"So embarrassing..."
Back home, Yuhara couldn't help but cringe at himself. He had actually tried talking about ideals with those cold-blooded clan heads.
Ideals weren't useless—but you had to use them on the right people.
Take someone like Shisui, full of idealism—that's exactly the kind of guy it works on.
Everyone has some sort of ideal deep down, but those seasoned clan leaders had long buried theirs under years of experience and disappointment.
They weren't going to wave the idealism flag around. The clash between dreams and reality had left them bloodied one too many times.
As clan leaders, they didn't just represent themselves. Ideals had to give way to practicality.
So Yuhara's line about "for Konoha," which barely counted as an ideal, didn't mean much to them.
Even to Hiruzen and Danzō, "for Konoha" was just an excuse. So rather than spouting that, it was better to talk real benefits—because that's what they were really acting for: themselves and their clans.
"Whatever. It was embarrassing, sure, but everything that needed to be done is done. Now, it's just a waiting game."
Impeaching a Hokage through political means was no easy task—but it wasn't impossible either.
Opportunities come to those prepared, and everything Yuhara had done was part of that preparation.
Thanks to today's talks, he not only delivered the messages he needed to, but also got valuable intel from the other clans.
The Hyūga, Aburame, and Inuzuka were already in position—the Hyūga were monitoring the Sarutobi Clan, while the Aburame and Inuzuka were watching the Koharu and Homura factions.
As for the Shimura Clan—they needed to be cautious too, but when Danzō entered ROOT, he had taken nearly the entire clan's elite with him.
Most of those had already been taken out by Yuhara—without him even realizing they were Shimura.
Yuhara had been caught off guard by that news—he honestly hadn't known what the deal with the Shimura Clan was.
Hashirama mentioned them in the original story, but they never actually showed up. Even after years in this world, Yuhara had barely seen anyone from that clan—much less anyone impressive.
Compared to the Sarutobi Clan, or even the Koharu and Homura families, the Shimura were way more obscure.
Now he finally understood—Danzō had dragged his whole clan into the abyss with him.
As for the daimyo's side, Yuhara had already heard from Kotoha that the Nara Clan had sent her father there.
He didn't know exactly what Kakashi had done so far, but since he now knew their goal, he was surely making preparations.
"But there's still one annoying loose end... Where the hell is Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya was the candidate Yuhara had chosen to replace the Third Hokage—a new, carefully selected Hokage.
Yuhara knew full well Jiraiya wouldn't willingly accept the position.
But as long as he was still a Konoha ninja, he didn't really have a choice. Even if he refused to be the Fifth, he could at least be the 'Fourth-and-a-Half.'
In fact, that "temporary Hokage" status might be even better suited to the clans' needs than a full Fifth.
Still, just in case Jiraiya pulled something like quitting after three days, Yuhara had already drafted a plan.
"If nothing else... I'll trade him Orochimaru's pardon to get him to behave until a proper Fifth Hokage appears."
Pardoning Orochimaru was the most direct way to reel Jiraiya in. After all, that was the excuse he'd been using to stay away from the village.
Once Yuhara pardoned Orochimaru, what excuse would Jiraiya have left? What, was he going to defect too?
Besides that, Yuhara also considered talking to him—man to man—about his so-called ideals and beliefs.
Jiraiya was a hardcore idealist. No doubt, his dreams were noble.
But noble dreams that don't work in reality? They're doomed to get smacked by it.
His entire life, Jiraiya had been a prisoner to his ideals—clinging to the belief that "understanding between people" could bring peace.
But the truth was—without strength as the foundation and benefits as the incentive, who the hell would sit down and talk?
Yeah, Naruto eventually fulfilled Jiraiya's dream—but only because he had godlike power by the end of the Fourth Ninja War.
If he hadn't reached that overwhelming level, who in the world would've taken his words seriously?
And the kicker was—Jiraiya himself probably didn't realize it, but he trained Naruto's power first, then passed on his beliefs.
