In the Hokage's office within the Administrative Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his eyes downcast, silently puffing on his pipe, filling the air with smoke.
The atmosphere was oppressive, like a high-pressure clay jar, making one want to smash the walls or lift the lid and flee.
"Ahem!"
It wasn't until Koharu Utatane couldn't hold back a cough that the unbearable silence was finally broken.
"Hiruzen, about this matter..."
Homura Mitokado immediately let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at Danzō, stubbornly refusing to back down beside him, then looked towards Hiruzen and tried to mediate. "This time, Danzō did go a bit too far..."
"Conducting Wood Release experiments in secret, hoarding the research results and the Wood Release user himself… isn't that already going too far?"
Before Homura could continue making excuses for Danzō, Hiruzen cut him off with an expressionless face. "That's Wood Release. Don't tell me you don't understand what that means!"
At these words, Homura's old face flushed slightly. He looked helplessly at Shimura Danzō.
Yes, that was a Wood Release user.
Who could have imagined Danzō's audacity had grown to the point of secretly harboring one?
If not for the investigation into Orochimaru's defection, they still wouldn't know Wood Release had reappeared in the world.
The control Danzō now wielded over "Root" was enough to unsettle even Homura.
"'Root' is Konoha's root, the ANBU's root, and my root. But now, it dares to conceal such critical intelligence from the Hokage. Does that mean..."
Hiruzen paused, narrowing his eyes at Danzō as he demanded, "...it has become an independent organization for personal gain?"
Hearing this, Danzō, who had remained expressionless until now, responded solemnly, "Everything I have done is for Konoha."
Listening to his old comrade's firm response, Hiruzen silently exhaled a plume of smoke. His face, shrouded in the hazy white mist, appeared inscrutable from Danzō's perspective.
"Hiruzen…"
Even Koharu Utatane, who had remained silent until now, couldn't help but speak up.
"Enough." Hearing them prepare to plead for Danzō again, Hiruzen waved his hand irritably, signaling them to stop.
After Lord Tobirama's death due to Kumogakure's treachery, he had taken up the mantle of Hokage in a moment of crisis.
But the reality of being "Hokage" differed from the fantasies of his youth. The moment he took office, he faced the pressures of war and the great clans, shattering his illusions instantly.
Whether it was the Hyūga clan or the Uchiha clan, their initial attitude towards him was one of nominal obedience, not genuine allegiance.
Fortunately, as the Hokage, he wielded legitimacy in the power struggle. Besides the Sarutobi clan, he also had the support of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance.
Thus, he adopted a strategy of appeasing some while suppressing others. With the assistance of Danzō and others, he used certain special measures to pit the two powerhouse clans, the Uchiha and the Hyūga, against each other.
Only then did he firmly secure his position as Hokage, consolidating the power inherent to the office and installing his trusted followers in key departments.
During Tobirama Senju's era, "Root" was merely a training division for the ANBU.
It wasn't until Hiruzen placed Danzō in charge of "Root," to handle unsavory tasks unfit for the official ANBU such as surveilling the clans—that it gradually evolved into an intelligence organization.
The "Root" Danzō commanded was, in essence, equivalent to an ANBU squad. According to ANBU structure, as squad leader, Danzō should only command four teams, totaling seventeen people.
But through Hiruzen's deliberate or tacit allowance, "Root" continuously expanded. Under Danzō's influence, its methods grew increasingly dark, continuing until today...
Allowing "Root" to develop unchecked would inevitably lead to a monster they could no longer control, one that would become Danzō's personal army.
Therefore, it had to be restrained.
"We will speak no more of the Wood Release user 'Tenzo.' I have already placed him within the ANBU. There is another matter at hand."
Ignoring Danzō's resentful expression, Hiruzen looked at the three before him with a profound gaze. "Intelligence from the border indicates Kumogakure appears to be mobilizing troops. They might be planning something again."
"What are your thoughts on this?"
At his words, both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado frowned simultaneously.
"Again? How despicable!"
Homura's brow furrowed deeply, his tone grave. "Regardless, we must not act rashly."
"Homura is right," Koharu nodded. "No matter what they intend, we need only maintain our defenses. We cannot give them any pretext to start a war!"
Hiruzen remained noncommittal. He tapped his pipe and looked at Danzō. "What do you think?"
Danzō's shadowed eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low, gravelly voice, "Naturally, we should strike them hard enough that they feel the pain!"
"..."
Hiruzen said nothing. He took the pipe in his mouth, inhaled deeply, held the smoke in his lungs, then finally exhaled.
