Konoha Hypocrite

by Little Merger

Crossing to the Naruto World, Uchiha Tonan obtained the ‘Legacy Inheritance System’. As long as the people who acknowledged him died, he could inherit all abilities of the deceased. Therefore… “Konoha’s higher-ups mistreated the Uchihas. So, I’ve decided to lead the clan to launch a coup d’état after three years.” “Ding! Gained Uchiha clan’s acknowledgment.” Two years later. “Tonan

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Konoha Hypocrite #Chapter 92: Daimyo'S Death, Shifting Blame - Read Konoha Hypocrite Chapter 92: Daimyo'S Death, Shifting Blame Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 92: Daimyo's Death, Shifting Blame

At this moment, in the First Highness' study, Naruko was holding the Daimyo's corpse and crying, while two root ninjas were guarding beside him.

On the other hand, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was forced into a corner by the other eleven guardian ninjas. A while later, a group of ministers rushed over after hearing the news and seeing the Daimyo who had already stopped breathing, their expressions turned ugly. They immediately questioned people in the room, "Who killed His Majesty?"

The gaze of all eleven guardian ninjas turned to Shinnosuke, and they looked vigilant. When the ministers saw this, they looked at each other in shock, which was then replaced by resentment.

"Shinnosuke, do you realize what you did? Is this yours or Konoha's intention?" The finance minister immediately asked.

Shinnosuke replied solemnly, "I didn't kill the Daimyo. Just now, I was in the hall, and the First Highness and His Majesty were in the study by themselves. I rushed inside after I felt chakra fluctuations, and discovered that the First Highness had already killed His Majesty using Earth Style – Ground Thorns. When I was just about to capture the First Highness, these two… Anbu Ninjas came in."

After listening to Shinnosuke's explanation, everyone was startled, and their gazes moved to Naruko, who was still crying. Looking pale, he slowly raised his head and looked at Shinnosuke with a lifeless look.

"Haha… Is Nahara so impatient? What benefit did he give you to make you take such a big risk to frame me?"

Shinnosuke frowned and solemnly said, "Your Highness, your method is too clumsy. I have no reason to kill His Majesty. On the contrary, you have the motive. Because His Majesty wanted to pass his position to the Second Highness, you deeply resented him."

Naruko's eyes were filled with misery. He hugged the Daimyo's corpse and trying to suppress his emotions, he said while sobbing, "How can I ruthlessly kill my biological father?"

The finance minister narrowed his eyes and asked Shinnosuke, "Why were you in the room?"

Shinnosuke answered calmly, "The First Highness asked me to wait in the room to safeguard him."

When the finance minister heard Shinnosuke's answer, he angrily replied, "Don't you feel there are too many loopholes in the excuses you made? When there are four guardians outside, is there any need for you to stay in the room?"

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Then, he asked the guardians who protected the Daimyo at night, "What did the four of you see when you came in?"

The oldest guardian answered solemnly, "When we came in, we only saw the First Highness holding His Majesty's corpse. And Shinnosuke was about to attack the First Highness, but he was stopped by two Konoha Anbus, who jumped in from the window."

"They were sent by Danzo-sama to protect me. As for the reason, even I don't know," the First Highness casually explained.

When the finance minister heard this, he frowned. This matter was getting more and more complicated. Perhaps, the Daimyo was just a victim of the power struggle in Konoha.

At this moment, Nahara came to the study with a group of his attendants. "What happened to father? Is he alright?"

When Naruko heard this voice, a hint of killing intent flashed through his eyes. However, just after stepping into the study, Nahara saw his father's bloody corpse and blood all over the room.

His eyelids twitched, and he was so scared that he fainted. Fortunately, the attendants caught him in time.

The ministers frowned seeing his reaction and hastily instructed, "Take the Second Highness back to rest."

The identity of the two people present on the scene was very special. One was Hokage's son and the other was the Daimyo's son. Without irrefutable evidence, it was impossible to arrest them. The situation fell into a stalemate for a moment, and the ministers were helpless.

After some thinking, the finance minister asked, "How can you two prove you are innocent?"

The First Highness shook his head and said, "Everything happened suddenly. I have no way to prove my innocence. At first, I thought that Shinnosuke colluded with Nahara, but looking at his reaction now, there might be other reasons. However, I think we can search Shinnosuke's residence to see if there are any clues."

One of the guardian ninjas said coldly, "I'll go and check. Before the truth is revealed, no one is allowed to leave. The Fire Capital is hereby place under martial law."

Other than Shinnosuke, the other guardian ninjas were nurtured by the Daimyo, using many resources. They were loyal to him from birth, and many ministers also trusted them.

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Unlike later in the Naruto Universe, when Asuma became a guardian ninja, the guardian ninjas were divided into moderates and radicals. One was loyal to the Daimyo, and the other was loyal to the Hokage.

After a while, the guardian ninja returned to the study with a gloomy look, holding a piece of paper in his hand. It was the pledge that Nahara had written for Shinnosuke earlier.

"I found this in the hidden compartment of his bedroom."

When Shinnosuke saw it, his heart thumped and he cursed inwardly, "Damn it, I was manipulated."

The guardian ninja handed the pledge to the others to look at. Sure enough, everyone's gaze changed while looking at Shinnosuke after that.

The finance minister's eyes were filled with frost, and he asked, "How do you explain this? You are the First Highness' guardian. Why would the Second Highness give you this written pledge? When did your relationship with him become this good? What deal did you two make?"

Shinnosuke was sweating profusely, his chest filling with anger. He gritted his teeth and roared at Naruko, "This was your intention from the beginning…"

Naruko lowered his head and didn't even look at Shinnosuke. He just kept breathing heavily and muttered with resentment, "Nahara… why… why did you do this…"

Shinnosuke knew he couldn't win the argument here. But his identity was special. Even if he was implicated now, he could wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen to send someone to help him find the truth.

Presumably, Naruko's inferior means would come to light under Konoha Anbu's investigation. So, he said, "I know you all don't believe in me, but no matter. I'll not leave the Fire Capital and you all can investigate the specific details."

However, just after he spoke, Naruko smiled coldly and raised his head, "That's interesting. Even at this stage, you are stubbornly refusing to admit your mistake. Then, I suggest inviting a ninja who can check memories to look into your memories. But this ninja can't be from Konoha."

The ministers looked at each other in dismay. Looking into memories could cause heavy damage to the spirit. Shinnosuke's identity was important, so among the ministers, who had always been accustomed to weighing the pros and cons, no one dared to agree.

On the other hand, for the eleven guardian ninjas who were loyal only to the Daimyo, this was a very good suggestion. A guardian ninja immediately replied, "I can do it. Some time ago, I learned ninjutsu of looking into memories. Let me do it."

As soon as he spoke, Shinnosuke quickly made hand seals. Then, he sunk into the ground and disappeared in front of everyone. Since the situation had escalated to this stage, he couldn't stay and let others look into his memories.

Not to mention the serious side effects, he knew all kinds of information about Hiruzen, which were all top-secret. How could he let others know about it?

But for everyone else, his action of fleeing like this was the same as being scared of something being found out.

"Capture him." The eleven guardian ninjas had a tacit understanding. Five stayed behind to guard the study, and the remaining six disappeared in unison, chasing after Shinnosuke.

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Chapter 93: Konoha's Green Sprout, Tonan Makes A Move

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's residence was located about ten miles to the east of Naruko's study. At this moment, Sarutobi Asuma was sleeping. Suddenly, a deep hole burst open in the room's floor and Shinnosuke jumped out of it.

Asuma was startled awake and jumped off the bed, thinking it was an enemy attack, and he was prepared to fight. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the person was his elder brother.

Shinnosuke was about to explain things to him, but he suddenly frowned.

"Wind Style – Great Breakthrough."

"Fire Style – Flame Link Bullet."

The wind style and the fire style fused, and as if a shooting star, the fireball with a long tail swept downward. The attack range was big, enough to engulf more than half of the mansion. In an instant, the roof beams and pillars were smashed into pieces, then were burned into flying ashes by the raging flames. The entire mansion turned into a sea of flames.

"Earth Style – Multi Mud Wall."

Layer upon layer of mudflow surged, protecting Shinnosuke and Asuma. The wind and fire were wreaking havoc, which quickly evaporated the outer mudflow wall's moisture, turning it into scorched earth, and cracking it inch by inch. But until the end of the ninjutsu, Shinnosuke withstood it.

It seemed difficult to endure these attacks by himself, but in fact, it just consumed a little more chakra. Shinnosuke knew that it wouldn't be beneficial for him to continue to fight. Moreover, if he wanted to prove his innocence, he couldn't kill these guardian ninjas.

Thinking this, he prepared to run away with the perplexed Asuma.

"Do you really want to escape? Afraid you need our permission first!"

"Barrier – Four Violet Flames Formation."

The four guardian ninjas, standing on the four corners of the mansion, jointly raised a purple barrier to trap the two people inside. Seeing this, Shinnosuke frowned and thought this was going to be troublesome.

Immediately afterward, he shouted, "I didn't kill His Majesty."

In the Four Violet Flames Formation, the two guardian ninjas stared coldly at Shinnosuke. It was obvious that they didn't believe him and said, "Then, why did you run away?"

Hearing the question, Shinnosuke became silent. "Could it be that I should have let you all search my memories without running away?"

Looking at the barrier around, Shinnosuke took a deep breath and thought, "Damn it, I've to get serious."

"Asuma, after the barrier is broken, immediately run back to Konoha and look for father."

After speaking in a low voice, his hands seemed to become blurry, instantly making countless hand signs.

"Be careful, this guy wants to forcibly break the barrier."

"You are underestimating us!"

"Fire Style – Hellfire."

A blue fire sprang out of the ground and instantly engulfed the entire barrier. At that time, another guardian ninja also finished making the hand signs, then shouted,

"Wind Style – Spiraling Pressure."

The air inside the barrier began to rotate, causing the flame to form a fire tornado, and Shinnosuke was in the eye of the fire tornado. The temperature in the eye of the fire tornado increased rapidly.

At this moment, Shinnosuke slammed his hands on the ground and shouted, "Earth Style – Multi Overturning Dragon Technique."

In an instant, the Fire Capital seemed to have an earthquake, and the earth seemed to be roaring. The spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, and ferocious earth dragons sprang out from the cracks, then slammed on the ground.

With every hit, more cracks appeared, and more earth dragons sprang out from the cracks. The giant earth dragons' movement dissipated the surrounding airflow as they flew towards the two guardian ninjas. The two people could only dodge, which broke their combination ninjutsu.

"Not good, the barrier can't hold on."

No matter how strong the ninjutsu was, its power ultimately depended on the user. Obviously, there was a big gap between the strength of these four guardian ninjas and Shinnosuke.

In the end, after the earth dragons slammed into the purple barrier, the entire barrier flashed and disappeared. Shinnosuke had his hands pressed on the ground, maintaining his ninjutsu, and shouted, "Leave quickly, I'll block them."

Asuma, who was frightened out of his wits, ran outside the city.

"Don't even think about running away."

"Water Style – Water Dragon Bullet Technique."

"Earth Style – Rock Dash."

Several ninjutsu attacks were launched at the fleeing Asuma. An ominous glint flashed through Shinnosuke's eyes. "Today, I'll let you experience the strength of Konoha's Green Sprout and the Future Hokage."

In the next moment, countless earth dragons sprang out from the ground, and like a giant whip, they lashed out and broke those ninjutsu. Without the barrier's protection, with Shinnosuke as the center, a lot of houses collapsed. Countless people were buried in the rubble or fell into the cracks while fleeing for their lives.

At this moment, everyone in the distant Daimyo Residence felt a chill down their spine as they watched this scene.

"Is this the strength of a Konoha ninja…"

"I can see the shadow of a powerful ninja on him…"

Everyone was focused on watching the scene of the guardian ninjas besieging Shinnosuke. They didn't notice the black clouds gradually covering the Fire Capital's night sky. The black clouds shrouded the sky and instantly the entire Fire Capital fell into darkness, appearing unusually gloomy.

Countless white pigeons chirped, and circled in the Fire Capital's sky as if they were welcoming a god.

Rumble~

A muffled sound of thunder roared. A guardian ninja frowned and looked up subconsciously. Suddenly, his pupils shrank, and he exclaimed in horror, "What's that?!"

The crowd followed his gaze. On top of the Fire Capital's tallest building, there was a figure with lightning around him. This was Uchiha Tonan, who had disguised as Abe Seimei.

At this moment, Tonan had activated Lightning Style Secret Technique – Spirit of the Thunder God, beginning to communicate with lightning ions in nature. The lightning around him became denser, making a sound that resembled thousands of birds chirping in unison.

Gradually, cracks began to appear on the building under him, and it seemed as if it would collapse in the next moment. But Tonan still stood tall on the top of this building. Taking advantage of this moment, he used Wind Communication to spread his voice throughout the Fire Capital.

"Konoha ninja, I cannot tolerate your flagrant slaughtering of civilians in the Fire Capital. For your actions today, take this heavenly punishment!"

In the next moment, the lightning around Tonan shot towards the sky, as if connecting heaven and earth. A sparrow was flying over Tonan a second before, but in the next second, it was engulfed by the lightning and disappeared. Not even a single feather remained.

The lightning pillar that connected heaven and earth not only contained powerful energy but also gave him the power to manipulate natural lightning instantly. Tonan's entire body was immersed in lightning, and he looked like a deity that carried out punishment on behalf of heaven.

He stood at the highest point and watched everyone in the Fire Capital. In his eyes, these people seemed especially insignificant. The gaze of the entire Fire Capital was attracted by this breathtaking scene.

After seeing the person standing on the top of the building was Abe Seimei-Tonan, everyone gasped.

"Seimei-dono… he was actually a ninja…"

"What kind of extraordinary person is he…"

"I fear that even Sarutobi Hiruzen, the strongest Hokage, cannot compete with Seimei-dono."

"This… it's not so clear…"

Tonan stood at the top of the building and looked indifferently at Shinnosuke below. Because of the Spirit of the Thunder God, there was no emotion in his eyes. The lightning around him also seemed to know how to observe things. It wasn't vicious like before, instead, condensed around him. In the next moment, everyone saw Abe Seimei-Tonan slowly raising his right hand.

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Chapter 94: Heavenly Lightning Tribulation, Exterminating Shinnosuke

As Uchiha Tonan raised his hand, the lightning between heaven and earth seemed to receive a direction. It condensed into a big lightning ball, peeking out from the dark clouds. The lightning ball shone with bright white radiance, like a small sun, illuminating the entire Fire Capital.

Everyone was blinded by this dazzling light. They couldn't even see the people next to them. The guardian ninjas, who were besieging Shinnosuke, understood the situation and retreated, desperately running away.

Such terrifying power! If they were too close to Shinnosuke, they might be hit as well.

