A Worthy Opponent

Chapter 36 A Worthy Opponent

Finally, someone who can fight!

From the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi met King Uchiha, he felt an excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

At this moment, the two sides were merely testing each other, but from the other's series of orderly responses and the subtle yet effective way of turning the tables, Hiruzen Sarutobi was even more convinced that his intuition was correct.

"Danzo, that idiot!"

Even with thoughts of Danzo's many years of "hard work and great achievements," Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but feel annoyed by his own crude white glove.

Ugh……

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but sigh, a warm smile unconsciously appearing in his heart.

It was precisely because of Shimura Danzo's personality and intellect that Hiruzen Sarutobi was able to tolerate him for so many years; otherwise...

hum!

But clearly, at this moment, in front of this "strongest Hokage," he still wore a calm and confident smile. This Uchiha Jin was no weak opponent like those that Sarutobi Hiruzen had encountered before.

The first step is choosing the battlefield!

If they were to launch a surprise attack on the Hokage Building in accordance with the other side's "shattered glory" rhetoric, this seemingly high-probability coup would actually be a dead end.

after all.

Even without Shimura Danzo constantly nagging him, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never be so foolish as to be completely unprepared.

However, as long as there are precautions, this kind of "sharp knife tactic" can't be used in public.

Having confirmed the Uchiha clan's betrayal, Hiruzen Sarutobi could easily mobilize all of Konoha's war potential. Combined with the Hokage Building, which had been fortified to be as solid as a bucket, he could annihilate the Uchiha clan with minimal losses.

However, it is clear that Uchiha Jin had anticipated this, and instead chose Danzo's Root base as the breakthrough point, so that the Uchiha clan no longer had a disadvantage in terms of terrain.

This is precisely why, when Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane arrived, they did not immediately and forcefully rescue Danzo, who was eating dirt on the ground.

Facing hundreds of fierce and ruthless Uchiha red-eyed youths, this was not an opponent that could be dealt with simply by the Hokage's direct ANBU. The village's strength had to be relied upon to suppress them.

Furthermore, once a battle of this magnitude is triggered, the outcome will inevitably cause irreparable and enormous damage to Konoha's overall strength.

As the Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't make this decision until the very last moment, after all, he wasn't a "pure-hearted" person like Danzo.

The evil Uchiha...

Huh~

It was precisely because of this that Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to back down, intending to use the Hokage's principles to pressure people as usual, and that he could settle accounts with the Uchiha clan later.

However, Uchiha Jin's response was equally astute and precise. He first used a previous political compromise as a starting point to strip Shimura Danzo of his legitimacy as Hokage's assistant and leader of Root. Then, he used the Second Hokage's notes to declare the legitimacy of the Uchiha Police Department's functions.

Then, in the name of the police department, they directly defined Danzo and those dead Root members as hostile spies, and then retaliated by trying to burn the flames on him, the "strongest Hokage".

that's it!

A scene where the Uchiha clan attacked and killed Root ninjas while beating up the elderly and weak Hokage's assistants instantly transformed into a political confrontation between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha clan.

The situation has escalated to this point, forcing the Konoha ninja clan, which was originally only assisting him in preventing the Uchiha clan's rebellion, to start reconsidering their own position.

Should we let our clan pay the price of a fight to the death with the Uchiha clan over something like this?

In the short span of time, every detail of what happened on the scene flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind like a movie.

hiss……

After sorting out everything that was happening before his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but secretly gasp.

When did the Uchiha clan become like this...? They actually planted this seed two years ago and kept it hidden until today.

Back when Fugaku Uchiha proposed this exchange, Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat surprised that he didn't seem to have fully grasped the indecisive nature of this "fierce-eyed" man.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't surprised by this. After all, it concerned the fate of his entire clan; even a fool would try to secure some benefits for himself...

Faced with a fate with virtually no chance of escape, they shifted some of the blame and filth onto Danzo, thereby bringing down a powerful and vengeful enemy.

Faced with such a sincere exchange offer from Fugaku Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only reluctantly give his good buddy a hard time, and then happily took away the wealth and data accumulated by Danzo's Root organization over the years.

in this way.

He eliminated the possibility of an Uchiha uprising, subtly deterred the restless Danzo, and even gained a substantial windfall...

Hiruzen Sarutobi was initially quite proud of his skill in killing three birds with one stone, but he never expected that he would become the target of someone else's scheme.

of course.

Not everything that happened on the scene was entirely unfavorable to Hiruzen Sarutobi. What made him most gratified was actually Uchiha Shisui, who had just been kicked away.

Although Shisui, a dignified "Kage-level stunner," was so easily kicked away, this precisely revealed the turmoil he was experiencing between his village and his clan.

Given the hostility revealed by Uchiha Jin, it's clear that Shisui, in this struggle, is still slightly biased towards the village.

If Danzo, that hothead, were to evaluate this matter, he would probably be furious at Shisui for lacking any loyalty as a ninja, and consider him a hidden threat that must be eliminated.

Uh... Danzo, that naive guy!

But... how could Hiruzen Sarutobi be so naive as to believe that someone would be so heartless as to attack his own family?

Perhaps in the eyes of someone like Danzo, the world is black and white, but the reality is more of a gray area between black and white.

All things carry yin and embrace yang, and achieve harmony through the interaction of these energies.

This is human nature!

The various ninja clans of Konoha, or even the Uchiha clan, are not brain-dead. How could there really be someone willing to wipe out their own clan for the Will of Fire?

If one day, there really is such an extremist who sees only black and white, someone who is willing to destroy everything for the so-called "Will of Fire".

Hiruzen Sarutobi also believed that this butcher's knife would eventually fall on his body.

When that time really comes, it's hard to say whether Hiruzen Sarutobi will choose to wield this sword or destroy it.

Shisui's current situation is just right. He has a deep sense of belonging to the village and a strong belief in the Will of Fire, as well as an inseparable and intense affection for his family.

Compared to the assassins of the Anbu, Shisui's personality could actually play a stronger role in the struggle between the Hokage faction and the Uchiha.

but……

In this boring Hidden Leaf Village, it seems that a worthy opponent has finally emerged!

I'm playing the Naruto righteous cause, and you're playing the Konoha ancestral rules with me, huh...?

Uchiha Jin!

……

(End of this chapter)