bigabreads Chapter 84 The Third Hokage, waiting to be defended
Chapter 84 The Third Hokage, waiting to be defended
The lights in the Hokage Building remained bright even in the night. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, ate a few bites of dinner hastily before heading back to his office to work on documents—he really hadn't had much of an appetite lately.
He sighed. The Hokage's workload was still heavy, but what exhausted him more than his physical fatigue was the troublesome matter concerning the Uchiha clan.
Not long ago, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, members of Konoha's Anbu, brought unsettling news: someone within the Uchiha clan was planning to use the close relationship between Sasuke and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to lure Naruto to the Uchiha clan's territory, attempting to control the Nine-Tails and launch a coup.
Although it was still in the planning stage, the news had already kept the Third Hokage awake at night. Through his telescope technique, he witnessed firsthand the deepening bond between Naruto and Sasuke.
If we forcibly separate them now... that child who finally developed a sense of belonging to Konoha will probably turn back into the lonely "demon fox" he used to be.
Just as he was caught in a dilemma, Shisui made a surprising suggestion—he revealed his Mangekyou Sharingan's eye technique "Kotoamatsukami," the strongest genjutsu that can silently change the will of others.
To subtly change one's will...?
The Third Hokage could hardly believe his ears. He knew all too well what this ability meant. But in the end, his indecisive nature prevailed.
He convinced himself by saying that "Shisui is a descendant of Uchiha Kagami" and agreed to Shisui's plan, allowing him to revise the hawks' will at the clan meeting.
However...
On the day of the operation, Shisui mysteriously disappeared. He was nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead. The Third Hokage had a vague idea of what was going on—his old friend, Shimura Danzo, had probably already made his move against Shisui.
How should the treasury be dealt with?
The Third Hokage was caught in a deep dilemma. Konoha couldn't be without its "roots," and even though Danzo had plotted to assassinate him, he ultimately chose to forgive him...
The Third Hokage pushed open the office door, but what he saw instantly made him tense. In the dimly lit room, the Hokage chair, which should have been empty, was now occupied by a chilling figure.
"You're back, Third Hokage."
The hoarse voice sounded particularly jarring in the darkness. By the moonlight filtering through the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi could make out the distinctive attire—a long, black robe and a strange fox mask.
The leader of [Jin]... Menma!
The man before me, who once single-handedly defeated the Cloud Village delegation and severely injured the Fourth Raikage to the brink of death, is a terrifying figure with the power to destroy the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
Of course, this is just a shadow clone.
"Lord Menma..." The Third Hokage's voice remained remarkably calm, "I believe Konoha has not had any diplomatic dealings with your organization recently. If a messenger were sent in advance to inform you, Konoha would be happy to receive [Jin] on a formal visit."
Although the words were polite, the subtext was all too clear—did you come here as a guest or as an intruder?
Mianma suddenly chuckled. "Don't be nervous, old man." He casually flicked his wrist. "I'm not the kind of madman who indiscriminately kills innocent people. I'm here... to help you out."
"help?"
"The commotion your old friend caused..." Menma tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips, "was a bit too much. Thanks to him, the Uchiha clan... was wiped out tonight. Since you can't bear to see it happen, then I'll help you cut off the root of Konoha's decay."
The third generation's body visibly stiffened for a moment.
"I can explain everything to you here...but on one condition—you're not allowed to go anywhere. Until it's all over..."
A cruel smile curled at the corners of his mouth beneath the mask.
"...then you can go and collect your old friend's body."
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Menma walked slowly along the forest path, moonlight filtering through the leaves and dappling the glass jar in his hand. Inside, a pair of scarlet Mangekyou Sharingan eyes floated in the nutrient solution.
This thing... I'm so glad Shisui reminded me.
He gently shook the jar, his eyes slowly moving in response. If it weren't for Shisui's suggestion, he might have truly overlooked this detail—Uchiha Itachi, if she knew that Fugaku hadn't perished under Amaterasu, might worry that her father's Mangekyou Sharingan could become a variable in the plan, and thus turn back to silence him.
Just to be on the safe side...
Menma had already used her Gold Experience ability to reshape Fugaku's eyes into ordinary ones. After that, she would warn Itachi Uchiha, and he probably wouldn't harm his parents anymore.
A night breeze rustled the leaves. Mianma's thoughts drifted to distant places.
Actually... letting Itachi's plan continue would be more advantageous to me.
If he were to kill the Uchiha hawks directly under the identity of "Menma," there would be only two possible outcomes—either Satsuki would hate him to the core for his identity, or the entire Uchiha clan would be branded as "traitors."
Since Itachi Uchiha is determined to carry out the plan to exterminate the clan... you'll have to take the blame for this.
Fortunately, the [Jin] organization is currently lacking reliable combat power. The Uchiha clan members who were rescued, whether out of gratitude or disappointment with Konoha, are highly likely to become fresh blood for the organization. Shisui, as a genius of the Uchiha clan and a former member of the Hokage's direct ANBU, wields considerable influence within the clan. With him stepping in to appease them, persuading clan members to join shouldn't be difficult.
Hopefully, Shisui can keep them calm...
Mianma stopped and looked up at the night sky. The stars twinkled, and the moonlight was like water.
I'm sorry, Chief Fugaku... I'll borrow these eyes for now.
I will achieve true peace... So, Satsuki's childhood, which should have been lonely...
I'm asking you to keep her company.
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(Sorry... I only updated once this morning, and three times this afternoon. I'm too sleepy to write anymore tonight.)