Sarutobi Clan TerritoryAfter departing from the Naka River, the Third Hokage didn't return to the Hokage Building.Instead, he led his group straight to the Sarutobi Clan compound.
Boom!
The crash of shattering glass rang through the halls.
Once he returned home, Hiruzen finally let go of all restraint."Naraku!!!" he roared in anguish.
His voice trembled with hatred. The pain of the day's events was unbearable.That bastard had killed his only son—no, even worse, he'd annihilated almost an entire branch of his clan.
"This bastard killed so many of our clan members. Just how arrogant is he?!" Koharu fumed.
Though she hadn't lost any direct blood relatives, none of the Sarutobi shinobi who had participated in today's attack returned.
"All the bodies have been accounted for," Danzo said flatly, eyes closed."The number of corpses matches the count of the team deployed. Including burn marks, it's clear… no one escaped."
Every single one of them had died at the Naka River—the place they had chosen to be Naraku's grave… had instead become their own.
"Danzo!!" Hiruzen spun toward him, eyes bloodshot."This is all your fault! You told us Naraku was drained of chakra—weak! That he could be taken down!"
"If not for your false analysis, if we had acted earlier, Shinnosuke might still be alive!"
Danzo opened his eyes, irritation flickering in them."I wasn't the one who killed him. Don't point fingers at me."
"You're not the only one who lost people. Did any of my ROOT shinobi survive?"
"And maybe if your son had been stronger, he could've held out longer."
"Danzo, enough!" Homura interrupted, seeing Hiruzen's fury boil over.Though harsh, Danzo's words weren't entirely wrong.
If Shinnosuke had lasted even a little longer, things might have ended differently.
Homura sighed. "The real question is… what do we do next?"
"Naraku is a scourge," Koharu said coldly."Someone who treats his fellow villagers as enemies cannot be allowed to live."
"We still owe the Hidden Cloud an explanation," Homura added.
"ROOT and Anbu have suffered massive casualties," Danzo said. "We'll need to replenish the ranks."
"And we'll also need to appoint a new Anbu Commander. That position can't stay empty."
"These shinobi are getting more and more defiant. Especially the Hyuga clan. They hid Naraku and still haven't punished him."
The three continued to speak one after the other, giving Hiruzen a pounding headache.
"Enough!" Hiruzen growled. "One thing at a time."
He rubbed his forehead and sighed."Hyuga Naraku must be dealt with—for the good of the village… and to appease the Hidden Cloud."
"As for replenishing Anbu," he continued, "we'll conscript some of the shinobi from today's operation."
"And the Anbu Commander…"
He trailed off, frowning deeply.
There wasn't anyone from the Sarutobi clan suitable to replace Shinnosuke.Even his son had only held the post due to Hiruzen's influence.
"Kakashi Hatake… maybe?" Homura suggested, though his expression was clearly reluctant.
Kakashi was the only shinobi in Anbu strong and capable enough to take command.
But Kakashi wasn't theirs.
Unlike Shinnosuke, Kakashi couldn't be manipulated behind the scenes.Just like with today's ambush on Naraku—Kakashi had been left out completely.
If Kakashi became Commander, future covert operations would be difficult to execute without him finding out.
"…Forget it," Hiruzen muttered. "We'll set the matter aside for now."
Even figuring out how to announce Shinnosuke's "resignation" was a problem in itself.
"And as for the Hyuga clan—it's time to deal with them too."
Boom!A knock came at the door.
"Hokage-sama, the elder of the Hyuga clan is here," a Sarutobi ninja reported from outside.
Hiruzen and the others exchanged glances.
"Let him in," Hiruzen said.
Moments later, Hyuga Zongzang, the elder of the Hyuga clan, entered the room quietly.
He had come in secret.When he learned that Naraku had killed the Hokage's son, he knew it wouldn't end well.
Naraku's actions had crossed a line—one that could bring ruin not just to him, but to the entire Hyuga clan.
"I've come to admit fault, Hokage-sama," Zongzang began."Hyuga Naraku is dangerous, arrogant, and deceitful. He's a disaster for both the village and the Hyuga clan!"
The council exchanged looks.
"If that's the case," Hiruzen said with a chilling calm, "why don't you deal with him yourself?"
"It's all because of Hiashi," Zongzang growled."He's unfit to be Patriarch. He protects Naraku and tolerates his behavior. Sooner or later, he'll bring disaster upon us all!"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. He immediately understood Zongzang's intent.
"So… why don't you and your supporters remove Hiashi and elect a new Patriarch?"
Zongzang's eyes lit up. This was what he had come for.
He was growing old, but his son—Hyuga Yemen—could replace Hiashi.
Once that happened, they would have full authority to deal with Naraku.
If not for Hiashi's past interference, Zongzang would've already activated the Caged Bird Seal to execute Naraku in secret.
So now, not only Naraku—but also Hiashi—had to go.
Seeing Zongzang's pleased expression, Hiruzen confirmed his suspicions.
"I think Hyuga Yemen would make an excellent Patriarch," he said with a venomous smile."If he replaces Hiashi, I'm sure the clan will stabilize."
Both sides shared a look of mutual understanding. The deal was struck.
After finalizing the details, Hiruzen's expression twisted with hatred.
"But I have one final request," he said coldly."I want to see with my own eyes… how Hyuga Naraku dies."