"Torifu?"
"Uncle, what's wrong?"
"I feel like something's off, you just..."
"Uncle, you're imagining things!"
"Huh?"
"It's just your imagination! Uncle, you're imagining things, which isn't a good sign. You should get some rest."
Torifu's response was firm and left nothing more to be said, completely cutting off the conversation.
This made the old man grumble to himself.
So sure of himself?
So confident?
Then why did you interrupt me earlier?
You didn't even let me finish, yet you already knew what I was going to say?
Could it be that you also...
Ha!
Nara Shikaku felt frustrated too.
Clearly, he had everything under control. Clearly, Kakashi had made the mistake.
So why did it all fall on him in the end?
Now he had to play nice, now he had to beg Kakashi!
What a joke!
Family!
Sometimes, family is a great thing, providing a lot of help.
But!
Most of the time, family is nothing but trouble!
Just like now.
If it weren't for his family, Nara Shikaku could stand firm and face Kakashi one-on-one.
You don't want to do it?
Well, I don't want to either!
"Sigh!"
Nara Shikaku let out a deep sigh.
Sometimes, he wondered if he should give up on Konoha and take his clan to Fire Shadow Village.
Konoha had become too burdensome for them.
Fire Shadow Village, on the other hand, was different.
As a newly rising village, it had energy and momentum.
Under the leadership of Uchiha Itsuki, the atmosphere and environment were quite good.
At least, the internal conflicts had boundaries.
As for Konoha...
It was a mistake from the very beginning!
Why do I say that?
Because that damn Senju Hashirama chose the wrong place when he founded the village back then.
Of all the places, he chose the center of the ninja world.
Yes!
He was magnanimous!
He didn't care.
But the consequences were all borne by others.
In every great ninja war, Konoha was always fighting four sides at once, being attacked from all directions.
Occasionally, small ninja villages would also come in to take advantage.
Look at the place Uchiha Itsuki chose. Even in times of war, at most, three sides would fight, and two of them would be water and land.
As for internal strife...
Damn it!
Nara Shikaku looked pained!
...It was unbearable.
Ninja clans fighting each other like dogs, almost ripping each other's brains out.
And they even managed to cause an internal war involving thousands of ninjas.
Nara Shikaku wanted to laugh.
Setting a new precedent in the ninja world!
Screw you all!
Nara Shikaku cursed under his breath and walked away.
As for why he was considering Fire Shadow Village, it was, of course, partly because of his relationship with Uchiha Itsuki. They had no grudges.
If the Ino-Shika-Cho trio defected, the other side would likely be very pleased to welcome them, especially since it's a rising power.
"Sigh!"
Akimichi Torifu stood there, letting out a deep sigh as well.
He was the last one left.
Uchiha Kagami was dead.
Danzo Shimura was dead.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead.
As for Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado...
They should have just died too.
Back then, they were the most useless, and now they were the last ones standing. This was truly...
Speechless!
Absolutely speechless!
Akimichi Torifu left, shaking his head in disbelief.
...
It wasn't unexpected.
The entire ninja world was set ablaze.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead!
The Hokage!
The Hokage who had ruled Konoha for the longest time.
That long reign spoke volumes about many things, especially his deep roots!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's prestige in Konoha was unbelievably high. Almost all the pillars of Konoha were people who had grown up under his leadership, hearing his stories.
Even his disciples had become famous across the ninja world.
So, in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was an absolute ninja hero.
For someone like that to die was bound to cause an uproar.
And!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's death was gruesome.
Executed in public by Kakashi, the current Hokage, as a traitor.
For a ninja, this was the greatest punishment possible. And for a Hokage, it was utter humiliation!
What had happened to Konoha?
All the ninja villages were wide-eyed, with their intelligence networks working overtime.
Onoki, in particular, was the most shocked.
When he heard of Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, he was stunned.
He was actually a few years older than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And now, another one was gone.
"Sigh, things are going to get chaotic."
Onoki sighed deeply.
His granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, rolled her eyes and said, "Old man, I don't even know where to start with that comment. The ninja world hasn't been peaceful for years."
"Hmph!"
