The Third Hokage gazed at the bottle of clear sake before him. The delicate, sweet fragrance wafted into his nostrils, tempting the thirst lingering in his throat.
"How long has it been since I last indulged in a drink like this?"
"Every day, I'm tangled in the village's countless affairs, spinning like a top, only to see the situation slowly deteriorate..."
"I can't handle the Uchiha. The other clans are beginning to resent me. Danzo has vanished without a trace. Even Lady Mito doesn't have much time left..."
The Third let out a long sigh. The immense pressures of life and leadership nearly crushed this once great "God of Shinobi." Though Hiruzen bore it with extraordinary endurance, he was on the brink of collapse.
The burden of leading Konoha was overwhelming. The village was vast, its talented shinobi countless. Yet, the demands from every corner were as varied as they were unrelenting. Failing to meet those demands? It only gave rise to chaos.
The power of being Hokage came with the heaviest of burdens.
"Enough! Everyone, leave!"
The Third's sharp command echoed, and a flurry of footsteps sounded on the roof. These were the ANBU stationed in the shadows to protect him.
He opened the bottom drawer of his desk, but instead of secret files marked "Top Secret," it contained jars of pickled vegetables from the Warring States period and several bottles of fine sake.
Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed the Third Hokage's "private stash."
"Pickled radish, salted cucumbers, natto... figures an old man from the Warring States era would prefer such salty snacks."
"Why don't you treat yourself better, being the Hokage and all?"
The Third Hokage deftly removed his ceremonial robes, revealing a light, breathable undershirt beneath. He casually picked up a piece of natto and downed a cup of sake in one gulp.
"Ahh… refreshing, truly refreshing!"
Savoring the fiery burn of the alcohol, he turned to Jiraiya with a smirk.
"Kid, what do you know? These savory little snacks are what real men should have while drinking."
"You younger folks pair booze with extravagant spreads of meat and fish. That's not drinking; that's feasting! You're wasting good sake..."
Jiraiya snorted and grabbed a salted cucumber. "I won't lie, though—this does taste pretty good."
The two, master and disciple, sat there in quiet camaraderie, sharing a few traditional snacks while downing cup after cup of sake.
Neither said much. The clinking of glasses and the occasional grunt of satisfaction were the only sounds in the Hokage's office.
After a few rounds, the Third Hokage slumped back in his chair, his usually stiff posture finally relaxing. With a deep exhale, he gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"To think… the student I feel closest to now would be Jiraiya. I once had such high hopes for Orochimaru, yet he's disappeared without a word for two years. And Tsunade? Ever since she fell in love with Fuma, I've barely seen her since the Second Shinobi War ended..."
As he reminisced about the days of the Sarutobi team, the Third realized it was Jiraiya's antics that occupied the majority of his memories.
Orochimaru had shown incredible talent since childhood. Be it ninjutsu or genjutsu, he mastered everything with ease. His abilities seemed almost innate—a prodigy through and through.
Teachers admired students like him for their brilliance, but the emotional connection often lacked depth.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, was a different story. Brash and straightforward, he was the kind of student a teacher had to shape from the ground up. Sarutobi had guided him, step by step, from a clumsy academy misfit to a capable jonin and even a battlefield commander.
That sense of accomplishment? It was something Orochimaru's effortless genius could never replicate.
Jiraiya, too, found himself reflecting. Looking at the Third Hokage now, weary and worn, he felt a surge of determination.
"The old man's aging… but I've grown strong enough to stand on my own. It's time for me to shield him and the village from the storms."
As an orphan from a non-ninja family, Jiraiya's life had been shaped by two pivotal moments. The first was being taken as a student by the Third Hokage. The second was his accidental discovery of Mount Myoboku.
But had the Third not taken him in, he would've likely remained a nameless orphan, never learning advanced techniques like summoning jutsu.
After several more rounds of sake, both men's faces were flushed.
The Third Hokage set his cup down, took a deep drag from his pipe, and furrowed his brow, turning serious.
"Now, let's talk about the Uchiha."
Jiraiya straightened his posture. Having been away from the village for years, he was largely ignorant of Konoha's recent developments.
The Third Hokage tapped his desk rhythmically, organizing his thoughts.
