Sarutobi Ryo's gaze locked onto the glowing text before him, his breath catching as the words unfolded. The Will of Fire—the ideology he had been raised to revere—was laid bare before him. And what he saw within it was not warmth, not unity, but something far darker. Beneath its noble façade, it was riddled with acts of control, coercion, and...cannibalism.
A task prompt materialized again, dragging his attention away from the revelation. This time, it pertained to Hinata Ruri.
"I see..." Ryo murmured, piecing together the system's mechanics.
The Fire Will System he had loaded contained two distinct types of missions. Side quests, such as Hinata Ruri's, were optional. The main quests, however, dictated the course of history.
The latest main quest had one clear directive:
Before the Third Ninja War, join the Anbu and become the leader of Team Six.
Anbu—the shadow that operated beneath Konoha's surface. A force darker than ordinary ninja, tasked with handling the village's dirtiest work.
Ordinary Anbu had no command power. To truly wield influence, one had to become a captain, akin to Uchiha Itachi in later years. Higher still were the squad leaders, like Kakashi Hatake, Yamato, and Uzuki Yugao—each holding dominion over their teams.
Team Six... The squad where legends like Kakashi, Itachi, and Yugao had once served. It was a position that provided more than just prestige. It meant access to Konoha's deepest secrets. It meant power.
The realization clicked into place—Anbu members knew more than even the Sannin. Jiraiya, for all his wisdom, had perished without ever knowing Kushina Uzumaki had been the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Meanwhile, mere extras in the Anbu ranks had known the truth all along.
This was Konoha's true power structure.
To climb higher, one had to entrench themselves in the system. To refuse was to remain an outsider.
No wonder the Uchiha had been barred from the Anbu until Itachi. No wonder those without political backing rarely rose beyond their assigned roles.
Sarutobi Ryo exhaled sharply. This was his opportunity.
The door creaked open, breaking his thoughts. A silver-haired shinobi entered the Hokage's office.
"Sakumo," Utatane Koharu acknowledged, her gaze steady.
All eyes turned to Hatake Sakumo—the White Fang of Konoha. A man whose strength rivaled or even surpassed the Sannin. His very presence commanded respect, yet beneath the surface, the tension was palpable.
"You came at the right time. We were just discussing arrangements for the upcoming jōnin examinations," Koharu continued, her voice even. "When Namikaze Minato earns his promotion, we'd like your son, Hatake Kakashi, to join his team."
Silence followed.
Sakumo's expression shifted. A flicker of unease crossed his face. He had anticipated many things, but not this.
Kakashi was a prodigy, no doubt. At only five years old, he had already outclassed his seniors in the academy. He was set to take the graduation exam alongside students much older than himself, poised to become the youngest genin in Konoha's history.
But this—this was something else entirely.
"Elder Koharu..." Sweat formed on Sakumo's brow. "This arrangement may not be appropriate."
Koharu's gaze sharpened. "Oh? Do you believe Minato unfit to teach your son?"
The question was a blade, its edge concealed beneath the guise of diplomacy.
Sarutobi Ryo watched the exchange in silence. This was a trap.
Hatake Sakumo was a powerhouse. Yet he held no official political role—no ties to Konoha's upper echelon. That made him a liability.
Unlike Jiraiya, who was trained directly under the Third Hokage, Sakumo had no such affiliations. He was a free agent, too powerful to ignore but too independent to trust. The higher-ups couldn't allow that.
The solution? Control him. Bind him through his son.
Sakumo was unmarried, unattached. He had nothing to lose. But Kakashi? Kakashi was his weakness.
By placing Kakashi under Minato's mentorship, the council was exerting pressure. Aligning him with a faction. Forcing Sakumo to choose a side.
Ryo's fists clenched at his sides. This was the reality of power. Even a shinobi as formidable as Hatake Sakumo was not immune to the political games of Konoha's elite.
His gaze flicked to the shimmering main quest prompt in his system.
Become the captain of Anbu Team Six.
Without power, even a legend could be ensnared.
Sakumo exhaled, his usually steady demeanor shaken. "Hokage-sama..." He turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen, silently seeking support.
But the Third Hokage's expression remained unreadable.
Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzo—each had their own agendas. Koharu and Homura had been advocating for Minato's rise in recent years. Danzo, on the other hand, sought to claim the Hokage seat for himself.
And Sakumo? Sakumo was an obstacle to their plans.
A threat that had to be neutralized.
Ryo took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Father. Mother." His voice carried through the room, drawing all eyes to him.
"Sakumo-sensei has no interest in politics. He doesn't want Kakashi entangled in these affairs. His only wish is to serve Konoha in peace."
Silence. Heavy and suffocating.
Ryo lifted his chin, scanning the room.
One ugly face after another.
Hypocrites cloaked in righteousness. They spoke of the Will of Fire, yet beneath it, they were willing to devour their own.
They preached unity, but in reality, it was a system designed to consume those who strayed from the path they dictated.
They talked of sacrifice, but only when it was someone else's to make.
The Will of Fire? When I opened it, all I saw was cannibalism.