Chapter 221: 217: Konoha''s Decision
Mid-October.
During this season, a refreshing coolness lingered in the air.
Three days ago, the Nine Tails had wreaked havoc in Konoha, inflicting countless pains upon the vige. Followed by a fierce battle, the vige sessfully subdued the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox but paid an exceptionally heavy price for it.
Three nights ago, Konoha witnessed the deaths of over a thousand ninjas in thete-night battle. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife had sacrificed themselves to quell the rampage of the Nine Tails. This heart-wrenching reality left many in the vige in disbelief. However, after Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi personally confirmed the matter, everyone had to ept this cruel fact.
Early morning in Konoha was enveloped in a solemn and mournful atmosphere. Vigers donned ck mourning attire, silently joining the procession toward the ninja cemetery with grief. Expressions of silence orplexity were evident on their faces. The casualties extended beyond the Fourth Hokage and his wife, with many the pir of several families falling inthe battle.
Adequatepensation for these families was was naturally implemented, ensuring the heroes'' lives weren''t sacrificed in vain. Yet, the primary focus was on mourning the ninjas lost in the Nine-Tails War, conducting a funeral, and bidding farewell to the heroes who fell in the battle against the Nine Tails.
"The vige finally regained peace through the efforts of the Fourth Hokage. But i didn''t expect such result... Sigh..."
These words, uttered by an unknown person, spread quickly among the crowd, deepening the sorrow among them.
Three days ago, during the battle with thr Nine Tails'', the situation was extremely dangerous. Despite the joint efforts of the ninjas suppressing the Nine Tails temporarily, they could barely hatm the beast. It was a genuine natural disaster. If the Fourth Hokage with his wife hadn''t sealed the Nine Tails with their lives on time, the vige would have suffered more loss than the casualty of a thousand ninjas.
At the forefront of the procession were the Third Hokage Hiruzen and other high-ranking officials, including the semi-banned Root leader Danzo. Unlike others, Danzo maintained an expressionless face, fixating on the name on the memorial monumentNamikaze Minatowith indifferent eyes, leaving observers to ponder about his thoughts.
Koharu whispered, "Let''s go back, Hiruzen. We have more important matters to attend to."
Taking their time out for the mourning was already generous. It wasn''t a matter of neglecting Fourth Hokage Minato''s contributions but recognizing that the dead were gone, and Konoha urgently needed to elect a new leader.
Due to the Fourth Hokage''s sacrifice, the news couldn''t be concealed from the rest of the vige. Regardless of the attempts to keep it secret, the other Kagesfrom thr rest of the ninja viges would undoubtedly learn that the Fourth Hokage had sacrificed himself to seal the Nine Tails.
While Sunagakure and Iwagakure having suffered significant losses in the previous war, so they weren''t a concern for the time being. However Kumogakure remained a potential threat, they were still staring at Konoha. And Kirigakure, with their numbers intact since they hadn''t joined the war. Konoha needed to take action as soon as possible in deploying defenses at the border to fend off potential attacks on the Land Of Fire from Kumogakure and Kirigakure.
Although Konoha and Kirigakure had limitedmunications in the past, and Kiro had never openly expressed hostility, the Fourth Hokage''s sacrifice would likely make Kirigakure more cautious.
Hiruzen sighed lightly, closed his eyes, and nodded..Indeed, now wasn''t the time for mourning the dead.
Despite the regret, Minato and Kushina''s sacrifice was an undeniable fact, and nothing will be changed with regret. As the Third Hokage, he faced more pressing matters. Oveing the uing challenges and Protecting Konoha and the Land Of Fire from attacks by other viges.
...
The mourning ceremony continued, and the procession honoring the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the Battle of the Nine Tails remainedrge not decreasing.
Kakashi chose not to join the procession; for him, being there would only intensify his sadness. He sat alone atop a water tower at the Hospital, silently gazing at the white clouds in the sky, lost in thought.
Not long after, distinct footsteps approached from behind, signaling someone was approaching him.
Kakashi, interrupted from his thoughts, squinted as he observed an adult woman in a white coat approaching him leisurely. ck-framed sses adorned her chest, and her eyes consistently radiated intelligence and wisdom. However, her appearance was rtively ordinary,cking any particrly outstanding. Masumi Asami, the director of Konoha Hospital''s Pharmacy Department, was a well-known figure in the vige.
The Nine Tails had caused turmoil in Konoha, leading to the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and his wife. Asami yed a crucial role in the incident by being the first to ry information about Kushina''s childbirth, triggering the Nine-Tails Rampage and indirectly causing a series of tragedies.
"It seems you''re in a bad mood. Are you still grieving for the Fourth?" Asami, now beside Kakashi, spoke with a gentle voice.
"What are you doing here?"