"The changes in the Uchiha began when Fuma assumed leadership of the clan..."
"You know about the 'proxy training' incident during the last war, right? Fuma used the wealth he amassed from that event to improve the Uchiha compound and establish numerous welfare policies, solidifying his control over the clan. Now, the Uchiha are more unified than ever."
"Later, he invested heavily in the commercial district. He concentrated the Police Force around it to maintain order, attracting countless merchants.
Today, the Uchiha are the economic heart of Konoha. Fuma even erected high-level barriers around their residential areas, cutting off the village's surveillance entirely."
Jiraiya frowned. This was far from the conflict he'd expected. In his mind, the Uchiha should've been on the verge of open rebellion against the village.
But now it seemed the Uchiha weren't just holding their ground—they were thriving, forcing the village leadership into a corner.
Noticing Jiraiya's puzzled expression, the Third Hokage chuckled bitterly.
"I don't even know where Fuma got so much money. But he's not playing by the rules, and it's made things difficult for us."
"By offering training and relocation benefits, he convinced residents near the Uchiha district to sell their land.
Then, he developed a commercial district there, attracting merchants with perks like rent-free stalls and promotional gifts. Once the merchants moved, he bought out their old properties at low prices, monopolizing the market."
"Now, most of Konoha's commerce is under Fuma's control. Even if we wanted to push back, it's too late."
Jiraiya scratched his head in frustration. Something about this didn't sit right, but he couldn't pinpoint the issue.
"Then what about the Police Force? Using public resources for profit—that's something we can challenge, isn't it?"
Jiraiya leaned forward, hoping he'd found a solution.
"The Police Force was created by the Second Hokage to maintain order. If it's strayed so far from its purpose, why not dissolve it? Allowing this to continue will only let Fuma's power grow unchecked."
The Third Hokage sighed, raising his glass again. "It's a nice idea in theory, but implementing it is another matter. Let me ask you this: how would you deal with this?"
"The Uchiha now have over a thousand Sharingan users, with more than a hundred wielding the three-tomoe Sharingan..."
"These guys are content in the Konoha Police Force right now, just entertaining themselves on Uchiha Street. If we cut their positions, how will you handle their wrath?"
"Do you want hundreds of three-tomoe Uchiha wandering idly through the village? Is that a scene you wish to see?"
The Third Hokage stared directly at Jiraiya, awaiting his response.
Jiraiya, however, looked awkward. The mere thought of opening his door to find a hundred three-tomoe Uchiha standing outside was a nightmare worse than hell itself.
The Third Hokage opened the window, letting the cool breeze waft in and disperse the lingering scent of alcohol.
Looking out at the stone visage of the Second Hokage, he sighed.
"The Konoha Police Force used to be a redundant unit. It lacked the emergency response capabilities of the ANBU and couldn't even take on missions outside the village. To put it bluntly, it was like a watchdog tied to the front door."
"But under Uchiha Fuma's leadership, it's become more influential than the ANBU.
Not only can they openly handle internal village affairs, but they also freely leave the village as they please. The Police Force has practically become the second center of power in the village, after the Hokage's office."
Jiraiya's face turned grim. He understood the gravity of the situation.
The Police Force, once an inefficient department with overlapping duties, was now a formidable entity.
It was evident that power needed checks and balances; otherwise, even a seemingly benign institution like the Police Force could surpass the ANBU in dominance.
The Third Hokage noticed Jiraiya's thoughtful silence and smirked, gesturing toward the window.
"Is that all it takes to intimidate you? You didn't see the main show the other night when you came back late!"
"Vroom... vroom... VROOOOM!"
As the Third Hokage spoke, the Uchiha Fortress descended from the sky like a remote-controlled leviathan, halting a few hundred meters above the Police Force headquarters.
Jiraiya shot to his feet, staring at the fortress in disbelief.
"What in the world…? Where did he get the resources for this?"
"You're asking me? How would I know? I'm just a humble Hokage, not the ruler of the shinobi world," the Third Hokage said with a laugh at Jiraiya's stunned reaction.
His laughter was genuine, easing the tension in the room.
"The Aburame clan also allied with the Uchiha recently. I suspect there was some sort of exchange involved, but I don't want to know the details."
