Despite the glaring flaws in his logic, Danzo delivered his speech with such conviction that everyone in the office was left speechless.
To begin with, the Akatsuki's ideals were shared by only a small faction; very few would ever truly embrace their vision. An organization driven purely by such a narrow ideology was destined to be short-lived. Yet Danzo was clearly intent on strangling any potential threat in its cradle.
Jiraiya's anger flared. By Danzo's logic, they should eliminate anyone in the entire ninja world they could defeat.
The Third Hokage's expression darkened, and he was just about to speak.
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
A massive explosion and a deafening roar cut him off. The Third looked out the window and saw a catastrophic change at the Hokage Monument. His own stone face… had it just been blown up?
Blood rushed to the Third's head, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. Seeing that everyone in the room was still staring at him, he pointed at Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya, go see what happened. I'll wait here for your report."
Jiraiya had been standing by the door and hadn't seen the exact location of the explosion. Hearing the Hokage's order, he summoned an Anbu to guard the entrance while he leaped out the window. Before leaving, he shot one last, furious glare at Danzo.
Once outside, Jiraiya saw that the explosion had occurred at the Hokage Monument. From his vantage point, he could see that half of the Third Hokage's stone face had crumbled away. No wonder the old man had nearly fainted from rage.
Jiraiya stared at the damaged monument, and his first thought was that this had to be Konan's work. With such a commotion, people on the streets were already looking in that direction. He had no choice but to use the Body Flicker Technique to race toward the scene.
It wasn't long before Jiraiya arrived. A large number of Hyuga Clan members, who served in the Military Police Force, had already gathered. It was their duty to investigate such incidents. And among them, Jiraiya saw someone he had absolutely no desire to see—Uchiha Kawasaki.
Kawasaki was standing right below the collapsed section of the monument, looking up. As Jiraiya got closer, he saw the full extent of the damage. A massive hole had been blasted through the Third Hokage's nose. The monument had been constructed with a hollow interior to reduce its weight, and now that the nose was destroyed, the entire right side of the face had caved in, revealing the empty structure within.
The Hyuga had already cordoned off the area below to prevent falling debris from injuring anyone, barring all others from approaching.
The moment Jiraiya spotted Kawasaki, he grumbled to himself, "This can't be good."
"Kawasaki! What happened here? Why is the Hokage Monument in this state?"
Kawasaki nonchalantly cleaned out his ear. "A little quieter, I can hear you just fine. I just got here myself. Why don't you ask the Hyuga on duty?"
Jiraiya pointed at a random clan member. "You, what's your name? What happened here?"
The Hyuga member he pointed to smiled cheerfully. "Lord Jiraiya, it's me, Yuto! Don't you remember? I used to hand out flyers for you."
Jiraiya finally recognized him. This was the same young man who had distributed his flyers all over the village years ago. No wonder he was standing so close to Kawasaki.
Jiraiya grunted. "So it's you! Alright, Yuto, who was on patrol here? What happened?"
Yuto spread his hands. "This isn't exactly a busy area, so patrols are sparse. I was just passing by when I heard the explosion and came to check it out. As soon as I arrived, I saw someone with a pair of white wings fly away. That's all I know."
Wings? Then there was no doubt. It had to be Konan.
"Captain Yuto! We have a clue!" a Hyuga member called out, leaping down from above. He was holding a small piece of paper. "We found this on top of the monument. We've also confirmed that paper bombs were used to trigger the explosion."
Before Yuto could even touch the paper, Jiraiya snatched it from the man's hand. On it, written in Konan's elegant script, were the words: "This is only the beginning."
Kawasaki peered over his shoulder. "Only the beginning? My, my, Lord Jiraiya, it looks like someone has it out for Konoha." His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
A fire ignited in Jiraiya's gut. The fact that this man was here, of all places… He immediately spun on Kawasaki and roared, "Kawasaki! Was this your rotten idea? Did you put Konan up to this!?"
