"Lord Third, this is a confidential letter from the daimyo. He hopes you will continue as Hokage to maintain the peace of the Land of Fire."
A few uninvited guests had appeared in the Third Hokage's courtyard, including Mitokado Homura.
Among them, Homura knelt respectfully, holding out the sealed letter with both hands.
In truth, the daimyo had handed this letter to Homura in secret before they even left the Land of Fire.
To Homura, this was an opportunity—a way to weaken Konoha through his own methods and gradually position the daimyo as the true and only ruler of the Land of Fire.
The idea had been beautiful, but reality was cruel. After just two small operations, they had already lost five of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
This forced Homura to face the truth: no matter how renowned they were throughout the Land of Fire, the Twelve Guardian Ninja were nothing compared to Konoha's immense strength.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the letter, a glint of desire flashing through his eyes. In the end, he turned away and puffed on his pipe without responding.
He knew all too well the consequences of accepting that letter.
"Lord Third, the actions of the Fourth Hokage have severely harmed the Land of Fire's interests. If this continues, civil unrest is inevitable..."
Though Homura believed that the very existence of the Hokage undermined the Land of Fire's authority, he had no choice but to push the Third forward.
"That's right, Sarutobi," Homura added. "Namikaze Minato and Danzo have gone too far. They refuse to listen to reason. If this continues, they'll drive Konoha to ruin. That's not what the First Hokage dreamed of..."
Homura, well-versed in Hiruzen's temperament, was the perfect persuader.
In truth, the ones who wanted Hiruzen to resume the Hokage role the most were none other than the two village elders.
With Minato firmly in control, the Elders' Council had become a nightmare. Their influence had gone from near-absolute to almost nonexistent.
In just one year, it was as if they had fallen from paradise into hell.
Seeing the Third Hokage's furrowed brow and hesitation, Homura pressed on.
"I have already sent a secret appeal to the daimyo. If Konoha's instability continues, they'll impose economic sanctions and back a new shinobi village..."
These words visibly changed Hiruzen's expression, and even Homura looked momentarily stunned.
"Asuma...?" Hiruzen frowned and glanced at his son with a questioning look.
All eyes turned to Sarutobi Asuma. He hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and speaking.
"It's true..."
A heavy silence fell over the scene.
"I will convene a meeting with Konoha's major clans to discuss this matter."
Hiruzen stood and took the letter. His once slightly stooped figure straightened, and his aura became sharper.
"You will all stay here. Do not go anywhere without my permission."
It was clear that Hiruzen had not been blind to their recent actions.
"Homura, fetch Koharu. Meet me in the study," the Third said gravely before leaving the courtyard.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
When only the remaining members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja were left in the courtyard, Asuma approached Homura with a hint of frustration.
"Why did you lie?" Asuma asked, displeased.
What unsettled him even more was that he had backed up the lie without thinking.
"Everything is for the Land of Fire," Homura replied, giving Asuma a sideways glance filled with hidden disdain.
Whether it was Asuma's abilities or his identity, both made Homura deeply uncomfortable.
If not for the daimyo's orders, Homura would never have allowed Asuma to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
In just three days, the Third Hokage sprang into action, personally visiting the elders of the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka clans. He also secretly met with the Hyuga clan's head elder.
The Elders' Council, meanwhile, became highly active.
None of this escaped Minato's notice. However, Hiruzen's status made things difficult.
Danzo, ever eager to act, took it upon himself to contact the village's major clans.
As a result, Hiruzen Sarutobi found his efforts increasingly blocked. Even those he had already contacted began avoiding the Elders' Council.
At the stone bridge leading to the Root headquarters, the Third Hokage had been invited for a meeting.
At the opposite end of the bridge, Danzo had been waiting for some time. Beneath the bridge was a deep abyss, the howling wind from below sending chills up one's spine.
"Danzo?" Hiruzen's voice was heavy with anger and frustration.
"As elders, it's our duty to help the younger generation avoid unnecessary trouble," Danzo replied, his voice echoing through the canyon.
"You're dividing the Land of Fire," Hiruzen accused, unable to believe that Danzo alone could make his return so difficult without the Fourth even getting involved.
"And your actions are dividing Konoha," Danzo shot back, shaking his head as if there was no point in further discussion.
"I'm doing this for Konoha."
"My apologies, then. So am I..." Danzo slowly removed his cloak, revealing his battle attire.
"Are you planning to kill me, Danzo?" The Third Hokage's aura intensified, his gaze icy and sharp.
"I used to think you were just weak. But I was wrong. You're not just weak—you're a fool."
Danzo had abandoned all hope for a peaceful resolution. The continued growth of Konoha would inevitably put it at odds with the Land of Fire, a fact even Minato had come to accept.
"You've strayed from the Will of Fire. Your ambition has betrayed the First Hokage's dreams," Hiruzen declared.
He had no intention of surrendering. The battle attire beneath his cloak made that clear.
"The Will of Fire? Just a pathetic excuse for your failures."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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