"What is that?"
"Why is it so bright?"
"Could it be… a fire?"
No matter how remote this forest was, it was still within the boundaries of the village. The residents who hadn't yet gone to bed noticed the blazing sea of flames rising from the northeast corner of the village. Since even the villagers had noticed the commotion, there were naturally some who couldn't continue to turn a blind eye.
At the village center, beneath the Hokage Rock.
Inside the Hokage building—
"Sarutobi, what's going on with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki entering the Uchiha district?"
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane stormed into the Hokage's office, their tone sharp.
"Just a small coincidence."
"Coincidence?"
"Yes. A small, insignificant coincidence. A simple bond between children. Nothing more."
Behind the wide redwood desk, a white-haired man in his sixties, dressed in plain white clothes, sat smoking a pipe, shrouded in drifting smoke.
This man was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Coincidence?"
Mitokado pushed his glasses up slightly. If not for years of camaraderie and deep understanding of his friend and former classmate, he might have believed it really was just a coincidence.
But he didn't press the point. Instead, he asked, "Sarutobi, what's your plan? Are you going to use this chance to tighten control over the Uchiha?"
"I already told you—it was a coincidence. While we can't deny the Uchiha clan's inherent danger, they didn't do anything wrong this time. And using a child to suppress the Uchiha… that's something that should never be permitted. As long as the Uchiha don't betray the village, they are Konoha's Uchiha."
The Third Hokage firmly rejected Mitokado's suggestion.
"Then… the northeast forest—was it Danzō?"
Koharu caught on quickly to the real implication behind the Third's tone. This seemed to be another operation where Sarutobi handled the planning and Danzō was responsible for execution.
"It was spies from another village."
Sarutobi corrected her wording.
"Spies… from another village?"
Koharu glanced at him and followed his lead. "Then, can you explain why spies from another village would target the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? Did they think they had a real chance of stealing him?"
"That's something best answered by those involved."
Sarutobi set down his pipe, lifted a silken cover, and placed it over the crystal ball on his desk.
Then he stood up.
He reached out and tore off his loose white clothes, revealing the black combat uniform underneath.
"You're going personally? Wouldn't it be better for you to stay and oversee things from here? And we still don't have clear intel on what's happening in the northeast forest…"
Koharu voiced her concern.
"This involves Naruto and the Uchiha. I have no choice."
Sarutobi sighed.
Mitokado glanced at his friend's tightly-fitted combat gear and realized this had been planned in advance. And the crystal ball… it was unlikely the Hokage was truly in the dark about what had happened in the forest.
"We'll go too," he suddenly said.
"Alright."
The Third considered it for a few seconds, then nodded. "Danzō might show up as well. Make sure he doesn't lose control."
"Leave it to us."
Mitokado gave his word. Koharu also nodded silently in agreement.
Only then did the Third open the window and leap out in one smooth motion. Despite being over sixty, his movements were swift and vigorous.
The two elders, who hadn't yet grown frail, followed close behind. They had already changed into combat gear in case they needed to go to the scene.
Around them, a large number of ANBU quickly moved to follow.
The Third Hokage moved fast. While on the way, he spoke:
"But if I had to guess, I'd say it's revenge. The Flame Demon, Uchiha Rēn, once slaughtered hundreds of Hidden Mist shinobi on the eastern front. These spies from Kirigakure probably came to take revenge on him. Naruto just happened to be caught in the middle."
"…If that's the case, then the Uchiha were careless. Knowing full well they were targets, they still contacted the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki…"
Mitokado thought it over and couldn't help but admire Sarutobi's tactic.
This move was clever. Instead of accusing the Uchiha of plotting by getting close to the Jinchūriki, it was better to hold them accountable for failing to protect him. It sounded like a lighter offense, but it lowered the risk of the Uchiha pushing back. This slow and steady pressure—wearing away at them little by little—was the most effective method.
Gradual erosion through constant soft pressure.
That had always been the agreed-upon long-term strategy.
Sure enough, Danzō's approach was still inferior to Sarutobi's. He only knew how to use brute force—forcing clan shinobi into Root. Compared to Sarutobi, there was no contest.
"That's enough. We'll discuss that later."
The Third cut off Mitokado's commentary. "Right now, rescuing Naruto comes first. His safety is the top priority. Everything else can wait."
The concern on his face looked exactly like that of an elder worried about a child.
The Hokage personally heading to the site of the forest blaze in the northeast—
The news spread like wildfire. Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents surged again. The peaceful night was shattered. One by one, figures leapt across rooftops, power poles, treetops.
Followed by the rapid deployment of the Konoha Police Force—
Even the drunken men on the streets sobered up fast. No one dared linger. They scrambled home as fast as they could.
The crowd began gathering toward the forest in the northeast corner of the village.
..................
......
.
"The last one."
The blade, still burning, swept through. The attacker under genjutsu instantly lost his head. The corpse crumpled onto the grass. Rēn flicked the long sword in his hand. The flames went out, and the clean blade reflected the flickering light of the surrounding fire.
Naruto, tucked under his left arm, was still unconscious.
Having taken a direct hit from a Yamanaka Clan mental technique, it was normal for him to stay asleep for a while.
"Twelve attackers. Four elite battle squads. They really invested in this one."
Rēn jabbed his blade into the mouth of the beheaded corpse. In the firelight, the black seal engraved on the tongue could be seen. It was the Root CurseTongue Seal—a technique that destroyed the target's brain and silenced them completely.
As expected—Danzō.
And without doubt, the Third knew as well.
The curse mark was fading with time. The brain had been destroyed the moment the target died. Not just the mind—even the body began to self-destruct. Root's secrecy measures were thorough.
He knew already—using the corpse to accuse Danzō would likely be impossible. Capturing someone alive? Even less likely.
Still—
For Danzō to possess such overbearing sealing techniques…
Was it inherited from the Second Hokage?
From Uzumaki clan relics?
Or Danzō's own creation?
Whichever it was, Rēn couldn't help but covet it.
Sealing techniques were valuable.
They weren't just for controlling subordinates. When used correctly, they had massive combat potential.
"This little warm-up is over. Time for the main course."
Rēn looked up at the sky.
When the battle started, he'd sensed a faint presence watching from above. He hadn't needed to think hard to guess who it was.
Just a few minutes ago, that presence disappeared.
That could only mean—
The important figure was already on the way.