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Konoha.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, clenched his pipe. Lately, he had been restless, but upon receiving an urgent report, his furrowed brow showed a rare hint of relief.
"Tsunade, it seems you still care deeply for Konoha."
The report stated that Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, had taken the mantle of an envoy from the Land of Fire to the Land of Water.
Knowing Tsunade's decisive nature, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't displeased but rather showed a relieved smile and nodded.
"This indeed fits your character. I hope this mission to the Land of Water brings peace, and Shinzo, I hope you return safely."
As if bolstered by this good news, Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, seemingly feeling that his son, Shinzo, would soon return.
However, at this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know that his son, Shinzo, was indeed on his way back, but he was bringing news that was both joyful and sorrowful.
Currently, the friction between Konoha and the Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Whirlpools, though not extensive, was still a clash between two major nations, equating to a small-scale war for these powers.
…
Land of Water
At a banquet hosted by the Daimyo of the Land of Water, the majestic and elegant Tsunade shone brilliantly, almost overshadowing everyone else. However, the moment she entered her luxurious residence after the banquet, the noble grace on her face disappeared instantly, leaving only a cold glint in her eyes.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Shizune, sensing the change in atmosphere, nervously inquired. However, Tsunade responded indifferently, "Shizune, stay outside the house."
"Yes!"
Though unaware of what was happening, Shizune, as Tsunade's assistant and a ninja, had long been accustomed to following orders.
After Shizune left, Tsunade looked dispassionately towards the window and said, "Come out."
A figure slowly emerged, a Mist ninja from the envoy sent by Kirigakure to the banquet.
As the figure entered, Shizune outside heard the noise. Tsunade calmly ordered, "Shizune, go downstairs and keep watch. No one is allowed to enter."
"Yes!"
After Shizune's footsteps faded, the Mist ninja slowly removed his mask, revealing his true identity - Terumi Mei, previously seen in the Land of Whirlpools.
"Your Konoha conspiracy!"
Terumi Mei's green eyes were filled with frost as she spoke through gritted teeth. Tsunade remained silent, inwardly cursing the elders in her village.
Unbelievable! The audacity of those elders.
"On the way here, Ao's Byakugan saw it clearly. The Fourth Mizukage Yagura had three types of chakra - his own, the Tailed Beast's, and another type."
Facing Terumi Mei's questioning, Tsunade, representing Konoha, was almost certain but would not naively admit anything.
Tsunade scoffed, "How would I know what the third type of chakra is? As for that kid's claim about the Sharingan, pfft! Who would believe such nonsense?"
"Do you have any evidence that the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure was manipulated by the Sharingan? Besides, if the Uchiha clan in Konoha had such a Sharingan, the Nine-Tails' incident would not have happened. Moreover!"
At this point, Tsunade coldly accused, "I suspect that it's your Kirigakure who secretly stole our Sharingan for your secret research. After all, you've already obtained the Byakugan, haven't you!"
"You!"
Faced with the mature and peak Tsunade, the young Terumi Mei was clearly no match, staring back in anger.
Politics has no bottom line. As long as I don't admit it, what can you do?
Both were representing their respective positions, not personal interests.
Terumi Mei took a deep breath, calmed down, and with a cold laugh, slowly took out a scroll from her bosom.
"Lady Tsunade, this is a letter from our Mizukage, and about the Sharingan matter, I didn't say anything."
The final words of Terumi Mei made Tsunade understand their meaning.
Opening the scroll and seeing the letter from the oldest master in the Mist Village, Tsunade's pupils constricted, but her expression remained unchanged as she calmly put away the scroll.
"I will convey your intentions to the village. As for what to do, that's your business now."
As Tsunade looked on, Terumi Mei fell silent at this moment. She really hadn't expected her own village to be manipulated under someone else's conspiracy. The Mist Village, one of the five great ninja villages, was actually being controlled, and they even had reason to suspect that this had started during the time of the Third Mizukage.
After all, the policy of the "Blood Mist" and the escalating policies against Kekkei Genkai ninja were evidence of this.