Shinnosuke was alarmed and his eyes were fixed on the figure in the high place.

"This ninjutsu… I have seen it somewhere before."

He gulped but he didn't have the time to think about it at this moment. He circulated the chakra within his body with all his power and summoned countless earth dragons.

These earth dragons rushed towards the sky in unison, intertwining with each other in mid-air, forming a mountain peak. Shinnosuke wanted to use this to withstand the upcoming terrifying attack. A smile played on Abe Seimei-Tonan's mouth, who was standing on the roof. Immediately afterward, he slowly swung down his raised hand. The lightning ball flashed, and thick lightning struck down.

"Withstand this for me!"

Shinnosuke's expression looked ugly, and blue veins popped out on his forehead as he poured his entire chakra into the ground. The surrounding ground was completely destroyed. One earth dragon after another sprang out in succession and fused into the mountain peak, strengthening the defense.

Even though his earth-style ninjutsu's defense was powerful, it was a pity that lightning restrained earth. Especially, since Tonan was using Lightning Style Secret Technique – Heavenly Lightning Tribulation that he inherited from White Fang.

Although the prerequisite was hard and the side effect was also significant, once it was released successfully, ordinary ninjutsu wouldn't be able to withstand it. Tonan was confident that this attack could pierce through even the first stage Susanoo.

Under the lightning attack, the mountain peak made up of countless earth dragons began to break down from the very peak. In the next moment, everyone closed their eyes subconsciously. The entire world became silent and a vast expanse of white.

When the light dissipated, everyone looked toward the spot that was struck by the lightning. The mountain peak made up of countless earth dragons was split into pieces of huge rocks, scattered everywhere. There was a large burnt black area and smoke was still rising from it.

At the center where the lightning had struck, there was a deep crater, and Shinnosuke had disappeared. There was even dark red magma in the crater. The entire Fire Capital fell into silence. Everyone looked at it in shock and then looked at each other in panic.

Some people even became deaf for a short period. After some time, their sense of hearing was recovered, and soon countless people cheered in succession.

"Long live Seimei-sama!"

"Long live Seimei-sama!"

Tonan used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash, and amid the system's continuous prompt sounds, his figure slowly disappeared from everyone's sight. Immediately afterward, the building where he was standing couldn't hold up and it collapsed. He soon appeared in the Daimyo Residence and calmly walked out of a corner.

It was just that because of the side effects of the Spirit of the Thunder God, his face was ghastly pale at this moment. "Everyone, the traitor is already beheaded. I wonder if His Majesty was shocked?"

Everyone hastily gathered around, and they praised him endlessly with a look of reverence. Several ministers pretended to be very sad when they heard Tonan asking about the Daimyo.

Then, the Minister of Internal Affairs stepped forward and said solemnly, "Seimei-dono, His Majesty was assassinated."

Tonan pretended to be shocked and said, "What?"

The Minister of Internal Affairs continued to explain, "That person Seimei-dono killed just now was the guardian ninja of the First Highness, named Sarutobi Shinnosuke. It is suspected that he killed the Daimyo, but there are many suspicious points, so we are not completely certain."

At this moment, Naruko walked over carrying Daimyo's corpse. His face was filled with grief. He stopped in front of Tonan and knelt. "Seimei-sensei, please decide for this disciple."

Tonan stared solemnly at the First Highness in front of him, but he was carefully considering things in his heart. His original plan was to make Naruko assassinate the Daimyo or Nahara. Then, spread rumors to push Shinnosuke to the center of the rumor, making other guardians detain or even kill him.

However, before he could know what had happened here via the Wind Communication, beyond his expectation, Naruko played a trick to shift the blame, washing away all suspicion from himself.

What was even more unexpected was that Shinnosuke was actually this powerful. With just that ninjutsu that could easily change the terrain, he directly overturned the situation. As a result, Tonan had no choice but to take action as Abe Seimei and kill Shinnosuke.

Although this was not the best solution, even if Hiruzen investigated it, he could only find trouble with the new Daimyo.

"What happened was…" the Minister of Internal Affairs thought that Abe Seimei-Tonan didn't know what happened here, and explained the situation. When he finished speaking, Seimei had already decided in his heart.

With a solemn look on his face, he said, "The First Highness cannot be a murderer."

All ministers looked doubtful. "Why?"

Abe Seimei-Tonan replied, "The First Highness is the future Daimyo, he has no reason to do such a thing."

Immediately after he spoke, all ministers had a strange look, thinking that Seimei wasn't well-informed and didn't know the recent changes in the Daimyo Residence.

Tonan continued, "His Majesty's guardian ninjas will know that the Daimyo had plans to let the First Highness inherit his position. Therefore, I tried my best to refine the First Highness's temperament. To let him sit stably on the throne, His Majesty even kept the Second Highness beside him to comfort him to avoid causing internal strife because of a disloyal heart later. I've already told this matter to the First Highness at the very beginning. Just that outsiders didn't know about it."

When the ministers heard this, they all looked at the guardian ninjas. The guardian ninjas nodded, affirming Tonan's statements.

"Is that what was going on."

"From the beginning, I thought that the First Highness couldn't be the murderer."

"I also thought so, but you all couldn't help doubting the First Highness."

"Masaki-sama, don't slander us. I've always been on the First Highness's side."

"Sensei…, thank you." Naruko's eyes were wide open. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Abe Seimei-Tonan, and blood spilled out from the corners of his mouth. He forcibly swallowed it and lowered his head, saying word by word, "Thank you… for avenging my father…"

Seimei-Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Naruko who was full of resentment towards him, and leisurely said, "It's something I should do as an official. It's a pity I'm not young anymore. I've overdrawn my energy, and I don't have much time left. The Land of Fire will rely on you hereafter…"

After speaking, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to leave this place and headed out of the Fire Capital.

"Seimei-dono."

"Why are you leaving, Seimei-dono?"

"Didn't you all notice Seimei-dono's face? I estimate… alas…"

"Yes, that kind of powerful ninjutsu, that must have required a big price."

"It's a pity, it's a pity…"

"A great talent actually ended up in such a state."

"Now, the most important thing is to bury His Majesty and arrange for the First Highness to succeed the throne."

"The Hokage of Konoha is also a problem."

"Your Highness, please restrain your grief."

Naruko's eyes were full of deathly stillness, and he said expressionlessly, "Everyone, go back to rest first. Let me accompany my father alone…"

After he finished speaking, he struggled to pick up his father's lifeless body and returned to the house. After a long time, a grief-ridden cry came from his room.

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Chapter 95: Slaying Asuma, One Can Be My Teacher

Deep in the Land of Fire's forest, Sarutobi Asuma was running desperately. This place was far from the Fire Capital. The full moon in the night sky was like a goddess' eye, coldly looking down at Earth.

Coo coo

The forest was filled with terrifying chirping sounds of insects and birds, as well as the roars of wild beasts. Some time back, Asuma had seen the terrifying lightning above the Fire Capital from a distance. He had a bad premonition in his heart.

"No, that guy is so strong, how can anything happen to him?" Asuma could only console himself like this as he thought of his elder brother Sarutobi Shinnosuke. After running for so long, his stamina had exhausted. He looked around vigilantly, and after making sure no one was following him, he stopped and rested.

He placed his hands on his knees to support himself and panted. Cold sweat from his forehead flowed down his cheeks. Even though a ninja's physique was supposed to be extraordinary, he had been running as fast as he could for too long. It was too much for the current Asuma who was not even a genin.

Coo coo

Just as he relaxed, a cold wind, carrying the forest's humidity blew against his body from behind. It was particularly chilling. Feeling anxious and fearful, Asuma turned his head to look. He just saw the moon still hanging above his head, emitting cold light, adding a forlorn filter to the late hour.

The woods were so thick that even the moonlight was unable to rid the darkness, which felt like a deep abyss, full of dangers. Asuma's mouth felt dry and his body was a little cold. He rubbed his hands together, and said, "I don't think anyone is chasing after me."

Although he said that, his heart was beating wildly. It was as if his subconscious was sending him warning signals. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and dragged his tired body to find a tree hole. The damp hole was filled with a rotten smell, with many insects sticking inside.

As Asuma got into the hole, the insects wandered around his body, making him extremely itchy. Despite this, to not be discovered, Asuma didn't dare react and forcibly restrained himself.

If the pursuers found him, his end would be a lot more miserable than his current situation. Today's dream-like experience had already worn him out, both mentally and physically.

Along with the chirpings of birds and insects in the forest, Asuma's eyes gradually closed, and he fell asleep in the tree hole.

So itchy~

After an unknown period of time, he was awakened by the insects in the tree hole. Unable to bear it any longer, he reached out his hand and grabbed a few of them from his body.

Suddenly, he was startled. From the tree hole, he could see that it was still late at night outside. However, although he could remember there were insects and birds sounds outside before he fell asleep, it was all completely silent now.

This place was deep inside the forest, where many insects, birds, and beasts gathered. It was abnormal to be this quiet. The surrounding was so terrifyingly still that Asuma could hear his heartbeats.

Badam, badam, badam…

It was like a heavy hammer, distinctly loud in this deadly silent environment. Asuma could feel his back was drenched with cold sweat, and his forehead was also covered with fine sweat drops. He tried his best to adjust his rapid breathing to calm himself. He even comforted himself, saying the silence might just be a special natural phenomenon.

"Perhaps, I'm thinking too much. When I wake up from my sleep again, everything will be fine."

A short time later, Asuma's mood gradually stabilized. But just when he wanted to continue to sleep…

Suddenly!

A shadow appeared at the tree hole's entrance. Asuma's heart stopped for a moment. His eyes widened, and even the insects on his body seemed to have stilled. His breathing was ragged, and his face was pale with fright.

After a while, he saw what the shadow was. It turned out it was just a white pigeon. The pigeon tilted and lowered its head and pecked a few insects, then spread its wings and flew away.

Huff, huff~

Asuma hung his head, gasping for breath. The frightened look on his face was still there and he laughed at himself. "That scared me to death. Why am I so timid? It's just a pigeon."

By now Asuma's entire body was soaked in sweat and he felt very uncomfortable.

"Wait, do pigeons eat insects?" A question appeared in Asuma's mind, and he looked up subconsciously.

!!!

Asuma's pupils suddenly dilated, and his heartbeat instantly stopped. With the help of the faint moonlight spilling through the gaps among the leaves, he vaguely saw a deathly pale face that was almost touching his face.

Because of the dim environment and the distance being too close, Asuma was unable to see the other person's appearance. He only felt as if a pair of invisible hands were choking his neck, and he was about to suffocate.

He opened his mouth in horror, but couldn't make any sound. In the next moment, the eyes of that human face became scarlet, and three tomoe slowly spun.

"Asuma, why are you here?" A slightly familiar voice pulled Asuma back from his state of extreme fear. Slowly, he returned to his senses.

"You bastard, why are you here? Do you know how scary it is when someone suddenly brings their face this close?" Asuma lowered his voice and angrily asked.

Uchiha Tonan pulled his head back from the tree hole. Although his face was pale, his expression was unusually gentle. He adjusted his glasses and replied, "I came here to look for you. I'm sorry for scaring you."

Meeting an acquaintance in such a dangerous situation eased off much of Asuma's tension. Seeing Tonan's fearless appearance, he immediately raised his head and solemnly asked, "You also fled?"

Tonan smiled and said nothing. Asuma looked around for a while and warned, "We should be careful, lest we attract the people of the Fire Capital. Do you know what happened to Shinnosuke?"

Tonan didn't answer his question but asked with a smile, "Asuma, I wanted to ask you something, can I?"

"What?" Asuma kept patting off the insects stuck on his body. Tonan tilted his head and said, "Apart from Shinnosuke-senpai, who does Hokage-sama appreciate the most?"

Asuma frowned, a little dissatisfied with Tonan speaking so loudly. What if that attracted the enemies?

He replied in a hushed voice, "That goes without saying, it's definitely Orochimaru-sama. I heard the old man say that Orochimaru-sama is the disciple he is the proudest of."

Tonan nodded in realization and muttered, "It seems Hokage-sama cares very much about legacy and inheritance."

Immediately afterward, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth rose, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts. To express my gratitude, I'll send you on your way with my own hands."

Swish~

Before Asuma could even understand what Tonan said, a white light flashed and his head rolled to the ground. And without a moment's delay, a group of pitch-black ferocious birds flew over from all directions. Some surrounded his head, and some rushed into the tree hole.

Tonan unhurriedly took out a handkerchief and gently wiped off the blood from his chakra tanto. He sighed, "Sure enough, if three walk together, one can be my teacher."

Tonan put the chakra tanto back into the sheath. Then, walking towards the Fire Capital, his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.

Behind him, only the sounds of tearing filled the desolate forest.

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Chapter 96: Zetsu's Traces, Handling Aftermath

Sometime later…

Crackle, crackle, crackle~

Lightning illuminated the dark forest and the three tomoe in Uchiha Tonan's eyes spun rapidly. He suddenly stopped, maintaining a rushing forward posture while holding the chakra tanto tightly in his right hand.

Behind, a tropical pitcher plant was cut in the middle, and the upper half slowly slid down…

At that instant, the lower section of the tropical pitcher plant bore into the soil.

Tonan stood straight and waited for a while, then put away the chakra tanto, and his figure disappeared.

"That scared me to death!"

Somewhere far away, a plant split open, revealing a black and white upper body. "He almost chopped off our head. How did he notice us? When did Sharingan become so abnormal?"

"He didn't notice us. He just returned to take a look out of caution."

"Despicable, despicable… how did the Uchiha clan give birth to such an insidious and despicable guy?

"Madara-sama made an error in judgment."

"Let's go."

As the White and Black portions of the same being finished the conversation, Zetsu immediately sunk to the ground. But in the next instant, a chakra tanto covered in wind and lighting attributes descended from heaven, striking exactly that position.

Wind blades flew around and electric arcs flashed, lighting up the dim forest. The powerful wind and lightning attribute chakra erupted, basting a deep crater on the ground. After a few breaths, Tonan appeared, pulled out the chakra tanto, and muttered, "It's a pity, I let him escape."

Tonan shook his head and sighed, as he rushed towards the Fire Capital.

The forest became silent again.

Ten minutes later…

Crackle, crackle, crackle~

Boom, boom, boom~

Lightning once again flashed everywhere, and many trees were cut into pieces.

"Why hasn't that guy left yet? Why does it smell so bad? Is this a fart?"

"It's poison. I told you not to stick out the head, but you still wanted to come back to look."

Bang!

Tonan indifferently withdrew the chakra tanto. Looking at the mushroom cloud rising in front of him, he felt a bit regretful. Poison, traps, explosive tags, nothing worked. Zetsu's perception range was too large.

