Konoha: Uchiha Extremists? Offering Loyalty!

Chapter 222 The Confused Sakumo Hatake

Midnight, the streets are quiet.

Konoha seemed to have broken free from the shadow of war, like a little toe emerging from its shell.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi left the Inuzuka family's gate, the family head and elders warmly saw him off.

But he felt no relief whatsoever.

Such excessive politeness and enthusiasm usually indicate estrangement.

This means that from today onwards, Inuzuka and the Third Hokage are on different paths.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked along the path at night, rubbing his tired, red eyes, pondering the Inuzuka family's attitude.

How dare Inuzuka?

Why would a mere ninja clan of less than a hundred people dare to offend a grown Hokage?

With just a flick of his little finger, he could flatten the dog mound without any future trouble!

As Hiruzen Sarutobi passed by a puddle, the moonlight reflected an old face.

He looked down at the puddle, momentarily lost in thought.

I'm getting old, I'm getting old after all.

For several days in a row, Hiruzen Sarutobi was either visiting the clan or on the clan's territory.

Unsurprisingly, he gained nothing, and the ninja clan's attitude was quite ambiguous.

He seemed to want to say something, but said nothing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't understand what they were worried about.

Many families clearly haven't sided with Orochimaru at all, so could it be...?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned cold in an instant.

Could it be that they support Sakumo Hatake?

"Old man!"

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his office, a shout suddenly echoed through the empty, damp, and cold room.

Jiraiya climbed in through the window, his expression a mixture of determination and hesitation.

"Jiraiya, you're back?" Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief. "I plan to have you rebuild and manage Root."

The roots are of great importance to the leaves.

They specifically carry out dirty missions that cannot be made public for the Hokage.

A group of ninjas with no moral constraints and high efficiency in execution can be a great asset in war.

It is a necessary kind of 'evil'.

Jiraiya walked to the desk with a complicated expression, frowned and asked, "Old man, is that all you want to say? Orochimaru did a good job, so why not entrust the future to Orochimaru?"

"Not bad?" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head: "Orochimaru, in order to gain enough support, allowed the Uchiha and Senju clans to undermine the village's foundation. Not only did he not restrict the ninja clans, he also let them develop unchecked!"

"This is an immature act that will only harm the village. I don't trust him. Orochimaru needs to mature further."

Jiraiya said, "Then...Captain Sakumo Hatake..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted, "I trust Sakumo."

"But you should know very well where his fame comes from."

"It was the Senju, Ino-Shika-Cho, and Uchiha clans that, through their behind-the-scenes manipulation, gave birth to the legendary White Fang of Konoha."

"Furthermore, it's still unknown whether Uchiha Yuuki was behind the scenes in orchestrating the single-handed defeat of four Kage..."

“But…” Jiraiya frowned, feeling that the old man’s words were too biased.

"Jiraiya, haven't you always been searching for the prophesied child and believing in the prophecies of the hermit of Mount Myōboku?" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted, "Why are you hesitating now?"

"Becoming the leader of the Roots will not only help the village gather intelligence, but also allow you to find your prophesied son."

"This is a win-win situation!"

He really went all out to persuade Jiraiya to help.

Hiruzen Sarutobi discovered that his control over the village had not increased, but rather decreased significantly, as the war had come to a standstill.

There was no way around it; he was a figure standing at the very top.

It can be brutal, it can be arrogant, it can be intelligent...

The one thing you absolutely cannot do is act like a clown and let others manipulate you.

Unfortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who fought in the desert for two and a half years and finally came up with a ceasefire agreement, was quite the 'clown'.

If the financial deficit cannot be made up.

If you do the math, he'll definitely have to bear the majority of the responsibility.

He even had to give up the Hokage position that was right under his nose.

Orochimaru was originally a very good candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

Unfortunately, after a series of tests, he discovered that Orochimaru's capacity had shrunk and his Will of Fire had become less firm.

How can someone like that be appointed Hokage?

Jiraiya, who retained a portion of the Will of Fire, would be a good candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

"I'll think about it some more." Jiraiya planned to return to Mount Myōboku again and ask about the prophecy once more.

I don't know if things will change in the future.

As Jiraiya jumped out of the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and silently chanted in his mind.

For the sake of the village, the village cannot fall into the hands of the Senju and Uchiha...

...

The work of the police department is not simple. Due to the excellent physique of ninjas, the distinction between day and night is not particularly clear.

It's common for clerical staff to work overtime and stay up late.

Even at midnight, Uchiha Yuuki was often in the department head's office, handling the day's official business.

"Wuhu, I forgot to send a shadow clone to handle official business this morning."

"Shouyi, why didn't you tell me you were taking leave earlier?"

Yuuki sighed and shook his head as he reviewed the remaining official documents.

After reading a scroll, he tore the paper to shreds without expression.

It must have been really tough guarding the position.

How could he possibly read such a rambling scroll?

It seems we need to standardize the reporting format.

What kind of title is centered and concise?

Uniform font and consistent font size...

Instead of torturing yourself, it's better to hone others.

Boom!dong dong!

"Is Minister Yuki here?" Sakumo Hatake asked as he entered the police chief's office, carrying a basket of oranges.

"Sakumo-kun?" Yuuki looked at the newcomer with some surprise.

At this moment, shouldn't Sakumo Hatake be enjoying a life of success and surrounded by old friends?

What brings you to the police department?

The Uchiha clan and the police department had almost no contact with Sakumo Hatake.

The prevailing opinion within the clan is that Yuuki succeeded as the Fourth Hokage, becoming the first Uchiha Hokage since the founding of Konoha.

He had absolutely no interest in supporting Sakumo Hatake to become the fourth generation leader.

On the contrary, the Senju clan took the lead, with the participation of smaller clans, which continuously boosted the reputation of Konoha's White Fang.

"Just a visit, a brief chat." Hatake Sakumo scratched his head, his eyes looking somewhat lost.

"Sakumo-kun, have you encountered some insurmountable problem?" Yuuki asked, his pen moving with effortless grace, without delaying his gaze as he looked up at the bewildered Sakumo Hatake.

"Haha, is it that obvious?" Hatake Sakumo chuckled twice and truthfully complained, "After returning to the village, I encountered far too many troubles."

"Official duties I don't know how to handle, and countless banquets..."

“I heard that Chief Youshu was not very old when he took office, so I came to visit and ask for some advice.”