Konoha: Sage Body

"Father, I did this for the sake of the Sarutobi clan. I admit, there was a part of me that was selfish, but more of it was for the sake of the Sarutobi clan. Don't you know the consequences of letting that Kirito Tosaka continue to grow up safely and soundly?

You know it very well, but you don't want to make the relationship within Konoha too tense. I also understand your concerns. You are just worried that the internal fighting in Konoha will exhaust itself and eventually be destroyed by other villages. But look, our Sarutobi clan now has the strength to fight back."

Sarutobi Takashi saw that Sandaime had calmed down and was not planning to fight again, so he began to change his attitude and spoke in a gentle voice.

The reason why he just spoke coldly to Sandaime was to let off some steam. He had been suppressed by Sandaime since he was young, and Sandaime had also forced him to make sacrifices for Konoha. He hated Sandaime in his heart, but he had no choice. After all, Sandaime was his father. He had no choice but to endure.

A ninja learns to endure. This is something he has been learning since he was young.

But the reason why he endures is because he is not strong enough. A wise person should obediently bow their head at this time and dare not complain.

Now that he has the strength, there is no need to endure anymore, and he can take his revenge.

So, he decisively used this incident of the protest letter to stab Sandaime in the back, to slap him in the face, to get his mouth off, to really let out a mouthful of anger, and incidentally to disgust Kirito Tosaka, the most promising future dog of the Senju clan to become the Hokage, and leave a thorn in his heart.

Now that the anger has been vented and the goal achieved, it's time to appease Sandaime a little.

In any case, the ability of the Sarutobi clan to maintain their current superior position in Konoha is based on Sandaime being the Hokage. Once Sandaime is no longer the Hokage, it will be very difficult for the Sarutobi clan to continue to maintain their supreme position in Konoha.

At the very least, the Sarutobi clan still needs Sandaime to continue in the position of Hokage. After all, the Sarutobi clan has yet to produce a second Shadow-Level powerhouse.

This wasn't always the case for the Sarutobi clan. During the Warring States period, the Sarutobi clan was a major clan, with outstanding Kage-Level powerhouses in every generation, and even more than one. But after they arrived in Konoha, they only produced one Kage-Level powerhouse in three generations, and then it suddenly stopped.

Even though they clearly had the best resources in Konoha and the ninja clan had grown very large, they just couldn't produce any new Kage-Level powerhouses.

The Sarutobi clan had fallen into a strange cycle, with an endless stream of strong middle and upper-level ninja, but only one top-level powerhouse.

In response, the Sarutobi clan reflected on the situation and concluded that after Sandaime became Hokage, the Sarutobi clan had lost its drive to succeed.

The birth of a Kage-Level powerhouse depends not only on talent, but also on opportunity and the trials and tribulations of life and death.

In other words, if you don't have the talent of a demon-level powerhouse, you'll have to work really hard to become one.

Unfortunately, the Sarutobi clan has now become entrenched in its ways. They are used to living a good life, and now they want everyone else to go back to living a hard life?

Who would want that?

No one is stupid.

Even though they know that this is not the right way to go, they just don't want to change.

It's all about selfishness.

To be honest, if you can defeat your opponent in an honorable way, who would want to go behind their back and go to all the trouble of scheming? Just use your powerful strength to crush them is the right way.

But the Sarutobi clan does not have such power at the moment.

The Sarutobi clan now has many jōnin and a large number of chūnin, and the number of jōnin among their subordinates is also very large. It can be said that the group led by the Sarutobi clan is currently the biggest force in Konoha.

But being the biggest does not mean being the strongest.

The appearance of a Kage-Level powerhouse can easily change the rankings of the strongest forces in Konoha.

The appearance of the new One-Tailed Jinchuuriki, Kirito Tosaka, has changed the throne of Konoha's strongest force. The group led by the Senju clan has once again become the strongest force in Konoha.

Fortunately, there is always a way out, and someone can't stand Kirito Tosaka and the Senju clan behind him, giving the Sarutobi clan unexpected strength to fight back.

Although he knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch, if the Sarutobi clan did not do something, their future would be doomed. After all, the Sarutobi clan had swallowed too many benefits over the past few decades, and they would definitely become the focus of the new Hokage and the new interest groups in the future.

