Those at the apex of power always have certain privileges. These are not always negative; they can range from making the difficult choice to sacrifice an individual for the benefit of the collective, down to simple conveniences in daily life. All are manifestations of privilege.
For Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the last two remaining meritorious figures from Konoha's old era, they were beneficiaries of such privilege. Though they had been gradually pushed from the core of military power, they still retained some influence and enjoyed the conveniences afforded to them by the village.
Their Japanese-style residence was not extravagant, but it was a quiet place for the two advisors to live out their twilight years. Yet, even as they drifted further from the heart of power, they remained concerned about matters in Konoha, both large and small. They worried that the "young girl" who had only recently taken office would run things into the ground.
It couldn't be helped. They didn't covet power; their concern was born purely from an elder's anxiety for the younger generation. Even if this "concern" seemed excessive, having lived through an era of being surrounded by enemies and treading on thin ice, they couldn't help but worry.
At this moment, the two sat facing each other. The steam had long since vanished from the tea on the table. Though the teapot was nearby, neither made a move to pour a fresh cup.
"It seems it was a failure, then," Koharu said with a sigh.
"Probably… yes," Homura said, his voice uncertain.
"But who could it have been?" Koharu asked, perplexed. "Their conditions didn't look like they took each other out. From the state of the scene, it looks more like an outside party intervened."
"But we've received no intelligence about any enemy intruders," Homura mused. "And if it were an invading force, it would have to be at least a Jonin, or someone even stronger. Yet, there have been no other disturbances in the village."
"Perhaps they just happened upon the scene by chance. They might have only been gathering intelligence," Koharu analyzed.
"Sigh, what a troubled time," Homura sighed heavily.
"Indeed. Ever since the Chunin Exams, the village has been in a delicate state…" Koharu couldn't help but sigh as well.
"If only Hiruzen were still here…" A look of grief crossed Homura's eyes. Sarutobi Hiruzen was not just the Third Hokage who had stabilized the village, but their companion of many years.
"There's no use in saying that now. What should we do?" Koharu asked.
"For now…" Homura pondered. "We go and explain the situation to her…"
"No!" Koharu interrupted. "If she finds out about this, investigating Sakura Haruno will become even more difficult. Our actions this time were, on the surface, to cover up Sakura's crimes, but in reality, they were for the stability of the village. If she finds out, it will likely be even harder to act in the future."
That was correct. The two advisors' move to silence Hayate was not to cover for Sakura, but a compromise made in the face of Tsunade's insistence. Due to Tsunade's favoritism toward Sakura, the two advisors had no choice but to temporarily change their approach.
The impact of the Sakura incident on the village was neither large nor small. Since it had already happened and Tsunade was so adamant about protecting her, the advisors couldn't press the issue. Instead, they began to closely monitor the personnel involved in that day's operation.
Although most had been issued a gag order, there's no such thing as a perfect secret. Accidents happen. Hayate Gekko was that accident. The moment he began to look into Yugao Uzuki's file, he was already on the advisors' radar.
If his actions had stopped there, the advisors would have likely just kept him under close surveillance. But Hayate didn't stop. He began to investigate the files of all the ninja killed by Sakura during that mission.
This drew the full attention of the two advisors. The one who had erased the files of the ninja killed by Sakura was none other than Tsunade herself. A situation like this had never occurred before—a ninja branded a traitor returning to the village. But what did that make the ninja who died fighting her?
Did they die for the village? If they died fighting a traitor for the village, but that traitor then returned, how could their deaths be defined? Furthermore, if Sakura carried the blood of her comrades on her hands, it would hinder her future within the village. Based on these considerations, Tsunade felt she had no other choice.
Tsunade knew it was unfair, but after going through so much trouble to bring Sakura back, there was no turning back. Once she started down this path, even if it was wrong, she could only grit her teeth and see it through.
It was precisely because of this that the two advisors' dissatisfaction with Tsunade had reached its peak. But she was the Hokage, the one personally appointed by Hiruzen Sarutobi. No matter how much they disapproved, for the sake of the newly stabilized village, they had no choice but to hold their noses and clean up her mess.
If Hayate Gekko investigated further and what the Hokage had done was exposed, it would cause a massive upheaval among the ninja ranks. Tsunade could even be forced to resign. The village, having just found its footing after the Orochimaru incident, would be plunged into panic once more. And frustratingly, besides Tsunade, there was currently no one else suitable for the position of Hokage.
That was just the internal impact. If this matter spread to the entire shinobi world, rival powers would not miss the opportunity, especially the Mist Village, with whom they already had a feud. War would break out again.
At that time, Konoha's losses would be even more catastrophic. In this transitional period between generations, they could even be defeated. The village itself might be dismantled. After all, Konoha occupied the most resource-rich territory. If they were defeated, the villages from barren lands would surely carve up their territory.
Based on all these potential consequences, the two advisors were forced to clean up Tsunade's mess, a task as pleasant as eating shit. Tsunade would never know, nor could she be allowed to know. For the stability of the village, to prevent another Great Ninja War, the two advisors, like Danzo before them, shouldered the village's darkness.
"Heh…" Homura let out another heavy sigh. "Danzo's methods were radical, but he made a great contribution to the village's stability…"
"…Hiruzen is gone, and Danzo is dead. It seems it's our turn to bear this darkness…" Koharu stood up, her voice low.
"Then, let us go and find this intruder," Homura said, also rising to his feet and following Koharu out the door.
In a blink of an eye, the room was empty again. The teapot on the table, like the cups, no longer emitted any steam.
Just then, a soft sigh echoed in the empty room. In a corner, the silhouette of a person slowly solidified from transparency, finally resolving into a girl wearing a fox mask. It was Shuying.
Shuying walked silently to the table and knelt, looking at the two teacups in a long, heavy silence.
"So this is politics…" Shuying sighed, her thoughts weighing on her.
There were not many who could command former members of Root. It was either the Hokage or the two advisors. Based on the Hokage's personality, Shuying had concluded that the two advisors were the most likely to have ordered the assassination.
After staking out the advisors' residence for a day, she had finally heard the information she was looking for. But it was a heavy burden to bear.
"Indeed… what exists is necessary…" Shuying shook her head slightly, murmuring to herself. "Even someone like Danzo was a necessary part of the village. Heh… one Danzo dies… and another will rise to take his place. And another after that…"
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