If even he had to do that, how could you expect peace to work in a fragmented world full of competing ninja villages?
"A damn toad told one dumb story and turned a whole man into a walking parable. Kinda tragic, honestly."
Yuhara shook his head. He really did feel sorry for Jiraiya.
He liked him a lot in the original story—especially that whole thing about "the only bet Tsunade ever won." That part had made him cry, more than once.
So yeah, he planned to try something. Whether it worked or not, at least he'd done his part. He truly respected a man who fought so hard for ideals that barely even benefited him.
Still, respect aside—he couldn't afford to drop his guard. Yuhara was at war with Hiruzen.
Who knew how Jiraiya would react to what Yuhara had done to his teacher?
Then again, Yuhara figured it probably wasn't a big concern.
Everything he'd done was logical and justified.
And if Jiraiya really did oppose them—so what? Surrounded by the seven major clans, what chaos could he possibly cause?
"Anyway, whatever. No use overthinking this. We still need to find the guy first. And for now, there's more important work to do."
He murmured softly, then glanced out the window at the moonlit night.
Under the hazy moonlight, deep in an ANBU base, Kakashi was silently walking forward alone.
Today was his day off, but after reading those reports and speaking to Yuhara, there was no way he could just stay home and relax.
Honestly, he always knew there were people in Konoha who resented the Hokage—he'd seen that plenty during his ANBU days.
But it was only today that he realized—he'd really underestimated just how much people hated the Third.
When even the two great bloodline clans and all five secret arts clans were working together to take him down—that said a lot.
"Still, that's fine. It'll take this many people to finally get rid of him."
Kakashi muttered in his heart. Numbers alone weren't enough—they still lacked one crucial thing:
Evidence that the Hokage had committed an unforgivable crime.
And the one who held that evidence… was Kakashi himself.
He was the key to the whole impeachment.
"Never thought I'd find out I'm this important."
The thought made him chuckle bitterly. Still, he didn't mind. This was his chance to avenge his father with his own hands.
His mission had two objectives—both complicated.
First: find and extract the remaining mission reports from ROOT.
This was something he had some experience with—he'd already snuck into the Hokage's office twice.
But he couldn't rush this. It had to be done alongside the second objective for maximum safety.
That second objective: track down Tenzo's current squad and figure out their mission schedule.
Then, find the right moment to kidnap Tenzo—and steal the files from his office.
Only by completing both missions together could he make sure everything went smoothly.
"Of course, it'd be best if I didn't have to use force… but who knows what Tenzo's thinking."
Kakashi thought silently. If possible, he truly didn't want things to turn violent—he had a pretty good relationship with Tenzo.
They'd met during one of Orochimaru's missions. Though certain misunderstandings and conflicts had arisen due to special circumstances, they eventually reconciled through their work together. After understanding Tenzo's inner longing, Kakashi decided to help him.
In the end, it was the Third Hokage who personally brought Tenzo into ANBU, parading it as some grand noble cause—and placed him directly under Kakashi's command.
Later, Tenzo left when Kakashi was promoted to team captain. They hadn't seen each other in quite some time now.
Since each ANBU team handled independent classified missions, Kakashi had no idea what Tenzo was up to these days. That's why he needed to investigate.
"Kakashi-senpai!"
A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Kakashi froze slightly. Looking up, he saw a brown-haired guy rushing toward him.
At ANBU HQ's lounge, masks weren't worn unless someone was on a mission, so Kakashi recognized him instantly. But after recognizing him, his feelings grew complicated.
He suddenly felt like his luck was strangely good—running into Tenzo like this.
But at the same time, an indescribable discomfort settled in, especially when he saw the genuine smile on Tenzo's face.
"It's you… Tenzo."
Kakashi tried to force a smile, but even he could tell how stiff it was. It vanished quickly.
"It's been a while, Kakashi-senpai!"
Tenzo hadn't noticed anything off. Grinning brightly, he ran over.