The time needed for Tonan to rush over from outside the range was enough for Zetsu to escape. Moreover, as long as Zetsu didn't emerge, even though Tonan possessed Wind Communication and Byakugan, he couldn't find him.

Even if he stuck out his head, Tonan couldn't see him with his Byakugan. He could just roughly judge his position via the perception of the airflow using Wind Communication.

For Tonan, Zetsu's potential threat was a little bigger. Naturally, that was limited to the early stage.

"Yingyang Escape Technique? Looks like I'll be able to take care of you after learning sealing techniques."

……….

Early in the morning, the sky had just started to brighten, and it was clear without any clouds. The darkness was slowly expelled and there was light all around.

The children in the North City Residence opened their drowsy eyes and stretched out comfortably when the sunlight had already spilled into the room through the gap in the curtains in their room.

Tonan pushed open the door and glanced at them still lying on the bed. He said with a gentle look, "Don't laze around in bed, it's time for breakfast."

"Onisan~"

"Onisan~"

When the children heard his voice, they were overjoyed. They jumped out of the bed and rushed to his side. Tonan hugged them and urged, "Go and wash your faces quickly and then come eat. I've made breakfast today."

"Yes," the children were very well-behaved. They lined up to go to wash. These days, they were very happy. The psychological shadow of the past had gradually disappeared and was replaced by the innocence of childhood.

After a while, in another room, Tonan sat quietly watching them eat breakfast. It was as if he was looking at his own children, his eyes full of doting.

When the children had almost finished eating, he coughed lightly. Then, caressing the head of a child next to him, he gently said, "I'm going on a business trip. During this time, I'll ask Masaki-sama to help me take care of all of you. You have to be obedient, and you can't stop refining chakra. Do you understand?"

Hearing this, the cheerful atmosphere suddenly became silent, and the children looked sad. In their hearts, Tonan was the one who saved them from danger and he was the one who took care of them after that.

They had developed a sense of dependence on him and were used to having him around every day. Tonan was a parent-like existence for them.

Although they were reluctant to part with him, they were obedient and sensible. They knew that Tonan was going to do something, and they shouldn't hinder him.

Therefore, they didn't say anything to stop him. Seeing them so well-behaved, Tonan smiled gently. He slowly got up and walked outside.

"Onisan!"

Just when he had reached the door, he heard the children calling him from behind. His footsteps stopped suddenly and he turned around. He smiled and squatted down, opening up his arms.

The children rushed towards him, and hugged him one by one, then bade farewell reluctantly. Now that both Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma were dead, as the only survivor from the Fire Capital, he would have to face troubles after he returned.

Only after everything was stabilized, and the welfare home was built, he would bring these children to Konoha. After leaving the North City Guard Residence, Tonan went to look for Supervision Minister Fukuda Masaki.

At this moment, Masaki was very busy and hard-pressed. The Daimyo was murdered and the Fire Capital was under martial law. Many things fell on his head.

Masaki was working at the desk and said without looking up, "The situation of the Fire Capital is quite serious now. Since you are a Konoha ninja, I advise you to stay in your mansion and not venture out."

Shinnosuke and Asuma's betrayal had estranged the hearts of the Fire Capital's officials from Konoha ninjas. No one came to trouble Tonan though. After all, his reputation among the common people was very strong.

Besides, Abe Seimei had come from the North City Guard Residence, so there might be a hidden relationship between the two. Also, Masaki had worked with Tonan in the past to make great contributions to the prosperity and stability of the Fire Capital.

Their relationship was very close. Therefore, Masaki would take care of Tonan. Now that they were under martial law, he warned him. Tonan hastily took out six sealed scrolls from his ninja bag and placed them on the table, "Masaki-sama, I'm leaving."

Masaki glanced over and quickly covered those scrolls with papers. He looked around and after confirming no one was around, he asked in a low voice, "Why?"

Tonan lowered his head and replied, "Shinnosuke-senpai is dead."

Masaki nodded and said with pity, "I can understand. You need to return and report to the Hokage now. I'll write you a leaving city certificate."

Tonan smiled a bit, took out a book, and put another scroll on the table, "Thank you for everything, Masaki-sama. This is my final repayment to you. If you need my help in the future, you can come to Konoha to meet me any time."

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Chapter 97: Eliminating Disaster, Enraged Hiruzen

Fukuda Masaki cautiously took the book and flipped through it. He understood at a glance that everything recorded in it was a political achievement. It was a good thing.

Not long after the new Daimyo succeeded to the throne, the officials would definitely be shuffled. With these political achievements in his hands, he might be able to get the highest status.

Masaki's eyes suddenly lit up. He put the scrolls into his pocket and said with a smile, "You are impeccable in handling affairs. I look forward to continuing to cooperate with you in the future. Two years later, I'm planning to purchase property in Konoha for my son. At that time, if something happens, I'll need your help."

Following etiquette, Uchiha Tonan bowed his head but his eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. "Masaki-sama, you can rest assured. I care about human sentiments the most. By the way, I request you to please help me take care of the orphans taken in by the North City Guard Residence after I leave. I'll come back to pick them up after the matter there is settled."

Masaki was unlikely to refuse such a small request after receiving such a big favor from Tonan. He immediately replied, "No problem at all. I like children very much."

Tonan smiled, stepped forward, and lifted the teapot. While refilling Masaki's teacup, he said, "Thank you very much. Then I bid you farewell. Masaki-sama, I wish you a successful official career. We'll meet again someday."

Masaki stood up and put his hand on Tonan's shoulder, "Let me see you off." After Masaki sent Tonan away, he returned to the study and carefully stored the scrolls. He was very pleased.

He then drank the tea and muttered, looking refreshed, "If only the people below were like Tonan."

The six scrolls that were given to Masaki, in the beginning, contained banknotes of five million Ryo each, adding up to thirty million. Masaki understood this was hush money. The second scroll contained the corpses of the North City Guard Residence's attendants. And the book recorded the crimes of each of these servants.

From the moment Masaki accepted these gifts, it represented that Tonan's record was completely clean. As for the Sarutobi Shinnosuke's death, that blame fell on Abe Seimei and the First Highness. Sarutobi Hiruzen should not link anything to him.

"These two shields are not enough insurance though. But there were two Root ninjas with the First Highness that day. I've to think of a way to pull Danzo into this after returning to hinder him."

Among the three implicated people, one disappeared from the world, one had a special status, and the last one was Hiruzen's old partner who got along with him for several years. Tonan wanted to see what Hiruzen would do.

The trip to the Fire Capital was very successful for him. It would have taken a long time for Tonan to earn 600 million Ryo solely by doing missions. The minimum reward for S-ranked missions was one million Ryo. Generally speaking, very few missions were valued at ten million Ryo.

Even for an S-ranked mission with the reward of five million Ryo, one would need to complete one hundred and twenty such missions. Not to mention the time required to complete a single S-ranked mission, during peace times, the number of such missions in the entire Ninja World wouldn't reach such a number in a year.

It was much faster to earn wealth by plundering common people. No wonder there were so many rogue ninjas. Also on this trip, he killed Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma. Hiruzen no longer had a successor. Tonan could easily take advantage of this void.

From Asuma, he had learned that Hiruzen valued Orochimaru highly. It seemed it was useless to use the Will of Fire to make Hiruzen see he could inherit his legacy. The only thing on this trip that dissatisfied him was Masaki. Tonan didn't expect Masaki to plan to migrate to Konoha. Since that was the case, he could only apologize.

It would have been fine if they didn't get involved with each other in the future. But once Masaki arrived in Konoha and if by chance anything happened, the old fox might use the occurrences at the Fire Capital to pressurize him.

The best solution was to eliminate the disaster in advance.

A day later at the Hokage's office in Konoha.

Bang!

After reading the information, Hiruzen slammed his fist on the desk, smashing it into pieces. The Anbu member who delivered the intelligence report immediately knelt on one knee, "Hokage-sama, please calm your anger."

Hiruzen tried his best to suppress his rage and glared at the several Anbu members.

"Summon Mitocado Homura, Utatane Koharu and Danzo."

"Yes."

After the Anbu members left, Hiruzen's face turned hideous. He crumpled the information document into a ball and threw it to the ground, and as if he wanted to kill everyone, he growled, "Shinnosuke… Asuma…"

Soon, the two Hokage Advisers and Shimura Danzo came to the office together. Immediately on entering, they noticed Hiruzen could not maintain his calm look. Instead, he looked manic.

"Hiruzen, what happened?" Danzo asked.

Hiruzen stood in his place with his head lowered. His chest was moving up and down, and he said nothing. He just pointed at the crumpled document on the ground with a trembling hand. It was obvious he was enraged. Seeing this, Danzo said nothing. He picked up the document from the ground, frowned, and looked solemn after reading it.

He then passed it to Homura and Koharu. After everyone read it, Homura said, "Shinnosuke must have been framed. The murderer very likely is the First Highness."

Danzo squinted his eyes and retorted, "What nonsense Homura! Why would the First Highness kill his biological father?"

Homura too couldn't think of a reason. Looking unsure, she replied, "I'm just guessing, but it might be that the First Highness was too impatient to take the throne. After all, he is the biggest beneficiary of this matter."

Dazno coldly said, "It is also possible that the enemy state secretly made a move to sow discord in the relationship between the Daimyo Residence and Konoha."

In any case, he couldn't let Naraku who supported him become a murderer. Even if that was true, he had to whitewash it. The Daimyo was not important, but the funds provided by the Daimyo were very important for the Hokage election. Besides, the one who died was Hiruzen's son, not his.

Homura thought for a bit and said doubtfully, "But according to the description in the intelligence, there is no enemy spy."

Danzo said indifferently, "What if it's genjutsu. For example, the Uchiha clan. That evil clan is good at this kind of plot."

"Enough!" Hiruzen shouted, staring at the three with bloodshot eyes. He then said in a ferocious tone, "I've not called you all here to discuss who is the mastermind or who is the murderer. I want you all to put pressure on the Daimyo Residence together with me. Make them hand over the First Highness and the man called Abe Seimei."

Shinnosuke died tragically and Asuma's whereabouts were unknown. How could Hiruzen not be heartbroken? Danzo could see the determination in Hiruzen's eyes. But the First Highness was beneficial to him. He must keep him.

"I have no objection to dealing with Abe Seimei, but the First Highness is the next Daimyo. We cannot touch him."

Hiruzen gave Danzo a deep look, and seeing through his thoughts, he coldly countered, "Even if there was no First Highness, there is still the Second Highness. Let's decide by a vote. Raise your hands if you agree with me."

Hiruzen took the lead by raising his hand and then stared at the other three with cold eyes. He looked threatening.

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Chapter 98: Utterly Helpless, Returning Home

Mitocado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at each other and raised their hands silently. Sarutobi Hiruzen counted, "Three to one — the vote is passed. Dispatch ten Anbu squads immediately to the Fire Capital."

Since the matter was already decided, Danzo snorted, "Hiruzen, you are muddled by your rage. The Land of Fire will definitely fall into internal disorder by doing this and you'll regret it."

Danzo turned around to leave but Hiruzen's eyes turned colder. He said in a gloomy tone, "Danzo, if you dare walk out that door, I'll begin a high-leveled vote to abolish your right to control the Root."

Danzo's footsteps immediately halted. He turned his head and stared straight at Hiruzen with a look of disbelief, "Are you actually threatening me?"

Seeing the situation turning worse, Homura and Koharu hastily mediated.

"Alright Hiruzen, calm down."

"Danzo, you take a step back as well. The First Highness is not the Daimyo yet. Don't damage your friendship because of an outsider."

Being caught between these two people was not a good feeling.

Danzo snorted but he stood still. He didn't leave. In the end, he admitted his defeat. Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in."

An Anbu walked in and knelt on one knee, "Hokage-sama, according to the latest intel from the Fire Capital, the First Highness executed the Second Highness last night. In addition, after two days of search, we found traces of a large-scale battle in the forest outside the Fire Capital. Calculating the time, it coincides with when Asuma escaped."

Hiruzen's eyes were wide open hearing this. He gasped for breath and lost consciousness. "Hiruzen!" The three people including Danzo quickly supported the Hokage. Fortunately, Hiruzen just fainted for a while and woke up shortly after.

His first sentence on gaining consciousness was, "What about Abe Seimei?"

The Anbu kneeling on the ground calmly replied, "Abe Seimei has disappeared without a trace after the battle. It's like he vanished from the world. According to the news spread by the Daimyo Residence, it is suspected that the use of a forbidden jutsu led to him to exhaust his lifespan."

Koharu thought for a bit and consoled, "According to the intelligence, this Abe Seimei is far stronger than Shinnosuke. If such a person wants to hide, ordinary ninjas cannot find him. Moreover, the intelligence also says that Seimei is at least seventy years old. Since such an old person used a terrifying forbidden jutsu, I think he might not be able to bear the side effects. Chances are that he's already dead."

Hiruzen couldn't vent the fury in his heart. He unwillingly said, "If he is dead, I want to see his corpse."

The back-to-back bad news about his sons had given him a huge blow. He couldn't accept it. Koharu sighed, "In that case, let's send people to look for Abe Seimei's traces."

Hiruzen took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Forget it, send more people to look for Asuma. I'm tired. You all, go out… leave me alone."

The three of them looked at each other and tacitly left the office, giving Hiruzen space. Hiruzen had wanted to capture and bring Abe Seimei and First Highness to Konoha to deal with them. But he hadn't expected Naraku to be so decisive that he would kill Nahara at the first chance he got.

If the First Highness was arrested now, the Land of Fire wouldn't have a Daimyo.

Konoha had taken the initiative to implement the one village, one country system. If Hiruzen wanted to challenge it, he would encounter mass opposition. There was a high probability that he wouldn't be able to destroy the Daimyo Residence but instead he, the Hokage, would be impeached and be forced to step down.

It was no good if he supported a puppet Daimyo either. There would still be turmoil in the Land of Fire. The number of civilians was much larger than that of ninjas. Besides, the Daimyo Residence has many loyal subordinates. Although their overall strength was inferior to Konoha, their industries spread all over the Ninja World.

If they took the lead to move to another big country, then Konoha would be in trouble. Hiruzen was destined to be unable to make a move against the First Highness. He could only turn to Seimei to vent his anger. But not to mention Seimei's location, whether he was alive or dead too was unknown. Hiruzen felt suffocated. It was extremely uncomfortable.

He only hoped that Asuma didn't die but instead hid in a corner and was finally found by the Konoha ninja. Hiruzen sat alone on a chair. He looked a little dazed. "Shinnosuke… Asuma…"

The next day, at Konoha's entrance gate, just as Uchiha Tonan crossed the barrier, three Anbu appeared in front of him, "Uchiha Tonan, please head to the Hokage Residence immediately."

