Konoha – Hokage's Office
The so-called "Konoha F4" gathered once more.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane stared silently at the battlefield report from the front lines.
Uchiha Akihito had actually defeated Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki head-on.
That had truly been beyond their expectations.
Thud.
Danzo tapped his cane against the floor, his expression dark.
The next Hokage must be me.
A brat like Uchiha Akihito—
He will never touch that position.
Danzo spoke coldly:
"Akihito is a grave threat to Konoha. Hiruzen, perhaps we should…"
Akihito's battlefield victory had given Danzo a powerful sense of crisis.
The young Uchiha was already showing signs of becoming the people's choice. If he continued to grow—
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Hiruzen's eyes were deep and unreadable.
After a long silence, he slowly shook his head.
"The war is not yet decided. This is not the time for rash action."
Danzo snorted.
He knew exactly what Hiruzen was thinking—using Kumogakure's hands to eliminate Akihito, thus avoiding blame.
In Danzo's view, Hiruzen had grown old.
The once-mighty "Professor" had lost his edge.
Relying on others was foolish.
Only acting personally could ensure success.
A cold smile crept across Danzo's lips.
If the Hokage hesitates—
Then don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands.
Over the years, Danzo had crossed many lines in secret.
Once things became irreversible, Hiruzen would have no choice but to accept them.
Homura and Koharu also stepped forward.
"Akihito's strength is growing too quickly. We must be cautious."
"If the Uchiha launch a coup, Konoha will be placed in a very passive position."
Hiruzen once again put on his gentle façade.
"The Uchiha are comrades of Konoha."
"I believe they will not betray the village lightly."
But in truth, he was thinking further ahead.
The Uchiha were indeed dangerous—
But he himself was walking a tightrope as well.
This time, the Uchiha had sent out most of their elite. Akihito had personally defeated Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki.
Would the hot-tempered Fourth Raikage let that go?
If the Raikage personally took the field—
Akihito's situation would become extremely dangerous.
Whether reinforcements were sent to the front lines—
That was ultimately up to him, the Hokage.
With just a little "adjustment"—
Even a slight delay in support arriving at the battlefield might doom the Uchiha entirely.
Eliminate a major internal threat without losing a single Konoha soldier—
And without bearing any blame.
Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Of course, Danzo should continue to be strung along.
If variables arose, he could always be pushed forward to act in the shadows.
After all, Konoha's "Darkness" existed to handle dirty work.
And if something went wrong?
Danzo would take the blame.
If anyone searched for a mastermind—
What would that have to do with Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Hiruzen and Danzo each harbored their own schemes.
The two advisors were little more than tools—occasionally used as guns.
The four continued plotting against the Uchiha.
Akihito's prestige was rising day by day.
He was beginning to resemble Sakumo Hatake.
Konoha's higher-ups did not wish to see another "Half-Sleeve Hokage" emerge—
Especially not one from the Uchiha clan.
Land of Earth – Iwagakure
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, also received the report immediately.
A hint of schadenfreude crossed his face.
Kumogakure's jinchūriki had lost to a young Uchiha clan head?
Konoha truly produced endless talents.
For a moment, he recalled the man known as the "Yellow Flash."
The nightmare of Iwagakure.
The order had once been clear: if you see him, abandon the mission and flee immediately.
That humiliation still stung.
Now Kumogakure had also suffered a crushing defeat at Konoha's hands.
It felt strangely satisfying.
In his youth, Ōnoki had witnessed the might of Uchiha Madara.
A single glare—
And he had been sent spinning helplessly.
Even now, as Tsuchikage for decades, he could not forget that terror.
Even his revered teacher, the Second Tsuchikage Mū, had been no match for Madara.
And now another monster had emerged from the Uchiha—
"Flame Demon" Akihito.
Enough to give Kumogakure a severe headache.
Ōnoki waved his hand.
"Closely monitor the battlefield. Be ready to strike at any moment."
When the snipe and the clam fight—
The fisherman profits.
The more fiercely Konoha and Kumogakure fought—
The happier he would be.
They were both enemies anyway.
If they destroyed each other, all the better.
Land of Wind – Sunagakure
Upon receiving the report, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, felt fortunate.
Thankfully, he had not listened to Chiyo and declared war on Konoha.
Otherwise, they might now be suffering heavy losses.
If Akihito could defeat Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki—
Then this new Uchiha clan head was certainly not to be underestimated.
Rasa himself was Kage-level—
Yet suppressing the rampaging Shukaku was no easy matter.
Sunagakure lacked Kumogakure's method of fully controlling their Tailed Beast.
For them, a Tailed Beast was a double-edged sword.
At one point, Rasa had even considered sacrificing his own son, Gaara, to stop Shukaku's rampage.
After their disagreement, Chiyo and her brother Ebizō had retired into seclusion.
Sunagakure's internal disputes were resolved—
But their top-tier combat strength had dropped severely.
With only one Kage-level fighter remaining, they could not afford reckless action.
Rasa decisively ordered:
"Monitor the war closely. Maintain strategic defense."
Joining the war was out of the question.
At most, they would wait for an opportunity to seize some benefits.
Land of Water – Kirigakure
Under the control of "Tobi," the Fourth Mizukage was busy implementing the Bloody Mist policy.
He had no time for Konoha and Kumogakure's affairs.
Kirigakure had dared to cause Rin's death.
He would drag the entire village into chaos for that.
While destabilizing Kirigakure, Obito had also set his sights on one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—
Kisame Hoshigaki.
The Akatsuki still needed enforcers.
And this swordsman—
Who, like himself, had grown utterly disillusioned with the world—
Was a perfect candidate.
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