As one of Shiraishi''s special spies hidden in Konoha, Asami''s actions and the information she might have transmitted to the Land of Demons remained unknown.
"I came out for some fresh air. I don''t enjoy crowded ces, and funerals are not to my liking either. Any funeral, to a doctor, signifies a life leaving from the world."
"That doesn''t sound like something someone like you should say." Kakashi adjusted his mask.
Asami smiled faintly, "I''m doing what I can. But it''s true, I hate death, whether it''s my own or others''. It''s the professional ethics of a medical ninja."
"Really? I thought you wereughing."
"How could that be? After all, this is the vige where I grew up. I''m somewhat sentimental. However, I''m sorry about the Fourth." Asami locked eyes with Kakashi, her smile fading as she sincerely apologized.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I knew everything but chose to turn a blind eye to Minato-sensei and watched them die before my eyes. We''re all the same." Kakashi stood up from the edge of the tower, jumped down, and left through the downstairs corridor. Asami watched him go, hands in her white coat''s pockets, her shoulder-length ck hair fluttering in the wind.
"The same kind of people? That''s right, we''re no longer part of this vige..." Asami muttered to herself, sounding somewhat self-deceptive.
Despite their work endangering the vige, betraying information would condemn them by conscience. This kind of job required a strong and resolute mind, and it was just the beginning. In the future, more Konoha ninjas would die due to their information.
...
Inside a room on a certain floor of the Hokage Building, four individuals sat. The retired Hokage Hiruzen, advisors Homura and Koharu, and Danzo. Due to the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato''s idental sacrifice, they had gathered for an emergency meeting.
After the Nine-Tails incident, the wrinkles on Hiruzen''s face had deepened, making him appear years older. The conference room was silent, and Hiruzen''s gaze moved from his formerrades-in-arms and colleagues to Danzo.
Danzo carried all the darkness of Konoha and was the most radical hawk in the vige. His past involvement in wood release experiments, the human traffickingincident in Amegakure, and human experiments were now monitored by his Anbu. If Danzo''s deal with Kandachi came to light, it would discredit Konoha and result in a tarnished reputation. Hiruzen spent considerable time and effort dealing with the aftermath for Danzo.
"From the battle damage statistics from the Anbu, on the night of the Nine Tails'' attack on the vige, including Minato and Kushina, a total of 473 ninjas died, and over 1,700 people suffered injuries of varying severity, currently in recovery." Koharu took the lead in breaking the quiet atmosphere in the conference room, presenting Konoha''s casualty data from the battle with the Nine Tails.
Facing off against the Nine-Tailed Fox, the legendary most powerful tailed beast, they were able to subdue it only at the cost of hundreds of lives. This oue could be considered aplete victory.
However, the weight of this victory was heavy on the hearts of the four people present.The reason for this was the loss of the Fourth Hokage and his wife in the battle. Konoha''s losses extended beyond mere statistics. The Fourth Hokage''s importance to Konoha was undeniable. The reason Konoha was able to quickly restore peace was inextricably linked to the Fourth Hokage''s formidable strength.
In this era where frequent wars had just ended and the transition to peace has begun, the Fourth Hokage represented Konoha''s greatest assurance of peace. The moniker "Yellow sh" was renowned, bing Konoha''s golden emblem serving as a deterrent to the other ninja viges. It was a safeguard that could have protected Konoha for decades, ensuring that the vige would not be at a disadvantage on the international stage. Unfortunately, all those visions of a beautiful future were lost on that fateful night a few days ago.
"The vigers and buildings suffered no damage whatsoever; only the area outside the vige was affected, which is a blessing in misfortune. This will make the recovery much easier. However, the problem still lies with Kumo, and Kiri whose attitude is temporarily unknown." Homura frowned, expressing his concerns.
"For Kumo, I''ve assigned Tokukaze to be on guard, and I''ve instructed Jiraiya and Tsunade, who are currently traveling, to return to the vige."
"With the two of them back, there shouldn''t be much of a problem with Kumo. But Kiri... How do you n to handle it, Hiruzen?" Homura inquired.
Just as Hiruzen was about to respond, Danzo, standing aside with an indifferent face, suddenly interjected:
"From the spies I nted in Kirigakure, a piece of extremely important news just came in... Kirigakure had a bloody civil war two days ago."
"Civil War?" The three were slightly taken aback.
Danzo nodded and exined, "That''s correct. To secure the position of the fourth Mizukage, Kiri''s Jnin Yagura started a coup d''etat, sessfully overthrowing the Third Mizukage. Due to this internal conflict, most of the vige was destroyed. At least thousands died in the coup, and countless others were injured. It will probably take them more than three years to recover." He provided a more precise timeline.
"Karatachi Yagura huh... he''s truly a scary man. But for Konoha, this is good news." Koharu sighed with relief, finally hearing some good news.
