Inside a conference room at the Hokage Tower.
"Damn it! "
The Third Hokage's face was ashen with anger.
He had personally led a team of ANBU to the Uchiha compound, intending to stop Uchiha Itachi from leaving the ANBU.
But not only did he fail to prevent Itachi's departure, he himself was injured in the process.
To make matters worse, with part of the security detail reassigned, the Hokage Tower was left vulnerable, and the Scroll Repository was infiltrated and robbed.
Two other people were present in the room: the village advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Koharu was the first to ask:
"Hokage-sama, which scroll was stolen? "
"The Yin Seal," the Third Hokage replied grimly.
"The Yin Seal? " Koharu raised an eyebrow.
"If I recall, that sealing technique allows a shinobi to store unused chakra and release it in battle, giving them a massive reserve of chakra."
"Who could possibly be targeting a technique like that? "
"Could it be the Wood Release user who infiltrated the scroll room before? " Homura speculated.
"No. It wasn't the Wood Release user." Koharu shook her head, sounding certain.
"You decided to pull the ANBU guards on the spur of the moment. Even if the Wood Release user had an inside contact, they couldn't have reacted this fast. This had to be an inside job."
"An inside job…" Homura frowned. Her reasoning made sense—only someone within the village could exploit such a sudden gap in security.
"To steal the Yin Seal, the culprit is likely someone with low chakra reserves—or someone practicing a technique that consumes massive amounts of chakra," Koharu continued.
"If we figure out who fits that description, we'll find our thief."
"Low chakra… or a jutsu that drains chakra heavily? " The Third Hokage's eyes suddenly gleamed with a cold light as he spoke in a low, sharp tone.
"I know who it is."
"Who? "Koharu and Homura? they asked in unison.
"There are two people in the village who would have a strong reason to acquire the Yin Seal," the Hokage said with a bitter smile.
"Who are they? " Homura pressed.
"One is Uchiha Fugaku. His Mangekyō technique—Susanoo—manifesting a chakra avatar, burns through an enormous amount of chakra. To maintain it for longer periods, he would need a sealing technique like the Yin Seal to store extra reserves."
"It's not Uchiha Fugaku," Koharu immediately countered."He was fighting you earlier—he had no time. And the elite jōnin from the Uchiha clan who stayed in the village were also present at the time. None of them could have done it."
"Then who's the other one? "
"The other is Hatake Kakashi," the Hokage said, his voice cold."Because he's not an Uchiha, he can't perfectly synchronize with the Sharingan. It constantly drains his chakra every second, leaving him perpetually short on reserves. The Yin Seal is perfect for compensating for that weakness."
"It must be him," Homura said firmly."Of the two, he's the only one who had the opportunity."
"To leave the ANBU and then pull something like this… what a treacherous dog," Koharu said angrily.
After a moment, she turned to the Hokage with a questioning look."Hokage-sama, why did you even pull the ANBU from their posts to go to the Uchiha compound? "
"I received a letter from Uchiha Fugaku saying he wanted Itachi to leave the ANBU. I suspected Itachi's identity as a mole had been compromised, so I went in person," the Third Hokage said darkly.
"Fugaku wouldn't suddenly pull Itachi without a reason. If his cover was blown, then it makes sense…" Koharu frowned."Such a shame. After Shisui, now Itachi too—another valuable asset gone."
"Itachi had immense potential. Even if we ignore his role as a mole, had he stayed in the ANBU, he could have become an incredible force in the future," Homura added, sounding regretful.
"The Uchiha clan is firm on this. Keeping Itachi in the ANBU is impossible now," Koharu said sharply."Hokage-sama, this was reckless. You went to the Uchiha compound with ANBU just for one person? "
"It was… a lapse in judgment," Homura admitted."If Itachi's role as a mole becomes public, it will disgrace us. Best to handle this quietly. If Fugaku wants Itachi out, then let him out. We'll act as though he was never in the ANBU."
"Normally I'd agree… but Itachi isn't just anyone," the Third Hokage said with a heavy sigh."There's something I hadn't told you yet. Just yesterday… Uchiha Itachi awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"What? " Both advisors stared in disbelief. Shock mixed with doubt—the boy was far too young.
"I saw it with my own eyes. There's no mistake," the Hokage said."So young, and yet he awakened the Mangekyō. His talent surpasses even Shisui's."
"No wonder you rushed to the Uchiha compound when you heard Fugaku wanted him out," Koharu murmured. "It all makes sense now."
"But it was all for nothing." The Hokage sighed deeply."He's gone… a shinobi with boundless potential, lost to us—and I've lost face in the process."
"Don't despair. Even if he left the ANBU, Itachi is still loyal to you. Give it a few years. Fugaku won't be able to restrain him forever. When that time comes, he'll return," Koharu said reassuringly.
"I hope so…" the Hokage muttered, though doubt lingered in his tone.
"What worries me more is Fugaku himself. He injured you with just a few moves. His strength is beyond anyone's control now," Homura said gravely."If we don't eliminate him, with him leading the Uchiha clan, they could truly rise to claim the Hokage's seat."
"Fugaku's power is approaching that of Madara in his prime," the Hokage said darkly."Even if I join forces with the ANBU, killing him would be nearly impossible—unless we can convince Jiraiya and Tsunade to fight alongside us."
"But persuading them will be difficult," Koharu said, shaking her head. She knew well the cold distance between the Hokage and his former students.
"Then how do we deal with Fugaku? " Homura asked, frowning deeply.
"For now, there's only one option," Koharu said in an icy tone."Use another blade to kill him—lure another Hidden Village into doing it."
"Another village…" The Hokage and Homura exchanged a look, eyes narrowing in thought.
With the power they currently commanded, killing Fugaku themselves was almost impossible. If they wanted him gone… they would need outside help.