand. "He is your student, after all. How can we just stand by and watch him fall into darkness? Since it was all Danzo's doing, we still have a chance. At the very least, we have an opening through Konan."
Jiraiya had felt guilty for years for failing to look after his students properly. If Konoha could accept Nagato and Konan, it would be a win-win situation. For one, Jiraiya could guide them personally; for another, it would strengthen Konoha's power.
"I'll go try right now!" Jiraiya declared.
Seeing his eagerness, the Third knew that if he agreed, Jiraiya would be out of the village in an instant. "Don't be hasty. Wait until after Kawasaki officially becomes the clan head."
Hearing this, Jiraiya calmed down slightly. He understood that Kawasaki's ascension might not be entirely smooth.
...
Within Konoha.
The usually peaceful village had been struck by a series of major events recently. First, the Uchiha clan was attacked, followed by an assault on Kakashi. Then, the Uchiha clan issued an announcement stating that Fugaku Uchiha was gravely injured and Kawasaki Uchiha would be succeeding him as the new clan head. They exposed the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails' attack, expelling Obito from the clan registry and banishing him forever.
Next, there was an 'accident' involving the Third Hokage's face on the Hokage Monument. The official village statement was that it had fallen into disrepair due to age and needed to be rebuilt for safety reasons.
Then, Elder Danzo, who had just appeared in a notice, was now on the blacklist. This time, the matter was far more serious than the Nine-Tails' attack. Murdering villagers, kidnapping infants for human experiments, framing Orochimaru, stealing the remains of the First Hokage, Hashirama—each crime was a capital offense.
Danzo's Root headquarters had been stormed by one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, who had recovered a mountain of incriminating evidence. Danzo's guilt was undeniable.
Under the Third Hokage's direction, a detailed account of Danzo's crimes was released, explaining how he had framed Orochimaru and forced one of the Sannin to flee the village. Every detail was laid bare.
The villagers stared at each other, finding it hard to believe. If they had disliked Danzo before, now they were terrified of him. They never imagined Danzo had done so many terrible things. Through the manipulation of certain individuals, even ordinary civilians now knew of the 'injustice' done to Orochimaru.
Meanwhile, all the ninja clans maintained a strange silence, not uttering a single word.
After the Academy let out today, the moment Naruto stepped out of the school gates, he saw the one person he wished he could avoid.
It was Jiraiya.