None of them were surprised that Danzo had nted spies in Kiri. It was a dangerous task, but the root of external missions, it often involved engaging in the most dangerous works. Although the level of spies may not be high enough, and they wouldn''t be able to reach the core of Kirigakure, but with an event like the coup d''etat could not be covered up even if they wanted to.
External affairs were mostly resolved. Despite the loss of the Fourth Hokage, Konoha would not lose its deterrent power to the outside world. Even without the Yellow sh, Konoha, with its various secret ns and the Sannin, would not be weakened.
Moreover, among the new generation of ninjas, talents like Hatake Kakashi existed, and in a few years, another Konoha White Fang could emerge as a sharp sword to deter other countries. As long as these geniuses were given enough space and time to grow, the grand tree of Konoha would continue to grow. In the past 20 or 30 years, Konoha''s younger generation of ninjas had consistently proven themselves, bing the cornerstones of the vige''s prosperity.
"Compared to the outside, the hidden dangers internally are actually more important. For instance..." Danzo paused, not trying to imply anything but directly announcing whom to be guarded against: "...the Uchiha n."
Hiruzen and the other two had varying expressions on their faces.
"The Nine Tails was released during the Jinchuriki''s childbirth, and the attack on Konoha was by no means idental. It was a well-nned scheme by certain people in an attempt to subvert Konoha. The Uchiha n is the prime suspect, given that their Sharingan can control the Nine Tails. However, their conspiracy was foiled due to the Fourth Hokage."
"Danzo, the Uchiha are also part of the vige; they shouldn''t be treated differently." Hiruzen frowned tightly.
"However, the Uchiha didn''te to help that night, and many vigers have been dissatisfied with them. Though they haven''t said anything, they believed that the Uchiha controlled the Nine Tails and attacked the vige." Homura added his thoughts.
"That''s because someone changed my order without my authorization!!. My original n was to have those from the Uchihae over attempt to use their Sharingan to restrict the Nine Tails'' actions to buy more time." Having said that, Hiruzen took a deep breath..He didn''t explicitly mention who it was, but both Homura and Koharu realized, ncing at Danzo vaguely.
"Maybe this works in their favor." Danzo remained stubborn.
"Danzo!" Hiruzen''s face turned livid.
"So, how do you exin the Mangekyou Sharingan?" Danzo looked at Hiruzen defiantly.
Hiruzen was dumbfounded. Mangekyou Sharingan... The mere thought made Hiruzen''s heart race. Could it be truly rted to the Uchiha n?
"Koharu informed me that the Fourth Hokage''sst words were to be careful of Chiba Shiraishi, Mangekyou Sharingan, Space-time Ninjutsu, right? The Fourth Hokage wasn''t just some random person. His words means that he likely fought against the user of the Mangekyou Sharingan and confirmed that their ability rted to space-time."
"However, it cannot be conclusively said that the Uchiha were responsible. In the previous war, they have made significant contributions as well."
"The reason they are under suspicion is that they have been attempting to secure the position of the Hokage. Their intentions are so bad, and they cannot be trusted. Moreover, when ites to controlling the Nine Tails, Uchiha Ruri already did it a few years ago."
Associating the Mangekyou Sharingan with the name ''Chiba Shiraishi.'' Danzo had to consider such a possibility. It made sense given Uchiha Ruri''s strength and qualifications. Otherwise, why would the Fourth Hokage connect the name Mangekyou Sharingan with ''Chiba Shiraishi'' as a warning?
This, in itself, was already an explicit statement. The masterminds behind the Nine Tails attack on Konoha were none other than Konoha''s S-rank rogue ninjas: Chiba Shiraishi, Uchiha Ruri, and Hyuga Ayane.
Danzo''s words were irrefutable, because no matter how they thought about it with the hints left behind by the Fourth Hokage such spection was appropriate, there were no logical loopholes in the hints left.
"Danzo''s words are not unreasonable. Within the Uchiha n, there might be spies they left behind by them, monitoring every move of the vige and providing information to them. Furthermore, any ninja associated with their group must undergo thorough investigation." Koharu also felt they needed to proceed with caution.
Homura frowned and said, "Ehm.. if that''s the case, Kakashi appears to be the most suspicious. His father was once their leader, and before they defected, Kakashi was close to them."
Hearing Homura''s words, Danzo couldn''t help but tense up.
"Impossible. Before that, Kakashi served with the Anbu and had no opportunity to leak any information. He''s an outstanding Jonin who has inherited the will of fire. He cannot be a spy." Hiruzen spoke up.
"He could..."
"It isreally not convincing." Danzo snorted coldly, "If Kakashi was a spy deliberately nted in the vige, why would he risk his life to save Jiraiya, who was severely injured by that bounty hunters a year ago? Wouldn''t it be more advantageous for those three to let Jiraiya die at the hands of the hunters?"
