The Third Hokage's eyebrows lifted slightly, his gaze sweeping over Mikami with renewed interest. The boy's words carried an unsettling weight—as if he possessed knowledge he shouldn't, as if he had personally witnessed Uchiha Madara's Susanoo.
This is… intriguing.
Seeing Mikami's detached expression, the Third sighed inwardly. It wasn't surprising, really. For a descendant of the Uchiha to be unaware of Madara would be far stranger.
"Old man," Mikami's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and impatient. "You haven't answered my question."
The Third realized his mind had drifted. Before him, Mikami's Susanoo hummed with power, its skeletal structure faintly visible, the tip of a spectral rib aimed squarely in his direction.
Annoying, Mikami thought, irritation flaring. I've got a Susanoo pointed at your head, and you're still daydreaming.
"Mikami," the Third began, his tone shifting unexpectedly. "Even if I offered you the title of Hokage… would you accept it?"
The question was so abrupt that Mikami's focus wavered for a split second. His defenses loosened, leaving an opening—a fatal one, had the Third chosen to strike.
Mikami stared, momentarily thrown. Then, without hesitation, his reply came, cold and absolute. "No. I have no interest in that title. Save your breath."
The title of Hokage represented the pinnacle of honor and strength in a village. To most, it was the ultimate aspiration, a position revered across the shinobi world.
But to Mikami, such glory meant nothing. The tedious ambition of ruling a village, of bearing the weight of the world's expectations—he wanted no part of it.
His goal was both simple and absolute: to stand above all living beings in this world.
In other words, Mikami sought invincibility itself.
As for who wore the hat—let whoever wanted it take it. He wouldn't lose sleep over it.
---
"As I thought."
A flicker of understanding passed through the Third's eyes, though no surprise showed. The saying was true: the sky was vast for a bird meant to soar. The stage of Konoha was too small to contain wings meant for greater heights.
"Do you know… what the Will of Fire is?" The worry in his heart eased slightly as he asked, his gaze turning distant, his words laden with unspoken meaning.
"That's none of my concern."
Mikami dismissed the question outright, his tone flat. Seeing the Third meant no immediate threat, he allowed the Susanoo's skeletal frame to dissolve into shimmering chakra dust. His blunt reply nearly made the old Hokage cough blood.
The Third smiled wryly, chiding himself for his own foolish sentimentality. Of course. If he has no interest in the title, why would he care for the legacy behind it?
Yet this only deepened his quiet concern. Mikami's words made it clear—he felt no inherent loyalty to Konoha. Should life in the village ever bore him, he would leave without a second glance. And if provoked… turning his power against the Leaf was not unthinkable.
I've really grown sentimental in my old age.
After a moment of reflection, a self-deprecating smile touched his lips. The Third shook his head. Konoha was currently besieged by four great ninja villages. Whether the Leaf would even survive the coming storm was the pressing question—speculating about Mikami's distant loyalties was a luxury he couldn't afford.
"The situation on the front lines is dire. They could collapse at any moment. Facing the combined force of four villages… even the 'First Shinobi Village' is walking on thin ice."
His voice grew heavy, thick with a frustration he seldom showed. This was no exaggeration—in truth, Konoha's plight was far worse than his words suggested.
---
Konoha's strength was considerable, yes. But against a coordinated assault from four nations, their position was precarious from the start. The moment this war began, the outcome was already leaning toward a single, grim conclusion:
Konoha would be defeated. Utterly.
"Old man, let's not play games. Even if the front lines truly crumble, you have a plan to save Konoha. A last resort."
Ignoring the Third's lament, Mikami saw through the veneer. The Third was cunning as a fox. Even if the armies of the four nations were at Konoha's gates, the old man wouldn't tremble.
The First Hokage had left behind more than just a legacy—he had left tools. Konoha held not only the Nine-Tails, but also the preserved genetic material of countless past heroes. Among them… the DNA of the First and Second Hokages themselves.
---
"What… what do you mean, Mikami?" The Third's eyes clouded with genuine confusion this time. He truly didn't follow.
"Old fox," Mikami muttered under his breath, then chose silence.
Konoha's forbidden technique—Edo Tensei—was created precisely for such an eventuality. Should the village face annihilation, the strong of the past could be revived. Figures like Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju would undoubtedly fight for Konoha once more.
Therefore, even in total defeat, destroying Konoha would be nearly impossible—unless one possessed the power to crush the reincarnated First Hokage himself.
"Human nature truly is elusive…"
Mikami's whisper was tinged with a strange, weary emotion. Though the Third might publicly condemn the Impure World Reincarnation, if Konoha's existence hung in the balance… all his lofty principles would shatter. He would resurrect the founders without a second thought.
The flesh and blood of the First and Second were preserved by special means. In that sense… Mikami had already said everything that needed to be said.