Fugaku has gone mad; he's going to create a new Uchiha clan in Kirigakure.

The Hiruzen Sarutobi family.

The spacious courtyard features a variety of scenery, including artificial hills, flowing water, and startled deer.

The afternoon sun shone on the tatami mats in the spacious living room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.

Four people sat around a low table with simple tea sets in front of them. The water stains on the table showed that the elderly men and women had been drinking for a while.

In the very center, the crystal ball stood quietly, its interior reflecting the interplay of light and shadow. It depicted the scene of Tsunade and Sasuke Uchiha conversing in the Hokage's office, their voices clear and their expressions distinct.

The scene disappeared the instant Tsunade retrieved the document...

"I'm getting old."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to the side, gently patting his knee with one hand, as if brushing away some unseen dust. His voice carried a complex emotion, a mixture of relief and a hint of imperceptible loneliness.

"indeed."

Disguised as Mitokado Yan, the pharmacist Nonou took out a cigarette, tapped it on the edge of the table, lit it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke from her nose, blurring the wrinkled face that belonged to an old man.

"Unlike you and me, and even unlike the Second Hokage, Tsunade has the demeanor of the First Hokage."

"Confidence, uprightness, and the use of power to intimidate others."

"But tsk tsk, those were really harsh words. Fortunately, I didn't get involved in either the Uchiha clan's affairs or the Jinchuriki's affairs."

"I am too."

Beside her, Koharu held a warm teacup in both hands, seemingly not drinking tea, but warming her hands with the warmth. Her eyelids were lowered, and her voice was flat and emotionless.

"I've always just been in charge of the medical side of things."

She added, her tone devoid of emotion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the two of them and snorted.

"Neither of you objected during the internal vote."

"Koharu and I are just assistants to the Hokage."

[Mitokado Bronchi] Exhaled a smoke ring, the smoke slowly rising in the sunlight.

"Our opinions cannot sway the Hokage."

"Hey, you old codger."

Hiruzen Sarutobi swung his fists a few times.

"You didn't say that when I was Hokage."

"hehe."

[Mitomon En] chuckled twice and took another drag of his cigarette.

"Powerful ninjas don't dwell on their past valor; this is no longer a time for regret."

"What do you mean, 'I'll get angry and you'll regret it'?"

Xiaochun, who had just changed dorm rooms, lifted her eyelids.

"It's those two old guys."

【Mitomon Homura】pointed at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura with the finger holding a cigarette, his tone carrying a hint of watching the show.

"On average, every three or four days, there's a shout-out like, 'I am the Hokage!' 'You'll regret this!' The most recent one was about dealing with the Uchiha clan issue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi rolled his eyes, didn't reply, and just patted his knee again.

"boring."

Danzo Shimura, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

"Speaking of which, what were you two thinking, especially you, Hiruzen? Why did you agree to Danzo's plan regarding Jinchuriki? When you were still Hokage, we didn't dare listen, we didn't dare ask, ha..."

Finally, Mitokado En seized a suitable opportunity and naturally asked the question.

"As weapons, Jinchuriki should not have their own thoughts."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak; it was Danzo Shimura who spoke. He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and there was a hint of resentment in his voice.

"If you had listened to me back then, none of this would have happened."

"What is it?"

[Mitokaku inflammation] Showing just the right amount of doubt at the right time.

Having inherited Mitokado Homura's memories, although he couldn't know every detail of every event at all times, he could connect and awaken relevant memory fragments as long as someone reminded him. However, he didn't have any memories of what Danzo had said, so he could pretend to be curious and ask about it.

"Kushina Uzumaki."

These words were slowly uttered from the corner of Shimura Danzo's mouth.

"As a female Jinchūriki, on the day she became a Jinchūriki, I said that I would send her to Root and not let her have feelings, but you disagreed."

"You even arranged for Minato Namikaze to form a bond with her, and what was the result?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Danzo's single eye.

"Kushina Uzumaki is not Lady Mito, and Lady Mito is not the first or second Hokage. They were too superstitious about the so-called perfect Adamantine Chains, and then came the Nine-Tails Catastrophe. I also advised the Fourth Hokage that in the early days after the Third Shinobi World War, when everything was unstable, we should not have children, at least not during that period. But they didn't listen, and you have seen the result."

He paused, his voice growing even colder.

"It's not that they protected the village and sealed the Nine-Tails, and that debt can be forgiven. Because of their recklessness, tens of thousands of people died in Konoha that night. Their sons will have to pay the price."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

"Naruto, is he bait?"

Both being shrewd individuals, upon hearing this, Yakushi Nono, who was disguised as Mitokado Homura, and Koharu Utatane both understood.