Onoki snorted and said, "Why hasn't there been peace? It's because of the Uchiha clan. That damned clan shouldn't exist."
Kurotsuchi looked at him curiously and said, "Grandpa, why do you get so worked up when you hear about the Uchiha clan? Were you beaten up by them back in the day?"
Onoki almost spat out blood.
If she weren't his own granddaughter, he would've beaten her to death.
Listen to that! Is that how you talk to someone?
Beaten up?
Where did you even learn that phrase?
"Shut up and get out!"
"Alright, alright, I'm leaving. But, grandpa, put away that Dust Release of yours first."
...
"Mwahahaha!"
Fire Shadow Village!
In the Hokage's office.
Loud, wild laughter echoed.
Uchiha Itsuki!
He was holding Uzuki Yugao and laughing uncontrollably.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead!
He was actually dead!
Killed by Kakashi in front of everyone, labeled a traitor.
Kakashi, well done.
As he laughed, his grip tightened.
Yugao, annoyed, slapped him hard.
"Knock it off! You're hurting me!"
"Oh, sorry! Got carried away!"
Itsuki kept chuckling.
"Are you really that happy?"
Yugao didn't understand.
"I really didn't like Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Itsuki shook his head, still smiling. "I always thought he was a hypocrite."
"To be honest, when I was little, someone once told me that Hiruzen Sarutobi was a hypocrite. At the time, I didn't believe it."
"Oh?"
Itsuki explained, "I was very independent at the time. I only trusted what my eyes saw."
"So, what did you see?"
Konan, lying in Itsuki's arms, adjusted her posture to make herself more comfortable before asking.
She knew Itsuki was about to share something she had never heard before.
She really wanted to hear it.
This was also an opportunity for her to understand Itsuki better.
Sometimes, she felt like she knew too little about him.
"I saw how hard little Naruto's life was," Itsuki said calmly. "As the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, was it really right for him to be treated like that?"
"Wasn't it said that it was for Naruto's protection?"
"Do you believe that?" Itsuki scoffed. "Everyone hated him, despised him, because he was the child with the Nine-Tails inside. Everyone knew it. I really want to know—what were they protecting him from? Could the kid with the Nine-Tails really be worse than the son of Minato Namikaze?"
"No matter how strong Minato was or how many enemies he had, he was still a dead Hokage. And, Minato hadn't killed more people than the Nine-Tails."
"The Nine-Tails mostly killed people inside the village, while Minato killed those outside."
"And within the village, they didn't even hide Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails' host. What does that say?"
Konan instinctively nodded.
That was the blunt truth.
"Also, no matter how much you want to protect him, did it really require Naruto to go through all that? You probably never visited where he lived, right?"
"A shabby little house."
"You don't know what he ate, do you?"
"Expired instant noodles and milk!" Itsuki sighed deeply. "You tell me, did Kushina and Minato not have any money? Where did it go? Even their house was taken by Hiruzen Sarutobi, under the guise of protecting Naruto."
"What were they really protecting?"
Konan fell silent.
"After the Third Hokage stepped down, he still controlled the village. At that time, Minato was practically a puppet."
"After Minato's death, it got even worse. Hiruzen took the Hokage seat again and held onto it for over a decade. Konan, do you think the Leaf Village couldn't find a suitable successor?"
"How could that be?"
Konan scoffed.
The Leaf Village was the top shinobi village, full of talent. How could there not be a suitable successor?
At the very least, the Sannin would have been suitable.
Don't tell me they all refused.
Jiraiya and Tsunade would have agreed if Hiruzen had pushed them under the weight of the village's need.
Yet for over ten years, they supposedly couldn't find a suitable Hokage, leaving an aging Hiruzen in power.
Does that make sense?
"Everyone says Danzo Shimura was bad, but honestly, Hiruzen was no better! He might have been worse!"
Itsuki sneered. "So, when someone like that dies, how could I not be happy?"
Konan said, "Don't be happy too soon. Don't forget, as long as Hiruzen was alive, he could continue to ruin the Leaf Village, making it weaker."
"Konan, you're so adorable," Itsuki said, kissing her hard with a laugh. "The Leaf Village better not weaken any further. At this rate, it's going to be wiped out."