He hadn't seen Kakashi in a long time. The man who once reignited his inner hope, who helped free him from Danzō's control—of course he was happy to see him.
"Senpai, it's been so long! What've you been up to?"
"Still doing ANBU missions. What about you—how's everything going lately?"
Kakashi steadied himself emotionally and spoke calmly.
"Same here, just doing missions. Things have been pretty rough lately."
Tenzo sighed, shrugging helplessly.
"The Uchiha took Danzō down, so now a lot of ROOT's missions fall to us. Everyone's swamped right now.
Security, patrols—all of it. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to night duty in the Hokage's building. That's way easier, right, senpai?"
Kakashi nodded. Night watch at the Hokage's tower really was the easiest assignment. Just staying up a night counted as mission complete. No one dared attack the Hokage building—not even Uchiha Yuhara. When he struck, it was against Danzō, not the Hokage.
And from Tenzo's tone, Kakashi could tell—he felt nothing over Danzō's death.
Not surprising. Danzō was cold and manipulative. Kakashi had even heard he once tried extreme methods to control Tenzo. It would've been weird if Tenzo had felt anything but relief.
"Yeah… night duty's the chillest. I just finished one last night—believe me, I get it."
Kakashi responded, then casually added, "So, when's your next shift at the Hokage's place? If the timing works, maybe we can grab a bite during break."
"Me? Hmm… probably another half a month."
Tenzo scratched his chin, trying to recall.
He knew sharing his mission schedule as ANBU was risky—but with Kakashi, he had complete trust.
"How about this: once I get the assignment, I'll let you know in advance. That way, if we've got time, we can finally sit down and catch up."
"Sure. Let's do that."
Kakashi nodded lightly—but guilt flashed in his eyes.
He hadn't expected this to go so smoothly. But deep down, he knew—he was using Tenzo's trust.
Looking at Tenzo's smiling face, Kakashi let out a faint sigh.
"You should've known better—but you said something you shouldn't today. Write a report about it."
"Huh?"
"Just a reflection. No punishment this time. But remember—even with me, never casually reveal your assignments. Especially as ANBU."
"But, senpai, you're someone I trust completely…"
Trust, huh?
Kakashi lowered his head, walking forward. That word… was too heavy.
Especially now.
—
Morning sunlight broke through the clouds, spreading across the land.
Nara Shikashiro waited quietly in the palace at the capital of the Land of Fire. Today, he was scheduled to meet the Daimyō.
Shikashiro was Shikaku's cousin and Kotoha's father. He was also a jonin of the Nara Clan.
He had fought in both the Second and Third Wars—contributing both on the front lines and behind the scenes.
He was the model Nara: smart, capable… and lazy.
After the war ended, he didn't join the political department but chose instead to rest at home.
In his own words: "I fought in two wars—can't I chill for a while and enjoy some well-earned loafing?"
Shikaku had no choice but to accept his cousin's decision. The guy had done more than his share already.
More importantly—his cousin had a talented daughter. Even if she was just as lazy, that was normal for a Nara.
But this time, Shikaku didn't let him off the hook. He needed someone absolutely trustworthy.
Shikashiro sighed at the task, but in the end, he didn't refuse.
Because honestly—the Third Hokage had gone too far.
Sending kids to the battlefield during the war, giving up post-war spoils Konoha should've claimed, and clinging to power after the Fourth Hokage's death…
Especially his handling of the Hyūga incident and the Uchiha issue—his stubbornness was on full display.
He had completely set himself against the entire clan-based ninja system.
As for what Danzō had done—without the Third's silent approval, would things really have gone that far?
Of course not. It was because Hiruzen allowed it that Danzō acted so recklessly.
Now nearly the entire clan system stood opposed to him. If not for the fear of his decades-long grip over Konoha—how deeply he'd embedded himself—someone would've rebelled already.
Like the Hyūga. Like the Uchiha.
"But really, the Uchiha are damn ruthless—especially my daughter's friend. That kid's on another level."
