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Chapter 34 "The Quiet Before the Shatter"
Hokage's Office.
"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha have returned the four detained envoys."
"They weren't punished—just held overnight."
"Is that so?" The Third Hokage took a long pull at his cigarette.
"What are you planning to do, Hiruzen?" Mitokado Homura asked.
Beside him sat two familiar figures: Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane, long-time advisors to the Hokage.
Homura is one of the village elders of Konoha and a long-time advisor to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
A former shinobi and war veteran, he is known for his conservative stance and deep loyalty to the village's traditions. Alongside Koharu Utatane and Danzo Shimura, Homura plays a behind-the-scenes role in shaping Konoha's political decisions—often prioritizing control and order over transparency or fairness.
The Third Hokage sighed.
"Withdraw all surveillance on the Uchiha clan. There's no need to continue it."
"Are you sure that's wise, Hiruzen?"
Homura still looked uneasy. Monitoring the Uchiha clan had always been a standing order passed down from Kazuma.
They'd never dared to relax—even though they'd never actually caught the Uchiha doing anything illegal.
"But the Nine-Tails' attack had signs of the Sharingan's involvement," Homura added.
"And if we don't withdraw, are you just going to let our ANBU die there?"
Hiruzen exhaled heavily.
"Right now, the Uchiha have two Kage-level shinobi—Fugaku and Kaien—both wielding Mangekyō Sharingan. And let's not forget… Killer Bee is still lying in a hospital bed here in Konoha."
Homura sat down in silence.
Koharu spoke up next.
"Should we summon Jiraiya or Tsunade back?"
Hiruzen took another long puff.
"Tsunade's whereabouts are uncertain. Call Jiraiya back."
Homura and Koharu exchanged a look.
Tsunade's location wasn't truly unknown—everywhere she went, rumors of a "big-spending gambler" followed.
But it was no secret that she distrusted Konoha's leadership.
The deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover Dan were far too suspicious, yet Tsunade never found solid evidence.
So, she left Konoha, perhaps for good.
Jiraiya, at least, was more manageable.
Koharu nodded.
"I'll make the arrangements."
Once she left, the Third Hokage asked,
"What's the situation with Kumogakure?"
Homura checked the letter in his hands.
"After emergency treatment, Killer Bee is no longer in critical condition. Thanks to his Jinchūriki physique, he should be discharged soon."
"Yugito has sent a report back to Kumogakure. But both she and Bee have stayed within the embassy and haven't gone anywhere else."
Hiruzen nodded.
This incident had clearly shaken the Cloud Village more than expected.
They probably hadn't anticipated the Uchiha openly supporting Konoha.
Even though Konoha gained a little from these peace talks, they'd lost the Hyūga clan's favor...
The Third Hokage felt a headache forming.
How did the Uchiha manage to produce a monster like Kaien...?
All these sweeping changes in the Uchiha began after Kaien became the deputy clan head.
Now, the Hokage's side had lost their strongest ally—the Hyūga. They were forced to retreat and reevaluate.
If only Orochimaru were still around…
The Third Hokage knew well the kind of person Orochimaru was—ruthless and cunning.
But his intellect and scientific ability were unmatched.
If Orochimaru had become Hokage...
Hiruzen's thoughts drifted.
"Hiruzen? Hey, Hiruzen?"
Homura's voice snapped him back.
The Third Hokage shook his head.
Getting old... Daydreaming about Orochimaru returning? Ridiculous.
He straightened up.
"What's Danzō been up to lately?"
Homura hesitated.
"Since Root was placed under surveillance by the Uchiha police force, they've only been handling minor security duties.
There were so many complaints, Danzō had no choice but to clean house a bit.
We're not exactly sure what he's up to now, but he's been sending Root agents near Uchiha-patrolled areas."
"Hmph. The current Uchiha aren't so easy to bully anymore."
Hiruzen had mixed feelings about Danzō.
They had once been comrades, and when Hiruzen became Hokage, Danzō became the shadow in the dark, doing the dirty work.
But lately… Danzō's ambition had grown.
Root's personnel had expanded far beyond what had originally been authorized.
Even the Hokage didn't know how deep their reach ran now.
He even tried to steal Shisui's Mangekyō…
And Kaien nearly crushed him for it.
Yet he still wouldn't stop.
"Hmm..."
After some thought, the Third Hokage said,
"Leak the news to Kaien. Let them fight it out."
Homura nodded in agreement.
Even he had noticed Danzō's change—acting more like a warlord than a subordinate.
With the Uchiha growing so powerful, perhaps it's time Danzō learned some humility.
Land of Rice Fields (Tanokuni)
After many days of travel, Itachi and Shisui finally arrived in the Land of Rice Fields.
It was a small country—barely a tenth the size of the Land of Fire.
Its resources were poor, and its military strength was low.
But after wandering the wilderness for days, the Uchiha group only wanted a hot meal and a good rest.
They stopped in a small town.
Their group rented out an entire inn.
The innkeeper, who was nearly bankrupt, was delighted beyond words.
He served the group, fulfilling every request with a smile.
After a day of rest, they had recovered well.
The next morning, Elder Takuya started asking around.
"Has Tanokuni established a new shinobi village recently?"
The innkeeper's eyes lit up.
"Ah, you know about that, huh? Yes—just a few years ago, we started a new village: Otogakure, or the Sound Village.
It's small but quite capable."
"A lot of foreign ninjas joined. Their missions are efficient.
Our daimyō supports them—he even allocated a lot of funds to help them grow."
Before they left, Elder Takuya gathered more intel—location, security, and local rumors.
Once everyone had rested, they moved toward Otogakure.
The Land of Rice Fields was small—they arrived near the village in just two days.
To avoid unnecessary conflict, Itachi left most of their group behind in a nearby town.
Only he and Shisui continued forward.
Otogakure itself looked rather shabby.
It was smaller than the Uchiha compound, and no more than a few hundred people moved through the area.
But once inside, Itachi and Shisui could feel it—many strong chakra signatures were hidden throughout the village.
Several were jōnin-level.
Cautious, they walked to the mission center.
There was only a single reception window—manned by a chubby, middle-aged woman who looked like a civilian.
Shisui stepped up politely.
"Welcome to Otogakure!" she smiled.
"What's your commission?"
"We're looking for someone," Shisui said calmly.
"They should be in this village."
"Oh? Who might that be?"
Just then, a calm voice interrupted.
"They're here for me."
A bespectacled man entered the room, smiling politely.
It was none other than Yakushi Kabuto.
"Please, come with me."
Kabuto greeted the receptionist, then led them toward the back of the village.
Soon, the number of people dwindled.
Eventually, only their footsteps echoed through the narrow trail.
They reached a rocky mountain pass.
"So," Kabuto said with a smile, "What brings the famous Shisui of the Body Flicker—and the young Uchiha heir—to Otogakure?"
As he spoke, several shinobi dropped down from the cliffs.
They bore forehead protectors from various villages—all rogue ninjas gathered by Orochimaru.
Each one exuded the aura of a high-level fighter.
They glared at Itachi and Shisui with clear hostility.
Itachi ignored them and stepped forward.
"You're Yakushi Kabuto. Where is Orochimaru?"
His tone was flat—almost cold. But the shinobi seemed enraged by the lack of respect.
"How dare you speak his name so casually!"
With that, several lunged at the Uchiha duo.
….
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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