So that's what this guy was planning.

By deliberately leaking information, he caused the entire village to ostracize Naruto, while simultaneously ensuring that a few individuals, such as the Third Hokage, treated him well, thus maintaining a fragile first layer of "goodwill." This "exposure" was reasonable, as the Fourth Hokage and his wife's "willfulness" led to the disaster, and as the Dark One of Konoha, his "revenge" was justifiable.

So, if someone were to approach the Jinchuriki at this time, trying to "save" or exploit him, that person would definitely have ulterior motives and would most likely be an enemy. No wonder that old guy Hiruzen Sarutobi would agree to such a thing, letting the whole village ostracize a child. Obviously, he probably also harbored anger towards the Fourth Hokage.

"As expected of the Darkness of Konoha."

Yakushi Nonou continued to imitate Mitokado Homura, taking a deep drag of his cigarette and letting the pungent taste swirl in his lungs before slowly exhaling. In the old man's eyes, apart from the abstract symbol of "Konoha" itself, it seemed that nothing was beyond sacrifice, not even himself.

Now she understands. While Shimura Danzo's plan to make Kabuto and herself fight each other was partly due to his twisted sense of humor, it was probably more because he didn't trust her, having learned many of Root's secrets and being outside the system, so he wanted to eliminate her.

"Root, will you hand it over?"

After a moment of silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his voice low and deep.

"Um."

Danzo nodded decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"As a defeated general, all my trump cards have been deciphered by Fugaku Uchiha. Furthermore, Jiraiya is on Tsunade's side. I am not qualified to challenge Tsunade now."

"but."

He then changed the subject.

"I will apply to Tsunade for a transfer out of Konoha."

The other three people all looked at him.

"What are you going to do?"

Xiaochun asked as she turned to her new room.

Danzo slowly stood up, leaning on his cane with one hand. The afternoon sun shone on half of his face, while the other half was hidden in shadow, making him look like a statue that was half in light and half in shadow.

"Go find Orochimaru."

"you!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed sharply.

"What are you going to do?"

"Naturally, this is to prepare for potential future crises."

Danzo's voice was calm, but also very serious.

"Right now, Konoha has two powerful enemies: Fugaku Uchiha and Akatsuki, who possesses the Rinnegan. And right now, Konoha is at its weakest."

He paused, his one eye sweeping over the three people present.

"The Second Hokage left us a vast fortune, but over the years, apart from the two self-destruct ninjutsu of the Mito Gate, we have made almost zero use of the Second Hokage's wealth. To put it bluntly, that's where our talent lies. If we want to ensure that Konoha is no longer threatened in the future, we must make use of this wealth."

"And Orochimaru is the key to using this wealth!"

"For example, we could develop special ninjutsu to target Fugaku Uchiha, or develop some special medicine to enhance the strength of the ninja army. Fugaku Uchiha has left Konoha, and the Rinnegan has appeared in the world. The future ninja world will definitely be a time of great strife. If we don't fight, we will die."

"Now is not the time to think about Orochimaru's past. Besides, in terms of being inhuman, I am not much worse than him. But I don't mind. Losing humanity may mean losing many things, but losing animality may mean that Konoha will not exist. In my opinion, I can do anything as long as Konoha can be preserved."

"Of course, for the safety of Konoha, all cooperation with him will be conducted outside. If any problems arise, I will not allow him to implicate Konoha..."

"Actually, it's possible to hand everything over to the younger generation. After all, we're not young anymore."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo Shimura and said.

That's you.

Danzo Shimura put down his teacup.

"I can die on the battlefield, I can die on the experimental table, I can even die at the hands of Fugaku Uchiha, but I don't want to die in a hospital bed."

After saying that, he looked away from everyone, leaned on his cane, and walked slowly but firmly toward the door.

The sound of wooden clogs tapping on the floor was particularly clear in the quiet tea room.

Danzo left.

The sunlight in the courtyard was still bright, and the cicadas had started chirping again sometime earlier.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the doorway where Danzo had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time. Homura Mitokado silently smoked, the smoke swirling upwards. Koharu Utatane still held the now-cold cup of tea, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cup.

It lingered for a long time, until that figure completely disappeared from sight and perception...

...

late at night.

At Mitokado Yan's house.

A detached house with its own courtyard, not far from the Hokage Building.

The location is convenient yet quiet amidst the hustle and bustle, befitting the status of a retired elder.

The house was not small, with a courtyard and a corridor, but it was pitch black at the moment, with only a dim yellow light shining from the main house.

The huge house was occupied by only one person, "Mitokado Homura".

He's always been like this.