As Nara Shikashiro sat waiting, he couldn't help but think to himself.
He'd met his daughter's classmate before—the one named Uchiha Yuhara. On the surface, he looked like a quiet, handsome young man.
But who would've thought this guy was so calculating, so deep?
He didn't just push Fugaku out of the clan head position and take over himself—he even resolved the internal mess within the Uchiha.
Most importantly, he led the clan to openly oppose Hiruzen Sarutobi!
He hadn't witnessed Danzō's death firsthand, but he'd heard from his cousin how terrifying Yuhara's power was.
What impressed him even more was how restrained the kid had been. He knew better than to touch the Hokage, so all his attacks were aimed solely at Danzō and ROOT.
That move had cut off one of Hiruzen's arms and served as a brutal wake-up call.
Too bad Hiruzen didn't get the message. Danzō's death only triggered more chaos—even though he went down hard.
"And now the Seven Clans of Konoha are moving to impeach you. You brought this on yourself."
Shikashiro thought silently. His purpose here in the capital was crystal clear: to secretly inform the Daimyō of the Third Hokage's abuses—and that they intended to impeach him.
Even after delivering the message, he couldn't leave. He had to stay and observe the Daimyō's reactions, to gauge his true stance.
This mission was anything but easy. If anything slipped, Hiruzen would learn everything.
"So this pain-in-the-ass job gets dumped on me. Dammit, Shikaku—you call yourself my cousin? Think about your big bro for once!"
Shikashiro sighed inwardly. Thankfully, he didn't know his daughter had already been sent to the Guard Division. Otherwise, he'd be flipping tables.
"You must be the envoy from Konoha?"
A sharp voice suddenly broke his thoughts.
He looked up to see a middle-aged man walking in with a group of shinobi. Among them, Shikashiro immediately spotted a familiar face—Sarutobi Asuma.
No doubt about it—that man was the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
"Greetings, Lord Daimyō." Shikashiro gave a respectful bow. "Forgive me for the sudden visit—I hope I'm not intruding."
"No need to talk about intrusion. If someone from Konoha comes to see me, I assume it's important."
The Daimyō casually fanned himself, glancing curiously at Shikashiro.
"But why didn't Minister Shikaku come himself? I haven't seen him in ages."
"He had pressing matters in Konoha and couldn't leave," Shikashiro replied calmly. "So I was sent in his place. I hope Lord Daimyō will understand."
He did wonder a bit about why his cousin left such an impression on the Daimyō—but he wasn't the type to gossip. He moved on.
"That's enough formalities," the Daimyō said, still fanning himself. "So? What brings you here this time?"
"This matter is extremely important, and I believe it should be discussed privately."
Shikashiro lowered his head slightly as he spoke—but before he could finish, a loud voice cut in.
"How dare you! Who do you think you are, asking to speak with the Daimyō alone?"
Shikashiro glanced up. A silver-haired man was glaring at him with open hostility.
He recognized this one—it was Hōma, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. And a total maniac.
Hōma firmly believed the Hokage was unnecessary, and that all ninja power should be under the Daimyō's control.
If Jiraiya was an idealist, then this guy was a full-blown fantasist.
Thinking someone like the Daimyō—soft, pampered royalty—could control shinobi? Laughable.
What, just because he had money?
Sorry, but money alone doesn't mean squat in the shinobi world. If anything, the Daimyō's money needed ninja protection—or he and his whole family could end up dead in a ditch.
Still, the very fact that someone like Hōma existed hinted that the Daimyō might share similar views.
As long as the Daimyō didn't say anything out loud, things could stay stable.
But if he did? They might as well start looking for a replacement with the same bloodline.
Shikashiro ignored Hōma's barking. He just silently stared at the Daimyō.
The Daimyō's expression soured—clearly uncomfortable with how far things had gone. He could see this Nara wasn't going to back down an inch.
With a resigned sigh, the Daimyō finally said:
"Lord Shikashiro, if you're not in a rush, please stay here and rest a while. We can take our time to talk.
