The information revealed by Uchiha Keizumi left Biwa Jūzō utterly dumbfounded.
It was far too detailed—so detailed that it was as if Uchiha Keizumi himself had been a bystander to the events of that year.
Moreover…
Given what Biwa Jūzō knew of Uchiha Keizumi, he felt the other party wasn't lying. The truth was probably exactly as he had said.
No—
What kind of lunatic was this Uchiha Obito?
Did he never stop to think why Kirigakure would implant the Three-Tails into a Konoha shinobi's body?
Wasn't he afraid that Konoha might turn the tables and seize control of the Three-Tails?
One had to know—Konoha had many Uchiha shinobi, and the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan was the natural nemesis of Tailed Beasts! Those Sharingan users had performed brilliantly in the Third Shinobi World War—surely that should have put Kirigakure on alert!
How could Kirigakure possibly take such a risk, casually tossing something as dangerous as the Three-Tails into Konoha? There was a real chance it could end up like throwing dumplings to a dog—getting no result at all—and might even lead to Konoha gaining control of two Tailed Beasts!
Anyone with a brain wouldn't do something like that!
Anyone with a brain would realize something was off here!
Biwa Jūzō was dazed for a moment.
He simply couldn't understand.
"…The shinobi world really is dark." In the end, Biwa Jūzō could only utter this one sentence.
All sorts of convoluted plots that he could barely make sense of made his scalp prickle as he listened.
The key was—these schemes all seemed to be real.
He couldn't figure out why the real Uchiha Madara had plotted so many machinations behind the scenes.
What was his purpose in cultivating Uchiha Obito?
What exactly did he intend to do to the entire shinobi world?
Uchiha Madara… that man who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the First Hokage of Konoha—was he still alive now?
"Meow, you'll get used to it."
Tachibana Jirō squatted on Uchiha Izumi's shoulder, yawned, and said, "Don't think the mind of that kind of lunatic works the same as that of an ordinary person like you. If that Uchiha Obito had even a shred of normal sanity, there's no way he'd ever have thought of opposing Keizumi-sama."
"But meow…"
Tachibana Jirō cast a glance at Biwa Jūzō and said, "Uchiha Obito only accelerated Kirigakure's downfall. If you dump all the blame on Uchiha Obito, that just means you haven't truly realized where the real problem lies, meow."
Tachibana Jirō's words left Biwa Jūzō in silence.
Indeed, by consciously or unconsciously shifting all the blame onto Uchiha Obito, he was avoiding something—perhaps denying that Kirigakure had already rotted from the roots long ago.
That mentally ill Uchiha Obito had merely found an opportunity to make those roots rot even further.
At that thought—
Biwa Jūzō found himself unable to refute it.
Izumi pressed her lips together and said, "Uchiha Obito, strictly speaking, this guy is my father's killer—because the Nine-Tails' Night back then happened precisely because he released the Nine-Tails."
"His revenge against Konoha, against Kirigakure, was completely devoid of logic. He was simply venting—purely antisocial—just… mentally unsound."
"People like him and Uchiha Itachi probably belong to the same kind."
That was the girl's evaluation of Uchiha Obito.
At least from her point of view, that was the kind of person Uchiha Obito was.
…
Konohagakure.
With Tsunade's single command of "Shizune, see the guest out," Shizune could only steel herself and try to escort the Third Hokage out.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained seated without moving, and cold sweat began to bead on Shizune's forehead.
No way!
Surely this isn't about to turn into a physical confrontation, right?
If that happens, what am I supposed to do? If I help Tsunade-sama deal with Lord Hokage, would that make me a traitor to Konoha? But if Lord Hokage is taken down, would Tsunade-sama then become the next Hokage of Konoha?
Just as Shizune's thoughts spiraled out of control, her forehead slick with sweat and her nerves stretched to their limit—
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been silent for a long time, finally rose slowly to his feet.
He looked toward Tsunade.
He said nothing, but turned and began to walk toward the door.
When he reached the doorway—
With his back to Tsunade, his hoarse voice sounded low and heavy. "Then fight for it. Tsunade, I cannot simply stand by and watch your willfulness. Unless you can say to my face that you've drawn a clear line between yourself and Absolute Justice."
"Of course, that doesn't mean I want you to make an enemy of Absolute Justice. But at the very least, you cannot govern Konoha by the principles of Absolute Justice—nor can you allow Absolute Justice to replace the Will of Fire."
Leaving behind these words, Sarutobi Hiruzen departed without looking back.
Tsunade's expression carried a trace of complexity.
She rubbed her brow and sighed. "Looks like the old man's not conceding, nor does he intend to back down. He's avoiding Keizumi as though he were a plague god. If he's getting serious, then it's truly a break between us now!"
Shizune swallowed hard. "Tsunade-sama, what should we do next?"
A look of resolve flashed across Tsunade's face as she said, "Since the old man has made such a decision, how could I possibly fear him? If he wants to fight, then we'll fight—until a result is decided."