"If it's true as he said, the old folks in Konoha are plotting something big, probably affecting the entire ninja world."
Terumi Mei's final words represented her personal opinion. Afterward, she silently transformed into a puddle of water.
A water clone! As the opponent disappeared, Tsunade, now alone in the luxurious palace, no longer hid her emotions, smashing the stone table with a furious punch.
"Damn those old fools, aren't they afraid of biting off more than they can chew!"
Tsunade wasn't opposed to such bold ambition, but she was angry about the current strength of Konoha. Even if Konoha had the strength of the Second Great Ninja War, she could accept such a scheme.
But the current state of Konoha was riddled with weaknesses. Not to mention the failure of the plan, if the plan were to be leaked, Konoha might not withstand the backlash.
"Danzo and the Third Hokage are being reckless."
Rubbing her temples with slender fingers painted with red nail polish, Tsunade felt a tremendous headache.
Terumi Mei did not inform the village master about the Sharingan matter, so the Mist Village only knew that the Mizukage was being manipulated.
The master's letter was straightforward, simply telling Tsunade that there was a faction in the Land of Water discontent with the Mizukage's regime, seeking a refuge outside their country as a signal for a counterattack.
It gave the impression of betraying their village's interests and was passed on to Tsunade to inform Konoha, suggesting they could settle in the Land of Whirlpools without affecting Konoha's interests.
"That means the Mist Village only knows about the Mizukage being controlled, but now the Fourth Mizukage has a lot of power and they need to gather strength."
Squinting, Tsunade quickly deduced the old master of the Mist Village's scheme. Ordinary ninja could be trained en masse, but Kekkei Genkai ninja were different.
Geniuses were most often born among Kekkei Genkai ninja, and they were the only power they could currently rely on.
The Mist Village wanted to overthrow the Mizukage's regime but needed Konoha's help.
"They're all a bunch of old men."
Seeing through the intentions of the Mist Village's master, Tsunade cursed inwardly. It was clear he wanted her to pass a message to the village, signaling the Mist Village's internal conflict.
Konoha would likely choose to watch from the sidelines and even agree to let this opposing force settle in the Land of Whirlpools.
All cunning old foxes.
"Shizune."
After realizing this, Tsunade snorted coldly in displeasure, deciding not to bother with these troublesome matters. Whether the Hidden Mist Village knew or not, it didn't matter. The internal strife this time had significantly weakened them, which was actually beneficial for the Leaf Village.
"Lady Tsunade."
Shizune hurriedly entered, bowing respectfully at a ninety-degree angle. Seeing her respectful demeanor, Tsunade waved her hand dismissively and said, "Prepare for it. In a few days, we will go to visit the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Although Shizune was respectful, she was filled with doubts. Tsunade seemed different now, not as listless as before.
Tsunade's visit to the Land of Water as one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha did not go unnoticed by other villages. It was a public move, but it also raised some suspicions.
For instance, in the Root Division of Konoha.
"Tsunade!"
Looking at the information in his hand, in a dark and gloomy chamber, Shimura Danzorevealed his sinister one-eyed gaze, filled with anger.
"Tsunade, are you trying to vie for the position of Hokage?"
In Danzo's eyes, Tsunade's actions were seen as building her own momentum and popularity, a clear move in the race for the Hokage title.
He didn't consider Sarutobi Shinzo a threat, but the Sannin were a different story, especially Tsunade. Her personal prestige, background, and even strength were notable.
Among the Sannin, Orochimaru might be the strongest and the most difficult to deal with, but when it comes to competing for the Hokage position, Tsunade almost overshadowed Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Both the First and Second Hokage were her grandfathers, and the Senju clan, as founders of Konoha, held significant influence. The current Third Hokage was also her teacher.
If Tsunade wanted to ascend to power, almost no one could stop her.
"I won't lose," Danzo thought. "As long as I obtain Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan, no one in Konoha can stop me!"