But if the matter's that urgent, I suppose we can—"
"It's not that urgent for now, Lord Daimyō."
Shikashiro interrupted calmly before the Daimyō could finish.
"This matter is critical, yes—but we do have some leeway.
Still, please understand: this affects not just Konoha's future, but the future of the entire Land of Fire."
—
"This Daimyō's really something. He dares treat your dad like that—was your old man acting too soft?"
Back in the Guard Division office, basking in the noonday sun, Yuhara laughed while reading a letter and speaking to Kotoha.
Kotoha rolled her eyes just like a proper Hyūga, clearly annoyed. A full week had passed—her father had now been in the capital for seven days.
Despite meeting with the Daimyō multiple times, he still hadn't been granted a private audience.
Thankfully, things hadn't reached the breaking point yet, so they hadn't formally brought up the impeachment.
Still, the Daimyō's attitude had raised flags—for Yuhara and for the clan-based ninja system.
Even before transmigrating, Yuhara knew about the so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja—who were split into two factions.
One group believed the Daimyō was the only legitimate "jewel" (ruler) of the Fire Country.
The other, which included Asuma, believed the Hokage held that title.
Honestly, Yuhara had no patience for Hōma's side. Those guys were like hallucinating mushroom addicts—completely delusional.
Idealists at least had logic, even if their ideas were hard to realize—they deserved some respect.
Fantasists? Nope. Hard pass.
"So, what now? If they keep blocking my dad from seeing the Daimyō, won't that derail the whole plan?"
Kotoha was annoyed too. She was getting a headache from it. The Daimyō might seem like dead weight most of the time, but legally, his role was key.
She had been in the Guard Division for a week now. While technically still "in training," Yuhara—who knew her abilities well—had already pulled her to his side.
As a Nara, her talent for strategy was something Yuhara valued immensely.
"Still, I really don't feel great about this… one tiny slip in something this big, and it's game over."
"Let's just wait and see. I believe Uncle Shikashiro will figure something out."
Yuhara stayed calm, casually spreading his hands as he smiled.
"Come on, he's your dad—you should have a little faith in him. Besides, nothing's started yet. No need to panic."
Yuhara genuinely wasn't too worried right now. After all, they still needed to wait a bit longer.
Kakashi had already told him it'd take a while to catch Tenzo. The only good chance was when Tenzo was assigned to night duty at the Hokage building—only then could they capture him and retrieve the ROOT operation files.
Kakashi didn't dare take the ROOT reports early, and Yuhara understood why.
Who knew when Hiruzen might randomly lose it and decide to check those files?
Sure, Kakashi had already taken a few documents, but that was the key: only a few.
According to Kakashi, there were over a thousand of them in total.
A couple missing wouldn't raise red flags. But if they all vanished—or if the critical, likely-to-be-read files were suddenly gone—then they were definitely getting caught.
"Besides, even if Hiruzen gets nailed and surrenders under pressure, his whole web of vested interests won't go down quietly."
Yuhara thought to himself. Over the past few weeks, the Hyūga, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans had already investigated and collected solid info on the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Koharu clans.
He had to admit—ever since Hiruzen became Hokage, those three clans had exploded in size and power.
Their industries had a hand in nearly every corner of Konoha, and their ninja numbers were insane.
Just the Sarutobi clan alone—while not quite the "3,000-man army" meme from Yuhara's past life—had nearly a thousand shinobi.
Most were chunin or genin, but even so, that kind of headcount was terrifying.
The Mitokado and Koharu clans weren't as massive, but they could still field several hundred ninja.
If this turned into an all-out bloodbath and Yuhara wasn't prepared, he'd be buried by sheer numbers.
"Then again, if they do all charge at us, I bet me, Fugaku, and Shisui would find that hilarious."
Yuhara rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Three Mangekyō Sharingan users weren't exactly afraid of a numbers game.