"If the Leaf Village falls, I'll have a big headache."
The Leaf Village was the golden name in the shinobi world, in every sense.
Without the Leaf, at the very least, the Fire Village would have to face both the Cloud and Stone Villages directly.
On a larger scale, people like Obito and Madara would target the Fire Village first.
With the Leaf around, it could at least divert some attention.
Itsuki, the "old father" of the Fire Village, worried himself sick over it.
One moment he wanted to weaken the Leaf.
The next moment, he had to hold back.
Balancing this was really exhausting.
...
In an unknown, special space.
Obito's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What did you say?"
"Hard to believe, right?"
Zetsu let out a cold laugh, also shocked. "Honestly, I was surprised too."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is dead? Killed by Kakashi?"
Obito's expression was unreadable.
"Yes!"
Zetsu hesitated before continuing. "Kakashi believes that there was something suspicious about the battle where you supposedly died. He thinks someone from inside the village betrayed you."
Cold fury flashed in Obito's eyes. "Go on."
Zetsu said, "Hiruzen suggested that someone was plotting, though it's unclear whether they were targeting the twelve-year-old Jonin Kakashi or Minato Namikaze. But Kakashi doesn't care."
"He thinks that, regardless of who was plotted against, most of Hiruzen's generation is already dead, so even if there was a plot, the culprit is likely gone too."
Zetsu was thrilled inside.
This explanation conveniently absolved both him and Madara from suspicion.
This was an ingenious way to shift the blame.
Kakashi and Hiruzen, I thank you.
Obito's face twisted with anger, his teeth grinding.
A conspiracy?
Very possible!
Back then, his team was sent deep into enemy territory. At the time, Obito didn't think much of it.
But now, looking back, it seemed suspicious.
Who were they?
Disciples of Minato Namikaze!
Back then, it was already rumored that Minato would be the Fourth Hokage.
In such a situation, shouldn't they have taken Minato's feelings into account?
At the very least, they shouldn't have been given such a dangerous mission.
Their teacher, Minato, would have surely fought for them.
Yet, they were sent on that mission, and their teacher arrived late.
Damn it.
You, the Yellow Flash, were late.
Obito always seethed at the thought of that.
Now he wondered: was Minato truly late, or was something else holding him back?
Only Minato Namikaze himself would know.
Zetsu carefully observed Obito.
Since Obito had transplanted the Rinnegan, Zetsu had to tread lightly around him, fearing he'd lose his temper.
It wasn't impossible.
In fact, it was likely.
"Sigh!"
After a long pause.
Obito let out a long breath.
"I understand. Kakashi is right. Even if there was a conspiracy, those responsible are dead. There's no point in investigating."
Zetsu had just relaxed when Obito suddenly glared at him and roared, "Do you think I would just say that and move on?"
Zetsu: "..."
"Investigate!"
Obito growled coldly. "Find out the truth behind that incident."
If it weren't for that event, I...
Kakashi may not investigate, but I have to!
Where do I take my grievances?
Kakashi went on to live as a hero while I died, came back, and am now branded a rogue shinobi.
Damn it!
Why?
Zetsu watched Obito helplessly.
Kakashi had let it go, but Obito was still losing his mind over it.
"I understand. I'll investigate!"
When under someone's control, one must comply.
Zetsu begrudgingly agreed.
He'd just have to blame Danzo again.
After all, Danzo was used to taking the blame.
Dead and beyond dispute.
At worst, Obito would dig up Danzo's body for a posthumous whipping.
There's no way he'd actually resurrect the guy, right?
Though Obito had that power, he wasn't that bored.
"Oh, by the way, Obito!"
Zetsu asked casually, "How's your strength? Have you adapted to the Rinnegan's power?"
Obito glanced at Zetsu, his eyes full of meaning. "More or less. The Rinnegan's power is indeed overwhelming, nearly destroyed me. But after enduring, it's beginning to merge with my body. When I meet Uchiha Itsuki again, I'll give him a real surprise."
"Really?"
Zetsu smiled too.
But his smile had a playful edge.