Under the pressure from Tsunade, Danzo's eyes burned with ambition. He was more determined than ever in his plan, now even eagerly anticipating the truth of Uchiha Fugaku possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Only then would he have a chance to fulfill his ambitions.
…
Inside the Hokage's Office.
With a clatter, the wooden pipe that was always at hand fell to the floor, but this time, no one picked it up, leaving the burning tobacco to extinguish on its own.
"Sarutobi Shinzo!"
Looking at the report in his hands, Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy, old eyes shed two lines of painful tears. He hadn't expected the news to arrive so quickly, and it was not the victory he had hoped for, but a lamentation.
Filled with sorrow, Hiruzen's hoarse voice murmured to himself. He seemed to lose all strength and slumped helplessly in his chair.
Through the bright sunlight, the Third Hokage, also known as the "Professor," seemed to age a decade in an instant.
His hair white, the only thing on his desk was an unrolled intelligence scroll.
Sarutobi Shinzo had been rescued, the enemy was from Kumogakure, but he was unconscious. On the way back, they were ambushed, suspected to be due to a leak of information.
"Find out, find out who it was!"
Just then, an Anbu appeared in the office, respectfully handing over a report, saying solemnly, "Lord Hokage, urgent news."
As Hiruzen opened the new report, he was struck dumb, trembling as he read the contents. He never imagined it would be like this.
The report clearly stated that among those accompanying them, a member of the Anbu, dissatisfied with Orochimaru's incident, was also enraged by the rumor that Sarutobi Shinzo was to be the Fifth Hokage.
This person leaked information, leading to the ambush by enemy ninjas. He believed Shinzo was utterly unqualified to be Hokage, whether in terms of strength, reputation, or breadth of mind, leading to this tragedy.
"It was me! I caused my own son's death."
Tears welled up in Hiruzen's eyes, shaken by the realization that all this was because of his own decisions.
If he hadn't denied Orochimaru and chosen Shinzo, whom he trusted most, with blind confidence, without considering the hearts of others.
Any of the Sannin could have been Hokage without question, such was their reputation. But not Sarutobi Shinzo. Even with the support of the higher-ups, the rank-and-file would still look down on him.
This was unexpected even for Uchiha Yoru, who hadn't anticipated such a turn of events.
Some things are simply unforeseeable. As for when the Third Hokage's eldest son and daughter-in-law died in the original story, it might be related to this incident.
…
In the Land of Whirlpools, on an island, the base of the Hidden Leaf.
"Yoru."
"Big brother Yoru."
After Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui arrived at the camp, the three of them met again.
Looking at the two, Uchiha Yoru also showed a smile and nodded. However, seeing Kakashi's somewhat guilty expression, he couldn't help but console him.
"Kakashi, don't worry. Sarutobi Umeko was complicit in the incident with Orochimaru sensei last time, causing such great loss to the village. She truly deserved her fate."
"As for Sarutobi Shinzo, don't worry. Although I am dissatisfied with the current corruption in the village, I definitely won't easily harm a fellow villager. Nothing will happen to him."
Then, Uchiha Yoru explained the situation to the two, framing the issue with Sarutobi Shibzo on the Cloud Ninja Village, thus clearing both of their suspicions.
Hearing this, Kakashi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling less guilty. As for Sarutobi Umeko, she indeed got what she deserved.
However, Uchiha Shisui, standing by, frowned slightly. Seeing the relaxed and smiling Yoru, he thought to himself.
Big brother Yoru is too kind. If he took this opportunity to have Kakashi eliminate Sarutobi Shinzo, Kakashi would never be able to let go. It seems in the future, I need to become the sharp blade in Yoru's hand.
Only in this way can we completely eradicate the stubborn corruption of the Hidden Leaf.
If Uchiha Yoru knew Shisui's thoughts, he would probably just smile it off.
People are different. Kakashi is not the type to submit when you hold something over him. Instead, if you treat him sincerely and let Kakashi see for himself who is right and who is wrong.
All he needs to do is nudge Kakashi to make that choice.