So even though he knew that the pie might be poisonous, he forced himself to eat it, despite the feeling of vomiting.

This pie was the mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan ninja in front of him. The other party was a 'greeting gift' that the old root had taken the initiative to give him.

From the current situation, this pie is very good, it is a fighter with Kage level strength. His father was tricked by this pie three generations ago and had to give up the idea of beating him.

The power of the Mangekyo Sharingan is indeed formidable.

The Uchiha clan was able to become a first-class ninja clan during the Warring States period because of their strength. A ninja like this, one in every generation, is enough to keep the Uchiha clan alive in the ninja world.

"It seems that you still regard me as your father. Answer me honestly: who is this Mangekyo Sharingan ninja?"

Sandaime looked at Sarutobi Takashi's face changing at lightning speed, and although he was not happy at all, he still said in a cold voice:

Does this rebellious son think that he can manipulate him by relying on a mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan ninja?

It's a joke. He, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is not someone who is afraid of death. He will not forgive anyone who dares to destroy Konoha, let alone a Byakugan wolf.

"Who is he? I'm not really sure, but I can tell you that he comes from the Root."

Sarutobi Takashi sighed when he heard this.

He had gotten his revenge, and it felt good, but he knew that he would never be able to return to the kind of father-son relationship that he had with Sandaime.

It was good that they weren't enemies, but that was fine. It didn't matter, he didn't want to spend his life in the shadow of Sandaime.

He didn't really know who this mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan ninja was, but he knew that this mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan ninja was a puppet that did whatever he commanded.

Impure World Reincarnation.

That was why this mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan ninja would obey his commands. He was the one who personally placed the incantation to control this puppet inside.

"Root, you're playing with fire,"

Sandaime heard that the Mangekyo Sharingan ninja was from the Root, and he instantly understood what was going on.

This was no conspiracy by the Sarutobi clan.

It was clear that the Sarutobi clan was being used as a pawn by the old Root.

If he guessed correctly, the Mangekyo Sharingan ninja in front of him was an Impure Land puppet created by the old Root using the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu.

No wonder he felt that this Mangekyo Sharingan ninja had no trace of life in him from the start.

Because he was originally a dead person.

"This Undead Puppet is very strong, and was able to keep me under illusion for several seconds, which shows that his Sharingan power has reached the level of a Mangekyo Sharingan. With just this illusion technique, there is no doubt that he is a Kage-Level powerhouse. That bastard Danzo actually managed to master such a powerful forbidden technique without knowing it."

Sandaime's eyes shifted to the Impure World Mangekyo Sharingan ninja, and once again he cursed Danzo, the dead man, out loud.

Impure World Reincarnation was no ordinary forbidden technique, but a super-forbidden ninjutsu that, once used, would surely result in the user being beaten up by everyone.

Using a dead person to fight was outrageous.

No one wants to be pulled back to life by that paradise after death and become a puppet, especially a puppet of the enemy.

Therefore, although Sandaime was initially a little envious of the benefits of this forbidden technique, he still chose to seal it up tightly.

This forbidden technique that plays with life and death was never changed after it was created.

His teacher was good at everything, except for creating too many forbidden techniques that would have a toxic legacy. The original intention of creating them may have been to protect Konoha, but it was a mistake in itself.

However, although he personally has not learned the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he still has some understanding of this jutsu. That is, the success rate of this forbidden technique is very low, and the Impure World Puppets created are basically just cannon fodder from time to time.

In fact, his teacher created this forbidden technique to be used in conjunction with another forbidden technique, the Mutually Exclusive Explosive Tag, which he also created.

But his teacher clearly underestimated the potential and danger of Impure World Reincarnation.

The fact that the Impure World Puppet in front of him can have Kage level strength is already very telling, which shows that the Old Roots led by Danzo have made great breakthroughs in improving this forbidden technique.

He can't believe what crazy things the Old Roots will do after obtaining this improved version of the forbidden technique.

This improved forbidden technique has the ability to create Kage-Level powerhouses, and its horror is self-evident. This forbidden technique has become a crazy one that could potentially overturn the order of the ninja.