Although the Third Great Ninja War had ended, the current situation in the shinobi world was far from stable.
The primary reason was Konoha's severe lack of high-level combat power. First, Konoha's White Fang, who had gained immense fame in the Second Great Ninja War, committed suicide. Then, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki, perished in the Nine-Tails attack.
The heavy casualties from fighting on multiple fronts during the Third War hadn't been replenished, and many more ninja had died in the attack orchestrated by the masked man. Even with Konoha's vast resources and deep foundation, it was beginning to buckle.
Anyone could see Konoha's awkward position, caught between generations. While Kumogakure and Iwagakure had been hurt by Konoha during the wars, seeing such a rare opportunity inevitably made them restless.
Thus, both had been probing the Land of Fire's borders. It seemed every few months, provocations from Kumo or Iwa would spark another border clash, with casualties mounting each time.
It couldn't be helped. Konoha's consistently weak and appeasing stance had greatly emboldened Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
Fortunately, the Third Great Ninja War hadn't ended too long ago. Anti-war sentiment among the people of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth was still strong. Neither Kumo nor Iwa dared to defy popular opinion by unilaterally declaring war on Konoha without a clear pretext.
However, the only thing missing for a full-scale conflict, for another war, was a justifiable reason.
A "justifiable" reason that could stir the Daimyō, the nobility, and the common people into a warring mood.
It was precisely to avoid giving them such a reason that Hiruzen had chosen, again and again, to exercise patience in the face of provocation.
He truly did not dare to gamble.
Konoha could no longer afford to gamble.
"Sigh..."
With this thought, Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke, lowering his gaze to the intelligence report submitted by the ANBU.
His increasingly aged face was shrouded in the haze. Even with sunlight streaming through the window, his expression remained indistinct for a moment.
"Iwagakure… Kumogakure…" After a pause, Hiruzen sighed. "We must endure for now. Assemble a team of shinobi and dispatch them to the border to fortify our defenses against Kumo."
Danzō frowned, instinctively countering, "This will only make those damned bastards even more brazen!"
Hiruzen glanced at him calmly. "In that case, you may dispatch a group from my Root to assist at the border."
"What?" Danzō was taken aback.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Is there a problem?"
If there was any further "problem," it might cost him his position as head of Root.
Realizing this, Danzō's expression shifted erratically. He snorted coldly and turned away, resentment in his voice. "Hmph! Why would I have a problem? It's your Root, after all!"
With that, he turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. In a tone laced with unwillingness, he said, "Hiruzen, remember the choice you made today. You will regret it!"
"Mind your tone, Danzō." Hiruzen tapped his pipe, his voice low. "Remember, I am the Hokage."
Hearing this, Danzō's face twitched.
"Then be a good Hokage!" he growled through gritted teeth, grabbing the door handle.
BANG!!
The door slammed shut with a tremendous crash, making Koharu flinch slightly.
Seeing this, Homura sighed inwardly, reflecting that Danzō was still firmly within Hiruzen's grasp.
He hoped this lesson would make Danzō behave a little more...
"Ah, Hiruzen."
Homura seemed to remember something. He suddenly frowned, looking at Hiruzen and lowering his voice. "The village's strength is already depleted. Is it really alright to let Jiraiya roam outside like this?"
At the mention of Jiraiya, who had left the village under the pretext of "pursuing Orochimaru," Hiruzen sighed inwardly. His tone remained even. "He will return when it is time."
Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance. Seeing Hiruzen's reluctance to elaborate, they could only shake their heads resignedly and take their leave.
Click.
Staring at the closed door, Hiruzen remained silent for a long time. Only the sound of his breathing filled the room.
After a while, he stood up somewhat stiffly and walked to the office window. His murky eyes were obscured by the smoke rising from his pipe.
Konoha always seemed cleaner after the rain. Raindrops clung to the eaves. Mottled water stains scattered everywhere, like tiny mirrors embedded in leaves, lampposts, and wall tiles, all reflecting Konoha's prosperity.
Looking out at the scenery, many thoughts crossed Hiruzen's mind.
He thought of the hard-won peace Konoha now enjoyed. He thought of the internal and external difficulties that peace concealed. He thought of Orochimaru and Jiraiya, who had left the village. He thought of Tsunade, drowning her sorrows in the gambling dens. He thought of the orphan left behind by Minato and Kushina. He thought of the adoring gaze in that Hyūga boy's eyes when he looked at him...
Hiss…
Hiruzen's chest rose high as he drew in a breath that tasted of bitterness and astringency. He slowly exhaled. The embers in his pipe glowed briefly, as if he were suppressing all his emotions deep within his heart.
