Hiruzen Sarutobi was certainly not stupid.
In his view, Danzo was still too naive. Did he really think Uchiha Jin was a pushover?
Even if Danzo was given this manpower, it was hard to say how many would be left in the end.
Of course.
Even if Danzo truly failed, it wouldn't matter. At the very least, it would consume some of Uchiha Jin's visual prowess, which would be a great benefit to him.
As for provoking the Uchiha?
Heh!
That was the one thing he feared the least.
The reason he chose to endure now was because his authority as Hokage was insufficient, and he had no justification to actively target the Uchiha. Other Ninja Clanss would not support him.
But if the Uchiha betrayed the Village, those Ninja Clanss would have no choice but to act!
"So, that's how it is!"
"In that case, I feel relieved."
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Following this.
After confirming there was nothing else, the two naturally chose to leave directly... Konoha was already in chaos.
Conspiracy theories permeated everywhere, and countless people were whispering, especially when they looked toward the Hokage Building, where they instinctively revealed a hint of fear.
Of course.
If one looked closely enough, they would notice that the street in front of the Hokage Building was so quiet today that there wasn't a single pedestrian.
Even if people had business that required them to pass by, they preferred to take a detour rather than walk in front of the Hokage Building.
"Lord Sakumo, how could it have been like this?"
"Actually, I found it strange back then. Logically, a B-rank mission should be top secret, yet the S-rank information leaked out so suddenly, spreading throughout Konoha in a single day, and the Konoha Leadership didn't even issue a statement..."
"I suppose Lord Sakumo committed suicide to protect Kakashi."
"Definitely. If he hadn't killed himself, Kakashi wouldn't have survived either!"
"..."
Discussions were rampant on the streets.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, wearing his mask as an Anbu member, was crouched in the shadows not far away, completely ignoring the public chatter.
Yes.
As a Konoha Anbu, how could he not have figured this out after all these years?
But the current him had long since become completely numb!
Especially after the deaths of Obito, Rin Nohara, and the Fourth Generation couple, he was practically a walking corpse, merely existing numbly every day.
Revenge?
It was meaningless!
What good would revenge do? Could his father come back to life?
The current him was just like the name Sakumo Hatake had given him—like a scarecrow planted in a field. He was merely a living shell, a walking corpse.
"Kakashi!"
Just as Kakashi was lost in his memories, a bowl cut appeared above his head.
Kakashi's face darkened: "Guy, stop messing around!"
"I'm on a mission. I can't talk to you."
However, in response.
Might Guy completely ignored him and pulled him into a hug: "Is what everyone is saying true? Was your father really because of..."
"Guy, shut up!" Kakashi's eyes were sharp: "Don't talk nonsense."
"This matter has nothing to do with you. Just pretend you didn't hear those words and go do your own thing."
"Do not get involved in this!"
Kakashi's tone at this moment was terrifyingly cold.
Might Guy was one of the very few friends he currently acknowledged, bar none!
Even Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma were only colleagues, merely acquaintances.
Therefore.
He didn't want Might Guy to run into danger. He knew exactly how deep the waters were here.
Might Guy: "..."
Looking at the serious expression on Kakashi's face, his heart instantly sank to the bottom.
Although he was simple-minded, he wasn't stupid!
With Kakashi speaking to this extent, how could he not understand the truth of the matter?
So, sigh!
After a helpless sigh, he could only nod gravely.
"I—I understand!"
His words were filled with a hint of powerlessness.
That's right!
Even if he knew, what difference would it make? Sakumo Hatake had been dead for many years.
What was the point of confronting the Hokage?
Kill the Hokage?
He didn't want Konoha to fall into chaos, after all, this was his home!
Seeing this, Kakashi also breathed a sigh of relief.
He reverted to his usual lazy appearance: "Guy, you should go back."
"Understood." Might Guy nodded.
Kakashi watched Might Guy leave, then looked at the increasingly chaotic Village, and couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh.
What a headache!
But what could he do?
This was a struggle between the Uchiha and the Konoha Leadership; it wasn't something a small fry like him could get involved in.
Yes.
Even though he was an Elite Jonin, in the current Konoha, he truly was just a small fry... Not far away, on a teahouse balcony.
The Clan Heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō three clans were sitting up there drinking tea, and they naturally heard the discussions below.
"The Uchiha are truly ruthless!"
Inoichi Yamanaka shook his head, then his tone became serious: "Shikaku, should we get involved?"
"Get involved?" Nara Shikaku's mouth twitched: "And then what?"
"Although Hiruzen Sarutobi is despicable, if we really take that old man down, who do you plan to make the Fifth Hokage?"
"Given Konoha's current situation, who is qualified to be the Fifth Generation?"
"Danzo? Or the Uchiha?"
Upon hearing this, Inoichi Yamanaka immediately quieted down.
That's right!
The current Konoha is too weak; only Hiruzen Sarutobi can suppress the Uchiha.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi were truly removed from power, who could take office and keep the Uchiha in check?
After Minato Namikaze sacrificed himself, everyone held their noses and chose to let Hiruzen Sarutobi take office precisely so he could suppress the Uchiha, didn't they?
"Ugh, what a headache!"
"Konoha is currently in a state of transition, lacking anyone capable of stabilizing the situation."
"That old man Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly ruthless; he's ruined so many of Konoha's strong figures."
Inoichi Yamanaka sighed.
Even Nara Shikaku managed a wry smile, but what was the point in saying such things out loud?
Even if they were angry, they had to hold it in!
In fact, let alone Ino–Shika–Chō, none of the other Ninja Clanss had stepped forward either, right?
Everyone's concerns were actually the same.
They didn't really care who took office, but the Uchiha were absolutely unacceptable, because the Uchiha were one of Konoha's founding clans!
Yes.
The claims about their extreme personalities were all nonsense; the real reason was simply this one point.
The Uchiha were too strong!
If the Uchiha truly gained power, given their strength, if they controlled Konoha's authority, Konoha would become an Uchiha subordinate in the future.
When the Senju and Uzumaki clans were destroyed, why didn't these Ninja Clanss intervene?
The reason was the same: these major Ninja Clanss were too powerful!
They all wished for these major Ninja Clanss to disappear; otherwise, their own bloodline clans would never rise to prominence.
In fact.
This wasn't unique to Konoha; it was the same in other Ninja Villages.
Although no agreement was reached, the steps taken by all Villages were almost identical: while supporting civilian Ninja, they intensified efforts to weaken the major Ninja Clanss in each Village.
However.
Compared to the troubled Inoichi Yamanaka and Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza was still eating and had no interest whatsoever in participating in these matters.