"So… just that simple of a preparation, and we're setting out for Kirigakure?" Biwa Jūzō was somewhat bewildered. He saw Uchiha Keizumi merely tidying up his equipment and ninja tools a little.
Along with him was a ninja cat that looked so obese it almost certainly had high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol, and a young female subordinate who appeared rather small in age, holding a notebook and seemingly jotting or sketching notes about something. Then they were about to depart.
"You're not planning to bring a few more shinobi? In Konoha's Police Force, there should be one or two hundred shinobi, right?"
Biwa Jūzō couldn't help but suggest, "Even if you need to leave some behind to carry out justice in Konoha, you could still bring twenty or thirty people, couldn't you?"
He felt that Uchiha Keizumi, bringing only one subordinate who didn't even look of age…
Seemed to be underestimating the kind of tragic state the Land of Water had fallen into.
"Not necessary."
Uchiha Keizumi spoke expressionlessly. "I'm not going to invade the Land of Water. What would I need so many shinobi for? The purpose of this trip is to kill the damned evildoers—and also to awaken the sense of justice that still remains in the hearts of some shinobi within Kirigakure."
"As long as there are still shinobi in Kirigakure who harbor justice in their hearts, even if they are but a few scattered ones, that would mean Kirigakure is still salvageable—that it hasn't yet reached the point of being beyond redemption."
Hearing this, Biwa Jūzō inconspicuously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Outwardly calm, he couldn't help asking, "If—I mean, if… if Kirigakure really can't be saved?"
Uchiha Keizumi slowly turned to look at him and said, "A den of demons that is already beyond redemption, where every person has been twisted by warped ideology and where everyone might be bearing sin… what do you think I would do upon encountering such a place?"
Biwa Jūzō, his mouth dry, forced out a single word: "Kill?"
"Yes." Uchiha Keizumi nodded casually. "Kill every last one of them. Kill until the skies are clear and bright again. Replace every single person in Kirigakure with new ones."
Biwa Jūzō felt goosebumps all over his body.
He had thought he was already overestimating Uchiha Keizumi's bloodlust.
But he hadn't expected that, in the end, he had still underestimated it.
If Kirigakure truly proved beyond saving, the other man intended to kill every single person in the entire village!
Hiss—
Had it been a mistake for him to seek allegiance with this man and to request that he turn his focus toward Kirigakure?
Could it be that he himself—one who most wished to save Kirigakure—would, through some twist of fate, end up indirectly causing its destruction?
Biwa Jūzō felt his scalp go numb.
However…
Seeing Uchiha Keizumi already fully prepared for departure, those thoughts in Biwa Jūzō's heart could not be voiced no matter what. Things had come this far—he couldn't very well try to stop him now, could he? Biwa Jūzō feared that if he tried to speak up, he'd catch a Magma Fist to the face!
"Lead the way."
Those brief words from Uchiha Keizumi jolted Biwa Jūzō back to his senses. He hurriedly straightened his face and led the way forward.
Behind them, Uchiha Izumi and the ninja cat Tachibana Jirō perched on her shoulder quickly followed along.
…
"Tsunade, you're here…"
At the moment he saw Tsunade, Mitokado Homura let out a slight sigh in his heart, though his face betrayed nothing.
After signaling for Tsunade to sit down, he asked, "Have you really made up your mind? You must know that Hiruzen is your sensei—the one who personally guided you, step by step, to become an excellent Konohagakure shinobi. Such an act of yours… in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, would inevitably seem improper."
While asking, Mitokado Homura also offered a few earnest words of advice.
This could be considered the utmost kindness and loyalty he could extend toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Mitokado Homura sat formally in a seiza posture befitting his status, while Tsunade, on the other hand, sat carelessly and without the least concern for the image of one of the Legendary Sannin. She even unceremoniously grabbed the teapot, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a sip to moisten her throat.
Tsunade began speaking: "Precisely because that old man is my sensei, I can't allow him to keep making mistakes. If Konoha continues to operate under his will, the Will of Fire and Keizumi's Absolute Justice will inevitably clash in countless ways."