Danzo is really a guy who deserves to die. In order to gain power, he actually toyed with the dead, and even after death, he is still acting like a demon.

"No, the old Root cannot be allowed to use this terrible forbidden technique to continue its evil ways. The old Root must be eradicated as soon as possible, otherwise all the evil it has done will be borne by Konoha. Danzo, you truly deserve to die a million deaths, you are a sinner of Konoha."

At the thought of the dangers of the improved Impure World Reincarnation, Sandaime's heart was unsettled, and the look in his eyes for Sarutobi Takashi grew increasingly hostile.

This rebellious son is really stupid and bad. Blinded by hatred and power, he doesn't know that disaster is fast approaching.

"Father, fortune favors the bold. We must have the power to contend with the Senju clan. The Uchiha clan's Mangekyo series has amazing power in suppressing the tailed beasts. With this Kaleidoscope Mangekyo Sharingan, we no longer need to fear that Tosaka Kirito."

Sarutobi Takashi remained stubborn and unrepentant, instead gloating over the powerful forces at his command.

"Kirito is not the enemy, he is a hero of Konoha. What you are doing is digging up the roots of Konoha. Stop, it's not too late."

Sandaime was so angry he wanted to strike again, but when he saw the Mangekyo Sharingan ninja staring at him, he had to give up. He tried to persuade him with earnest words.

Sarutobi Takashi saw that Sandaime was still pretending to be noble, and mercilessly exposed his true colors:

"Father, don't pretend anymore. You have to take responsibility for things developing to this point. If you hadn't sent White Fang Squad on that bullshit mission to cut off Sunagakure's source of funding, then Kirito Tosaka wouldn't have become a Jinchuuriki.

Just admit it. You originally planned to get rid of Kirito Tosaka. Not only him, but you weren't going to let Hatake Sakumo, Senju Nawaki, and Uchiha Chizuru off either. You just played it wrong, and now we're left to clean up your mess. Don't you have any sense at all?

At this point, it's time for you to make up your mind and fight the Senju clan. Do you think they will let you go? Will they let you continue to be Hokage? Don't even think about it."

Sarutobi Takashi's words pierced Sandaime's heart like a sharp sword, making him pale. His face then turned uncertain. He stared at Sarutobi Takashi, his wayward son, and hated him so much that he wished he could kill him immediately.

"Father, that's all I have to say today. The Sarutobi clan will always be your support. We are your allies, your family. I hope you can think about that."

Sarutobi Takashi saw Sandaime glaring at him with murderous intent. He immediately knew that he had revealed Sandaime's shame and offended his sensibilities, completely turning Sandaime against him. He quickly said,

"Once I've finished, I'll order the Mangekyo Sharingan ninja to protect me as I leave."

Soon, Sarutobi Takashi and the Mangekyo Sharingan ninja disappeared from Sandaime's sight.

"Fine, fine, fine. Everyone's getting on their high horse and has their own little agenda."

As soon as the two left, Sandaime said with a sneer, his eyes flashing with a deep cold light.

...

Meanwhile, in the Uchiha clan territory, in Chizuru's home, Uchiha Homura, like Sandaime, was full of gloom and in a very bad mood.

Seeing the Clan Leader's murderous expression, the Uchiha Police Force cadres in the hall, all of whom had bruises and swollen faces, looked like children who had done something wrong. They cowered, heads bowed, not daring to breathe a word.

They had indeed done something wrong. To be precise, they had messed up the task that Uchiha Homura had specifically assigned them.

The rumor triggered by the protest letter had spread so quickly in Konoha Village.

The Uchiha Police Force must bear the responsibility.

If they had responded more quickly and taken things more seriously, even if the ANBU had not been helpful, the rumors would not have spread so quickly throughout the village.

But most people in the Police Force were indifferent, which is why the rumors spread so quickly.

Most of them didn't really care about it, and no matter how powerful Kirito Tosaka was, he wasn't from the Uchiha clan, so what did it matter to them if he lived or died?

Yes, this person seems to have a good relationship with the clan leader's granddaughter and seems like one of them, but this person is clearly a loyal dog of the Senju clan and is not compatible with the Uchiha clan.

This guy is now unlucky and being set up by someone.