"It's alright." After a moment of silence, he spoke in a slightly hoarse whisper, as if talking to himself. "No matter what must be sacrificed… we must protect everything Konoha has struggled so hard to attain."
...
Meanwhile, within the 44th Training Ground at the edge of Konoha—the Forest of Death—sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled golden light on the shoulders of two figures.
"Senpai, power rises from the earth, force issues from the spine, blending hardness and softness…"
"Hyaat!"
The wooden training posts before both Hyūga Kumokawa and Might Guy were shattered. However, the former's post clearly showed signs of exploding from the inside, while the latter's looked like it had simply been pummeled by brute force.
Watching Might Guy's form—which could generously be described as "unstructured, relying purely on brute force and enthusiasm"—Hyūga Kumokawa's smile, which had lasted all morning, finally began to waver.
"Huff…" Even Might Guy, who could run around Konoha all day without tiring, was now drenched in sweat and panting heavily. He scratched his head with a helpless grin. "Kumokawa, this modified Gentle Fist of yours is really tough to learn."
"Well, you've devoted over a decade to the Strong Fist, Senpai. Adjusting your body's instincts naturally takes some effort," Hyūga Kumokawa shook his head. "Let's call it a day for now."
During the second stage of the Chūnin Exams in the Neji vs. Hinata match, Might Guy and Rock Lee had proposed a classification system for taijutsu.
Strikes focused on external damage, causing fractures or other injuries, were classified as "Strong Fist." The Hyūga clan's style, which targeted the chakra network system and internal organs, was "Gentle Fist." Techniques that combined ninjutsu and taijutsu, like those used by Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage, were termed "Nin-Taijutsu."
What Hyūga Kumokawa was attempting now was to merge the strengths of Strong Fist and Gentle Fist, to later develop a taijutsu system best suited for himself, built upon the foundation of the Eight Gates.
"Alright, let's just—"
Might Guy's words were cut short. Hyūga Kumokawa suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. A profound, chilling sense of danger surged through him.
Utterly abrupt. Utterly terrifying.
Every muscle in Kumokawa's body tensed. Veins bulged around his Byakugan.
Fssst!
Sure enough, almost the instant Hyūga Kumokawa reacted, an almost imperceptible sound of something cutting through the air reached his ears.
This was an assassination. Aimed at him. A deadly threat.
By the time he heard the sound, from this distance, it was too late to locate the source and dodge.
Realizing this, the initial alarm in Kumokawa's eyes suddenly faded into calm. Driven by pure instinct, he closed his eyes.
In the next moment, an intangible ripple spread from within him. It was as if Hyūga Kumokawa had stepped into another world.
All physical senses were shut down, leaving only the "perception" of his spirit.
No wind, no insect chirps, no breathing, no heartbeat…
The world fell into a deathly silence.
As if time itself had stopped for him.
And then, he "saw."
Hyūga Kumokawa "saw" the kunai behind him, wreathed in razor-sharp, swirling currents of air.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade. A Wind Release ninjutsu combining shape and nature transformation, infusing wind chakra into an object to transform it into an incredibly sharp, swift blade.
The assassin had mastered this technique to perfection. It was so fast even Might Guy hadn't reacted.
But under Hyūga Kumokawa's intuitive perception, the kunai—which should have been an indecipherable blur due to its speed—seemed to be dragging an endless thread, gliding towards him in agonizing slow motion.
Without turning his head, Hyūga Kumokawa raised his hand, opening his fingers like unfurling crane wings. His knuckles, tinted with the faint yellow calluses of years of training, gleamed in the sunlight.
He caught the kunai by its handle. The swirling wind blades around it pierced his palm, but it was as if they had struck an invisible iron wall, abruptly halting in mid-air.
Hyūga Kumokawa opened his eyes. His calm, snow-like pupils reflected Might Guy's tense expression beside him, and the fragmented depths of the forest beyond the scattered leaves.
'Whoever you are… to receive a gift and not return one would be impolite.'
"In that case… I'll return it to you."
He turned and hurled the kunai back. His movement was as swift as leaves scattered by the wind. The hem of his clothes fluttered, revealing his lean waist. His spine curved and straightened like a drawn bowstring, unleashing every ounce of his strength.
The next instant, the kunai left his hand.
SHWING!
The ear-piercing shriek of air being torn apart exploded beside Might Guy's ear. Leaves drifting down were shredded to dust by the violent gust in the blink of an eye. The layer of yellowed leaves on the ground was whipped into a swirling vortex by the air current.
Almost simultaneously, the sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed from the distance.
Schlick!