If things got that extreme, they could just bust out Susanoo and bulldoze through the whole crowd.
But regardless, prep was essential—especially on the public opinion front. The impeachment had to be airtight and lawful. They needed to hold the narrative in their hands.
"It's because he's my dad that I don't trust him—he's lazier than a sloth on sleeping pills."
Kotoha flicked her fingers in frustration.
"Sure, I got dragged into this mess by you all—but as a Nara, I couldn't avoid it anyway.
So we better get everything perfect. I'm not dying young because you people screwed something up."
"Relax. If your uncle didn't think we had a real shot, you think he'd even be involved?"
Yuhara smiled, patting her shoulder as he replied.
"This isn't just about a few clans anymore—it's about Konoha's entire future.
If we keep going like this, everyone's gonna suffer. That Hokage of ours? He already treats the village like it's his personal playground.
Yeah, impeachment's risky. But risk doesn't equal failure—and we've got a damn good chance of pulling this off.
Still, we need to be careful. There are people out there who'll do anything for power.
And if he really goes that far—he's just digging his own grave."
Yuhara paused, his tone suddenly serious.
"And don't worry. I'll protect you.
Just like I did back then."
—
The bright moonlight bathed the land as Kakashi stood before the Hokage building.
His shadow stretched long under the silver glow—until it vanished completely.
Tonight wasn't his scheduled shift at the Hokage tower. He had his own mission.
Two days ago, he got a message from Tenzo—his long-awaited moment had finally arrived.
He passed the info on to Yuhara, trusting that he'd reply with the next steps.
After all, Yuhara had been planning this for ages. The clans had been laying the groundwork in silence for just as long.
Sure enough, Yuhara responded quickly.
But what confused Kakashi was the content—he was told to stir up a big mess when taking the ROOT files and confronting Tenzo.
"If I cause a commotion, won't that blow the whole thing? What's Uchiha Yuhara really thinking?"
Kakashi didn't get it—but after some thought, he still chose to follow the plan.
Truth was, he didn't have many options left.
All he could do now was trust Yuhara… and trust the other clans to help him avenge his father.
—
Under the moonlight, Kakashi quietly entered the Hokage building, his red Sharingan glowing eerily in the dark.
The three tomoe spun rapidly as he scanned the surroundings and slipped deeper inside.
He knew ANBU's operations like the back of his hand—especially since Tenzo had once been his subordinate.
He didn't even have to think hard to predict the guards' hiding spots, or where ANBU had set up surveillance.
Avoiding the security, bypassing guard zones, Kakashi slipped along the wall to the Hokage's office window.
He easily broke the seal on the window and slipped inside.
Seeing the familiar room, Kakashi felt a strange mix of amusement and exasperation.
Apparently, breaking into the Hokage's office had become a specialty of his.
But there was no time for reflection—he had work to do. The ROOT operation reports needed to be taken.
And to make sure none were swapped or faked, he had to verify them personally.
He opened the cabinet, cracked the hidden compartment inside, and once again found that massive scroll.
Patiently, he unraveled the scroll and began inspecting each smaller scroll sealed within.
Time ticked by.
After carefully checking everything, Kakashi finally let out a breath of relief.
His previous break-ins hadn't been discovered.
Sure, verifying all those scrolls was a pain—but at least he now had everything he came for.
"Alright… now comes the critical moment."
Kakashi muttered, slinging the huge scroll onto his back and standing up.
Moonlight poured in.
And this time, he didn't sneak out—he kicked the Hokage's office door wide open.
The sound echoed through the building, instantly alerting all the hidden ANBU operatives.
But that was exactly what Kakashi—and Yuhara—wanted.
Right after, he fired a signal flare into the sky.
As the flare burst in a blinding flash above, Kakashi stepped forward.
His Sharingan spun faster and faster.
He could feel someone's chakra racing toward him.
In that same instant, he drew his ninja blade—its cold gleam cutting through the darkness.
_______________
P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 30+ at patreon.com/Emik01.