"Oh? Saru… the Third Hokage went to the Senju clan's [Thousand Hands] compound?"
Danzō frowned deeply at his subordinate's report.Why would Hiruzen go there?
That place was abandoned long ago—empty and as run-down as the Uchiha compound.
"Yes. And also… the Nine-Tails stayed at the Uchiha compound the entire night."
"Hmph. He's just a useless failure. Since the Hokage is pretending to protect him, there's no point in bothering."
To Danzō, Uchiha Kage was completely irrelevant—merely a pawn. He only wanted to use the situation to gain custody over part of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.But the old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stubbornly refused to give in, and there was nothing Danzō could do about it.
"Keep watch on the Hokage Building. I want to know exactly what he's doing there."
"Yes."
"Wait. Send someone to test Uchiha Kage. If he behaves abnormally in any way, capture him and bring him to me."
"Yes!"
"I… die during the Chūnin Exams? And… Orochimaru? My death comes at the hands of the one who seals Orochimaru?"
Hokage Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, staring at the yellowed notebook in his hands, his face dark.The handwriting—and even the phrasing—matched perfectly with that of his teacher, Senju Tobirama.
Yet Hiruzen could hardly believe what was written.
In a one-on-one battle, perhaps Orochimaru might manage a sneak attack. But here, in the heart of Konoha—a vast village brimming with ninja—how could Orochimaru kill him in front of everyone and then walk away untouched?
Would no one step in?Where would the Anbu be?What about the Hokage's own guards? Could they be as frozen as he had been back then… cough cough.
No matter how he turned it over in his mind throughout the day, Hiruzen could not figure out how he—the Hokage—could die so pitifully in his own stronghold.
"Could it be that someone is deliberately playing a trick on me?"
But what kind of ninjutsu could create such a thing?An illusion?
Only Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami could achieve something like that. No other genjutsu could be used on him so silently.
"Wait… could it be Uchiha Itachi?"
No—that was impossible. Itachi would never waste his time on something so trivial.
Still… speaking of Shisui…
Although Uchiha Shisui was dead, his unique Mangekyō Sharingan still existed. Could someone have obtained it and be targeting Konoha?
Hiruzen puffed at his pipe, only to feel even more puzzled.
"But… what if it's real? What if Tobirama-sensei truly had a forbidden technique to predict the future?"
He reread the notebook from beginning to end.
The account of Orochimaru killing him was disturbingly detailed: Orochimaru first assassinating the Kazekage [Wind Shadow], entering Konoha disguised in the Kazekage's body, and using that position to arrange for a large number of Sand Village ninja to attack the village.
If the future written here was true, then with the right countermeasures, the Hidden Sand and the Land of Wind could be brought under Konoha's control.
The temptation was enormous.
"Damn Orochimaru—stealing Tobirama-sensei's body in secret!"
Otherwise, Hiruzen could have simply summoned Tobirama with the Impure World Reincarnation and asked him directly, without having to wrack his brain over it.
"Go. Have all Anbu assemble at the Hokage Building!"
Whether the notebook's contents were true or false, someone was clearly causing trouble in the shadows. Peace had lasted too long, and the Anbu had grown corrupt and complacent. That had to be fixed.
"Yes!"
Soon, a group of masked Anbu gathered in the conference room. With his assistant's help, Hiruzen reviewed their roster.
"No wonder…"
He sighed quietly.
Anbu Captain Gekkō Hayate, Squad Leader Uzuki Yugao… and then an endless list of Chūnin.
What was Hayate's actual skill level? Was he truly qualified to lead the Anbu?
If this was the state of the Hokage's personal guard, no wonder Orochimaru could slip into Konoha unhindered.
"Ugh…"
In Konoha's prime, the Anbu could make entire great villages tremble with a single man like White Fang—never mind when Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze served.Even after Minato's death, there were still prodigies like Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. Each of them made waves wherever they went.
Not like now…
"Hokage-sama, have you encountered some difficulty?"
Seeing the Hokage sigh so openly, the group—led by Gekkō Hayate—asked with concern.
"No."
Hiruzen's gaze swept the room before stopping on a young ninja wearing a forehead protector with a metal plate. The only capable one here had been poached from Danzō's Root.
"I just didn't expect there'd been no new blood in the Anbu for so many years."
Of course, he wouldn't reveal his true thoughts now.
"Tenzo, inform Kakashi—tell him to return to the village immediately."
"Yes."
"The rest of you, dismissed."
Dismissed? No mission?
The hastily gathered Anbu glanced at one another in confusion. Had the Hokage really called them just to look them over?Still, they obeyed and left the Hokage Building.
"Yugao, stay for a moment."
When Uzuki Yugao turned back, Hiruzen took out the student list Iruka had submitted earlier and placed it in front of her.
"Test his character. If he's fine, wait until he becomes a genin, then recruit him into the Anbu."
"Yes."
Yugao glanced curiously at the photos and names.
Oh? Wasn't this the boy she had rescued from Root ninja before?So his name was Uchiha Kage.
"I never thought Konoha would become so depleted without us realizing it…"
Once Yugao left, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, weary.
"Among the younger generation, only four seedlings—Hyūga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino, and Uchiha Kage—have the potential to enter the Anbu."
So tired. So alone.
But for various reasons—family ties, political complications—Neji and Sasuke were not options.As for Shino, discussions with his clan were necessary. The only one he could place directly into the Anbu was Uchiha Kage: an orphan, well-behaved, and considered promising by Iruka.
"It's just a pity he hasn't even awakened his Sharingan yet…"
Massaging his forehead, Hiruzen shook his head.
After a long moment, he came to a decision.
"It's time to contact Uchiha Itachi. If he still cares for Konoha…"
Only when there was no one else to turn to did Hiruzen remember the loyalty of White Fang and Uchiha Itachi.
"And Danzō… have him look into Orochimaru."
If the notebook's words were true, then Orochimaru was already on his way to kill the Fourth Kazekage.