Tonan nodded his head and used the Body Flicker Technique to comply. The three Anbu followed closely behind him. Walking into the Hokage office, he saw that Hiruzen was staring at him with an impassive face.

When his gaze collided with Hiruzen's gaze, he immediately lowered his head, looking sad. Hiruzen glanced behind Tonan. The three Anbu immediately understood Hiruzen and left after closing the door.

Tonan walked to the desk with his head lowered, handed the mission sheet to Hiruzen, and took a few steps back, opening a distance. It was as if he was afraid of something. Hiruzen looked down, looked at the mission sheet, and read, "Mission failed."

Tonan bit his lower lip and said, "I was kicked out."

Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke. He no longer had his usual kind look. Looking rather cold, he said, "Tell me what you did in the Fire Capital. Speak in detail. Don't miss even the smallest part, I want to know everything."

Tonan nodded and began to tell the story calmly. "On the first day, I noticed something was wrong with the Vice Captain, then…"

"After the human trafficking organizations were wiped out, I felt bad for the orphans, so I took them in to raise them. Then, I dispatched people to investigate other underground organizations…"

"That day, I posted a recruitment notice because I wanted to find a good teacher for the orphans. Many people came. One of them was a person who claimed to be Abe Seimei…"

Hiruzen suddenly raised his eyebrows, noticing something was amiss in Tonan's words. He interrupted, "Wait a minute… claimed to be?"

Tonan nodded and took out two photos from his ninja bag, handing them to Hiruzen. "This is Abe Seimei's photo from a long time ago and this is a photo taken when he was applying for the residence permit."

Hiruzen picked up the two photos and examined them. One was a black and white photo and the other was color. The people in the two photos were very different in age but at just a glance, it was not difficult to see they were indeed the same person.

However, Hiruzen continuously compared those two photos and frowned. He felt something was wrong. "It's strange."

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Chapter 99: Teaching Empathy, Filling The Void

Uchiha Tonan adjusted his glasses and frowned. He continued with a serious look, "I didn't feel anything was wrong in the beginning. But after what happened that night, I carefully read his information again. However, there was very little to go on. The only useful things are the two photos."

Sarutobi Hiruzen observed Tonan's look, and seeing that he too was very concerned about Sarutobi Shinnosuke's matter, his mood eased a little.

His attitude towards Tonan also became a little better. He nodded lightly and said, "The person in these photos looks like the same person. You should be able to see through whether he was using the Transformation Technique or not."

Tonan said with certainty, "The Transformation Technique was not used, but after looking carefully, I noticed that his eyes were strange. I believe the eyes are the windows to a person's soul and different people have different spirits in their eyes. The more I looked at this person's eyes, the more I felt his thinking was deep. Could it be that… this Abe Seimei was a fake?"

While explaining, Tonan's speaking pace became slower, revealing a hint of doubt in his words. When Hiruzen heard him, he picked up the two photos again and looked carefully.

After Tonan pointed it out, Hiruzen too felt the eyes of the person in the black and white photo revealed the simplicity of middle-aged people. But 'Abe Seimei' in the color photo had a strange smile on his face. Moreover, his eyes were sinister and ruthless, giving people the feeling of being devoured.

Hiruzen put down the photos and looked at Tonan's sincere eyes, "There is indeed such a possibility, but the time interval between these two photos is at least thirty years. People change with time. Do you think there are any other possibilities?"

Tonan pretended to think and said, "Although I don't know much about the situation in the Daimyo Residence, the morning after the incident, I rushed to inquire about it through all kinds of channels. When the Daimyo died, just Shinnosuke-senpai and the First Highness were in the room. And both of them testified the other party was the murderer."

Hiruzen nodded, "This matter has already spread around."

Tonan said with a certain tone, "I think the one who killed the Daimyo is the First Highness. According to my understanding of Shinnosuke-senpai, he absolutely cannot do such a thing. An upright person like him would disdain to lie about such a matter."

Hearing Tonan's unflinching trust in his dead eldest son, Hiruzen felt some comfort in his heart. He sighed and looked at Tonan with a much gentler gaze. "This matter is very complicated. Don't talk about it outside hereafter. Now, continue to tell me about Abe Seimei."

While speaking about it, Hiruzen felt pain again. His son had died, but he couldn't even avenge him. Neither the Daimyo Residence nor the Konoha higher-ups would agree with him to investigate the truth.

Once it was discovered that the First Highness was truly the murderer, then it would be difficult for them to advance or retreat.

Tonan noticed the change in Hiruzen's expression and hesitated for a bit. He started with another 'guesswork'. "Could it be that Abe Seimei is an enemy state's spy, and he used some methods to confuse the First Highness? He might have done this to sow discord between the Daimyo Residence and Konoha."

"This is the only possibility. Because I can only think that this incident benefited the enemy states. Both the Daimyo Residence and Konoha are victims."

After he spoke, Hiruzen felt like he sensed something. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and said, "I see. You can go and rest now. You don't need to worry about this anymore."

Tonan didn't say anything further and just agreed. He then turned around and walked towards the door very slowly. Suddenly, his footsteps stopped and he stood still.

Hiruzen was about to browse through the documents when he noticed that Tonan was still standing at the door. He blew out a mouthful of smoke, "Tonan, is there something else?"

Tonan lowered his head with his back facing Hiruzen and clenched his fists. From behind, it looked like his body was trembling slightly as if he was restraining something. He then said in a sad voice, "Hokage-sama … it must be very difficult for you right now."

Hiruzen expressionlessly blew out a mouthful of smoke and said nothing. Tonan continued with a reminiscent look, "Shinnosuke-senpai was very good to me. I was unfamiliar with the Fire Capital, so he always took care of me. He was worried I was young and my boss would make things difficult for me, so he introduced me to the Supervision Minister himself. Even though he was already working hard, he would come to teach me ninjutsu from time to time."

The more Tonan spoke, the more emotional he became. Even his voice began to tremble. "I know that Asuma didn't like me so Shinnosuke-senpai would often reprimand him for me."

Speaking this much, Tonan raised his head, took off his glasses, and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. As for Hiruzen, he smoked faster, continuously sucking the tobacco pipe. The smoke had already obscured his face, making it hard to see his current expression.

"Shinnosuke-senpai also said that after the Fire Capital mission is over, he planned to start a family and let me become the sensei of his children in the future."

Hiruzen had used this trick on Tonan before. The essence of acting was being able to act out the heartache. Today, Tonan was going to make Hiruzen learn what was called empathy.

"Don't you like your son? What a coincidence, your son and I also liked each other."

Hearing Tonan's words, the scenes of Shinnosuke from birth to adulthood flashed through Hiruzen's mind. His eyes gradually became cloudy and also reddened…

"But now, he is dead… was framed and killed!"

Tonan gritted his teeth, and his tears dropped on the floor. He seemed angry and also sad…

"Don't speak anymore!" Hiruzen felt his heart was being squeezed. The pain was unbearable. Fearing that he would go out of control, he took deep breaths to regulate his emotions but because of the thick smoke, he choked and coughed.

Tonan looked up, wiped his tears, and put on his glasses. He took a deep breath and turned around. He said with a smile, "Sorry, Hokage-sama. Shinnosuke-senpai had told me once that ninjas should control their emotions, and they shouldn't cry under any circumstances."

Hiruzen felt sadness gushing out of his heart, and his eyes felt sour. He immediately raised his hand to support his forehead, but a teardrop flowed down from the corner of his eyes to the tip of his nose.

Tonan was startled seeing this. He rushed over and reached out a trembling hand as if he wanted to wipe Hiruzen's tears.

"Hokage-sama, what's wrong with you…"

Hiruzen blinked and rubbed his nose, "I'm fine. Because I smoked quickly, the fumes irritated my eyes."

Tonan said in a panic, "Hokage-sama, don't cry… don't cry… I…". He retracted his hand, pushed the eyeglasses to his forehead, and used another hand to repeatedly wipe his eyes. Then, with a suppressed sobbing tone, he said, "It's all my fault, I'm an ominous person. It's destined that everyone around me would leave me one by one."

Hiruzen looked up and heaved a deep sigh. He stabilized himself and comforted Tonan, "Child, it's alright. What happened with Shinnosuke has already happened. Asuma is also missing. I know all this has hit you hard. But now is not the time to be sad. I'll find a way to investigate this thoroughly. Just go back and rest for a while. Don't think about this anymore."

Hiruzen stood up and patted Tonan's shoulder lightly. Tonan covered his eyes with his hand, and used a pretending to be strong tone, "Hokage-sama, please don't be sad. Konoha needs you, the truth of this matter will definitely come to light. I'll leave now…"

After speaking, he quickly turned around and left the office, as if he didn't want Hiruzen to see his weak appearance.

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Chapter 100: A Visiting Elder, Situation Subsides

Uchiha Tonan had barely returned home, putting a few incense sticks in front of his several wood carvings, when the Great Elder, much like an old dog that smelled a familiar scent, came knocking at his door.

He entered the house and sized Tonan up, finally sitting down at the tea-table. Brewing some tea for him, Tonan said, "Great Elder, if you are curious about something, please don't hesitate to ask."

The Great Elder didn't open his mouth to ask about the key issues but instead made small talk. "What happened at the Fire Capital has already spread everywhere. Fortunately, you are fine."

Tonan shook his head with a smile, "I am but a small person. As long as I don't intentionally step forward, what trouble could I be in?"

The Great Elder nodded and stared at the boy in front of him. He noticed Tonan was almost as tall as him now and his stature was no longer as juvenile as before. He couldn't help sighing, "Tonan, you've grown up."

A small smile came on Tonan's face, as he took a sip of tea, "My body developed early. And the life in the Fire Capital was also not bad."

The Great Elder nodded, staring at the tea leaves floating in the teacup. "You have to be careful of that old man. Since he lost both his sons, he might be looking for someone to vent his anger. And you just happen to be the sole survivor of this trip to the Fire Capital."

Tonan shook his head and replied, "I think this is an opportunity."

Tonan's words got the Great Elder thinking, "Do you want to become the next Hokage?"

Tonan raised his eyebrows, "Am I not worthy?"

The Great Elder was startled. He shook his head and replied, "Your surname is Uchiha…. it's impossible."

Tonan picked up the teacup and took a sip. He narrowed his eyes slightly and countered, "There are just a few competitors, and I might be the dark horse. After all, there are so many accidents in this world."

"Tonan," the Great Elder suddenly asked in a somber voice, "Will you betray the Uchiha clan someday?"

Tonan was dumbfounded for a moment but replied with a smile, "Great Elder, are you unable to trust me anymore?"

The Great Elder lowered his eyes and thought for a bit. He then leisurely replied, "It's not that I can't trust you, but when all is said and done, it has already been several years and I think some clan members would know about you by now. You can rest assured that my judgment is accurate. They will never leak it."

The Great Elder had been staring at Tonan the whole time, trying to capture every detail and every minute expression on his face. If Tonan truly showed any signs of betraying the clan, he would immediately leak Tonan's secrets.

These might not be able to directly harm Tonan but they would definitely make Sarutobi Hiruzen stay away from him. When that happened, Tonan could only tie himself to the clan in the future.

Tonan, however, didn't immediately reply. He took some melons and fruits from the table and quietly ate them.

"Grandpa~"

Just at this moment, Uchiha Shisui came to Tonan's door and continuously knocked as he called out for his grandfather. The Great Elder was surprised. He retracted his thoughts and got up, rushing to open the door.

His first reaction after seeing his grandson was to yell at him. "Why are you running around all day? Did you complete the homework I gave you?"

Seeing his usually affectionate grandfather this fierce, Shisui pouted, feeling a little sad. He glanced at the Great Elder and quickly lowered his head. He weakly said, "It's all done."

The Great Elder felt a little defeated. He coughed lightly and pretended to be serious, "Go back and do it all over again."

"Alright…" Shisui reluctantly left.

After the Great Elder returned to the room, Tonan filled his cup with tea and said with a smile, "You can let Shisui come here to play more. I like children very much."

The Great Elder picked up the teacup and forced a smile, "No need. It will just trouble you."

The corners of Tonan's mouth rose slightly, and he suddenly spoke, "Great Elder, I wanted to ask you a question."

"Yes?"

"Are your eyes awakened?" The Great Elder understood Tonan was asking whether he had unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan. He immediately laughed, "Had I awakened it, would I be placing my hopes on you?"

Tonan nodded and picked up his teacup, "Great Elder, after today's tea, don't meet me as much as possible in the future. I'm afraid Hokage-sama will misunderstand."

The Great Elder picked up the teacup and lowered his head to blow on it. A hint of coldness flashed through his eyes but he calmly asked, "What about the matter I just said?"

Tonan drank the tea and placed the teacup on the table gently. He said with a warm smile, "It's all up to you, Great Elder."

After the Great Elder left, Tonan drank tea taking in the scenery in his yard. He also began summing up the inadequate areas of this trip in his mind. Killing Shinnosuke and Asuma was not difficult but dealing with the aftermath was. Moreover, he couldn't let Hiruzen vent his anger on him.

Tonan believed that all crimes couldn't be hidden forever. With Konoha's powerful investigation system, as long as Hiruzen was determined to find things out, it was very likely that he would be found out.

This was why Tonan spent so much effort shifting the conflict to the Daimyo Residence. Everyone knew there were many doubts behind this incident, but no one was willing to investigate it. Because the direct and main factor of this incident was Naraku, the First Highness and the only remaining heir of the Land of Fire's Daimyo.

If anyone wanted to investigate the mastermind behind-the-scenes, then the starting point would be the First Highness' patricide. Some things were known to everyone, but for the sake of the overall situation, people could only tacitly regard it as if it didn't happen.

For the next few days, Tonan stayed at home. He used Wind Communication to listen to all kinds of gossip among the clan members to gather information.

Among them, there was information about Naraku's succession to the throne. It was just that the person invited to attend the ceremony was not Hiruzen, but Shimura Danzo.

Tonan sat in front of the table and squinted his eyes. If this situation continued, the First Highness would definitely support Danzo, and Danzo would willingly be his shield.

As long as Danzo didn't fall, Hiruzen would never be able to find out the truth of the Fire Capital's incident. There was also some news about the new graduates of the Ninja Academy.

Tonan heard a few familiar names, such as Maito Guy, Uchiha Obito, and others.

"Times flies so fast. If you two hadn't died, you would've graduated by now as well."

Tonan muttered looking at the wood carvings of Hyuga Chyrio and Uchiha Mina while carving out a new figure with his kunai. So far, this carving only had a body but not a face.

Halfway through the carving, Tonan patted off the sawdust and got up to walk outside. Walking to the courtyard, he looked sideways at the Great Elder's residence.

After a long time, Tonan seemed to have thought of something funny, and he laughed out loud. He then shook his head and walked into the room.

