The setting sun cast a warm glow over the Forest of Death, stretching shadows far into the distance.
As Uchiha Sogetsu emerged from the dense foliage, the ANBU stationed at the edge of the forest caught sight of him and relaxed a bit, a smile forming on his lips.
"All done?" he asked, his tone friendly and slightly amused. "You look like you've had quite a day, Sogetsu."
"Indeed, Vice Captain Kirikou," Uchiha Sogetsu replied, his own grin lighting up in the golden hues of the sunset. "I was just fulfilling Hokage-sama's orders."
Kirikou nodded, seemingly pleased. "You've done a great job, Sogetsu," he said with a hint of warmth in his voice. "Hokage-sama has always appreciated your work. Don't let us down."
"What do you mean by that?" Uchiha Sogetsu raised an eyebrow, his expression puzzled.
Kirikou laughed, shrugging as he gave Sogetsu's shoulder a friendly pat. "Can't say. It's a rule, you know how it is," he said, his smile widening.
"But there's something good coming your way. Even though you're from the Uchiha clan, I believe you've got the Will of Fire just as much as anyone else."
Ah, the good old Will of Fire, Uchiha Sogetsu thought to himself, feigning surprise before giving a respectful nod. "Thank you, Vice Captain Kirikou. I won't disappoint Hokage-sama."
"You've had a long day. Go rest up, and leave the rest to us," Kirikou said, noticing the weariness in Sogetsu's eyes. "We'll take it from here."
"Thanks, Vice Captain Kirikou," Sogetsu replied, grateful for the support.
"Take it easy, Sogetsu. Good things are coming tomorrow," Kirikou said with a sly smile before turning to leave.
As Kirikou walked away, Uchiha Sogetsu adjusted his glasses and muttered to himself, "A good thing, huh? I guess Shikaku and Inoichi are working fast."
It wasn't long ago that the Third Hokage's trusted aides treated him with less than friendly hospitality. But things seemed to be changing.
Of course, much of this situation can be traced back to the influence of the Uchiha clan.
Seeing how people behave today, it's striking to witness how dramatically things have shifted.
Uchiha Sogetsu could sense the change without much thought, knowing that Kirikou's attitude toward him had likely been influenced by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Otherwise, why would someone from the ANBU—essentially the Hokage's personal organization—be acting so friendly toward him?
As he walked, Sogetsu's shadow stretched long under the setting sun.
"The growing fame of the Konoha White Fang has seriously impacted the power structure within the Hokage faction," Sogetsu mused.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't want to disrupt the tradition of power succession, which required the Hokage's heir to be from his own faction. To keep this in place, he devised a plan to quietly suppress the reputation of the White Fang.
However, he couldn't control the darkness in people's hearts. Danzo, who had long been eyeing the Hokage position, saw this as a perfect opportunity to eliminate a rival.
Both Sarutobi and Danzo had no idea of each other's motives, but the outcome was the same—a plot to bring down the White Fang took shape.
A bit of subtle "Psychological Cue" was all that was needed to set things in motion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the top leadership publicly acted to undermine the White Fang's prestige, while Danzo and his associates worked secretly to edge out their competition.
The pressure from above, combined with the ridicule and scorn from the villagers, led the White Fang to believe that he had overstepped his bounds.
To protect the young Kakashi and to demonstrate his loyalty to the village, the White Fang ultimately chose to commit seppuku.
The White Fang's sudden suicide caused a rift between Sarutobi and Danzo. Both assumed the other had engineered the outcome, leading to fractures in the "roots" supporting the "leaves" of the village.
Despite these minor cracks, both factions made a silent pact to maintain a delicate balance.
But balance can be fragile, easily upset by external forces.
Tsunade's letter triggered such a force. Sarutobi Hiruzen's misunderstanding of Danzo led him to believe that the balance needed to be controlled, prompting him to take away some of Danzo's power.
This wasn't just a series of random events; it was the carefully orchestrated outcome of many interconnected influences.
However, what followed made Sarutobi Hiruzen increasingly wary. His attention shifted to the Uchiha clan—a group known for their ambition, which always made him uneasy.
To keep the Uchiha clan's potential threat in check, Sarutobi Hiruzen could only think of one person who could do the job: Uchiha Sogetsu, an orphan raised among the Uchiha but never truly embraced by them.
Sogetsu was different; he wasn't taken seriously by his clan and embraced the Will of Fire. His simple and kind nature made him seem like someone who could be easily controlled.
Sarutobi Hiruzen decided to test whether Uchiha Sogetsu's simplicity and kindness were genuine or a carefully crafted facade.
Under the Hokage's orders, Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi used the Chunin Exam as a pretext to delve into Uchiha Sogetsu's Mental Plane, exploring his secrets.
The outcome was clear: Yamanaka Inoichi, despite his deep probing, was misled by Sogetsu's carefully crafted mental plane.
Uchiha Sogetsu successfully passed Sarutobi Hiruzen's secret test, gaining the Hokage's trust and becoming a crucial piece in the plan to manage the Uchiha clan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was certain Sogetsu would play a significant role in the near future, as a key to maintaining control.
Again, this wasn't a coincidence—it was Psychological Cue.
If you can't control destiny, you control the people.
The power of people's hearts can eventually form a vast tide, one that even preordained destiny can't withstand, right?
"That sounds about right," Uchiha Sogetsu said, adjusting his glasses with a gentle smile.
He walked along the bustling street under the glow of the night lights, people passing by without noticing him. Despite the crowd, he seemed almost invisible.
The bustling crowd parted as if guided by an invisible force, creating a clear path through which he walked, seemingly detached from the world around him, savoring a moment of personal tranquility.
It's an intriguing scene, isn't it?
The Spectator seated in the theater enjoyed the captivating drama unfolding on stage.
In front of the vivid red curtain, actors performed the script with precision, following the lines they had memorized.
Meanwhile, the Spectator applauded or shouted, believing they had unraveled the story's secrets. Yet they had no idea that among the actors in front of the curtain, an additional 'spectator' lay hidden.
He watched the theatergoers and the actors with a cold, detached gaze.
Part of the play, yet not part of the play.
The storyline continued to unfold as planned, precisely as he intended.
"I'm looking forward to it," he murmured.
Standing amid the throngs of people, he slowly lifted his head to gaze at the bright, full moon in the night sky.
A smirk crept across his lips as he added, "Soon it will be your turn in the script, Uchiha Madara."
********
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