The Third Hokage still hadn't been buried.
Konoha's shinobi—exhausted, wrapped in fresh bandages, still smelling of dust and smoke—hadn't even had time to prepare his funeral. The village that once felt peaceful now felt frighteningly mortal.
For the first time in years, shinobi who had grown numb under peace realized something terrifying:
Death and war were right beside them.
Hidan stepped closer to the crystal coffin.
The old man lay quietly inside—peaceful, dignified, burdened by a lifetime of responsibilities. And even someone like Hidan felt something stir in his chest.
Because despite everything, the old man had treated him kindly.
And Hidan wasn't blind—he could feel genuine goodwill when he saw it.
But the flicker in his heart vanished just as quickly.
This world had one rule:
Power decides everything.
If the Third Hokage had possessed overwhelming strength, no scheme, no plot, no traitor could have touched him.
Hidan knew better than anyone:
In this world, when someone's power reached far enough, even death wasn't final.
Resurrection, immortality—those weren't legends.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was walking proof.
His conviction hardened again.
Strength is the only real pursuit.
With strength, you have everything.
Kakashi stepped beside him, his voice low, eyes full of grief and conflict.
"Hidan… the funeral will be tomorrow."
"I know," Hidan replied quietly.
Kakashi hesitated.
"About Sunagakure and the Sound Village… I'm not letting this slide."
Hidan's eyes sharpened.
"Good. Someone needs to pay. I'm going to avenge the Third Hokage."
"Don't be reckless!" Kakashi snapped.
"This whole attack was full of conspiracy. Orochimaru was involved. If you act alone, you'll drag Konoha into war with two villages at once!"
But Hidan didn't waver.
"I've already confirmed it. The Sound Village is Orochimaru's creation. He used Sunagakure to launch the attack. And for his own reasons, he killed the Fourth Kazekage and replaced him."
There was truth mixed with lies—just enough that it sounded real.
Hidan's pupils twisted into a scarlet, spiraling pattern.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed.
"Genjutsu."
Kakashi's consciousness was dragged into a world of crimson.
Inside the illusion, Hidan interrogated captured Sound-nin and Sand-nin.
Under his powerful Genjutsu's absolute control, they all gave the exact same testimony Hidan wanted Kakashi to hear.
And when their answers aligned perfectly—
Hidan butchered every one of them in that illusion world, walking out of a lake of blood with cold certainty.
The illusion snapped.
Hidan's eyes faded back to their calm, lilac hue—unreadable and ancient.
Kakashi staggered, his breathing uneven.
"…Is that true?"
The grief from Hiruzen's death left Kakashi's usually sharp judgment fogged.
And Hidan, who had never harmed Konoha... seemed trustworthy.
"…We should wait for the new Hokage before making any decisions," Kakashi added, still trying to restrain him.
"I don't want you going after two villages alone."
If only he knew…
With Hidan's current power, fighting both villages wasn't impossible.
His only real limitation was chakra.
He wasn't like Edo Tensei Madara with infinite reserves.
Hidan could still tire.
He could still run low on chakra.
Even the legendary Third Raikage—who fought like a one-man army—was eventually overwhelmed by numbers.
But Hidan had one massive advantage:
Kamui.
He could escape any corner.
Any battlefield.
Any trap.
And his personal dimension—one no one else could enter—made him virtually untouchable.
"No matter who becomes Hokage," Hidan said coldly, "my stance won't change."
He turned and walked away, his next destination already set:
Root.
Shimura Danzo.
There was no way Orochimaru had staged this without Danzo being involved.
Danzo had always hoped Hiruzen would step down.
Cooperating with Orochimaru was practically expected.
But Hidan wasn't going there for revenge.
He needed something else:
A voice with political weight.
Someone whose testimony could ignite the village.
Someone who could justify war.
Danzo fit perfectly.
If Danzo "revealed" the truth behind the Third Hokage's death, the entire village's rage would ignite.
War with Sunagakure and Otogakure would become inevitable.
Even if Naruto brought back Tsunade, it wouldn't matter...the flames of war would already be burning too hot to stop.
And with Sunagakure's entire invasion force annihilated—except for Gaara and his siblings, whom Hidan had intentionally spared—
Chiyo's hatred was guaranteed.
Sunagakure's power had been declining for years.
They would seek allies.
And who better than Kirigakure?
After all, Mist ANBU had once sent Ao and Zabuza to target Kakashi's team.
And Hidan hadn't even bothered hiding that incident.
A light investigation would reveal everything.
Sunagakure would not fight alone.
Their decline was obvious—the Fourth Kazekage had even turned his own son into a weapon just to boost the village's military strength.
He mistrusted Konoha so much that he joined Orochimaru—only to die by Orochimaru's hand.
Pathetic.
Hidan had already begun planning for the inevitable war.
And perhaps…
it was time for his Edo Tensei army to make its debut.
Commanding a battlefield from the shadows—
That feeling might not be so bad.
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