The atmosphere grew tense in that instant, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's clouded eyes held back an uncontrollable rage.
Looking at this young man in whom he had placed his hopes,
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart filled with disappointment.
Was he rejecting him?
Rejecting everything he had worked so hard to achieve?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was in pain.
Did this young man—and even the younger generation—see his actions as weak and incompetent?
He had done everything for Konoha!
"Have you never considered the possibility of war breaking out again?"
In the end, reason prevailed over anger. Decades of experience had taught Hiruzen Sarutobi to face any situation with composure.
His momentary outburst had been nothing more than a fleeting surge of fury.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the anger in his heart and gazed coldly at the young man.
"I have."
The young man remained as calm as ever, not the least bit rattled by Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger.
"Now that the Hidden Cloud delegation has been wiped out, with only one survivor, how should we handle this?"
"Don't tell me you haven't thought about how to deal with Kumogakure."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were ice-cold, his eyes—like those of an aging lion—locked onto Kakashi.
"Hokage-sama,"
"Are you afraid?"
Unexpectedly, Kakashi didn't answer Hiruzen Sarutobi directly but instead asked if he was afraid of Kumogakure.
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't respond, simply staring at him coldly.
Afraid?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was afraid.
He feared the resurgence of war.
He feared Konoha getting mired in conflict once more.
He also feared Konoha losing its status as the strongest in the ninja world.
But... that inexplicable hesitation in his heart kept Hiruzen Sarutobi from replying to Kakashi.
He was afraid.
He was afraid of tarnishing his reputation in his twilight years, afraid that Konoha—which had never tasted defeat—would experience humiliation for the first time.
He was afraid that his unblemished legacy as the Third Hokage would be marred by an indelible stain.
He had always been victorious, so why was Konoha gradually weakening?
To the point where he had to pin Konoha's future hopes on this young man?
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't understand it, didn't want to understand it, and was even less willing to probe into where the real problem lay.
"You're afraid of war breaking out again, so why wouldn't the Hidden Cloud ninjas be?"
"In terms of resources, ninjas, and overall strength, how could a mere Kumogakure compare to us?"
"In the end, it all boils down to..."
Kakashi's eyes met Hiruzen Sarutobi's, and their sharpness made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel a faint urge to avert his gaze.
That kind of look...
He had once possessed it himself.
It was the gaze of youth, brimming with vitality.
In that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a faint realization.
He was old.
He was old, and the entire Konoha leadership was old.
To the extent that Konoha itself had grown old.
Do nothing, make no mistakes; do more, make more mistakes.
The aging Konoha leadership only wanted to avoid errors in their waning years, not seeking merit but steering clear of fault.
Am I... old?
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want to admit this fact, refused to acknowledge it.
But the age spots on his hands told him the truth plainly.
He was old.
The once spirited ninja hero, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was now frail and elderly.
He had become cautious.
"In the end, it's because the Raikage is in his prime, and people at that stage are often at their most ambitious."
Kakashi's words left Hiruzen Sarutobi staring at him in silence.
Even without saying it outright, the implication was clear:
You are old.
"The Raikage of Hidden Cloud Village has always been the strongest individual. This rule—that the strongest leads—means that from top to bottom, Hidden Cloud Village adheres unwaveringly to the principle of strength above all."
"The strong are ambitious, possess an indomitable spirit, and harbor the most expansive ambitions."
Listening to Kakashi's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi regarded him indifferently and said mercilessly:
"Is this what you consider a strong person, Kakashi?"
Kakashi shook his head at that and said earnestly:
"Not quite. In my view, a truly strong person must possess those qualities, but also the most important one of all."
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes shifted slightly.
"Self-restraint."
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude soften a bit, Kakashi continued:
"If I had overwhelming power and saw a beautiful girl on the roadside, I'd force her to come home with me; if I saw a pedestrian blocking my path, I'd kill them with one blow; if I coveted wealth, I'd seize it by force."
"Someone like that would only become a beast enslaved by desire."
"Restraining the beast within one's heart."
"Subduing one's impulsive inner self."
"That transforms into true strength."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but he still spoke with a trace of coldness:
"It's good that you think this way."
"Since you feel that way, you must have considered how to handle the Hidden Cloud delegation now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi kept a grim expression, not letting Kakashi relax for a moment.
"Hidden Cloud's losses in the Third Great Ninja War were substantial; they clashed with both Iwagakure and us."
"In our confrontations with Hidden Cloud Village, my teacher shone brightly, single-handedly taking on their A and B duo. Now that my teacher has passed, perhaps those he defeated back then think an opportunity has come."
Hiruzen Sarutobi heard this and countered:
"Then why didn't they launch a fiercer war against us right after Minato's sacrifice?"
Listening to Hiruzen Sarutobi's question, Kakashi replied:
"Hokage-sama, if Hidden Cloud had pressed the attack immediately after my teacher's death, what would you have done?"
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood.
A cornered army fights desperately; a battle to the death.
No matter the ultimate winner, Hidden Cloud would have paid an excruciatingly heavy price—one they might not have been able to bear.
"Now, they might think the pain from the Nine-Tails' attack has faded, so they want to exploit the situation."
"Perhaps Hokage-sama intends to turn this 'peace delegation' from a facade into reality."
"But there will surely be a price to pay."
As he spoke, Kakashi walked step by step to the edge of the cliff, gazing at the darkened Konoha below.
"So, what is your approach?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the young man before him.
Hearing the old man bring up the approach to Hidden Cloud once again, Kakashi walked step by step to the edge of the Hokage Rock cliff.
The dark night enveloped this strongest village in the ninja world.
"Hokage-sama,"
"Are you afraid?"
Once again, Kakashi asked Hiruzen Sarutobi if he was afraid.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kakashi in silence.
He understood.
There was no appropriate response.
With Hidden Cloud scheming to seize the Byakugan under the guise of peace, any concession would be a disgrace to Konoha.
As the strongest military force in the ninja world, Konoha would never allow anyone to challenge its authority!
Once that precedent was set, Konoha's long-established deterrent power would vanish entirely, turning it into a notorious paper tiger.
————
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