A few days later, in the mine...
Hiruzen Sarutobi mined numbly, appearing utterly solitary, with no one close to him anymore.
Even the members of the Sarutobi Clan held no goodwill toward this old former patriarch.
After all, if not for the mess he had caused, how could they have ended up in such a state?
Clearly.
They had long forgotten that if not for Hiruzen Sarutobi, they wouldn't have lived so comfortably all these years.
But, it was only natural!
This is the peculiarity of human nature.
A small favor breeds gratitude, but a large one breeds resentment!
Back when Hiruzen Sarutobi held a high position, those clansmen tried every means to curry favor with him daily; but now that he had completely fallen from grace, everyone instantly began to kick him while he was down, their hearts filled with nothing but blame and hatred for him.
"You old fossil, it's all your fault!"
"If it weren't for your mess, we wouldn't have all become miners!"
"I'll beat you to death!"
A Sarutobi clansman couldn't restrain himself and rushed forward, brandishing a shovel.
And to this...
Hiruzen Sarutobi acted as if he hadn't seen it, letting the shovel shatter his head.
However, a moment later...
Due to the nature of the Edo Tensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi restored to his original state once again.
But the current Hiruzen Sarutobi had only emptiness and numbness in his eyes; he didn't pay any mind to the clansman who struck him, instead silently walking toward the deepest part of the mine.
Clearly.
Having long seen through everything, he had long since fallen into despair regarding it all.
"Sarutobi Okuma, stop!"
"Disobeying mine regulations, an additional hundred days of sentence!"
A certain Uchiha patrolling the pit immediately issued a punishment upon seeing the scene.
And to this...
Sarutobi Okuma's expression turned ugly.
But looking at the Uchiha Clan crest on the newcomer, his face instantly became particularly grim, while the others simply scattered in a hurry upon seeing the situation.
There was no other way!
They had long since lost the arrogance of being the Hokage's clan, and they no longer felt the disdain they once had for the Uchiha; in its place was timidity, fear, dread, and a slight hint of fawning and flattery.
"Yes, I was wrong!"
"I am willing to accept the punishment, I have no objections."
"I am willing to make the most profound self-reflection, but as for that old thing Hiruzen Sarutobi, I truly wish I could just kill him!"
"I've never seen such a wicked person in my life. For a guy like him who harmed the Village, ever since I joined the labor reform team, I've completely seen through that old man's hypocrisy and loathsomeness."
"..."
Although Sarutobi Okuma was trembling all over, his attitude was quite respectful.
His eyes darted around as he immediately apologized sincerely, even beginning to perform a self-reflection on the spot.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
The Uchiha squad leader on patrol looked at the respectful Sarutobi clansman before him, and a faint smile couldn't help but appear at the corner of his mouth.
At this moment, his heart was filled with satisfaction!
After all, when the Sarutobi Clan used to see the Uchiha, their eyes held only provocation, disdain, and mockery; but now they were fawning over him like this, which naturally filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
Yes!
Despite being just an Uchiha civilian with no talent as a Ninja who previously had to avoid the Sarutobi Clan, he now actually held the power of life and death over them.
This feeling was truly wonderful!
Therefore...
Feeling particularly pleased by the flattery, he immediately patted Sarutobi Okuma on the shoulder: "You're a good lad, your self-reflection is very profound. I'll reward you with 2 points."
Of course.
This was the maximum extent of the power this Uchiha civilian possessed.
Upon hearing these words, Sarutobi Okuma was overcome with excitement.
He clearly hadn't expected that this proactive self-reflection would earn him 2 points, causing him to immediately kneel and kowtow.
"Thank you, milord!"
"Mm, keep up the hard work!"
Facing Sarutobi Okuma's tactfulness, the Uchiha civilian nodded.
Immediately following that.
With a wave of his hand, he set off to patrol other areas... Meanwhile, on the other side.
Although Hiruzen Sarutobi had already walked far away, he had seen the ugly faces of his own clansmen clearly.
Sigh!
After a helpless sigh, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, his face filled with bitterness.
Because he knew that the Sarutobi Clan was finished!
After all, the Sarutobi Clan had no Bloodline Limit nor any secret techniques unique to the family, so the family was formed based on two things.
One was the summoning scroll of the Enma Clan, and the other was Ninjutsu accumulated through resources, creating a community of interests gathered by bloodline.
But what about now?
Because of Uchiha Jin's methods, the family's community of interests had been dismantled. Now that clansmen were starting to suck up to the Uchiha, he couldn't imagine what the situation would be like in a few more years.
Would there be family elders who also chose to kneel and hand over the contract scroll for the family's summoning beast, Enma?
The probability of this was actually quite high!
And with a clan torn to pieces and the family summoning scroll handed over, how far could the Sarutobi Clan be from total collapse?
The Utatane, Mitokado, and Shimura clans were actually in similar positions; because of these people's short-sightedness, in just a few days, those old friends of his had already broken away from their clansmen to seek a way out for their own families.
It could almost be said that Hiruzen Sarutobi's ironclad allies—except for Danzo, who was like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—had all surrendered in these few short days, dismantled into a disorganized mess by Uchiha Jin.
So—what about himself?
He, who had originally wanted to bide his time silently, attempting to leave a way out for the Sarutobi Clan, felt his gaze turn determined after long consideration.
"I can't wait any longer!"
"Uchiha Jin's methods are too ruthless; the Sarutobi Clan has lost all opportunities."
"Though I'm unwilling, the situation can no longer be changed!"
"Asuma wasn't involved in my mess, and he has good relations with many people in the Village; it seems he actually has some friendship with Kakashi as well..."
"Then can the final foundation I have left in my hands secure a way out for Asuma?"
"The possibility is not small!"
"And Shinnosuke's child is still young. If I can use this to clear Asuma and Konohamaru of their crimes, they might lose the support of the clan, but they could live very well by relying on the foundation I've left behind."
"As long as they can forget their hatred and live well in the future, they might even become a small clan after a few generations of branching out."
"This—is enough!"
"The current Sarutobi Clan is already ruined, so I can only fight for my family."
"However, I mustn't rush!"
"The people in this mine cannot be trusted, so I need to wait."
"Wait for an opportunity, an opportunity to see Tsunade!"