Hiruzen rubbed at his throbbing temples, a complex glint flickering in his eyes. "Tsunade… she is my personal disciple, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and one of Konoha's Sannin. During her time in the village, she accumulated quite a bit of prestige."
"In the eyes of many—especially among the Uchiha—her stance, to some extent, represents mine, or at least a tacit approval from the higher-ups."
"Even though she has long ceased to involve herself in village affairs, that influence still remains."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice carried a trace of helplessness. "It's likely because of Tsunade's 'public backing' that Fugaku completely lost both the will and the justification to resist. Under pressure from all sides, he had no choice but to step down."
"In Fugaku's eyes, this may have been the only way to preserve his last shred of dignity."
The office fell into a brief silence, broken only by the faint crackle of burning tobacco.
After a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke again, his tone low and grave. "Within the Uchiha Clan… have they chosen a new clan head yet?"
"There's no clear result for now," the ANBU ninja answered promptly. "But according to observations, among the gathered Uchiha—especially the younger shinobi and ordinary clansmen—the name most frequently called for is… Uchiha Keizumi."
"Uchiha Keizumi…" Hiruzen repeated the name softly, then let out a deeper sigh.
He shook his head and said, "With Keizumi's nature, a position like Uchiha Clan Head—one that demands managing complex clan affairs and balancing multiple interests—is something he would never accept. In his creed of 'absolute justice,' such a role would only bind his hands and feet, a shackle that hinders his pursuit of enforcing justice in the shinobi world."
His tone grew markedly heavier. "However…"
"The position of Captain of the Konoha Police Force—the key post responsible for village security and endowed with independent law enforcement authority… I fear that one truly is about to fall into Keizumi's hands."
Even though, by regulation, the final authority for appointing the Police Force Captain rested with him—the Hokage.
However, when the wave of support for Uchiha Keizumi within the Uchiha Clan surged to an overwhelming height—
Sarutobi Hiruzen understood all too well that if he were to forcibly veto it, or appoint someone else, it would inevitably trigger intense turmoil within the Uchiha Clan.
It might even provoke fierce backlash and riots.
Perhaps Uchiha Setsuna had failed to spark a coup that shook all of Konoha,
but one careless decision from Sarutobi Hiruzen himself could just as easily drive the Uchiha shinobi to suddenly attempt to overthrow the Hokage.
With Konoha already on edge after what happened with Nadeshiko, the village absolutely could not withstand another major upheaval from the Uchiha at such a critical juncture.
…
Ryūchi Cave.
As the thick vines tightened further and further, the scales on Ichikishimahime's serpent body burst apart, exposing her blood-soaked flesh beneath.
Each vine bit deeply into her flesh, crushing bone after bone, then grinding the shattered bones to dust.
With a thunderous bang, a spray of blood mist engulfed the entire area.
Every vine was dyed crimson, as fragments of flesh and bone scattered in all directions.
When the indicator flashed before his eyes, Uchiha Keizumi knew—
Ichikishimahime, one of the three high-ranking leaders of Ryūchi Cave, was dead.
The gigantic wooden construct turned slightly, raising its single massive arm.
It then hurled a colossal punch toward Tagorihime, who was embedded in the rock wall—barely clinging to life, all resistance gone!
[Boom!!!]
Tagorihime, desperately trying to heal herself with senjutsu energy, widened her eyes.
She had no chance to evade—she could only watch helplessly as that fist grew larger and larger in her sight, until her consciousness buzzed, and everything fell into darkness.
Uchiha Keizumi's cold gaze shifted once more—
to Tagitsuhime, whose body had been severed in two by the lava dragon head.
Below, the magma began to surge upward, as though lifted by an invisible hand, rushing toward the screaming Tagitsuhime like a flood.
Her screams came to an abrupt and final stop.
After the three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave were successively executed by Uchiha Keizumi, the entire Ryūchi Cave underwent a "great cleansing."
The so-called "one of the Three Great Sage Regions of the Shinobi World" had almost turned into a hell of molten magma.
Only a few remote corners had escaped being scorched by the surging magma.
That was because the serpents inhabiting those corners of Ryūchi Cave were mostly aberrations—among the few whose temperaments were neither cruel nor vicious.