"Treating me as a soft persimmon, squeezing whenever you want…"

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Chapter 101: Awaiting Opportunity, Flute In The Forest

Half a month quickly passed. Uchiha Tonan did nothing during this time. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still full of anger, and he didn't want to enter his line of sight to avoid attracting any misfortune.

A qualified hunter must know how to wait for an opportunity before getting into action. Must be able to bear loneliness, restrain impulse, and resist temptation.

Now, half a month had passed. For a politician with rigorous schemes and deep foresight like Hiruzen, this much time was enough to heal the pain of losing his sons. Tonan was ready to make a move.

Early in the morning, the red sunlight had just lit up the Hokage Rock. At this moment, Tonan was sitting on a big tree above the Rock. He had found some bamboo and used a kunai to carve it into a flute.

After carefully calculating the time according to Hiruzen's schedule, Tonan moved the flute near his mouth and played it softly. The bleak sound spread in the forest above the Hokage Rock.

Tonan's flute playing skill was acquired from an anonymous courtesan. The courtesan was imprisoned in a brothel, and Tonan gained her acknowledgment on the day he exterminated the underground brothels. But just that afternoon Tonan acquired her skills. How she died — Tonan neither knew nor cared.

Today, this flute playing skill came in handy. In less than a minute after Tonan started playing, Hiruzen came to the platform above the Hokage Rock. And he looked down at Konoha that was gradually becoming livelier.

Ever since the Fire Captial incident, Hiruzen was filled with rage, grief, and doubts. But due to several reasons, he had nowhere to release these ill feelings.

His wife, Sarutobi Biwako, was stationed in the sealing squad, instructing the younger generation to monitor the barrier, throughout the year. After learning about Shinnosuke's death without a corpse and Asuma missing, she returned home and fought with Hiruzen, parting on bad terms.

She threatened she would never return home if Asuma was not found. During this time, Hiruzen felt a hint of loneliness. He could only come to the Hokage Rock to relax every morning and then use the busy Hokage work schedule to numb himself.

Perhaps, because he had many experiences of parting never-to-meet again, he had already come to accept this. His mood gradually became calmer, and his grief also diminished.

Just when Hiruzen sighed looking at Konoha below, he heard a mournful and heart-rendering flute sound, coming from the forest. Almost instantly, it broke Hiruzen's guard.

He stood there in a daze, listening to the melancholic sound, and memories of his time together with Shinnosuke and Asuma flashed in his mind. Indescribable grief surged in his heart, and it resonated with that flute sound.

After listening for a while, Hiruzen subconsciously moved and walked towards the origin of the sound. He walked up the stairs and entered the forest. He took a few dozen steps and then realized he had taken the wrong path and changed the direction.

Finally, he pushed aside the tall bush in front of him and saw the person who was playing the flute. He saw Tonan sitting on a tree branch leaning his back against the trunk. His eyes were drooping, and he was playing the flute with a downcast look.

It was as if he was expressing his grief by playing the flute. The morning breeze blew Tonan's robe, and green leaves flew past Hiruzen's line of sight.

Hiruzen reached out his hand and grabbed a leaf, murmuring in an inaudible voice, "When the tree leaves dance, the fire will also grow endlessly."

This sentence was a bit lousy and almost messed up Tonan's rhythm. Fortunately, he was focused enough. He didn't reveal any unusualness and continued to concentrate on playing the flute.

Tonan could understand Hiruzen. After all, as a ninja, how high could his education be? It was already hard to come up with a sentence or two that sounded a bit philosophical. Naturally, he would keep repeating it over and over again.

Hiruzen looked at Tonan and thought he was still immersed in the grief of Shinnosuke's death.

He coughed, which seemed to wake Tonan up with a start. The flute stopped abruptly. He turned his head to look and after seeing the person who came was Hiruzen, he jumped down from the tree.

Keeping a distance of about five meters from Hiruzen, Tonan put his hands on his knees and bowed, "Hokage-sama, I'm truly sorry, I didn't expect to disturb you."

Hiruzen sighed, and waved his hand at Tonan, signaling him to follow. The two came to the platform above the Hokage Rock. Hiruzen stood in front of the railing, looking down at the entire Konoha. "Tonan, I know that Shinnosuke's death has hit you hard. But if Shinnosuke was still alive, he wouldn't want to see you depressed because of him."

Tonan knew that Hiruzen seemed to be consoling him by saying this. But in fact, it was just another way to remind him of Shinnosuke. He lowered his head woefully, and answered, "Yes."

Hiruzen sighed. He turned to look at Tonan who was still keeping a distance from him, and frowned slightly, "I noticed you seemed to be keeping a distance from me ever since you returned to the village. Are you hiding something from me?"

Tonan was shocked to hear this. He said nothing but looked sadder. Hiruzen looked at his expression and ruled out the possibility of Tonan betraying him. He sighed again, "Tonan, you have grown up. You are already hiding things from me now."

While speaking, he walked toward Tonan and wanted to rub his hair like before. However, when Tonan saw Hiruzen approaching him, he took a few steps back with a panicked look. He then used a pleading tone and said, "Hokage-sama, please don't come close to me."

"Tonan, what's wrong?" Hiruzen asked in confusion.

Tonan lowered his head and said, looking miserable, "I… I'm an ominous person. Father, mother, Teno-san, Chiryo, Mina, Grandpa Motoyoshi, White Fang-sama, Shinnosuke-senpai, and Asuma… everyone I hold dear and respect, died one after another."

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows a little and shook his head, "Tonan, these are all accidents and have nothing to do with you."

Tonan opened his eyes and activated his Sharingan. His majestic chakra overflowed everywhere. Then, he shouted, "But what if it's true! In fact, I've long suspected this. So, I specifically distanced myself from Kakashi, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-senpai. After the incident in the Fire Capital, I'm more certain that I'm an ominous person. Hokage-sama, please don't come near me, I'm afraid you will one day…"

Hiruzen sensed that Tonan's chakra amount was already comparable to a jonin and narrowed his eyes a little.

"What power… he's already far surpassed Kakashi."

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Chapter 102: Delivering Clothes, Sarutobi Clan District

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart, Uchiha Tonan's worth spiked, and he immediately consoled the boy, "Tonan, your experience is too little. If you had been born in my time, you would have realized death is very common. Almost every once in a while, there would be fewer familiar faces around. Too many people I knew have died. If what you said is right, wouldn't I be an ominous person as well?"

Hiruzen's words seemed to have an effect. Tonan feebly asked, "Really… it's not because of me?"

Hiruzen smiled and replied, "It's alright. When you have enough power, you'll be able to protect the people you want to protect."

He approached Tonan again and reached out to stroke his head. This time, Tonan didn't dodge but stared at him with grateful eyes. "Hokage-sama…"

After a while, Hiruzen and Tonan came to the railing and looked down at Konoha. Under the morning sunlight, both of them seemed to have relaxed. Some time had passed when Hiruzen casually asked, "How have you been lately?"

Tonan thought for a bit and replied, "Everything is fine. In the clan, only the Great Elder is kind to me. I don't know why but the others always look at me with strange eyes."

"Silly child! Because they think you are one of my people, they don't want to associate with you."

Hiruzen chuckled lightly and said out loud, "The Uchiha clan is like this. They are arrogant by nature and don't like to be close to others…. What's wrong? Is there something on me?"

Hiruzen suddenly noticed Tonan staring at his clothes, and even brought his head closer to sniff.

"Hokage-sama, your clothes are dirty."

Hiruzen remembered that because he had been feeling vexed all this time, he did not even change the haori he had been wearing. Looking a bit embarrassed, he said, "It doesn't matter, there's another one in the office. I'll wash this when I go back in the evening."

Unexpectedly, Tonan said, "Hokage-sama, you work hard all day long for the village. Do you still have to do chores like washing clothes?"

Hiruzen waved his hand, "It's alright, it's just a trivial matter."

However, Tonan stretched his hands and pulled the haori off Hiruzen, "Hokage-sama, take it off, I'll wash it and deliver it to you."

"… Alright."

Hiruzen was unable to reject Tonan's kind intention, so he took off his outer garment. They chatted casually for some more time. Seeing that it was almost time, Hiruzen left the Hokage Rock and went to the Hokage Residence to work.

In the evening, when he had just returned to the Sarutobi clan district after completing his official duties for the day, he saw Tonan holding a neatly folded haori and squatting outside the gate.

At this moment, a Sarutobi clan ninja who was patrolling outside happened to pass by Hiruzen. He pointed at Tonan and said, "Hokage-sama, that young fellow came to look for you. He has been sitting there since morning."

Hiruzen nodded and walked over to Tonan, "Tonan, why are you here?"

Tonan stood up immediately. His eyes lit up seeing Hiruzen. He hastily handed the haori to him and said, "Hokage-sama, I have washed it."

Taking the package, Hiruzen nodded, and said, "Thank you, why didn't you bring it to the office?"

Tonan smiled and scratched his head as if he was a little embarrassed, "It was not a big deal, and I didn't want to disturb your work."

Gurururu~ Just at this moment, Tonan's belly roared. His face flushed and he smiled feeling embarrassed, not daring to look up at Hiruzen. The corners of Hiruzen's mouth rose as he thought, this child must have focused solely on waiting for me, and didn't even eat his lunch.

He patted Tonan's shoulder and said with concern, "Come in and have a meal."

Tonan looked up, and unable to hide his joy, he asked, "Is that alright? I don't want to disturb you."

Hiruzen shook his head, "It's alright, just an extra pair of chopsticks."

Tonan followed Hiruzen and swaggered into the Sarutobi clan district. If his guess was not wrong, then he might be the first Uchiha to ever enter this district.

Hiruzen's courtyard was larger than the Great Elder's courtyard. There was a flower bed in the middle and there was a strong white pine standing in it. It was just that the courtyard owner seemed to not have trimmed it for a long time.

Also, the lawns on both sides of the path were covered with weeds and various kinds of plants, giving people an unkempt feeling. The two walked into the room. Tonan looked around curiously and asked, "Hokage-sama, are you alone at home?"

Hiruzen was taken aback. He looked at the photo placed on the wall of the drawing-room and nodded, looking desolate, "Yes, alone. You sit for a while. I'll go to cook."

Tonan hastily grabbed the older man's sleeve and frowned, "Hokage-sama, how can you tire yourself like this? Let me do it."

Hiruzen hesitated but he had experienced many things in the past few days, which truly left him exhausted both physically and mentally. He agreed to Tonan's request and said, "Alright. Looks like I'll be troubling you."

A happy smile appeared on Tonan's face as he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He took out the frozen meat from inside and smelled it. Frowning, he said, "This meat is stale. Eating this is not good for the stomach. We should throw it away."

He then fiddled with the vegetables inside a few times. He took out one vegetable, and shook his head, "Eating this now will make it difficult to sleep…"

Finally, he selected the ingredients from the refrigerator that he needed for tonight. He also smelled every seasoning to check whether it was edible or not.

"Hokage-sama, this soy sauce has expired. I'll go out to buy a new bottle."

Tonan held a bottle of soy sauce and shook it toward Hiruzen who was staring blankly at the photo in the drawing-room. He then walked out quickly.

Hiruzen reached out and caressed the photo. He looked up and sighed, muttering, "Expired? I really didn't notice."

Since the loss of his sons and the fight with his wife, Hiruzen had been absent-minded all day long. Only when working did he stabilize his mind as much as possible. When he was not working, he just sat on a chair in a daze, recalling the moments together with his family.

It was as if both Shinnosuke and Asuma were still playing in front of him. However, when he came back to his senses, everything vanished like a bubble bursting. Hiruzen felt indescribable pain in his heart. Looking at the photo in his hand, he finally let out a mournful sigh.

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Chapter 103: Cooking Personally, Moved Hiruzen

Not long after, Uchiha Tonan returned to the Sarutobi household with a new bottle of soy sauce. Without wasting any time, he wore an apron and started cooking.

Ta, ta, ta… Clear, rhythmic chopping sounds filled up the kitchen. Heat the oil in the pan, fry the onion, ginger, and garlic, increase the heat, put the ingredients, and stir-fry — Tonan neatly executed one step after another like an expert.

After the trip to the Fire Capital, Tonan's cooking skills had risen considerably. With just this alone, if he opened a restaurant in Konoha, it was guaranteed to be popular.

In the drawing-room, Hiruzen's nose which was lost in his sadness moved slightly, and he muttered, "This aroma…"

He got up and walked to the kitchen to look inside. He saw that Tonan was very focused. He was using one hand to continuously stir the pan and the other to beat eggs in a bowl.

The fire was still burning below the pan. After half a minute, Tonan poured the beaten egg into the pan. The delectable fragrance of the egg mixture with hot pepper filled the entire room, making people immersed in anticipation.

Hiruzen was outstanding at ninjutsu, but when it came to cooking, it was hard to explain in a few words. When Asuma and Shinnosuke were still around, Sarutobi Biwako would often return to cook. As for now, Hiruzen would just make rice balls every day.

After a while, Tonan set the food on the table, and said to Hiruzen with an embarrassed look, "I only know a little bit of cooking. Hokage-sama, I hope you will like the meal."

Hiruzen had thought he had no appetite, but now, his mouth was watering, and his stomach felt hunger pangs. He picked up the chopsticks and tasted a mouthful. Then, his eyes widened. A rich taste exploded in his mouth, and it stimulated his tastebuds wave after wave.

This was too delicious! After seeing Hiruzen take a bite, Tonan sat down and inquired with a timid look, "Hokage-sama, does it taste bad?"

Hiruzen came back to his senses and moved his chopsticks again. He replied while gobbling down, "It tastes very good. I haven't had such a delicious meal in a long time. Tonan, quickly sit down and eat."

Tonan smiled brightly hearing this and took his place on the table, eating his food in small bites. Hiruzen glanced at the refined Tonan, thinking that he was not only a person on his side but also his son's partner. Although his son had died, Tonan was a person he had meticulously nurtured. He should still care about Tonan.

"Tonan, now that you are back, you should find something to do. Have you considered becoming a reserve member of Anbu? In Anbu, you can learn many things, and the pay is also not bad."

Tonan nodded calmly and asked, "Can I also learn a lot of ninjutsu there?"

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "Why? Didn't the Uchiha clan teach you ninjutsu?"

Tonan shook his head and said, "They did but the clan just has fire and lightning type ninjutsu."

Hiruzen asked while chewing food, "Is that so? What is your chakra attribute? I can arrange a suitable captain for you."

Tonan picked a piece of meat and put it into Hiruzen's bowl. He then casually said as if it were commonplace, "I have all chakra attributes, Hokage-sama… Please try this dish as well."

Hiruzen was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "What did you say your chakra attribute was?"

Seeing Hiruzen's reaction, Tonan's movement paused. He stared at him and replied word for word, "I have all chakra attributes."

