Southwest of the Hidden Leaf Village.
This border of the Leaf Forest is also the Nara clan's domain. Since the Warring States era, the Nara have been famed for their secret medicines; their inherited prescriptions outstrip even the Leaf's Medical Corps stores. Because they run their own herb trade and raise deer, they settled by the forest at the village's founding, choosing a secluded site.
At the very center of Nara territory stands the residence of the current clan head, Nara Shikatsune. It's a classic wooden house with a ground-floor corridor circling it; passing breezes carry off the heat and bring cool air. Sarutobi Hiruzen feels none of that coolness. Going to sign a treaty only to be ambushed is one thing; returning to a village flooded with rumor is another.
Before Hiruzen is a board on the floor. The pieces representing his side have been routed. The Nara are fine in every way except this: they insist on talking while playing shogi. Play all you like—who can beat you?
At least the shogi doesn't blunt Shikatsune's thinking.
"You're saying the rumors against me were being spread on purpose before I even got back?" Hiruzen frowned, pinched a piece, pretended to think, then dropped it at random. It was captured at once. He isn't bad at shogi—on good days he can even beat Shikatsune—but his mind is chaos now. With the Hokage seat suddenly void, he has no leisure to spar on a board. He moved another piece illegally; Shikatsune didn't care that Hiruzen was playing sloppily, and showed no mercy. After a brief think he played again—but not to take the baited piece.
"That's right. They likely had agents in Lightning Country too. Based on your timeline, the very day you were attacked in the Hidden Cloud, small, half-credible rumors began circulating here. Across the shinobi world, only summoning can move news that fast.
"Honestly, when word first spread that the Hokage might have fallen, I didn't take it seriously. I even thought it was enemy spies trying to stir trouble. Since the Hokage formed the Anbu and Police as twin safeguards, clumsy spies don't succeed. I didn't expect—"
Hiruzen's frown deepened. This was targeted at him, with pre-laid lines reaching into Lightning. "Have you found who's spreading them? Even a rough circle? You know as well as I do: the goal of such careful plotting is the Third Hokage's seat. Aside from the Uchiha, I can't think of anyone who'd compete with me for it."
Shikatsune plucked and dropped a piece, casually taking another of Hiruzen's. Barely any Sarutobi pieces remained, but Hiruzen, lost in thought, kept nudging the board with his right hand.
"Check." Shikatsune's voice snapped him back. Startled, Hiruzen saw he'd already lost. Then Shikatsune added, "No need to trace it. Wait a few days and see who jumps into the Hokage race. You'll have your answer. The Second is sensitive to this subject; if they don't want to be targeted like the Uchiha, they won't be foolish enough to show their intent early. Most likely they took advantage of the rare time Lord Tobirama left the village. His sudden death was probably not in their plan. They shifted from seeding vague talk to revealing their aim outright—smearing you and Danzō—midstream. Quick on their feet. Even I might not pivot that well."
"We don't have time to admire an opponent," Hiruzen said, rubbing his brow. "We're in the open; they're in the dark. If we wait until the trust vote to move, it'll be too late."
"Heh. If you ignore motive and look only at strength and reach, there are only a few in the village who can challenge you and stage a layout on this scale. First off, cross off the Uchiha. They don't use such complicated means…" Shikatsune chuckled. "Know this, Hiruzen: after today's assembly, Uchiha Aoba publicly said they'll nominate their clan head for the Third. How many votes do you think they'll get? If only their own clan votes for them, wouldn't that be awkward?"
"The Uchiha…" The name alone gave Hiruzen a headache. Uchiha Kagami was born Uchiha, but truly inherited the Will of Fire—even Danzō admits it. Hiruzen could never have set Kagami up, as the rumors claim.
His mind went back to the day of the attack. After the Cloud's hunters caught up—though Lord Tobirama drew off the Gold and Silver Brothers—the rest of Kinkaku's unit still pressed them hard. Unfamiliar with Lightning's terrain, they were soon run down again. In that moment Kagami proposed to stay behind alone and revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan. He said it was the eye Uchiha Madara once possessed. Hiruzen had even regretted not standing and fighting with the teacher from the start, if only he'd known…
He pulled himself back. This wasn't the time for sentiment. Kagami and Lord Tobirama hadn't made it back; both were lost on that Cloud mission. Hiruzen had to face the crisis before him.
He looked up at the man across from him. "Shikatsune, I think we must…"