The next day, Makoto ended his leave and went to report to the Anbu.
Inside the activity room of the Fourth Hokage's Guard Unit, the Genma's squad and Hayate's squad had already arrived.
After seeing Makoto come in, Yūgao asked with concern, "Makoto, is your body all right now?"
"No problem. Do I look like something's wrong with me?"
"Our sensei really is something. Why didn't he let you rest a few more days?"
Hayate explained, "Because the Anbu are short-handed."
What he said was correct. The Anbu of the two Hokage administrations had originally been meant to transition gradually. But on the night of the Nine-Tails attack, the Anbu directly under the Third Hokage had almost been wiped out by Obito.
Those guys were truly unlucky. They had originally been on the verge of leaving the Anbu roster and living as normal shinobi under the sunlight, yet in the end they were all taken out in a single wave.
No one knew what kind of crazy flags they had set before going on that mission.
A moment later, Kumomi walked in.
Genma asked, "Captain Grey Falcon, do we still count as the Hokage's Guard Unit now?"
"Of course you do. The Fourth Hokage is only recovering from his injuries. He's still alive, so naturally you are still members of his Guard Unit."
"Will the mission assignments remain the same as before?"
"Yes, the same as before. However, because the Anbu suffered heavy losses this time, our missions will likely become more frequent. Besides your original duties, you will also need to carry out orders from the Third Hokage. You should prepare yourselves mentally."
Genma was full of energy. "No problem. I've long been ready."
Yūgao raised the question everyone wanted to ask: "Then do we count as the Anbu of the Third Hokage, or the Anbu of the Fourth Hokage?"
Kumomi answered without hesitation, "There's no need to distinguish. We are all Konoha's Anbu."
This was the Third Hokage's decision.
He had already spoken with Kumomi, asking him to continue rebuilding the new Anbu and prepare for the Fourth Hokage's eventual return.
As a temporary acting Hokage, he did not intend to sit in that position for too long.
Once he sat there for too long, Minato's significance as the successor would be weakened endlessly. Hiruzen understood this very clearly.
After everything was explained, Genma and the other two went to the area near Minato's home to relieve Kakashi's squad.
As for Makoto's squad, their mission was to go to the Hokage Building and be responsible for protecting the Third Hokage.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen had already arrived early for work.
He was completely accustomed to these matters. After all, he had served as Hokage for decades, and everything was already thoroughly familiar to him.
However, things were no longer the same as before. His wife Biwako was gone, and after handling his mother's funeral, his eldest son had also thrown himself into Anbu duties.
As for Asuma, that brat had completely fallen out with him because of his mother's death. At home, they could hardly exchange more than a few words before starting an argument.
What an unfilial troublemaker. Could he not be like his older brother and understand his father's hardships as Hokage?
After finishing the documents in his hands, Hiruzen was about to take out the crystal ball and, as before, use his secret technique to observe the village's situation.
But he suddenly realized that after Minato took office, because he himself possessed sensory abilities, he had no use for that thing. The crystal ball had been moved back to his home and was no longer in the Hokage's office.
With a sigh, Hiruzen refilled his pipe with tobacco, then paced up to the roof of the Hokage Building. As he smoked, he admired Konohagakure, the village he had protected for decades.
The environment outside was far from quiet. Construction sites were everywhere, yet he did not find it noisy.
After standing there for a long time, he suddenly said, "Makoto, you're there, aren't you?"
Makoto used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of him. "Third Hokage-sama, I'm here."
"Yesterday, Jiraiya and Tsunade returned, and you were present as well, correct?"
"Yes."
"Tell me the process in detail."
"The two returned at around noon and went directly to the Fourth Hokage's home. After the meal, Tsunade-sama carried out a detailed examination of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina-sensei. After confirming that they were safe and sound and only needed more time to recover, she left together with Jiraiya-sama."
"Only that?"
"Before Tsunade-sama left, she taught me the techniques for using Monster Strength."
"Oh? Have you learned it?"
"I have already grasped the basics."
"Makoto, you possess a talent that even this old man envies. Tsunade—she still cares greatly for the younger generation in the village." After saying that, the Third Hokage silently added in his mind: Just not for me, her sensei. After returning to the village, she did not even come with Jiraiya to visit me.
Of course, he understood the reason. Those two disciples had become dissatisfied with him as their teacher.
"You overpraise me, Hokage-sama."
"No, I do not. And so, Makoto, you are Konoha's future. Just like Minato, I have placed great expectations on you." As Hiruzen spoke, he suddenly changed the subject. "I heard that last night you went to Clan Head Fugaku's home as a guest?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Then, Makoto, I want to know the reason you were willing to go. Was it because of your relationship with Shisui?"
"It was not because of Shisui. Up to now, everything I have done to train myself has been for the sake of protecting Konoha and my comrades. Even if that comrade is now under suspicion, I still will not give up on them."