"Follow me," Hiruzen left the food on the table and grabbed Tonan's hand, dragging him to a pond in the courtyard. It was said to be a pond, but in fact, it could be considered a small lake.

Hiruzen looked at Tonan with a solemn expression and said, "The three tomoe Sharingan has the ability to copy ninjutsu. Try and see whether you can copy my ninjutsu or not."

After speaking, he intentionally slowed down his hand movements and made hand signs methodically.

Meanwhile, Tonan activated the Sharingan, and his movement was almost in sync with HIruzen's action.

"Wind Style – Great Breakthrough."

"Wind Style – Great Breakthrough."

The trees beside the pond suddenly bent due to the wind pressure. This was because both of them had suppressed their powers. Hiruzen was becoming excited and continued to make a series of hand seals.

"Water Style – Water Dragon Bullet Technique."

"Water Style – Water Dragon Bullet Technique."

"Earth Style – Nine Rock Pillars Technique."

"Earth Style – Nine Rock Pillars Technique."

After releasing the ninjutsu of all five chakra attributes in succession, the gaze Hiruzen used to look at Tonan changed completely.

All chakra attributes along with the copy ability of the three tomoe Sharingan… this was simply born for ninjutsu. At this moment, Hiruzen no longer regarded Tonan as a tool but instead the thought to accept him as a student appeared in his heart.

His eyes shone. He placed his hands on Tonan's shoulders and asked with a stern look, "Tonan, what do you excel in?"

Tonan thought for a bit and answered seriously, "Sword techniques and genjutsu."

Hiruzen was dumbfounded. He didn't know what should he say. Yes, after awakening the Sharingan, one would become a genjutsu master. And it was known that Tonan had learned sword techniques from White Fang and also inherited Sanbo Motoyoshi's Sanbo-style sword technique.

"Since he is good at sword techniques, his taijutsu cannot be weak. But as it now seems, his ninjutsu is the best. As long as he's given enough time, he can learn many ninjutsu techniques in actual combat even if no one teaches him. By that time, he wouldn't have any shortcomings in ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu…"

When Hiruzen was lost in thought, Tonan couldn't help reminding, "Hokage-sama, the food is getting cold."

Hiruzen came back to his sense and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, let's eat first."

Returning to the room, Hiruzen ate the food one bite at a time, but he was still thinking about whether to accept Tonan as a student or not. After all, he was old and he had a lot of work to do. Even if he accepted Tonan as his student, he might not have much time to teach him. Wouldn't that just delay the growth of such a good seedling?

Moreover, the most important thing was that even though Tonan was on his side, he was still a member of the Uchiha clan. What if his clan love became the dominant force after he grew up? At that time, all his trust and efforts to nurture Tonan would be in vain. In addition, it might even cause him a lot of trouble.

Tonan noticed that Hiruzen was a little absent-minded while eating, so he asked softly, "Hokage-sama, is the food tasting bad because it's cold? Let me warm it up."

Tonan got up with the dishes but Hiruzen came back to his senses just in time and grabbed Tonan's hand, saying with a smile, "No, the temperature is just right, and it's very savory."

Hiruzen took a deep look at Tonan, thinking that he should observe the boy for a little longer before coming to a final decision.

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Chapter 104: Sleep Talking, Untoward Feelings

After dinner, Uchiha Tonan took the initiative to wash the dishes. Once the necessary clean-up was done, he didn't leave the kitchen. Instead, he carefully wiped the oil stains from the floors and around the cooking area, and cleaned up the dirt and grime from every tiny corner.

It took him three hours to do all this, but it wasn't over yet. The sky had already darkened and the Sarutobi clan district had turned off the lights to call it a night.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sitting in the drawing-room, felt sleepy too. He came to the kitchen door and coughed lightly, "Tonan, it's very clean now. You don't need to mop anymore."

Tonan turned his head. His forehead was filled with sweat but his eyes were bright. He looked at Hiruzen with a serious look, "The kitchen is a place to cook, so you must ensure its hygiene. Wouldn't it be a problem if you get a stomachache or get sick?"

As if to make his point, he used his finger to scrap out a mass of dark oil from a corner and said to Hiruzen, "These things easily attract insects, so they must be cleaned thoroughly."

Hiruzen looked at the stubborn Tonan and nodded helplessly. He then glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and pointed out, "It's already very late."

Tonan wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm and said with a smile, "It's alright, Hokage-sama. You can go and rest now. I know my way home, I'll be alright."

Seeing Tonan so well-behaved and sensible, Hiruzen's heart softened. In a daze, he was reminded of Shinnosuke and Asuma and their images seemed to appear in front of him, gradually overlapping. Shinnosuke's earnestness and steadfastness, and Asuma's stubbornness and persistence, seemed to all come together and reflect in Tonan.

Hiruzen gently looked at the boy who had the traits of both his sons, "Tonan, it's too late. It's time to sleep now."

Tonan appeared to be momentarily stunned realizing just how late it was. He pursed his lips and put his hands on his knees, bowing to Hiruzen, his eyes full of guilt and self-reproach, "Hoakge-sama, I'm sorry, I delayed your rest time. I'll go back now."

Looking at Tonan's current state, for some reason, Hiruzen felt as if he had done something wrong. Feeling a little unsettled in his heart, he walked to Tonan and rubbed his hair, "I don't usually sleep at this time, you don't have to worry. The sky is already dark, and the Uchiha district is far away. Why don't you stay here for the night?"

Hearing this suggestion, Tonan raised his head, and his eyes seemed to have many tiny stars in them. He asked with joy, "Can I, really?"

Hiruzen smiled and nodded, "Go to sleep, you can do these things tomorrow if you want to."

……

Late at night, the rain constantly pattered against the windows. The wind howled through the trees beside the pond in the backyard, bending the trees so much they looked as if they would break at any time.

Tonan slept on the bed, but his face was covered with sweat. His expression looked very painful.

"Don't… don't…"

His muffled voice, filled with fear and grief, grew louder. Gradually, it broke through the sound of the rain and reached Hiruzen's room downstairs. As a Hokage-leveled powerhouse, even though he was old, Hiruzen had instinctive vigilance toward his surroundings at all times.

His eyes suddenly opened and Tonan's voice from upstairs entered his ears. He frowned and muttered, "Is this child having a nightmare?" Thinking of all the work he had to do the next day, he turned over, ready to go back to sleep, when he suddenly heard…

"Asuma… where are you…"

Hiruzen immediately opened his eyes again and sighed deeply.

"Shinnosuke-senpai… I understood… thank… you…"

"… don't go… don't go to the Fire Capital."

Once again Hiruzen was reminded of his time together with his two sons. The scenes from the past appeared in his mind rapidly. He also recalled that when Shinnosuke was a child, he would easily get nightmares on rainy days.

Since his wife wouldn't be home most of the time, usually, it was Hiruzen who accompanied Shinnosuke at the time. Hiruzen felt a little sympathetic in his heart. He got up and habitually tiptoed to the second floor.

His footstep was subconsciously very light, so as to not make any noise and disturb Tonan. He gently pushed open the door. In the dimly lit room, Hiruzen saw that Tonan had already kicked the quilt away, and kept talking in his sleep.

"Don't leave me…"

"Father… don't go… father…"

This child… Hiruzen's eyes were melancholic and he felt he and Tonan were fellow sufferers. One lost his parents, and the other lost his sons.

He immediately walked over to Tonan and knelt down lightly, gently pulling up the quilt to cover him. Looking at his face, Hiruzen spaced out recalling Shinnosuke when he was by his side.

Hiruzen reached out his hand and gently stroked Tonan's face. The pain in his heart began to spread again and he frowned. Just then, Tonan grabbed Hiruzen's hand, and said in an almost pleading tone, "Father… don't go…"

Hiruzen was startled. He covered Tonan's hand with his hand and gently coaxed him, "Don't worry, I won't leave."

As if he could hear Hiruzen's voice, Tonan relaxed. He turned over and pulled Hiruzen's hand under his head. His fear just now seemed to have become nonexistent and a smile gradually spread across his face like he was seeing a very sweet dream.

Tonan rubbed his head against Hiruzen's hand and muttered, "Father… Hokage-sama…"

Hiruzen looked at the unguarded Tonan, sleeping peacefully, and his heart that had been solid as a rock melted. He had a strange feeling. The fatherly love that had been clogged up because of the death of his two sons rushed out as if a floodgate was opened.

The more he looked at Tonan, the more distress, and love he felt for Tonan. Early the next morning, the sun shone through the window, covering Hiruzen and Tonan with a layer of soft golden light.

Two people, one kneeling with his heart filled with love, and the other immersed in dreamland, made a very peaceful picture. Hiruzen, who had not slept for the entire night, reached out his free hand and gently rubbed his temples to relieve some of the stress.

When he looked at the sleeping Tonan who was hugging his hand tightly, a thought suddenly flashed in his mind.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Tonan were my child!? He's well-behaved, sensible, modest, hard-working, honest, meticulous, tolerant… He's so perfect."

Tonan opened his drowsy eyes, not fully awake yet, and rubbed them, muttering, "Father…"

As if it was the last straw, this address broke through Hiruzen's defense. He almost couldn't control himself and hugged Tonan to take good care of him.

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Chapter 105: The Apprentice, Leaking Information

Uchiha Tonan stared at the arm under his head with a confused look and blinked. Then, he instantly woke up and sat up with a start under Sarutobi Hiruzen's smiling gaze.

Looking embarrassed, he scratched his head and asked, "Hokage-sama, why are you here?"

Hiruzen smiled warmly and withdrew his already numb hand. He rubbed Tonan's hair with his other hand and said in a doting tone, "You had a nightmare last night."

Looking at the hand Hiruzen retracted, Tonan awkwardly lowered his head. He pursed his lips and carefully inquired, "Did I disturb you by any chance?"

Hiruzen shook his head, "No, I just got up and was worried about you, so I came in here to check." Hiruzen hid the truth thinking Tonan was afraid of disturbing him. Sure enough, Tonan recovered his smile hearing this. He got up and put on his clothes. Then he folded the quilt and ran downstairs in slippers.

"I'm going to cook for you."

Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head, looking at the neatly folded quilt.

Such a meticulous child!

Hiruzen thought over the situation at hand several times throughout the previous night. If it weren't for the fact that Tonan was an Uchiha, Hiruzen would have wanted to take him as his adopted son.

It was just that if he tried to do that, not only would the Uchiha clan disagree but even the Konoha high-rankers that were close to him would object.

Especially Shimura Danzo.

After careful consideration, he finally decided to accept Tonan as his student. Perhaps, even he was not sure why he suddenly made this decision.

After a while, Tonan finished making breakfast and gently said, "Hokage-sama, please try the food and see if it suits your palate."

Hiruzen scooped a spoonful of porridge and ate it. Then, he generously praised, "It's very good." Tonan smiled brightly hearing Hiruzen's praise. While cleaning the kitchen earlier, he had paid attention to the manufacture date of the salt.

Hiruzen definitely wouldn't make a special trip to buy these things. Usually, he would instruct an Anbu or the juniors of his clan to purchase them. And when these people would buy things for Hiruzen, they would definitely buy the best, with the latest manufacturing date.

According to his observation, Hiruzen wouldn't come back to eat a meal at noon. He would just make it for breakfast and dinner. With all these little details, Tonan roughly calculated the amount of salt used in each meal.

He knew that Hiruzen preferred food with a heavier taste. Therefore, in today's porridge, he put more salt than he usually would have. There was a saying that minute details differentiate success from failure.

Suddenly, Hiruzen stopped the spoon and asked, "Tonan, are you willing to be my student?"

Tonan's eyes lit up and he looked very excited. Soon after though, his expression sank and he said, "Really? But I'm just a chunin, my capability is not strong enough. Your disciples are the legendary Sannin. I'm afraid I'll embarrass you."

Hiruzen sighed. He finally discovered Tonan's shortcoming — inferiority complex. But it was true that people who lacked familial love would inevitably develop low self-esteem. Hiruzen put down the spoon and consoled Tonan, "Be more confident in yourself. You are much stronger than your peers. You are a true genius."

Tonan raised his head and frowned. He thought for a bit and said, "But I heard people say there's no genius in this world. The so-called genius is just a bit more talented than ordinary people. Only unrelenting perseverance and hard work can make people climb the peak. I would also agree with this statement."

Hiruzen smiled knowingly and said, "Tonan, you're truly different from other Uchihas."

Tonan nodded lightly and stared at Hiruzen with the three tomoe Sharingan, "Perhaps, it's because I've seen many losses and have been through much darkness. It was enough for me to in fact be drowned in it. But you guided me to understand the Will of Fire and dispel it. Hokage-sama…"

Hiruzen pretended to be serious, coughed lightly, and said, "You should change how you address me."

"Sensei…"

Tonan's voice was slightly louder. Anyone could hear the obvious excitement in his tone. Hiruzen got up, took out a scroll from his bedroom, and handed it over to Tonan, "This is my ninjutsu note, and there are also several compound ninjutsu I created in it."

Tonan took the scroll and solemnly said, "Sensei, don't worry. I'll work hard to train, and do my best to live up to your expectation."

Hiruzen looked at Tonan who had a serious expression and felt like laughing. He waved his hand, "Alright, I'm passing this to you. From now on, come here every night, and I'll guide you in your training."

"Okay, sensei."

'Ding!'

The smile on Tonan's face was becoming even brighter. However, in the next moment…

… Gained Uchiha Miyo's acknowledgment.'

'Ding! Gained Uchiha Shinji's acknowledgment.'

'Ding! Gained Uchiha Jiro's acknowledgment.'

Tonan slightly narrowed his eyes, but his face remained calm. Hiruzen finished the porridge in one gulp and leisurely stood up, "Alright, I've to go to work now."

Tonan got up as well and accompanied Hiruzen to the courtyard gate. "Take care Sensei, be careful on the way. I'll see you soon."

After Hiruzen left, Tonan returned to the house and started washing the dishes. There was the sound of water splashing and occasional metal and glass banging in the kitchen. At this moment, Tonan's expression was completely different from just a moment ago. He emitted a gloomy aura, leisurely washing the bowls and chopsticks. The impression of a bright young boy had completely vanished.

"Old Man, at such a critical time, you played this trick on me… Since you haven't even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, I never thought to make a move on you. But since you are playing dirty with me, I can just test if I can use ocular powers to turn my Sharingan into Mangekyo."

Tonan's expression gradually became playful, and the corners of his mouth rose, making a smile.

Things are getting more and more interesting. According to the original work, Shisui can awaken Mangekyo. If ocular powers alone can't evolve Sharingan to Mangekyo, then Shisui is indeed a good choice.

Moreover, Shisui happens to be the Great Elder's grandson. I wonder how many tomoe will Shisui awaken if the Great Elder died. Even if Shisui can't awaken Mangekyo now, Tonan still had the other Uchiha clan members who knew about his little games. They should all have the three-tomoe Sharingan.