"As long as we hold our ground, that's enough. The Uchiha don't seem to be seeking outright conflict either, and that's already a blessing."
Jiraiya rubbed his temples, trying to untangle the web of events, but his thoughts remained muddled.
"I… I still don't understand."
The Third Hokage shook his head and gestured for Jiraiya to sit down.
"There's nothing complicated about it. Neither of us is wrong, nor is Uchiha Fuma. We're both using our means to secure our respective interests."
"My responsibility is to uphold the policies and vision passed down by the Second Hokage and to safeguard the clans that support me. That's my duty."
"Fuma, on the other hand, is responsible for the Uchiha clan and the clans he aligns with. But unlike the Uchiha of the past, he's playing within the rules of the game."
The Third Hokage didn't indulge in lofty ideals like "The Will of Fire." As a seasoned politician, his understanding of the phrase far exceeded anyone else's.
Konoha was a militarized conglomerate of clans founded barely thirty years ago. It was unrealistic to expect centuries-old clans to selflessly dedicate themselves to such a young village.
The Aburame clan's defection didn't surprise the Third Hokage. It was simply a matter of them being drawn by greater benefits.
The Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe, tapping the ash carelessly onto the floor.
"Why do we target the Uchiha? Yes, target—there's no point denying it."
Jiraiya's eyes widened, but the Third Hokage waved dismissively, amused by his reaction.
"The Uchiha have staged two rebellions since the village's founding. Their untrustworthiness is a matter of record."
"Their temperament is highly emotional, making them unsuitable for leadership. If an Uchiha were to take the Hokage's seat, a single disagreement could escalate into war, and peace would slip away from Konoha."
"But today's Uchiha are noticeably more restrained. While I would never hand them the Hokage title, I'm no longer worried about them storming the Hokage building to cut down an old man like me."
"To be fair, the current Uchiha coexist with Konoha better than ever—remarkably well, even."
Jiraiya gazed at the floating Uchiha Fortress above and muttered, "So the Uchiha can't win if they're weak, but they're still a threat if they're strong…"
"Are we just supposed to wait? Can the dream of the 'Will of Fire'—a Konoha where children live peaceful lives and don't endure the horrors of war—ever become reality?"
The Third Hokage shook his head.
"Things are no longer entirely under my control. But the shinobi world is unpredictable. As long as we hold firm, there will always be a chance to turn the tide."
The Hokage's words carried a weary wisdom. The shinobi world had seen countless legendary figures fall to unforeseen events.
The Second Mizukage, the Second Tsuchikage, the Second Raikage, the Kinkaku Force, and even Konoha's own First and Second Hokage—no one was immune to the chaos of the world.
The Third Hokage knew that as long as one lived long enough, they would witness the rise and fall of empires. Konoha's story was far from over.
But Jiraiya thought differently.
As someone who devoted his life to fulfilling a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya had an idealistic streak that often led him to extremes.
"No, this isn't right. It shouldn't be this way. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. We can't be deceived by temporary appearances. If the Uchiha's core doesn't change and they lack a vision of peace, this is just laying the groundwork for a greater disaster!"
"I'm going to confront Fuma. If necessary, I'll fight him!"
Jiraiya's expression hardened as he turned to the Third Hokage.
"You may not fully understand how strong I am in Sage Mode. With the two Great Toad Sages supporting me, I could even take on the Nine-Tails!"
"Sage Chakra is far superior to regular chakra. I have no doubt I can defeat him!"
The Third Hokage merely began tidying up his desk, his demeanor calm.
"If you're determined to go, then go."
"But be careful. Lady Mito is nearing the end of her life, and the Nine-Tails' transfer will require your assistance."
Jiraiya frowned.
"If Lady Mito's condition is that dire, I'll wait a few days. But if a conflict does arise, I won't hold back. Fuma is truly formidable."
"You may not know this, but he can tank a Tailed Beast Bomb with his body. To defeat him, I'll have to unleash my Sage Chakra fully, and it's hard to control my strength in that state…"
The Third Hokage sighed deeply, patting Jiraiya's shoulder.
"You misunderstood me."
"What I mean is, don't provoke him. And… be careful you don't end up dead."
_____________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler