"What's going on out there?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had just returned home when he heard a commotion outside. Frowning, he paused. Being Hokage was a never-ending job—especially for someone like him, a man of near-absolute confidence.
He firmly believed he could manage all of Konoha's affairs with precision and order. As a result, virtually every document passed through his hands for final approval.
While he might not have been the strongest Hokage in Konoha's history, he was undeniably one of the most powerful in terms of political control. Arguably, only his own teacher, the Second Hokage, surpassed him.
Lately, Sarutobi had been even busier than usual—especially after forcing Hyuga Hiashi to hand over his brother Hizashi. That single act threw the village into turmoil.
On one hand, he had to try every method he could to restore the public image of the village. His decision had caused immense damage to Konoha's credibility in the shinobi world. Missions dropped sharply. Their prestige plummeted.
On the other hand, the backlash from the Hyuga clan was immense—and not just from them. In fact, nearly all of the village's major clans began harboring resentment. No one said it out loud, but hostility was building beneath the surface.
And who could blame them?
If Sarutobi could sacrifice the Hyuga for the sake of diplomacy, who was to say the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, or Aburame wouldn't be next?
That's just human nature. When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.
Still, Sarutobi wasn't without countermeasures. In his mind, the best way to restore order was simple: kill a chicken to scare the monkeys.
What better way than to erase a family that was already divided, already distrusted, and already being watched closely—like the Uchiha?
But as Hokage, he couldn't be the one to get his hands dirty. That would destabilize everything.
He needed to show compromise publicly.
And this was exactly where Danzo came in.
Sarutobi didn't regret sacrificing Hizashi. In war and peace, hard choices had to be made. If temporary weakness could buy time for Konoha to heal, he was willing to take the heat.
"For Konoha… even if I must be cursed… I will accept it!"
Knock knock knock.
His thoughts were interrupted by the knock on his study door. After granting permission, a silver-haired Anbu in a mask stepped in and kneeled respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, a fire broke out at Training Ground Three. It appears to be man-made."
"Man-made?"
Sarutobi's frown deepened. "You should have more detailed intel by now. Let's hear it."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu nodded, then continued.
"According to the reports, Uchiha Yuhara was attacked—but he eliminated all of the attackers. Multiple Konoha shinobi have already arrived at the scene. The attackers were disguised as Anbu."
Yuhara was attacked? That kid's already back? And people were impersonating Anbu?
Sarutobi's brow furrowed further. He could already tell this was bad.
"Is that all?"
"No, Hokage-sama. According to additional reports, earlier today Yuhara met with Naruto Uzumaki at Ichiraku Ramen and spoke with him briefly."
The Anbu paused, but that was all Sarutobi needed to hear.
The "fake Anbu" were clearly Root agents. Danzo must have made his move, attempting to push the Uchiha into a corner.
After all, while Uchiha had connections in the actual Anbu, the conduct of Root was completely different.
Even if the Uchiha realized Root was behind the attack, if Yuhara ended up dead or missing, the entire incident could be swept under the rug.
Pushed far enough, the Uchiha might finally lash out. And that would be Konoha's excuse to act. Ideally, it would also pit the clan's pro-village moderates against the hardliners.
It was a solid plan… but unfortunately for Danzo, things hadn't gone as expected.
His men were all dead.
That complicated things.
"I understand," Sarutobi muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. "In that case, I'll go see for myself."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu stood to leave, but Sarutobi stopped him again.
"Has Danzo already gone?"
"Yes. He was already en route when I left."
"What's the situation?"
"It's tense. Looks like a standoff."
Meanwhile, back at the training ground, Shisui stood amid the shattered remains of bodies, eyeing the scene with disbelief. The corpses were mangled beyond recognition—but he could still estimate at least ten people had been killed.
Ten elite shinobi, slaughtered by Yuhara alone—and in such brutal fashion.
What really made Shisui uneasy was their gear. These weren't just any ninja—they were dressed as Anbu.
The other Konoha shinobi present were equally stunned. Many instinctively moved to surround Yuhara.
After all, killing Anbu in Konoha was a serious crime.
But as Yuhara calmly explained the situation, the expressions on their faces slowly changed.
"What else did you expect?" Yuhara said, shrugging helplessly. "Shisui, you're Anbu—you know their protocols. There's no way this many people would be deployed just to 'talk' with me. They clearly came to kill."
"…Agreed," Shisui nodded, his expression serious.
The surrounding shinobi, who weren't part of Anbu but knew enough, exchanged glances and slowly relaxed. Everyone understood—this wasn't some investigation. It was a hit job.
"Stand down."
A cold, commanding voice interrupted them all. The source was a bandaged, grim-looking old man limping into the field.
Danzo.
Both Yuhara and Shisui frowned. Neither of them had fond feelings toward this man, even if for different reasons.
Danzo surveyed the scene and visibly scowled. He turned to Yuhara and snapped:
"Uchiha Yuhara, after what you've done to Konoha Anbu, do you even deserve to call yourself a Konoha shinobi?!"
Yuhara raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Ignoring Shisui's subtle warning, he replied:
"And who are you to run your mouth like that?"
"Whether you're a real shinobi or not—I'll be the judge of that. All units, seize him!"
Danzo's voice rang out as he pointed at Yuhara. But there was just one problem.
Danzo might control Root, but he was not the Hokage.
Most of the ninja present had never even seen him before. Why should they follow his orders?
Yuhara smirked coldly. Chakra began to surge around him. His eyes turned blood-red.
"You bark out commands without even understanding what happened. You scream like a dog in the dark, demanding obedience."
"Do you think you're the Hokage?"
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