"If they're all killed, will it directly evolve my Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan because of overflowing ocular power?"

Both paths are broad and open.

From this aspect, the Great Elder revealing his truth didn't seem to be a bad thing. Tonan, who had figured things out, regained his usual composure. He chuckled while washing the dishes and muttered, "It's indeed true that anger only harms oneself. If I think from another angle, this is an unexpected pleasant surprise. Only by forgiving others, you can achieve bigger things."

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Chapter 106: The Thorough Cleanup, Probing Words

After washing the dishes, Uchiha Tonan created six shadow clones and started the great undertaking of a thorough cleanup. To be a successful person, one shouldn't be too honest. When someone was present, one should pay attention to attitude.

When no one was around, one should pay attention to efficiency. With the leader around, one should not reveal the hard-working side. If the person left and returned, they should come back to see that you have done your work perfectly.

At that time, the leader would automatically think you have completed the mission with an earnest and steadfast attitude. And your impression would also naturally rise.

Each of the six shadow clones was responsible for cleaning an area. Sweeping floors, wiping windows, sorting out things, trimming plants in the garden, and spraying perfume. Everything was orderly. There was also one shadow clone that washed all of Hiruzen's clothes, regardless of whether they were clean or not.

He then pulled a few clotheslines in the front yard and hung the washed clothes on them. By the time everything was done, it was already noon. The midday sun hung directly above the sky, and the temperature increased. Tonan looked up, and the dazzling sunlight made him squint.

Seeing it was almost time, he dispelled the shadow clones and left the Sarutobi clan district. After a busy morning, Tonan's stomach was rumbling with hunger. So, he ate something in the shopping street and walked towards the Uchiha clan district.

Tonan had just arrived at the door when he saw the Great Elder standing at the doorway as if he had been waiting there for a long time. He turned around and began to carefully size up Tonan.

It was like he was the father who caught his daughter who had stayed out all night red-handed.

"Great Elder, you are here."

Tonan generously accepted the Great Elder's probing gaze and warmly greeted him.

The Great Elder nodded and said, "Hmm."

"Great Elder, please come in and sit."

Tonan opened the courtyard door and invited the Great Elder into his house. Immediately on sitting down, the Great Elder impatiently asked, "Morning today, Sarutobi Hiruzen announced he will accept you as his student. How did you do it?"

When the Great Elder heard this news, he was greatly shocked. Tonan replied with a doubtful tone while boiling the tea, "Is that really so strange?"

The Great Elder took a deep breath, "There's no doubt you are talented. If that old man accepted you as his student earlier, I wouldn't have been surprised. But now, his sons have just died, so this matter is dubious. You've to be careful that he might be plotting something."

In the Great Elder's eyes, there was nothing good about the Sarutobi clan. The Sarutobis never treated the Uchihas well. Therefore, the Great Elder found Hiruzen taking Tonan as his student extremely suspicious.

Tonan pushed a cup of tea toward the Great Elder, and replied with a smile, "Sensei accepted me as his student because I have all chakra attributes." He lightly patted the Great Elder's hand and consoled, "You don't need to worry about me."

After thinking about it carefully, the Great Elder was still suspicious. He tapped the table with his finger a few times, and emphasized again, "But his sons have just died."

Tonan chuckled and leisurely said, "Perhaps, I'm a substitute."

The Great Elder touched his chin and thought about this explanation for a moment, "That's possible… If this is the case, as long as you have enough merits, that old man Sarutobi might really support you to become the Hokage in the future. Sarutobi clan combined with Ino-Shika-Cho, plus our Uchiha clan… This is very good…"

The more the Great Elder thought, the more excited he became. He then picked up the teacup and drank tea. The scalding hot tea burnt his tongue. He quickly placed down the teacup and tears streamed down his eyes.

Tonan ignored him and blew the teacup in front of him, asking casually, "By the way, did Great Elder tell other clan members about me?"

The Great Elder was startled hearing his question and replied with a smile, "I was only testing you last time. How can I reveal something like this?"

"It seems this old man is preparing to use this secret as a trump card to control me."

The hot steam from the tea made Tonan narrow his eyes. Immediately afterward, he sincerely said, "In fact, Great Elder can inform some of the young and promising clan members. In the future, when I'm full-fledged, they can become my important teammates. As for the old clan members, it's alright to not let them worry about it. I fear they lack hot blood and harbor selfish motives, which will be detrimental to the clan's greater cause."

The Great Elder raised his eyebrows and exclaimed, "You really think so?"

Tonan smiled slightly, picked up the teapot, and refilled the Great Elder's teacup. "I've never lied to you."

The Great Elder thought about it and nodded, "That's true. Well, then I won't impose on you any longer. From now on, the Uchiha clan will depend on you."

Tonan pointed to the teacup in front of the Great Elder and said, "Great Elder, you should finish drinking the tea before leaving."

The Great Elder, however, stood up and waved his hand, "No, this is a crucial time, it will be bad for you if I stay here for too long."

The Great Elder realized the situation was different now. With Tonan here, as long as he waited until Tonan became the Hokage, the Uchiha clan would rise without shedding blood. For the sake of the future of the clan, the Great Elder had a sense of propriety.

He couldn't get too close to Tonan. Thinking of this, the Great Elder turned around and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Tonan said, "Great Elder, you should pay more attention to Shisui."

The Great Elder's steps paused. He then turned around and asked with a confused look, "What's wrong with Shisui?"

Tonan said looking serious, "Shisui's talent is far superior to mine."

The Great Elder was taken aback. After a while, he suspiciously asked, "Is what you said true?" Tonan nodded solemnly and pointed to his eyes, "I'm almost touching that realm. So, I can sense Shisui's great potential. He can awaken more easily than me."

A hint of surprise flashed through the Great Elder's eyes. He then took a deep breath and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, got it." He walked out with his hands behind his back. The Great Elder believed at least seventy percent of Tonan's words. Because Tonan had absolutely no reason to lie to him.

"It seems that I should focus on supervising Shisui's training."

Tonan knew it was difficult for him to evolve his Sharingan by relying on the so-called emotional fluctuations. But he had a system. As long as he gained Shisui's acknowledgment after Shisui awakened the Mangekyo…

Tonan, of course, had one more option, which was to purely rely on the stacking of ocular powers. To be on the safer side, he intended to pursue both options simultaneously. After all, these two paths weren't in conflict, and could even complement each other.

This way, it would be twice the result with half the effort.

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Chapter 107: Carving Wooden Shoes, Target Enma

Notes:

Qin Shihuang, or the First Emperor, is a dead scam. Using text messages, the scammer claimed himself to be the descendent of Qin Shihuang and that he had billions of assets but needed money to unfreeze them. And that after the assets are accessible, he would return the money tenfold or more.

An adamantine body refers to formidable protective armor and some damage

After thinking about how he could power up further, Uchiha Tonan took out two pieces of wood and got up. He walked to his front yard under the eaves. The paths of his courtyard were paved with a special kind of sandstone. The texture was soft, and the permeability was high. The price was not cheap either.

Even if it was soaked in rain, it wouldn't stick to the feet. Tonan sat under the eaves, looking at the footprints on the path. The three tomoe in his eyes were spinning slowly.

Using the Byakugan, he carefully observed the footprints. He then took out a kunai and began to carefully carve the wood.

The Great Elder was someone who valued the clan above all else. Tonan was sure that as long as he had a firm foothold among the Konoha top authorities, the Great Elder would discreetly begin demanding benefits for the clan using his secrets.

Tonan was also certain he would gain the Great Elder's acknowledgment. Tonan's life philosophy was to hold his future in his grasp but from his viewpoint, it was not difficult to gain the Uchiha clan's acknowledgment.

The more paranoid people were, the greater was their spiritual weakness. As long as he found the right way, it would be very easy to gain their recognition. To put it bluntly, the Uchiha clan members were gullible.

If they were in his previous world, they wouldn't even report even if they were scammed of everything including their underpants. After all, they believed in the Eye of the Moon Plan, which was as outrageous as saying Qin Shihuang is not a dead scam. They were different from politicians such as Sarutobi Hiruzen who would instinctively be on guard against others. Tonan suspected that Hiruzen was vigilant even against his wife.

Half an hour later, Tonan carved two wooden shoes. The size and outline of the wooden shoes and the bottom lines were exactly the same as the Great Elder's shoeprints.

Tonan picked up the wooden shoes, sized them up carefully, and muttered, "Small feet and narrow structure." He put the wooden shoes into his ninja bag and turned around to enter the house.

In the evening, Hiruzen returned home with a tired look on his face. He pushed open the courtyard door and was shocked to see his house's condition. The white pine tree in the center of the yard still stood straight, but the soil under it had been tilled and watered. The pillars that were painted red on the corridor were carefully wiped clean, showing their original elegant appearance.

Hiruzen, who was always busy, had no time to clean up the house. As a result, a lot of dead twigs and withered leaves littered the courtyard. But now, he could see that the ground was clean and tidy. Even the lawn grass, on both sides of the path, had crystal clear water droplets reflecting on their surface.

At a distance, all sorts of clothes and garments filled his vision as they fluttered lightly along with the breeze. The evening sun was not too bright, leaving only a faint afterglow in the sky.

But under this gentle light, the entire courtyard seemed warmer. A faint fragrance wafted in the air. As it soothed his senses, Hiruzen's mind and body which had faced a busy workday, felt incomparably warm.

It was the smell of home…

"Sensei, you are back." In the courtyard's corner, Tonan was on his tiptoe, picking up a piece of cloth. He looked towards Hiruzen and smiled gently.

There was a pile of clothes on his left arm that was just washed and dried in the sun. Hiruzen saw this and couldn't help smiling, "Tonan, thank you for your hard work, but many of these clothes were already washed."

Tonan shook his head, "Washed clothes smell moldy after some time and it's uncomfortable to wear them."

Hiruzen's heart became warmer, and he was a little moved. "I'll help you." Seeing that many clothes were still left, he offered to give a hand but Tonan hastily stopped him. "Sensei, let me do all this. You work hard all day long, and you have to teach me ninjutsu as well. Go ahead and rest for some time. I do these things often so I'm used to them. I'm not tired at all."

Hiruzen hesitated for a while, but seeing the stubborn expression on the boy's face, he relented, "Tonan, you are kind."

Tonan worked faster and finished picking up all the clothes in about an hour. He folded and placed them in Hiruzen's closet.

Tonan was doing so much for Hiruzen, but it was not for the Hokage's strength. Hiruzen had no special bloodline limit, and his chakra reserve was also just a little higher than that of ordinary elite ninjas. Although Hiruzen knew a lot of ninjutsu, these things could be learned.

Tonan's goal was Hiruzen's protection and… his summoning beast — Monkey King Enma.

Enma was an adamantine body. It was not an active skill but a passive one and when it turned into Ruyi Bang, its defense power was several times greater. For Tonan, its allure was even superior to that of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

During dinner, Tonan intentionally or unintentionally brought up the Uchiha clan. Hiruzen said while chewing his food, "This is the Uchiha's innate nature, they are not particularly likable."

Tonan shook his head gently and began to express his views. "No, in fact, most of the children in the clan are very innocent and lovable. Children are a piece of blank paper. How they grow in the future depends on their parents' and elders' upbringing and the environment they are exposed to."

"I know this from experience. Most Uchiha clan members pursue strict education and children tend to subconsciously imitate their parents' behavior and bearing. There is little love and warmth in the family. Relatives are more like strangers."

"When children encounter setbacks, their parents don't comfort them. On the contrary, they taunt and hurl abuse in an attempt to stimulate the child's self-esteem, making them strive for perfection."

Hiruzen nodded and spit out the bones in his mouth, "I didn't expect you to have such insights on upbringing."

Tonan scratched his head, looking embarrassed, when Hiruzen praised him, then lowered his voice, "This is just my personal opinion. Just like today, when the Great Elder came looking for me after I returned home, I saw him treating Shisui so sternly. It's truly…"

Hiruzen's hands paused hearing Tonan's words. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to ask casually, "Did Tenzou come to meet you?"

Tonan nodded while chewing, "Yes, the Great Elder hastily came to my house this afternoon and told me a lot of things. He continuously said, don't forget the clan, must put the clan above all else, and so on."

Although Hiruzen was not happy about Uchiha Tenzou trying to rope in Tonan but seeing that Tonan did not hide the Great Elder's visit, he couldn't help showing a triumphant smile.

"Tenzou is still the same."

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Chapter 108: Buried Under Inducements, Admitting Embezzling

Uchiha Tonan tilted his head slightly and said, "Why do I always feel the Great Elder is very strange towards me. Although he's always smiling, it gives me a dangerous and insane vibe. I even suspect something…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen lit up the smoke pipe and inhaled it. Smoking after the meal, this taste…

"Suspect what?"

Tonan hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice, "I suspect the Great Elder murdered Teno-san." Hiruzen frowned hearing this and asked, "What made you think that?"

With an unsure expression, Tonan looked at Hiruzen and said, "Because Tetsugo-san had a very good relationship with Teno-san. When the incident happened, they were exchanging pointers. But Teno-san died under the Great Fireball Technique. I suspect that the Great Elder wanted to make Tetsugo-san's Sharingan evolve."

"It's just that I, who was useless at the time, witnessed the scene, and awakened the Sharingan by accident. And the Great Elder thinks I have more potential than Tetsugo-san. So, he simply executed Tetsugo-san to avoid exposing this."

Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and nodded, thinking that the conjecture was plausible. After all, the Anbu did want to investigate the incident but the Great Elder obstructed it citing it as the clan's internal matter, which was indeed somewhat suspicious.

It appears there were secrets to this after all. But a long time had passed, and these were two young geniuses of the Uchiha clan. Even if the clan killed each other until only the last one remained, Hiruzen wouldn't bother to intervene.

However, in front of Tonan, his new student, Hiruzen had to maintain the right image. "Do you have any evidence?"

Tonan shook his head and said, "I don't have evidence. I was too weak at that time and didn't notice anything. I was also naive enough to believe what I saw. But over the years, I keep recalling what happened and the more I think about it, the stranger I feel. Perhaps, I'm thinking too much."

Hiruzen smiled and said, "A long time has passed since the incident. Even if you wanted to investigate, you won't find anything. Honestly speaking, Tonan, you are truly a good person. I fear not even a handful still remember those two dead young Uchihas. You're probably the only one still thinking about them."

Tonan sighed and said, "I hope this is just my wild guess. Oh, that's right, I recently discovered a genius."

Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, immediately becoming interested.

"Who?"