"Since the old man cannot tolerate Keizumi's Absolute Justice, then why not replace him with someone who can? At least in my view, there's nothing wrong with Absolute Justice. In a chaotic era like this, the world must be governed through severe measures."
After saying that, Tsunade fixed her gaze on the man before her. "The position of Fifth Hokage… I've already promised that Uchiha Keizumi guy—I'm definitely going to win it."
"I must also bring about fundamental reform and transformation to Konoha. When I make my next decision, no one will be able to stop me."
"As for the old man, I can only offer him an apology from afar."
"Well then…"
Tsunade asked, "What's your stance?"
"This old man…"
Mitokado Homura opened his mouth, just as he was about to speak—when suddenly, yet another young member of the Mitokado clan came rushing in in a panic.
"Homura-sama! The… the Hokage-sama himself has arrived with two ANBU guards to pay a visit!"
The expression on Mitokado Homura's old face froze stiff in an instant.
The words "This is bad" echoed again and again inside his mind.
No matter how much he racked his brains, he never could have imagined that Tsunade and Hiruzen would both choose to visit him on the very same day—to question his stance and opinion.
They had even come during the exact same time frame!
Mitokado Homura understood now… this situation wasn't tormenting Hiruzen at all—it was tormenting him, Mitokado Homura!
"…Can we stall for a bit? Let Hiruzen wait a few minutes?" Mitokado Homura tried to get his clan's junior to come up with something—to somehow delay that Third Hokage.
If Hiruzen and Tsunade were to meet here, then without question, the most embarrassed one would be Mitokado Homura himself.
The Mitokado clan junior explained awkwardly, "But I've already brought the Hokage-sama inside… After all, he's the Hokage of Konoha, and since Hokage-sama and you, Homura-sama, have always had a good relationship… I couldn't exactly make him wait outside the clan compound for too long, could I?"
Mitokado Homura: "…"
And just at that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed, coming nearer and nearer.
Mitokado Homura saw Sarutobi Hiruzen approaching, and Sarutobi Hiruzen also saw Mitokado Homura—
And then saw Tsunade seated before him.
In that instant, the smile gathered on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face froze solid.
"Old man, haven't seen you in a few days, but your vigor seems a lot worse than before." Tsunade lifted her eyelids and fixed her gaze on Sarutobi Hiruzen. Her tone was calm as she said, "If you feel the burden on your shoulders is too heavy, perhaps it's time to let yourself relax a little. Some of those burdens can be left for us younger ones to carry."
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly shifted his gaze from Tsunade to Mitokado Homura.
Within that silent look seemed to dwell unspoken questions and suspicion.
That gaze made Mitokado Homura lower his head in embarrassment.
At this moment, Mitokado Homura wished he could crawl into a hole in the ground.
"…" Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent for a long while. He did not respond to Tsunade's words, but instead said to Mitokado Homura, "I see. It seems I've intruded this time—I came at the wrong moment."
Just as Mitokado Homura hurried to speak and explain, Tsunade waved her hand and cut in: "If you know you're intruding, then hurry back already!"
"After all, you've already been Hokage twice. That's like a double win in a row, old man—having served once should be enough. Why keep fighting for it again?"
Tsunade's tone and expression grew slightly more serious. "I may not want things to turn ugly between us, but if you try to stand in the way of what I intend to do, I won't hesitate to tear all pretense aside."
Mitokado Homura: "…"
Please, stop talking… The way you're saying it makes it sound as if this old man were already on your side.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly took a deep breath. "Truly worthy of being my disciple. Whether it's Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or you, Tsunade—you've all chosen life paths that greatly surprised me. Perhaps, when it comes to being Hokage, this old man has been a competent Hokage. But as a sensei… I've never been a competent one."
"Homura, do as you see fit."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had no desire to hear Mitokado Homura's half-formed explanations.
With the two ANBU guards at his side, he turned around without hesitation and left.
Since this old friend and longtime partner of his had chosen to meet with Tsunade first, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have the thick enough skin to remain here as an uninvited listener.