"Because once I do, it may leave that comrade in an even more isolated and helpless position, and push them into an abyss from which there is no turning back."
"Is that so? But what if the suspicion is confirmed?"
"Anything that harms the health of this great tree called Konoha is my enemy. I will show no mercy."
"Very good, Makoto. Your Will of Fire is very firm. Continue to maintain it."
"I will, Hokage-sama."
...
Inside the Root base, Danzō summoned a subordinate and asked, "Where is Orochimaru?"
"Danzō-sama, Orochimaru went out yesterday with his disciple to carry out a mission."
"Oh? That fellow still has the leisure for that? Do you know where he went?"
"He accepted an escort commission for a merchant caravan and headed east, in the direction of the Land of the Sea."
Danzō did not believe that snake would honestly carry out a mission. He must have used the mission as a pretext to handle his own affairs.
But that was not important. Whether Orochimaru was present or not did not matter. Danzō had decided he would no longer endure—he was going to make a big move.
"Go and gather those who currently have no mission."
"Yes!"
A moment later, more than a dozen Root shinobi knelt on one knee before him, waiting for his orders. Among them was the Wood Release user whom Danzō treasured and raised like a precious asset—Kinoe.
He was a boy roughly the same age as Makoto, the only successful case Danzō had discovered in Orochimaru's abandoned Wood Release laboratory.
Even Orochimaru did not know about this matter. After discovering him, Danzō had been overjoyed and had vigorously nurtured him as his secret weapon.
He was full of confidence in Kinoe. Because of the First Hokage, people of their older generation held a special obsession and bias toward Wood Release, always believing that Wood Release meant invincibility.
Unfortunately, the one who had been invincible was Senju Hashirama, not Wood Release.
Seeing that his subordinates had assembled, Danzō began his speech: "The Sharingan controlled the Nine-Tails in an attempt to destroy Konoha. The Uchiha Clan cannot escape responsibility. Yet the weak Fourth Hokage not only refuses to pursue their accountability, he even allows his Guard Unit to maintain contact with that clan."
"Such a person is not worthy of being Konoha's Hokage."
"The Third Hokage also fails to see this clearly. Instead of immediately selecting a new Hokage, he has even returned to power, waiting for the Fourth Hokage to recover and resume his position."
"They will destroy Konoha. I absolutely will not allow such a thing to happen. Tomorrow, the Third Hokage will depart for the capital to negotiate with the Daimyō. I order you to kill him on the way—but make it look as if it was done by rogue shinobi."
"Yes!"
All the Root shinobi responded in unison. No one questioned it. The training they had received in Root was to strictly execute Danzō's orders—no asking why, only carrying out the mission.
Let alone killing the Third Hokage—if they were told to kill the Daimyō, they would not even furrow their brows.
"All right. Go make your preparations. I will wait for your good news."
The Root shinobi quickly vanished.
Once only Danzō remained, he stood quietly inside the Root base, contemplating the gains and losses of the mission.
If it succeeded, that would naturally be the best outcome. He would force Homura and Koharu to stand on his side and support him in taking the position of the next Hokage.
If Minato was indeed only pretending to be injured, as Orochimaru had said, and stepped forward to take charge after the Third Hokage was killed, that would be even better.
When the Third Hokage was alive, you pretended to be ill, but once he died, your illness was suddenly cured? Clearly, it would mean that, dissatisfied with becoming the Third Hokage's puppet, you had secretly colluded with rogue shinobi outside the village and had them eliminate him in order to seize Konoha's power for yourself.
As the "Shadow Hokage," Danzō had already prepared a burden that the Fourth Hokage would never be able to shake off.
If the Third Hokage did not die and was merely severely injured, that same blame could still be pushed onto the Fourth Hokage. Even if it could not convict him, it would still strip him of the qualification to remain Hokage.
At that time, as the one who exposed the conspiracy, Danzō would naturally be able to become the next Hokage.
The worst result would be the mission failing. But that would have been done by rogue shinobi—what would it have to do with him, Shimura Danzō?
Could that deceive the Third Hokage? Perhaps not. The main reason was that the two of them understood each other far too well.
But precisely because of that understanding, Danzō believed Hiruzen would not do anything to him.
Since there was no cost either way, why not go all in?
Win, and become Hokage. Lose, and suffer no loss. In a gamble like this, he wished he could push all his chips in every day.
As for the Root shinobi who might die, Danzō did not consider that a cost. In his eyes, it was a necessary sacrifice for putting Konoha back on the correct path.
It could only be said that the position of Hokage had already become an obsession in Danzō's heart. His lack of ability also made his methods extremely crude—a classic case of ambition exceeding talent.
If Orochimaru had been present, he would certainly have been cursing him in his mind as an idiot.
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