He was a loner and disliked living with others. There wasn't even a permanent servant in his house, only a helper who came to clean regularly.

This made things easier for Yakushi Nonou.

Ultimately, she was faking it.

Her bloodline limit, "Flesh Release: Musou Technique," is indeed powerful, as it can perfectly mimic appearance, chakra, and even the behavioral habits brought about by memories.

But imitation is still imitation, and it will always lack some essence. Some subtle movements that even the person in question may not be aware of can be noticed by someone who lives with them for a long time and is observant. Over time, this person will eventually notice something is amiss.

Being alone is the safest thing.

"call..."

Yakushi Nonou slowly exhaled.

Then, her body began to undergo visible changes.

The color and texture of the skin, the contours of the muscles, the missing legs...

Everything was moving and adjusting silently, like a wax figure slowly melting and being reshaped under high temperature.

In the blink of an eye, the person sitting there was no longer the old and disabled Mitokado Yan, but Yakushi Nonou, who had regained her original appearance.

She had short, golden hair, emerald green eyes, and a delicate yet slightly tired face. She was still wearing Mitokado Homura's oversized pajamas, which now looked rather empty.

She looked down at her right arm.

The flesh on her arm began to writhe unnaturally, her skin became transparent and softened, and then a clump of thick, black, sludge-like substance was slowly squeezed out from inside her bones.

The clump of black mud landed on the desk with a soft "plop" sound.

Instead of dispersing, it quickly condensed and shaped into half a blade, pitch black, neither gold nor iron, with a viscous liquid seemingly flowing slowly on its surface, exuding an ominous and profound aura.

It is part of Fugaku Uchiha's divine weapon, the "Blade of the Underworld".

Yakushi Nonou took a deep breath to calm her slightly rapid breathing. Then, she extended her index finger, gathering a wisp of pure chakra at the tip, and gently touched the blade of the broken sword.

Chakra injection.

The jet-black blade trembled slightly, and the "liquid" flowing on its surface accelerated.

Then, it began to "activate," transforming from a hard blade into a lump of living, gently undulating mud, and finally into a palm-sized Uchiha Fugaku, sitting in place with his arms slightly crossed.

Yakushi Nonou looked at the miniature version of Uchiha Fugaku and habitually licked her lips.

"Lord Fugaku."

A moment later, the chibi version of Fugaku Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move his body a little, and it was just as he had imagined.

He created a clone, attaching it to half of the Yellow Springs Azure Pool Blade, or rather, hiding half of the Yellow Springs Azure Pool Blade inside this small clone. Utilizing the inertia of the silt, he evaded all detection, allowing this clone to infiltrate Konoha.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Only now have I finally regained my complete freedom."

"Thanks for your hard work."

"It is my honor to have worked so hard for you, Lord Fugaku. It is just a pity that I can no longer serve you."

"Ha, I think you're just greedy."

Upon hearing this, Yakushi Nonou blushed slightly. She took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"Would you like me to give you a briefing on the current situation in Konoha?"

"My chakra is limited, so I'll keep it short."

"Yes."

Yakushi Nonou knelt before Uchiha Fugaku and began to report everything that had happened in Konoha since she woke up...

...

"In the end, young master Sasuke agreed to the Fifth Hokage's suggestion."

At this point, Yakushi Nonou glanced at Uchiha Fugaku, and after a long while, Uchiha Fugaku sighed.

"As expected of the First Hokage's granddaughter, she hit the nail on the head with just one sentence. It's a fact that I abandoned Sasuke. This is a thorn that has been inserted into his heart, and no amount of words can make up for it. However, that's all there is to it. No matter how generous Tsunade is, Konoha won't invest too many resources in him. It's enough to keep him from becoming a bomb..."

"You had no choice..."

Yakushi Nonou offered words of comfort, looking at Uchiha Fugaku's melancholy expression. She couldn't help but put herself in his shoes; if she were in his shoes, faced with the choice between the entire orphanage and a single orphan, she knew she couldn't do it...

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's talk about the information on the Jinchuriki."

Fugaku Uchiha waved his hand, as if he didn't want to dwell on it anymore. Of course, he was actually doing this on purpose to show Nono Yakushi. From his personal perspective, apart from Indra's chakra, he didn't really care about Sasuke's other abilities, since he didn't have any feelings for Sasuke.

However, the people around him wouldn't think that way. If a person can even abandon his own son, that's a terrifying thing, because others will think, what else can't you give up?

Therefore, he had to pretend to be conflicted or even unwilling to talk about it.

In this way, those around him would naturally defend him, and might even see him as a righteous man who sacrificed his son for his clan, after all, Liu Bei from the Three Kingdoms period set a good example for later generations.