Kawasaki feigned confusion. "Lord Jiraiya, what are you talking about? I don't understand a word you're saying."
Jiraiya grabbed Kawasaki by his collar and hissed in his ear, "The Hokage and I just moved against Danzo. Contact Konan right now and tell her not to do anything rash…"
A calculating glint appeared in Kawasaki's eyes, and he gently pushed Jiraiya's hands away. "You know, this monument was looking a bit old anyway. How about this? The Uchiha clan will donate ten million ryo to have the Third Hokage's section completely refurbished."
He leaned closer to Jiraiya's ear. "And don't you worry, Lord Jiraiya. I'll handle things with Konan. As soon as the Third Hokage throws Danzo into a cell, I'll have the money for the repairs delivered immediately."
"So it was you! Kawasaki!" Jiraiya raged. How did this man come up with such twisted schemes day in and day out?
Kawasaki quickly interjected, "Well, on second thought, maybe the monument doesn't need repairs. In that case, the donation…"
Jiraiya froze. He let out a heavy grunt and turned to leave. He had just noticed that there was no one else present at the site of the explosion. Blowing up the monument was, at worst, a financial issue. No one had been hurt.
This was clearly Kawasaki's handiwork, a tactic to pressure the Third Hokage. Since there were no casualties and Kawasaki was offering to pay for the damages, Jiraiya decided to let it go.
As he walked away, Kawasaki called out, "Jiraiya, I forgot to tell you! Tsunade wants to meet Naruto. He's coming over to my house for dinner tonight."
Jiraiya paused for a moment before waving a hand in acknowledgment. "Got it."
Kawasaki then turned to Yuto. "Yuto, mobilize the Hyuga Police Force. Put aside your current tasks and take a look at this area…" Kawasaki said, drawing a circle on a map. "Have your men scan it thoroughly with their Byakugan. There are quite a few paper bombs planted around here."
"Paper bombs!?" Yuto exclaimed in shock. While most of the area Kawasaki indicated was deserted, a portion of it was densely populated. If there were truly paper bombs in those locations, the consequences of their detonation would be catastrophic.
"I can't explain the details right now. Just have your men find and disable all of them. And I want a record of every detonation point."
"Yes, Lord Kawasaki!" Yuto responded without hesitation. Kawasaki was soon to become the Uchiha clan head and was on excellent terms with Hiashi. Moreover, he had helped Yuto in the past. It was only natural for the Hyuga to follow his command.
…
Within Konoha, deep inside the village prison.
Under the watchful eyes of numerous Anbu, a solitary Danzo walked resignedly into his cell. The entire chamber was covered in seals designed to suppress ninjutsu, and the bars were forged from a special alloy. For a man in his sixties, escape would be difficult. To make matters worse, teams of elite Hyuga patrolled the area in shifts, completely sealing off any possibility of a breakout.
Once the cell door was locked, the Third Hokage dismissed the Anbu. A moment later, only he and Danzo remained.
Danzo's face was a mask of indifference, as if he were in his office rather than a prison cell. Only the occasional flicker in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Hiruzen, what do you want?"
The Third Hokage stared at his old rival for a long time before finally speaking. "Danzo, your ambition has grown too large."
Danzo sneered. "Hiruzen, you had no qualms about using me when you first became Hokage. Are you casting me aside now that I'm no longer useful?"
The Third did not get angry. In the early days of his reign, he and Danzo had worked in perfect sync, one in the light and one in the shadows, to suppress the major clans. Now, aside from the Uchiha and the Hyuga, most of the clans in Konoha were loyal only to the Hokage. Danzo's dirty work had been instrumental in achieving that. But things had changed. After the Nine-Tails' attack, Danzo's ambition had spiraled out of control. For years, he had secretly expanded Root, leaving the Third in the difficult position of not being able to use him or discard him. But now, under pressure from all sides, the Third had made his decision.
"If I had stopped you sooner, perhaps things would not have come to this."