Tonan drank the soup without raising his head and said, "The grandson of the Great Elder. His name is Uchiha Shisui. I feel his talent is stronger than Kakashi's. I'm thinking of finding a chance to teach him about the Will of Fire. He is a gentle and intelligent child. He'll definitely be able to absorb such advanced ideals."

"Genius is great but is his character good? If I remember correctly, that little guy is also Kagami's descendent."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes making it difficult to guess what he was thinking. Not long after, the two finished their meal. Hiruzen pretended to reach out to help wash the dishes. Tonan hastily got up and covered the leftovers on the table. He said with a frown, "I'll do it, father."

Just as these words fell, both of them were stunned for a while. The atmosphere was a little warm… Tonan's ears tips became red, and he kept scratching his head. Finally, Hiruzen coughed lightly to break the awkward atmosphere.

Tonan picked up the dishes and chopsticks and brought them to the kitchen to wash. At this moment, Hiruzen came to the kitchen door while smoking, and a smile couldn't help appearing on his face.

"Tonan, it's hard for you."

"These are trivial things, sensei…"

When saying the word 'sensei', Tonan's tone was a bit low-spirited. A little dissatisfaction could be vaguely heard… Hiruzen felt an impulse but he instantly suppressed it due to various misgivings.

Tonan changed the subject and said, "Sensei, I want to build a welfare institution in Konoha."

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows slightly, "Why did you think of doing something like this?"

Tonan looked sympathetic and raised his head. He sighed softly. "The war has brought many sufferings to people. Especially to the elderly and children. Although Konoha has a compensation mechanism and special welfare to guarantee their survival, loneliness and pain need love to be healed."

Tonan's movement paused after saying this and his eyes were full of yearning, "I want Konoha's orphans to grow up under the sunlight. I want the elderly to always have younger generations take care of them and show care for them."

Hiruzen looked at Tonan and felt that even he, as a Hokage, could be considered unworthy compared to the young boy. "Alright, I'll draft a report tomorrow, and make the higher-ups cast a vote. I believe something like this will be approved smoothly. It's just that Konoha's funds are a bit tight right now, and it may take a long time to build the institution."

"When it's done, you can become the dean. And I can issue a long-term mission to you in Konoha's name. But this mission can only be set as an A-rank at the highest."

Tonan was speechless. Going by Hiruzen's words, there was basically no need for him to spend money, and his wish would be achieved in the name of the village.

Moreover, Hiruzen would give him the dean's position and issue him a long-term A-ranked mission. In other words, the village would spend money and effort, and he just needed to sit back and reap the benefits.

The issue was whether this mission was safe.

"Is this how Konoha's crown prince is treated!?"

"Sensei, I'm actually rich," Tonan turned around and said to Hiruzen with a serious look. A hint of a smile flashed through Hiruzen's eyes as he blew out smoke and asked, "Do you know how much it would cost to build a welfare institution?"

Tonan shook his head and hesitated for a moment. Then he lowered his voice, "I only have 600 million Ryo. Will that be enough?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened and the smoke pipe in his hand almost fell to the ground. Realizing that he lost his self-control, he straightened his expression and curiously asked, "Where did you get so much money?"

Tonan lowered his head and stared at his toes. He cautiously replied, "When I was in the Fire Capital, I wiped out all the underground organizations in my jurisdiction. But I didn't hand over the black money, instead I… I embezzled it."

Tonan lowered his head in front of Hiruzen, waiting for a scolding, much like a child who made a mistake.

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Chapter 109: Prince Treatment, Encountering Team Nine

"How can anyone say this about themselves? Tonan, why are you so honest?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was relieved to hear where the money came from.

He asked Tonan, "Did you plan to build a welfare institution from the very beginning? I remember the day when you had come to report your Fire Capital mission, you said you had adopted many orphans."

Tonan nodded, "The first dark organization I wiped out was the human trafficking organization. Life has been very tough for those children. No one in the Fire Capital cared about them. I had no money then either, and I feared I wouldn't be able to support them, so I embezzled the money from that organization."

"Later, I thought about it and simply embezzled all the money from other underground organizations. I thought the best plan was to build a welfare institution in Konoha and let all the orphans and elder people live there."

Tonan's face seemed to emit a light of justice as he narrated his thoughts. Hiruzen leaned on the door frame and blew out more smoke, "I can procure the land needed for the institution in the village's name. To build the different facilities, about 200 million Ryo is enough. Keep the remaining money for yourself."

However, Tonan looked up and said with a stubborn look, "Sensei, please use the money to buy the land. After all, this money doesn't originate in the right way. It's black money. Using it to do a good deed is better. Moreover, if you acquire the land in the village's name, then I'm worried you'll have to take care of many people. Using this money could avoid any future troubles. And it would also be a kind of guarantee for those orphans and elderly people."

Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke. He never thought Tonan was so generous. He liked him even more now. "If you truly want to spend it to buy the land, then you might not have anything left. Are you sure?"

Tonan said looking righteous, "Money is worldly possession, talent is priceless. Even if all 600 million Ryo is spent, I can earn more later."

Hiruzen nodded with a smile, "Alright, what did you have in mind for the location and the size of the welfare institution?"

Tonan thought for a while and replied, "Any place with people bustling around is fine. If the place is too remote, I worry they'll be isolated. As for the size, the bigger the better. If the money is not enough, I will think of a way to earn more."

The land in the golden district would have room for appreciation. Not knowing the result was gambling, but foreseeing it was an investment. Now, he would use the black money to build a welfare institution.

Later, in the future, after he had power, he would sell the welfare institution and start another one in the village's name. The money would then be laundered and the people would be whitewashed. The move was very comprehensive.

Hiruzen thought for a while, "Alright, I'll start doing it tomorrow. I believe it will be done in a month at the most."

Tonan's eyes were full of gratitude. He bowed deeply to Hiruzen, "Thank you, sensei…"

Hiruzen waved his hand and said, "It's a good thing, don't worry. When the opportunity is right, I'll increase the funding. At that time, you can allocate the budget to raise the orphans and elderly people as you please."

Sure enough, holding on to Hiruzen made things convenient. As the quasi-prince of Konoha, as long as he was righteous, he could do whatever he pleased.

……

After training for two hours in Hiruzen's house, Tonan was returning to the Uchiha district. While passing through the commercial street, he happened to meet Namikaze Minato and the new Team Nine. Minato was walking in the front, and Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were following behind.

Tonan's eyes narrowed slightly. Hiruzen wanted to bring Kakashi out of the darkness, so he specially arranged for Obito and Rin to be under Minato's tutelage. Minato was the first to greet, "Tonan, long time no see."

Tonan bowed, "Minato-sensei, long time no see."

At this time, Obito shouted, "Tonan, why did you kill Kakashi's father?"

"Shut up." Kakashi gave a stern look to Obito. He then walked towards Tonan, step by step, and said, "Hatake-style will not lose."

Tonan took a deep breath and coldly said, "Will your empty words fight for you?"

Kakashi's pupils shrank. Clang.

Before anyone could react, Tonan had already pulled out the White Fang Blade from Kakashi's back and placed it on his neck. Tonan's bloodthirsty look made Obito and Rin panic.

"Kakashi!"

"Let go of Kakashi… Minato Sensei, release me."

"What amazing speed!" Minato sighed in his heart, grabbing Obito's collar from the back.

Tonan moved his head in front of Kakashi, and like an evil villain, he said, "Those who have lost their rationality will train desperately and blindly. They would comfort themselves that physical exhaustion meant they were working hard. But that is nothing more than the weak's reason to slack. The real hard effort needs the use of the brain. Reflect on your deficiencies and rectify them. This is the real effort."

Tonan's eyes were ruthless and cold, and they gradually became scarlet… Hell Viewing Technique!

Kakashi suddenly noticed it was already daytime and he was in the Hatake household's backyard. He knew this was an illusion but he was slightly hesitant to break the genjutsu. After all, forcibly breaking the genjutsu would cause damage to the genjutsu caster.

Puff~ The sound of a sharp blade piercing through a body could be heard. Kakashi turned around and saw that Tonan, holding a tanto, had ruthlessly pierced through Hatake Sakumo's heart.

"Father…" Kakashi roared angrily and rushed over. He hugged Sakumo's corpse.

"Hatake style is just so-so," Tonan, who held a bloody chakra tanto, indifferently looked at the wailing Kakashi and said, "Kakashi, it's your turn to go on your way now."

He then kicked the White Fang Blade in front of Kakashi. "The best way to overcome fear is to face it. Look at you now, you don't even dare to pick up the sword."

Tonan looked down at the kneeling Kakashi and taunted him. Kakashi looked over, his eyes filled with hatred. He slowly put down Sakumo's corpse and grabbed the White Fang Blade, swinging it towards Tonan.

"Damn it… I'll kill you."

Ding, ding.

Puff~

A chakra tanto stabbed Kakashi's heart with ease. Tonan shook his head and said with a wicked smile, "You are boring me, Kakashi."

Everything in front of Kakashi went dark. When the light returned, he found himself standing in the courtyard again.

Another familiar scene!

Kakashi immediately turned his head.

Puchi~

A sharp blade pierced through Sakumo's heart again.

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Chapter 110: Seed Of Friendship, Bringing Over Lunch

Hatake Kakashi clenched his hands, trying his best to restrain the resentment in his heart. At the same time, he was also surprised that Tonan was able to maintain genjutsu for so long.

"Your ocular power is so powerful," Kakashi forced himself to maintain his calm. Tonan kicked the White Fang Blade in front of him again and slowly raised the chakra tanto. He pointed it at Kakashi and said, "My strength is far beyond your imagination. How else would I able to kill Konoha's White Fang?"

"Damn it…" Kakashi grabbed the White Fang Blade and rushed towards Tonan again.

Ding, ding, ding.

Puchi~

Tonan shook his head, looking down at the dying Kakashi with disdain, "A beast can never defeat a sane hunter."

Everything in front of Kakashi became dark, and everything repeated, again.

"Useless…"

"So detestable…"

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

Puchi~

Kakashi didn't know how many times he went through the same sequence over and over again. By now, when he saw Tonan killing Sakumo, there was no chaos in his heart. The two fought again and then again.

"Use all your power in every move. I guess that's how you trained. There are many flaws in the Hatake style sword technique, and it doesn't use full power in every move when fighting an opponent. But you have even forgotten such a simple truth, and you still think you are working hard…. You idiot!"

Even while hearing Tonan's insults, he couldn't come to hate him in his heart. He was even a little grateful…

"The sword technique is dead, but people are alive… Your sword technique doesn't have your will, it's all just moves… After the horizontal slash, it's a backhand straight stab… Yes, White Fang-sama taught it like that… But did you ever think I would also know about it? You are using something I am familiar with to deal with me… what's the point of that?"

Bang.

After Tonan's guidance, Kakashi was not killed. He blocked the attack at a critical moment. It was just that because of his unskilled move, Tonan pinpointed his flaw and kicked him flying. The scene scattered again.

Then, the two returned to reality. Kakashi's forehead was covered with sweat, and he seemed to be tired.

On the other hand, Tonan's face was deathly pale. His legs were also trembling slightly and bloody tears were flowing down from the corners of his eyes.

Kakashi was startled and took a step forward subconsciously. Tonan, however, snorted coldly and straightened his back. He threw the White Fang Blade on the ground, and indifferently said, "You've disappointed me too much."

After saying this, he directly walked past Kakashi. The group watched Tonan's back until he disappeared around the street corner. Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "It seems you had a good harvest."

Kakashi lowered his head and said lightly, "It turned out I've been going about it the wrong way."

Honestly speaking, Kakashi didn't hate Tonan from the very beginning. He just didn't know how to deal with it. He wanted to forgive and reconcile, but he also felt that he should be more reserved. Tonan, after all, was his father's killer…

Minato could see that Kakashi had realized his mistake, and the smile on his face became brighter. He turned to look at Obito who was lost in thought and said, "Obito, you also did pretty well. I thought you'd recklessly attack Tonan."

Obito's face sank and he suddenly shouted, "Hey, do you think I couldn't see it? That, however, was a genjutsu of three-tomoe Sharingan. How can there be such a serious effect?"

Kakashi felt his eyes were a bit sour. He sighed and said, "Minato-sensei, I'll go back home." Kakashi left by himself after that.

"Minato-sensei, what happened just now? Tell us as well."

"Well…"

"Tell us, tell us…"

"After I tell you two, you cannot go around talking about it in front of Kakashi."

……

After Tonan returned home, his face became healthy and fine again. That gimmick was not meant for Kakashi but for Minato and Obito. He wanted to plant a seed of friendship and wait for it to sprout. After all, the space ninjutsu was a good thing.

Time passed quickly. Five days flew past in the blink of an eye. Since the drizzle of that night, Konoha had sunny weather every day. Although it was already autumn, the continuous sunny days made the temperature rise slowly, making it a little hot.

Hiruzen had not progressed on the welfare institution matter yet. The land located at the center of Konoha didn't meet the needed size. And it seemed that Hiruzen would be arranging his subordinates to persuade those residents to relocate.

During this time, Tonan had been observing the Great Elder and Shisui through Wind Communication and white pigeons. The Great Elder didn't need to work. He always wandered around the clan district every day.

As for Shisui, he trained hard every day. Only at noon, the hottest time of the day, the Great Elder would let him go out to play with others. All the children would go to a small river on the edge of the clan district to play.

Although this place was small and a bit boring, it was already a happy thing for Shisui, who had to train all day long.

……

In the middle of the night, just a few scattered stars shone faintly in the night sky. A dark shadow appeared by the river upstream. The shadow seemed to be holding something in his hands, and pressed it hard on the riverbank…

The next day, Tonan left the Sarutobi clan district in the morning and returned home to cook. At noon, the clan district's people returned home for lunch.

Tonan placed the prepared meals in the basket, walked out of the courtyard, and went to the Great Elder's house. He called out, "Great Elder, are you home?"

The Great Elder opened the courtyard door, and the curious Shisui poked out his head from behind him as well. "Tonan, why are you here?"

Tonan brought the basket in front of him and replied with a gentle smile, "I made something but I think I can't finish it all by myself, so I came to eat together with you two."

The Great Elder smiled and nodded his head, "Come in."

In the living room, Tonan took out the food and placed it on the table. Shisui stared at Tonan with an innocent smile and said, "Tonan-san…"

Tonan rubbed Shisui's hair with a doting look. He picked a piece of dessert on the table and handed it over to him. "Shisui, try this dessert."

Shisui looked at the orange dessert that Tonan passed and kept swallowing saliva. But he still resisted the temptation and looked at the Great Elder with anticipation.

Seeing Shisui's current appearance, the Great Elder shook his head with a smile and said, "Go ahead, eat it."

Having received the permission, Shisui took the dessert and thanked Tonan with a smile. Then, he took a bite. Immediately afterward, his eyes lit up, and he narrowed them while sweetly chewing, "It's delicious."

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