"Enma!"
At Hiruzen Sarutobi's command, the iron staff instantly extended, rushing toward the figure in midair.
Bang
One punch!
With just a single punch, the incoming iron staff was directly knocked away. Uzumaki Ku once again locked eyes with Hiruzen.
"Fourth Hokage, this won't work unless we get close. Assist me," the Third Hokage said quietly.
At that moment, Uzumaki Ku also realized the awkwardness of their earlier standoff.
'So that old man wasn't really giving up so easily. No need to protect the Sarutobi clan? No need to cover for the Shimura clan?'
'Turns out, he was just trying to salvage his reputation. Maybe the Minato still believed him a little, but probably not for long.'
Sure enough, as Mr. Zhuge once said: "Politics is filthy from the moment it enters the world."
"Third Hokage, your tragic performance was pretty decent. But I won't stick around for the encore, don't want to accidentally wreck the ramen shop."
As his voice fell, Uzumaki Ku, standing atop the massive tree in midair, suddenly vanished.
Below, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently let out a sigh of relief.
"Fourth, is there no way to stop Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Minato Namikaze gave Hiruzen a complicated look. After a moment's thought, he answered, "Space-time jutsu is powerful precisely because it's impossible to lock onto. In combat, you can sometimes restrict its use within a small area. But if the user wants to flee with all their heart… no one can stop them."
After a brief silence, the Third Hokage nodded with resignation.
Back then, if the Second Hokage hadn't stayed behind to cover for the rest of them, he could have escaped with just Flying Thunder God.
"From now on, information on Uzumaki Ku is classified at the highest priority."
At his words, only the captain of his personal Anbu unit responded with a bow.
But the Fourth's Anbu, who had been obedient until now, remained completely silent, standing quietly behind Minato.
After a pause, the Fourth Hokage sighed and said: "No matter what, Uzumaki Ku is indeed extremely dangerous. His intel should be top priority. But due to the disparity in strength, the priority level can be marked as 'forfeit if necessary.'"
His gaze shifted to the newly arrived investigation team and Inoichi Yamanaka. "The village needs the truth. Every clan with secret techniques or kekkei genkai deserves answers."
Yamanaka Inoichi bowed deeply.
'This ensures my son Fu's safety within the clan…'
.....
Hokage Tower
The five who had previously left returned once more. Minato let out a breath and sat down.
"About what happened today…"
Before he could finish, Shisui spoke up: "Other than Yun and me, no one else in the Uchiha clan will know what happened today. As I said before, Hika is a hero who died for Konoha during the Third War. That truth won't change."
Minato gave a faint smile, but offered his commitment: "Now that you and Yun are here, once you both are in charge, the Police Force… should be restructured."
Shisui was slightly shocked.
'The Police Force?'
'So the Fourth Hokage already understood part of the reason the Uchiha were being marginalized…'
Just like Yun said, Naive people can become Hokage, but once you're Hokage, you can't stay naive.
"Thank you, Lord Fourth."
After exchanging a glance with Yun, Shisui sat down without saying more.
Beside them, Kakashi finally spoke: "About Danzo… and my father…"
Minato knew what Kakashi wanted to ask. Back when he peeked at the mission scrolls, he already knew Danzo was behind much of it. But…
"There was definitely Danzo's involvement in what happened to your father, Sakumo."
"Kakashi, I hope you understand. Sometimes, to achieve certain goals, the power struggle at the top isn't full of light."
Hearing this, Kakashi clenched his fists in silent anger.
'Abandon the mission to save a comrade? Abandon comrades to complete a mission?'
'Obito… all of that, in the end, was because the higher-ups needed to accomplish something.'
In that moment, the already-disillusioned Kakashi sank deeper into despair.
Minato could only sigh as he watched.
Even if he hadn't said it out loud, Kakashi, being as smart as he is, would have figured it all out eventually.
Besides…
Wasn't he himself a product of that same compromise among the higher-ups?
The joy of becoming Hokage had long faded after what he'd seen in the years since.
After the Third Great Ninja War, because of the heavy losses, the Third was forced to step down under pressure from Danzo.
At the time, the most likely next Hokage should have been the famed Konoha White Fang.
Under the night sky, only Minato and Kakashi remained in the Hokage Tower.
Minato looked out the window and said, "Just as the Third said earlier… we all lack trust in the next generation."
"Value your comrades. Treasure teamwork. What Obito once told you… Perhaps you'll find that light in the next generation."
"Kakashi… when I became Hokage, I was lost too. After living in the darkness, people yearn for light. Telling you about that darkness, it's because you and your generation are my light."
Atop the Hokage Rock, Shisui and Yun casually sat on the head of the Third.
"Now that Danzo is dead, there's more room for Uchiha to maneuver."
Shisui smiled slightly, but his expression faded as he looked at the giant tree growing from the ruins.
"Hika…"
Yun also looked toward the giant tree and nodded: "I know. That clan member who resembled me, though we never met, he rushed to his death for both Uchiha and Konoha."
Shisui looked at him and asked: "I know Uncle Teshou always took care of you and your sister. You don't blame me, do you? For killing Hika?"
Yun shook his head: "You didn't kill him. In that state, he wouldn't have wanted to live. If… if Uncle Teshou had seen what Hono became now, I'm afraid…"
He trailed off, then asked: "There were others who inherited the Second Hokage's will besides Danzo. So why did you block it back there?"
Shisui replied, "The Fourth Hokage miscalculated. That level of power wasn't enough to alter Uzumaki Ku's blade path. If Mitokado Homura had died, it would've been better for us."
Shisui shook his head. "No. If I hadn't blocked it, Lord Fourth would have used Flying Thunder God to intercept it. But if he'd done that, he would have clashed with Uzumaki Ku directly."
Yun blinked. "The Fourth would have made a move?"
Shisui looked at the still-lit Hokage Tower below. "Injury and death are different. Facing him directly would have concerned Konoha's pride. And since Uzumaki Ku was always going to leave, no one could stop him. That's the benefit of walking alone."
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
p@treon.com/DaoistJinzu