In the Hokage's office, A pall of doom and gloom hung overhead.
Never before had such despair and oppression weighed upon the F4 of Konoha.
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, each could only sigh in silence.
Meanwhile, Shimura Danzō remained hidden in the dark, saying nothing; his expression looked extremely grim.
But the one most helpless of all was the Hokage himself—
He kept puffing on his pipe bowl after bowl; the entire Hokage's office was thick with billowing smoke, its pungent odor growing ever more acrid.
They were facing an unprecedented crisis.
If previously their problem in dealing with Chiyu or the Uchiha Clan had been a matter of politics, intrigue, or strategy—
Now it was a painfully real and concrete matter:
They simply could not beat him.
Uchiha Shisui had been their single most powerful card!
But he had lost to Chiyu and died by his hand!
So now, who else could match Chiyu?
Honestly, Sarutobi Hiruzen never truly worried about the rest of the Uchiha Clan.
If all-out war broke out, he could rely on the Anbu, the Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, plus Root and other loyal factions. The Uchiha simply stood no chance.
But the enemy they faced now was so powerful it defied reason—
As long as that man was alive, all talk was meaningless.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe. Finally, he spoke:
"I never imagined even Shisui would die at that bastard's hands…
"Do any of you have thoughts?"
Still silent, Danzō uttered not a word.
He had intended to swoop in once both sides wore each other down, grabbing Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō for himself, or perhaps even stealing Chiyu's Mangekyō too.
But that plan had utterly collapsed.
Hiruzen saw through his mindset, gave a cold snort, and turned instead to the other two:
"Advisors, your opinions?"
Koharu sighed: The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novelꜰire.net
"We never imagined that man would be so strong…
"Yes… We believed that with Minato dead, Shisui counted as the village's top fighter…"
Hiruzen impatiently interrupted:
"Don't repeat worthless facts.
"We need to figure out the next step!
"Now that Shisui is dead, that bastard certainly won't volunteer himself to appease Kumogakure. Knowing the Raikage's temper, war is all but inevitable!
"In other words, we're facing genuine threats both inside and out!"
Homura lowered his voice:
"Yes, the situation is dire, but it's not the end.
"Kumogakure, for all their aggression, cannot truly risk total war with us. They're still on bad terms with Iwagakure and Sunagakure from the Third Shinobi War. If they rashly clash with us to the death, they'll court danger too.
"As for inside the village, the Uchiha remain the same as ever: though not to be underestimated, they can't challenge the entire village.
"So the biggest problem… is just one man—
"All very well, but that one man is enough of a headache!
"How do we deal with him? Whom do we send?
"You? Or do I personally fight him?"
"Hiruzen, don't get sarcastic; no one questions your strength, but you aren't the man you were in your prime.
"Frankly, with Shisui gone, our only faint hope would lie in three individuals…"
Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat.
He knew exactly who they were:
His direct students, famed across the ninja world as the Legendary Sannin:
Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru.
Had all three been around… or even just one with unshakeable loyalty… the crisis wouldn't be half as severe!
Hiruzen's voice was thick with bitterness:
"Hmph. Orochimaru's gone rogue, Tsunade roams without caring for worldly matters, and though Jiraiya's still loyal, he's not under my beck and call; plus, who knows where he is. A distant spring can't put out a present blaze—where am I to find them?"
"Orochimaru is out of the question, but Tsunade and Jiraiya might still come back for you. They're your students, after all.
"It's worth sending someone to look. Try persuading them to return…"
Hiruzen fell silent, then finally nodded:
"Fine, I'll dispatch Anbu to locate them.
"Still, it's no perfect solution…"
Just then Danzō finally spoke up:
"Hiruzen, I can kill Uchiha Chiyu for you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at him, sneering coldly:
"Danzō, I know your capabilities better than anyone. Don't boast."
Danzō's expression hardened further:
"Don't underestimate me!
"Besides, I'm not talking about fighting him right now.
"But give me time, and I'll kill him!"
"Not too long. One month, say. But you have to agree to my condition."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes:
"Let me guess. You want me to leave you free, no interference?
"To do whatever you like?"
Danzō let out an icy chuckle:
"Indeed. I want a free hand."
Sarutobi Hiruzen curled his lip:
"I know exactly what you plan to do…
"Fine. Just make sure you keep it neat, not sloppy like that fool Orochimaru, or else you'll cause me trouble!"
Danzō angrily retorted:
"Don't forget, everything I do is for—"
"For the village, right?"
Danzō momentarily had no comeback.
"Hmph. Anyway, don't meddle in my affairs. Give me two months—no, one month— I will kill Uchiha Chiyu!"
At last, Hiruzen surrendered. As harsh as Danzō's demand seemed, it was their last straw.
"Fine. But Danzō… you'd best fulfill your promise.
Snorting, Danzō turned to leave:
"Relax. Once I'm free to act, there's nothing in this ninja world I can't accomplish."
With that, he vanished into the darkness.
"Hiruzen, that fellow Danzō, he'll likely turn to Orochimaru, you know…
"We both realize they still have ties."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded:
"Hmph. As long as, in the shadows, he can eliminate Uchiha Chiyu without letting anyone see his hand—
"If he does slip up, we can dump all blame on him!"
Koharu and Homura exchanged uneasy looks. Both shuddered slightly at that.
But they understood Hiruzen's plight; if it were them, they might do the same.
"Indeed, if Danzō is free to do anything—even collude with Orochimaru— perhaps they'll manage it. Then dealing with Uchiha Chiyu won't be so hard…"
"Which leaves how to handle Kumogakure and the Uchiha clan."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a long breath:
"Don't worry. That man is the real threat.
"As for the Cloud, and the Uchiha… I have my methods."
"Oh? So you already have a plan?"
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