"Hmph, spare me your false compassion. Stop me? Wasn't it you who hinted that the Senju clan needed to be eliminated? Why else would I have orchestrated Nawaki's death? If he had lived, Konoha would still be under the Senju's thumb!"
The Third sighed. "But you shouldn't have leaked Dan Kato's position."
Danzo laughed coldly. "Dan Kato possessed the Spirit Transformation Technique and had already started to suspect something. If I didn't get rid of him, were you going to wait for him to uncover the truth?"
The Third remained silent, taking a long drag from his pipe. As smoke curled around him, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
"Besides, what does it matter if I leaked it? You were the one who helped me cover it up afterward. You're locking me up now because Tsunade has returned, aren't you? Trying to use me to atone for your sins in her eyes? Don't forget, you're just as complicit in Nawaki's death as I am!"
The Third lowered his gaze, hiding his emotions. "Nawaki and Dan have been gone for many years. There's no way to verify what happened. I will not hand you over to Tsunade."
Danzo snorted. "Then what do you plan to do?"
The Third looked up, his face calm. "The Uchiha's power has grown immensely. By bringing in outsiders, Kawasaki is forcing my hand. You made an enemy of him when you moved to suppress the Uchiha, and now he's pressuring me not only through Tsunade and Jiraiya, but directly as well. You'll stay in this cell for a while. Once this storm passes, I'll find an opportunity to release you."
Danzo's eyes flickered. "Hiruzen, how can I trust you?"
The Third spread his hands. "We've worked together for so many years. Can you still not trust me? Without you, there are certain matters that are inconvenient for me to handle."
Danzo stared directly into the Third Hokage's eyes. "And what about my Root?"
The Third Hokage answered with a frank expression. "Your Root will remain untouched. Once Kawasaki officially takes over as clan head, I will release you."
"Fine, Hiruzen. I'll trust you this one time."
"You'll have to bear with it for a while. If you need anything, just tell the guards. I'll make sure you're taken care of."
Danzo walked over to the cot in his cell and sat down. "Have my Root medics come see me. I still have injuries that need treatment."
The Third considered it for a moment, then nodded and left the prison. As he watched the Third's retreating back, Danzo raised his right hand. His eyes flickered with indecision before he finally let it fall.
Once outside the prison, the gentle look in the Third's eyes was gradually replaced by a steely resolve, and his expression slowly hardened.
…
In the Uchiha clan compound.
On the training grounds.
"Chidori!" Sasuke's hand flashed with lightning as he charged at Naruto.
With the help of a clone, Naruto formed a swirling sphere of chakra in his palm. "Rasengan!"
"CRASH!"
The two powerful jutsu collided with a deafening roar, tearing up the grass around them. After a brief stalemate, both boys were thrown backward by the force of the impact. As Naruto landed, a shadow clone behind him broke his fall. Sasuke, however, was sent stumbling back several steps until he bumped into someone's chest.
He looked up and saw it was his older brother, Itachi.
"That's enough, Sasuke. The match is over."
Sasuke was clearly dissatisfied. "Naruto and I haven't settled this yet!"
Itachi glanced at Sasuke's bloodied arm. "Is that so?" he asked in a calm voice. He suddenly grabbed Sasuke's left hand. "Can you even move your left arm?"
"Ugh…" A searing pain shot through Sasuke's limb.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" Naruto asked, rushing over once he had steadied himself. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I…" Naruto trailed off, unsure of what to say as he saw the state of Sasuke's arm.
Sasuke caught sight of Naruto, who was almost completely unharmed. He angrily turned his head away. "I don't need your pity!"
Before Itachi could speak, a figure flickered to Sasuke's side and gave him a sharp rap on the head. Sasuke staggered, nearly falling over.
"What's the matter? Can't accept that you lost?" Kawasaki's voice cut through the air. He looked down at Sasuke, his face partially obscured by shadows, his expression unreadable.
"Sensei…" Sasuke mumbled.