Homura reluctantly gave in. After Danzo''s reminder, he realized he might have been overthinking. While Kakashi seemed suspicious, he risked his life to save one of the Sannin. As one of Konoha''s elitebat force, Jiraiya''s importance was undeniable.
Kakashi''s willingness to risk his own life and loyalty to hisrades, and not giving up belief on hispanions was enough to prove that he has inherited the will of his father.He was undoubtedly an exceptional ninja, and not a traitor.
Hiruzen nodded in agreement, sharing the same perspective as Danzo. Kakashi, achieving such a level, couldn''t be a spy nted by the enemy within Konoha. It was just that Danzo''s defense of Kakashi, however, surprised him. Nevertheless, he harbored no doubts. Despite Danzo''s often radical ideas, he was unequivocal about matters of right and wrong.
"Asides from someone like Kakashi, I believe the risk of problems lies more with the hospitals and the academy. Chiba Shiraishi has worked in both the academy and hospital, making it easier for him to ce his own informants there. The hospital, especially if the information about Jinchuriki''s childbirth was leaked, is the most likely. " Danzo redirected the suspicion towards the hospital. His opinion naturally found agreement from the three, aligning with their thoughts.
Indeed, regarding Kushina''s delivery, the hospital presented a higher chance of being infiltrated. After careful consideration, the clues to the Nine-Tails Rampage were bing increasingly clear. The mastermind behind the scenes were Chiba Shiraishi, and Uchiha Ruri might be the Uchiha who had likely awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan with the space-time ability.
At Konoha Hospital, there was a high probability of nted spies. Regarding the Uchiha n, they couldn''t lower their guard either. The probability of spies appearing inside was greater than at the Hospital.
"Send the Anbu to monitor the hospital. In addition, we must further gather the Uchiha n for easier control. These rogues have repeatedly attacked Konoha again and again. If the dangers hidden inside were not eliminated, using the Nine Tails to attack thr vige might happen again."
This was clearly a bias against the Uchiha, but Danzo''s statement wasn''t without reason. In fact, considering Danzo''s thoughts, the Uchiha did present such a problem.
"I''ll take care of the Uchiha problem." After some consideration, Hiruzen was unwilling to entrust the Uchiha matter entirely to Danzo. Danzo''s approach would undoubtedly anger the Uchiha n, leading to discord between them and the vige. Even if Danzo''s logic was sound, it only proved that some Uchihas had issues. Most still had a heart for Konoha.
"But, should simr incidents happen again, how will you be held ountable? Don''t be hesitant about such matters." Danzo implied persecution.
Hiruzen remained unmoved, replying casually, "Don''t worry, I have a suitable candidate. When Ist visited the Uchiha n, I met Kagami''s descendant."
"Kagami..."
The other three appeared puzzled, as if recalling dusty events from the past, contemting something.
"His name is Uchiha Shisui. Like Kagami, he''s an outstanding mM with the will of fire, capable of transcending family loyalty. As a member of Konoha, he''ll serve as a bridge for amicablemunication between the vige and the Uchiha." Hiruzen was resolute, Danzo refrained from furthermentary. At the end, he mentioned his own affairs:
"In that case, let him monitor the Uchiha. However, Root''s mobility needs to be restored, and personnel must be expanded on arge scale. The whereabouts of those three ninjas need time to be tracked. Those three pose significant threats to Konoha. Is that eptable, Hiruzen? The wood release has already been recruited by you. If trained well, you won''t have to worry about the Nine Tails problem in the future."
Danzo hinted at something, leaving Hiruzen silent. Eventually, he sighed, nodded, and agreed to let Danzo regain Root authority and expand its personnel.
Danzo was correct, the whereabouts of the three rogue ninjas needed to be tracked as soon as possible, and they couldn''t be left alone.This time, they had dared to use the Nine-Tails to kill the Fourth Hokage. Next time, they might dare to formte a n to destroy Konoha.
His Anbu was already stretched thin, dealing with both internal and external threats from Kumo, he was unable to allocate more manpower to focus on the rogues. Allowing Danzo''s Root to resume its operations would allow the vige to monitor the three rogues'' movements and prepare ordingly, relieving some of Hiruzen''s pressure.
"This is it. I''ll update the arrest warrants for those three, publicly stating they are attempting to seize the tailed beasts of major viges. This will arousemon hostility from other viges towards them."
The actual intentions of the three of them were unclear regarding capturing the tailed beast. However, that didn''t mean Hiruzen couldn''t make a big issue out of it, divert attention, and incite vignce and hostility from other ninja viges towards the trio.
After all, rogues were a group of dangerous people who had abandoned their homnd and had no allegiance. Their international voices were entirely disregarded, and their statements held no weight. If the Hokage, one of the five kages, personally made a confirmation, it would undeniably increase the persuasiveness of the ims.