"Shizune, tomorrow you'll come with me to visit those Konoha shinobi who have good relations with the old man, possess some degree of fame in the village, and still hold a certain level of strength."
Shizune nodded quickly. "Who will we visit first?"
After thinking for a moment, Tsunade gave her answer. "Hatake Kakashi!"
…
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen was also taking action.
He did not return to the Hokage Building, nor to the Sarutobi Clan.
Instead, he went to find Jiraiya, who was at that moment trying to track Uzumaki Naruto.
"Jiraiya!"
The instant Sarutobi Hiruzen's smiling voice sounded from behind him, Jiraiya's entire body stiffened, and his expression turned visibly uneasy.
Jiraiya pretended not to hear, letting out a yawn as if he were planning to head back to the inn for a nap, his geta clacking as he walked away in one direction.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't give him the chance to slip away.
He directly blocked his path.
The old man's deeply wrinkled face forced out a kind, amiable smile. "Jiraiya, even though you've been back in the village for some time now, we really haven't had a proper chat between sensei and disciple."
The corner of Jiraiya's mouth twitched ever so slightly.
He scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh. "Hahaha! So it was you, old man! I did hear someone calling me just now, but the voice was too quiet—I thought I was hearing things…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen politely offered a smile of greeting to the two sages perched on Jiraiya's shoulders—Shima and Fukasaku.
Then—
With Jiraiya's expression stiffening slightly, Sarutobi Hiruzen got straight to the point. "Jiraiya, you must've already heard some of the rumors circulating around the village lately, haven't you?"
Jiraiya forced another laugh. "I did hear that the enforcement procedures of Konoha's Police Force have gotten a lot stricter. If you're caught gathering 'reference material' at the women's bathhouse, you might end up in prison."
Sarutobi Hiruzen paid no attention to Jiraiya's blatant attempt to change the subject.
He pulled the conversation back on track. "You've probably also heard that Tsunade wants to become Konoha's Fifth Hokage, haven't you, Jiraiya?"
Since things had already been brought up to this point, Jiraiya knew playing dumb was useless.
He took a deep breath and said helplessly, "Old man, don't drag me into this sort of thing. You know full well… I'm not interested in any of that. And besides, since it involves Tsunade, what could I possibly say to convince her?"
Jiraiya's expression turned complicated. "If you really want to keep being Hokage, then you'd better talk to her yourself. She's your disciple, after all—if you show a little sincerity, maybe she'll listen to you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "I've already met with Tsunade."
Jiraiya: "…"
At that point, Jiraiya knew he didn't need to ask how it had gone.
Since the old man had come looking for him, it probably meant things with Tsunade had turned very tense—
Maybe even to the verge of a real fight.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then said, "Perhaps… it's time you let some of the village's capable young people take over Konoha. After all, you can't stay in the Hokage's seat for decades—or a hundred years—can you?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "I am not someone who clings to authority, nor am I one who lusts for power. Naturally, I have considered entrusting Konoha to the younger generation."
"But…"
"As for which kind of young person it should be entrusted to, I have my own judgment. Those who place blind faith in Absolute Justice, in my eyes, are not fit to lead Konoha."
After saying that—
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze grew solemn. "Jiraiya, I hope you will openly support me—and spread word of your support throughout the entire village, so that everyone in Konoha knows. As one of the Sannin, you have the power to rally many shinobi to your side."
"Or…"
"You could step forward yourself and run for the position of Konoha's Fifth Hokage. If you were to become Hokage, I would have no objection. I would fully support you then—to help you suppress Tsunade."
The corner of Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
He had known from the start that if the old man came looking for him at a time like this, it couldn't possibly be for anything good.
This was the kind of thing that really offended people.
If it were other villages' shinobi he'd be offending, Jiraiya wouldn't care much. But offending his own village's people—that was a real problem.
If the old man ended up losing to Tsunade in the struggle, wouldn't he, Jiraiya, be the one to suffer for it—getting "settled" by Tsunade afterward?
He couldn't even imagine how many ribs he might have broken by then.
Tsunade could be pretty petty at times!
And she held grudges!
"Phew… old man," Jiraiya said. "I don't have time to get involved in this right now. My focus is already on the entire shinobi world. The shinobi world needs a special kind of transformation to return to what it ought to be. And that transformation requires the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage."
"That's what I'm meant to do. Until I've trained that Child of Prophecy, I can't afford to be distracted by anything else."
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "Child of Prophecy? The Great Toad Sage's prophecy? What do you mean by that?"
Jiraiya could only give him a brief explanation, and by the time he finished, Sarutobi Hiruzen's frown had deepened even further—his eyes even lingering briefly on Fukasaku and Shima with a hint of skepticism and scrutiny.
"Jiraiya, this prophecy of yours… are you sure it's reliable?"
The old man's furrowed-brow doubt made Jiraiya pause for a moment.
Even the old man didn't believe in the Great Toad Sage's prophecy?