Naruto scratched his head. "Mr. Kawasaki…"
"Naruto, you stay quiet for a moment," Kawasaki interrupted. "Everything was fine when I left this afternoon. How did you two end up fighting like this?"
Sasuke clutched his injured arm and averted his gaze. "I noticed it last time. Naruto has been holding back in our spars."
"So, now that your Sharingan has evolved, you wanted to test yourself again?"
Sasuke didn't respond, merely pouting. Kawasaki rubbed his temples. He hadn't expected the current Naruto to be so perceptive and to intentionally lose to Sasuke.
He beckoned Naruto closer. "Naruto, do you know what you did wrong?"
"Uh… I… well…" Naruto stammered, unsure if Kawasaki was angry because he had hurt Sasuke or for some other reason. He had been holding back to protect Sasuke's pride, afraid that winning would upset his friend. But today, Sasuke had insisted on a real match, threatening to never speak to him again if he held back. And now Sasuke was injured.
Naruto felt wronged, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Kawasaki sighed, guessing what the boy was thinking. He ruffled Naruto's hair. "Naruto, there should be no secrets or deception between comrades. You may be stronger than Sasuke now, but will you always be? By deceiving him, you let him bask in a false sense of victory, which only breeds arrogance."
"Look," Kawasaki said, gesturing toward Sasuke, who was pretending not to listen. "Sasuke won against you so many times in the past that now he can't stand to lose."
Hearing this, Sasuke's face flushed red, and he couldn't help but shout, "Who says I can't stand to lose!?"
Kawasaki gave him another knock on the head. "If you can handle losing, then who are you turning your back on? The match is over. Do I have to teach you what to do next?"
Reluctantly, Sasuke extended his right hand. Naruto mirrored the action, and their hands met in the Seal of Reconciliation.
Kawasaki gave Naruto a meaningful look. Naruto nodded and sincerely apologized to Sasuke. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I won't hold back anymore."
After completing the seal, Sasuke grunted, "Who asked you to? I'll definitely beat you next time."
"Alright, you two are always giving me headaches. Go find Shizune and get yourselves checked out." Kawasaki ruffled both of their heads before sending them on their way.
"I know, Sensei. Brother, I'm going for treatment," Sasuke said, trying in vain to escape Kawasaki's hand messing up his hair.
Naruto, wanting to appear friendly, slung an arm around Sasuke. "Sasuke, how about next time the loser has to treat the winner?"
"Hmph, next time I'll be the one winning."
"Okay, okay, then I'll treat you next time!"
"Just don't you dare hold back again…"
As the two boys walked away, Itachi's gaze fell on Sasuke's dangling left arm, then to Naruto, who was completely unscathed. He couldn't help but ask Kawasaki, "Senior, is the gap between Sasuke and Naruto really that wide?"
Kawasaki's expression was calm. "What nonsense. Don't call me clan head, it sounds so distant."
A rare smile touched Itachi's lips. "Yes, senior."
Only when he heard the change in address did Kawasaki's face break into a smile. "Sasuke is slightly behind Naruto right now, and that's because Naruto's progress with his shadow clone training has been astonishingly fast. That's a matter of natural talent, nothing more to be said."
After all, not everyone could waste chakra as freely as Naruto, creating countless clones and enduring the resulting mental fatigue.
"However," Kawasaki's tone shifted. "Sasuke isn't that far behind. The reason Naruto is uninjured is because the Nine-Tails inside him has already healed his wounds. You used to spoil Sasuke too much, letting him get a big head. Fugaku was a decent teacher when it came to ninjutsu, but he neglected other aspects of his training. Sasuke has a narrow mind. A little setback like this will do him good."
Itachi nodded. He had noticed it during his last spar with Sasuke as well. Although Sasuke's skills had improved, his combat awareness and mentality were still lacking. He was exceptional for his age, but he still fell short when compared to Naruto. And with the ninja world in its current state of turmoil, it was crucial for Sasuke to mature quickly for his own safety.