What truly surprised Uchiha Keizumi, however, was that the target he most wanted to find—the White Snake Sage—
Had vanished without a trace!
Uchiha Keizumi had already located the dwelling where the White Snake Sage had lived for many years, but apart from a large chair belonging solely to the Sage, there was no sign of her anywhere.
"Ran away, huh…"
Uchiha Keizumi clicked his tongue. "So that's one of the reasons she's managed to live for over a thousand years? The moment she encounters a danger she cannot control, her first instinct is to flee without hesitation."
Murmuring to himself, Uchiha Keizumi slightly shifted his gaze to the side, his eyes landing on a black snake not far away.
That black snake, which had been trying to sneak away, suddenly stiffened all over the moment it realized it had been discovered.
Immediately after, it heard faint footsteps coming from behind—
Accompanied by a wave of scorching heat so terrifying it made its scales stand on end.
"Where did that white snake go?"
When that cold, indifferent voice sounded from behind, the black snake felt as though every scale on its body was about to explode.
It didn't dare turn its head. Spitting out human speech, it stammered, "I-I don't know where the great White Snake Sage has gone… I only came here, as usual, to clean her dwelling. I never thought… never thought I'd run into you here."
When it heard the approaching footsteps again, its heart sank into despair—it thought its death had come.
Yet unexpectedly, the footsteps did not grow closer but instead receded farther and farther away.
When it turned around in astonishment, that terrifying human had already disappeared into the White Snake Sage's dwelling.
"Why… why didn't he kill me? He's been slaughtering wildly through Ryūchi Cave, killing who knows how many of my kind."
The black snake could not comprehend his reasoning.
Little did it know—it was precisely because it had dwelled in Ryūchi Cave for countless years without ever leaving, and thus had never had the chance to commit evil deeds, that its life had been spared.
In other words—
It had saved itself.
…
At the same time—
Within Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Great Sage Regions of the Shinobi World, a gigantic white snake appeared, surrounded on all sides by an overwhelming number of slugs so densely packed they made one's scalp crawl at a glance.
Countless small slugs began gradually converging and fusing together, finally forming a gigantic slug nearly equal in size to the white serpent.
The slug spoke in human language: "White Snake Sage, long time no see. It must have been at least a thousand years since our last meeting. I never expected that after a thousand years, we would meet again like this."
"But are you sure you won't protect your Ryūchi Cave? I can faintly sense that your cave has fallen into great peril today—many of your snakes have lost their lives."
The White Snake Sage held a smoking pipe in her mouth.
Facing the Slug Sage directly, it spoke in a calm, even tone: "Ryūchi Cave has been destroyed, but I can rebuild it. It's merely a matter of time—and time is what I have the most of. However, if that Uchiha ninja who believes in 'Absolute Justice' were to find me, even I couldn't guarantee surviving at his hands."
"Most likely, it would end in mutual destruction—and I cannot accept such an outcome. Because once the toads of Mount Myōboku learn that I've been gravely injured, they'll definitely take the opportunity to come and mock me."
The Slug Sage said, "So that's the grand excuse you've come up with for your escape? After all that thinking, it seems only my place could serve as your refuge, isn't that right?"
The White Snake Sage: "…"
This was exactly why it had never wanted to deal with the other two Sage Regions.
It instinctively despised the toads of Mount Myōboku—and consequently, many of the snakes in Ryūchi Cave also hated the toads of Mount Myōboku.
As for the Slug Sage—in the eyes of the White Snake Sage, she could indeed be called a "good person," yet every word that came out of that mouth was far too honest, far too blunt, caring nothing for how others might feel.
But now, having come here in need, the White Snake Sage suppressed its displeasure.
It said, "So, will you permit me to stay in Shikkotsu Forest for a while? Not for long—about a hundred years should be enough. After a hundred years, that little Uchiha of justice will already be nothing but a withered corpse in his grave."
"I refuse."
"Mm… huh? What?"
That brief reply from the Slug Sage nearly left the White Snake Sage dumbfounded. Its eyes widened in disbelief at the Slug Sage.
It could hardly imagine that this so-called "good person" had suddenly changed temperament.