"Enma!"
"Transformation ∙ Adamantine Staff!"
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, Enma transformed into a massive iron staff, instantly extending with a sharp whoosh, barreling toward the sky.
*Bang!*
A single punch—clean, fast, and unstoppable.
Uzumaki Sora met the staff head-on, knocking it away effortlessly. The enchanted weapon, once wielded with precision in countless battles, was now nothing more than an annoyance. It clattered off into the wreckage of the Root compound. Hovering in the air atop the towering tree born from his Wood-style, Sora looked down at the Third Hokage again, his expression a mix of pity and derision.
"Fourth Hokage, we won't be able to get close to him like this." Hiruzen said quietly. "Please assist."
Sora, hearing that, couldn't help but laugh internally. So that's what the awkward eye contact earlier had meant. The old man hadn't really changed. He wasn't ready to let go of the Sarutobi clan's influence. He wasn't done protecting Shimura Danzo's legacy. It was all just performance, a final attempt to maintain face.
Maybe only the Fourth Hokage still believed in this show. But once they returned home, they'd all understand—this was nothing more than a carefully staged retreat.
Mr. Zhou had once said: "Politics has been dirty since the day it was born". And Sora believed that now more than ever.
"Third Hokage, your tragic play was well-acted. But I'm not staying for the finale." Sora muttered, glancing toward the distance. "I have to leave. Otherwise, the ramen shop might be collateral damage."
The instant he finished speaking, his body blurred and vanished from sight.
The giant tree still loomed over the ruins like a silent sentinel, but its master was gone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing amid the wreckage, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Fourth... is there really no way to block the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Namikaze Minato looked at his teacher's teacher, his face calm but tinged with weariness.
"The true terror of space-time ninjutsu is its unpredictability." Minato replied. "One can attempt to trap an opponent in a limited range… but if they're set on escaping—nothing can stop them."
The Third Hokage nodded slowly, recalling how even the Second Hokage had needed to risk himself to cover for their retreat in the past. Without that sacrifice, maybe Tobirama might have escaped pursuit.
"From now on," Hiruzen said solemnly, "any intelligence regarding Uzumaki Sora will be given the highest priority."
Only his direct Anbu bowed in acknowledgment.
The Anbu under the Fourth Hokage remained silent, standing still behind Minato, showing where their loyalty now lay.
After a long moment, Minato exhaled and nodded. "Indeed… Uzumaki Sora is too dangerous. His intel should be high-priority, but considering the power gap—this priority may end up being meaningless."
He looked over to the search team that had just arrived and nodded at Yamanaka Inoichi.
"I'll leave it to you. No matter what, Konoha needs the truth. The Kekkei Genkai families deserve it too."
Yamanaka Inoichi bowed respectfully. The task ahead was difficult, but it had to be done.
…
In the Hokage Building, the group that had left the Root compound had reconvened.
Minato sank into his chair, his features fatigued from the weight of the day's events.
"Today's incident…"
Before he could finish, Shisui spoke up.
"No one in the Uchiha clan will hear a word about what happened—except for me and Yuno. As we've always said, Hino died a hero in the Third Great Ninja War. That fact does not change."
Minato gave a tired smile, then replied with conviction, "Now that the Uchiha have you and Yuno, I believe you'll shape a new legacy. When the time is right… the Police Force will be reorganized."
Shisui was stunned for a moment. The Police Force?
So the Fourth already knew the underlying reason the Uchiha were pushed aside. Just as Yun had said—while a naïve man could become Hokage, a Hokage could never remain naïve.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Shisui said softly.
He exchanged a glance with Yun, then sat back down. Nothing else needed to be said.
Kakashi, who had been quietly standing in the corner, finally broke the silence.
"What about Danzo… and my father?"
Minato's expression turned solemn.
"When I looked at the mission scroll in secret… I already knew. Danzo was involved in Sakumo-senpai's death."
He paused, meeting Kakashi's conflicted gaze.
"But Kakashi… I hope you understand. Sometimes, high-level political struggles are full of things that can't see the light of day."
Kakashi clenched his fists. Rage boiled in his chest—but it had nowhere to go.
Mission or comrades. Comrades or mission. He remembered Obito's words. He remembered the unbearable choice. And now, knowing that Danzo and others used those choices to achieve their own ends...
For a moment, Kakashi felt like he couldn't breathe.
Minato watched silently. He didn't need to say more. Kakashi was smart—he would figure it all out soon.
In the end, wasn't Minato himself also a product of high-level compromise? The joy of becoming Hokage had already faded. Since the Third Great Ninja War, the Third Hokage had been forced to abdicate due to the village's enormous losses.
The most logical successor then… would have been Konoha's White Fang.
…
Night fell quietly over the village.
Only Minato and Kakashi remained in the Hokage office.
Minato looked out the window, speaking without turning his head.
"As the Third Hokage said earlier… perhaps we've all failed to trust the next generation."
He turned to Kakashi, eyes gentle.
"Value your comrades. Cherish teamwork. Remember what Obito told you. You'll find the meaning of those words in the next generation."
"Kakashi… I was lost when I first became Hokage. After walking through the darkness… I desperately sought the light. And that light…"
He paused, placing a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.
"Is you. All of you. The next generation."
…
Atop the Hokage Monument, Shisui and Yun sat on the carved head of the Third Hokage, legs dangling off the edge as the wind blew softly.
"With Danzo dead, the Uchiha finally have more room to breathe." Shisui said with a faint smile. But in the distance, the massive tree rising from the Root ruins made his expression waver.
"Hino…"
Yun followed his gaze and nodded. "That clansman of ours—he looked like me, even though we never met—but he died so quickly… all for Uchiha and Konoha."
Shisui turned toward him.
"I know Uncle Tesho and the others raised you and your siblings. You don't blame me for killing Hino, do you?"
Yun shook his head.
"He wouldn't have wanted to live like that. If Uncle Tesho saw what he had become... he'd understand."
Yun paused, then asked, "Danzo wasn't the only one who inherited the Second Hokage's will. Why did you step in back there? Why block him?"
"The Fourth Hokage underestimated it. That kind of power—it wouldn't have changed the trajectory of Sora's sword. Mitokado Homura's death… would have been a good outcome for Uchiha."
Shisui shook his head. "No. If I hadn't acted, the Fourth would have used the Flying Thunder God Technique to stop it. But that would've put him face-to-face with Sora."
Yun was taken aback. "He'd really try?"
Shisui looked down at the still-lit Hokage Building.
"There's a difference between being injured and being killed. If the Fourth had stepped in and still failed, it wouldn't just be a wound. It would shake the dignity of the Hokage—and of Konoha itself. Sora was always going to leave. No one could stop him. That's the strength of someone walking alone."
*****
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