To be honest, many of them are quite happy about it and gloat about it.

What they never expected was that their Clan Leader took this matter very seriously, and directly summoned all the key members of the Uchiha Police Force. As soon as they arrived, they were all given a set of illusionary torture, and then they were severely beaten.

This was the first time they had seen Uchiha Homura so angry.

Uchiha Fugaku was also in the hall at the time. He was now a captain in the Uchiha Police Force, responsible for managing the security of a part of Zone XC.

Compared to his colleagues, his facial injuries were the lightest, just a small bump on his head. The reason was that he was more responsible than his colleagues. As soon as the rumor started to spread, he began to mobilize manpower to catch the rumormonger and sent someone to notify other colleagues and ANBU personnel.

But unfortunately, most people chose to turn a blind eye, causing the rumor to spread like wildfire and get out of control.

Uchiha Fugaku's understanding of this rumor is that a tree attracts a lot of wind, and that fellow named Kirito Tosaka is too prominent, which invites envy from others.

He is the genius of the Uchiha clan and of course an incredibly proud person, but when he heard about Kirito Tosaka's deeds and saw that these days he has become the hero praised by countless people in Konoha, he couldn't help but feel a trace of jealousy in his heart, not to mention other people.

However, judging from the current reaction of the family head, things were not as simple as he had imagined. Kirito Tosaka held an extraordinary position in the family head's heart.

"Could it be that the family head wants to support Kirito Tosaka to become the new Hokage?"

The young Fugaku suddenly had a brainstorm and thought so.

The atmosphere in the hall was very heavy and oppressive. Many people found it hard to bear, but under the gaze of Uchiha Homura's Sharingan, which contained terrifying power, these usually domineering Uchiha jōnin could only grit their teeth and hold on.

Fortunately, the heaviness did not last long, and a somewhat fat blue cat came to their rescue.

"Old man Homura, this is a letter from my boss for you,"

Tom ignored the atmosphere in the hall and the group of Uchiha strongmen. With his head tilted, he quickly walked on two legs to Uchiha Homura and handed him a scroll from his fanny pack.

Uchiha Homura took the scroll with a smile and then asked Tom, "Tom, how is your boss's mood today?"

"Actually, I'm not sure. My boss was expressionless when he told me to deliver the letter, but he usually looks like that, so I can't really say for sure,"

Tom heard this and screwed up his eyebrows, recalling the scene when he saw Kirito this morning, and said with a sad face.

Uchiha Homura heard the words expressionless, and immediately knew that something was wrong.

It's true, it would be strange if someone got stabbed in the back and was in a good mood.

At the same time, he became more and more dissatisfied with the core members of the Uchiha Police Force in the hall. He had lost face this time, not just his face, but also the face of the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha Police Force was originally responsible for stopping the spread of rumors, but apart from a few people who took their jobs seriously, the rest of the Uchiha Police Force were as deaf and blind as possible, and irresponsible.

This had a very bad influence, an extremely bad influence, and starkly exposed the incompetence of the Uchiha Police Force.

He really didn't know what these people were thinking. Could messing up the task he had assigned them reflect the glory of the Uchiha clan?

"I see. Thank you for telling me. Tom, go to the kitchen and take whatever you want. Help yourself."

Uchiha Homura continued to smile as he spoke to Tom.

Tom left in a happy mood and went to Chizuru's kitchen with ease.

As soon as Tom left, the smile on Uchiha Homura's face instantly disappeared, and he continued to stare at the group of Uchiha jōnin in the hall with a ferocious, man-eating gaze.

The other Uchiha jōnin saw this and hurriedly lowered their heads again.

Uchiha Homura snorted, then began to open the scroll and read the contents carefully.

After reading the contents of the scroll, he immediately looked up at the group of Uchiha jōnin in front of him and said coldly, "I'll give you an opportunity. Go arrest the people spreading rumors in the village. The three who arrest the least will be dismissed."

Ha~"

The group of Uchiha jōnin were overjoyed, and they all said in unison before using the Shunshin technique to disappear.

After the group of Uchiha jōnin left, Uchiha Homura once again looked at the scroll in his hands.

There was very little on the scroll, just three words: "End the war."