Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, dressed in his red and white official robes, stood with a deep frown, gazing out the window.
"How are things on Itachi's end?"
"Everything is proceeding according to plan."
In the office, Danzo leaned on his cane, staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a look of dissatisfaction.
"Hmph!"
"If you had done as I said from the beginning and made a preemptive strike, there wouldn't be so much trouble. The Uchiha are a time bomb in the village. Every extra day they remain is a disaster waiting to happen!"
"Everything I do is for the good of the village," Danzo's tone was filled with contempt and resentment. As he looked at the Third's aging back, a trace of jealousy flashed in his eyes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi... he's old now. He's long since lost the spirit he had as the God of Shinobi. The position of Hokage... it should have been mine.
The other two elders of the council had already gone out to arrange the various preparations. The ANBU, the Hokage's personal guard, and Danzo's own Root... these forces had already laid an inescapable net. Even if the Uchiha clan had a god descend from the heavens, an army of Kage-level powerhouses, they would be trapped and destroyed here.
...
From time to time, ANBU members would flash across the village rooftops. Hatake Kusuo watched the figures passing overhead with a thoughtful expression.
For the past several days, he had been quietly practicing his swordsmanship. Unlocking Total Concentration: Constant had given him enough ability to protect himself. Even if he were targeted by someone with ill intentions, he could now safely retreat without any problem.
Therefore, Kusuo was paying extra close attention to the situation in the village. The relationship between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha clan had become increasingly tense, thick with the smell of gunpowder.
"I wonder how many days are left. The atmosphere is about to explode; things are becoming more and more delicate..."
If nothing else, the frequent blockades by the ANBU and the complete surveillance of the Uchiha clan members made one thing clear: Konoha's higher-ups were impatient to make their move on the Uchiha.
"Kusuo?"
A gentle hand waved in front of Kusuo's face.
"What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" Hinata asked with concern, her pure white eyes reflecting his face.
"It's nothing," Kusuo said, shaking his head. These matters were top secret, destined to be sealed away in the archives forever. Hinata was too pure right now; it wasn't suitable for her to be exposed to such things. The political waters of Konoha ran too deep.
Moreover, Kusuo knew full well that the Uchiha clan was a deep abyss. Anyone who got entangled with them would very likely suffer for it. If you don't have the destiny of a protagonist, you shouldn't foolishly get involved with them like Naruto did.
Patting Hinata's cute head, Kusuo led her into a bookstore.
Today was a day off from the academy, and even Hinata's father had rarely given her a break. Through a tacit understanding, the two had "coincidentally" left their homes and "coincidentally" run into each other.
"Watch where you're going!"
"You dare block my path? Believe it or not, I'll cut you down with my sword!"
"Don't you know I'm an Uchiha?"
An arrogant, bullying voice came from a street corner. A young man with the Uchiha clan's fan crest on his back was pushing and shoving another person wearing a mask.
Those who wore masks were either ANBU or Root. To enter either organization, one had to be a ninja of some talent, either with outstanding strength or exceptional skill. Yet the young Uchiha clansman before them seemed completely unfazed, his eyes wide as he continued to curse and swear, his hands not staying clean.
"Kusuo, that guy is so obnoxious!" Hinata had grown up under the protection of the Hyuga clan, usually surrounded by guards, and was rarely bullied. Seeing someone treat another person so unreasonably, she felt an instinctual disgust.
Kusuo watched it all with cold eyes. It was easy to deduce what had happened. The ninja on a mission had probably bumped into the Uchiha clansman while in a hurry and had promptly apologized, but the other party refused to let it go.
"Heh, it seems what I saw in the original story wasn't wrong. The Uchiha really are a bit too arrogant."
When he had first learned of this part of the story in his previous life, Kusuo had always been puzzled. If the Uchiha were truly all law-abiding, peaceful citizens, how could Itachi have possibly gone through with it? For the sake of a so-called "false peace"?
Now, it seemed the Uchiha might truly bear a blame they couldn't escape. Such blatant arrogance... even someone directly from the Hokage's lineage wouldn't dare to act so openly.
"Let's go. There's nothing to see here. It will all be over soon."
With that, he was about to pull Hinata away to find another place for their date.
Suddenly, another masked figure descended from the sky. His movements were swift and agile. When he took off his mask, the Uchiha who had been shouting the loudest just moments before immediately deflated, falling silent and not daring to make another peep.
After forcing his clansman to apologize repeatedly to the other ninja, Itachi Uchiha glanced towards the spot where Kusuo had just been, then disappeared with a Body Flicker.
Kusuo was leading Hinata forward when Itachi flashed before them, leaning against a wall as if he had been waiting.
"Hinata, you go on ahead to the bookstore and read for a bit. I have some business to take care of here."
Hinata looked at Itachi with a start, her heart filled with surprise. Kusuo really is amazing, she thought. Even someone as incredible as Itachi is waiting for him specifically! Thinking that they must have something important to discuss, she nodded obediently and went into the bookstore alone.
"Alright, spit it out. What do you want?" Once Hinata was inside, Kusuo walked up to Itachi and got straight to the point.
Itachi toyed with the mask in his hand. "Did you see that conflict just now?"
"You mean the squabble on the street corner? Of course, I saw it." Kusuo didn't understand what Itachi was trying to express. He hadn't seen him for some time since their last fight.
"Kusuo, tell me... a clan like this... is its very existence a mistake?"
"Shallow, ignorant, and arrogant. For the village, is such a family a cancer growing in the shadows, or a fleeting flame in the light?" Itachi looked up at the sky, as if muttering to himself, yet also as if asking Kusuo.
Kusuo had no patience for Itachi's talk about the meaning of life. He couldn't be bothered to figure out if the man before him had been brainwashed by the so-called "Will of Fire."
Besides... Itachi was asking him for advice? What a joke. To be blunt, Kusuo didn't care about any of it. More importantly, he was worried about what would happen if he actually gave Itachi advice. Then he, this tiny butterfly flapping its wings, might completely alter the course of the entire world.
"Life is a one-way journey; what's past is past, and what's missed can't be reclaimed. Besides, the world is full of troubles. A great man shouldn't act with such indecision. The sword in your hand is enough."
Kusuo gripped the sword in his own hand, speaking as much to himself as to Itachi:
"The sword in my hand... is enough!"
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