This time, Natsuhiko's target wasn't just Danzo.
To him, Danzo was already as good as dead. Even if the man was still breathing, it was only because Natsuhiko wanted him to stir up even greater chaos before the end.
And the truth was, Danzo had exceeded his expectations.
Natsuhiko hadn't anticipated that this man would manage to provoke so many people.
Shibi Aburame had appeared humble and submissive in front of him, but that was only because he had been pushed into a corner. In reality, the man still held considerable influence within Konoha.
After all, the Aburame Clan had been part of the village since its founding. Shibi himself had fought in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, and had even carried out missions alongside Akimichi Chōza and Namikaze Minato.
His network ran deep.
Even Natsuhiko had to admit that he had underestimated this clan head.
After their discussion, Shibi wasted no time taking action.
He began sending the clan's most promising talents—especially those he believed Danzo had his eye on—directly into the ANBU.
At first glance, it didn't seem much different from handing them over to Root. But Shibi understood that sacrifices had to be made.
More importantly, ANBU offered something Root never would—the possibility of retirement.
And beyond that, ANBU provided protection. Once those clan members entered ANBU, it was no longer a matter of the Aburame Clan standing against Root.
It became ANBU versus Root.
Or, in a broader sense—
The Fourth Hokage's faction against the Third Hokage's.
Natsuhiko, for his part, upheld his promise.
Clashes between ANBU and Root gradually intensified, exactly as both he and Shibi had intended.
"With the clashes intensifying, Danzo's attention will be on me. Then Shibi Aburame can move freely."
To deliver a fatal blow to Danzo, they needed both momentum and overwhelming force—something that would instill fear across the board.
With Danzo no longer watching his every move, Shibi fully unleashed his capabilities.
Over the next six months, he reached out and connected with far more people than even Natsuhiko had expected.
"No wonder no one stepped in when Hiruzen fought Orochimaru… it's not that they couldn't—it's that no one wanted to."
Looking at the list in his hands, filled with the names of smaller clans who had jointly signed on, Natsuhiko couldn't help but shake his head.
In a way, he himself had opened Pandora's box.
He had personally forced Orochimaru out of Konoha, and in doing so, had pushed Hiruzen into reactivating Danzo.
With Root expanding and Hiruzen relying on Danzo to counterbalance ANBU, Danzo's ambition and selfish desires had grown to an extreme.
Even though Natsuhiko knew that, in the original story, Hiruzen would have eventually been forced into a one-on-one confrontation with Orochimaru anyway—refusing outside interference to preserve his dignity—
Now, under Natsuhiko's influence, everything had been accelerated.
And the situation had become even worse than before.
Strictly speaking, despite how excessive Danzo's actions had become, Hiruzen was not yet as worn down as he had been in the original timeline.
Back then, Hiruzen had already been drained by the Hyūga incident, forced to carefully manage the fallout and appease the clan.
At the same time, tensions with the Uchiha were escalating, pushing him to constantly mediate and attempt to maintain balance.
There was no denying that the Uchiha Clan's destruction had come with his tacit approval.
But it was equally true that he had tried to stabilize the situation, hoping to guide things toward a peaceful resolution.
Allowing Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui into the ANBU had been his way of creating a bridge for communication—an approach not unlike what Uchiha Shisui himself had hoped for.
However, the Nine-Tails incident had already driven a wedge deep into both sides.
Without anyone stepping forward to reveal the truth—that the Sharingan seen controlling the Nine-Tails that night had nothing to do with the Uchiha of Konoha—that wedge only sank deeper over time.
And in the end, it led to the outcome everyone knew:
Hiruzen's silent consent to the Uchiha massacre, followed by sending Itachi away from Konoha… burdening him with all the blame.
"Itachi was already unstable, so there's not much to say about him. As for Hiruzen… the way he handled that incident only deepened the fear within the village.
On top of that, he still had to deal with administrative affairs. There was simply no way he had the time or energy to keep an eye on Danzo."
The current Hiruzen was in much the same situation—drained and overwhelmed. The difference was that, unlike in the original timeline where various external pressures weighed him down, this time it was Natsuhiko who had pushed him to the brink of exhaustion.
Hiruzen was already advanced in age, and having resumed the duties of Hokage, his limited energy was stretched thin just trying to keep up. And then there was the newspaper Natsuhiko had introduced, which forced him to divert even more attention just to keep things under control.
The speed at which Natsuhiko's newspaper spread was astonishing—far beyond anything Hiruzen had anticipated.
Truthfully, even Natsuhiko himself hadn't expected it to grow this quickly. What he had underestimated was the sharp instinct of Konoha's merchants.
Once the paper began circulating throughout the towns and cities of the Land of Fire, Natsuhiko had started considering ways to monetize it further.
The Shinobi World Daily maintained an impressively high purchase rate. Part of that was due to limited printing—after all, Natsuhiko hadn't mass-produced it on a massive scale.
But according to calculations made by a Nara clan ninja within ANBU, the number of copies distributed was carefully determined based on a conservative estimate of potential readers.
With that approach, most regions sold out completely, while only a few places ever had leftover copies.
Combined with its bold and information-rich content, the newspaper quickly earned widespread praise.
And with that popularity came opportunity.
Merchants quickly realized that this was the perfect platform to promote their goods.
Before Natsuhiko even had the chance to approach them, they came knocking on his door, eager to secure advertising space.
Naturally, Natsuhiko had no intention of refusing.
With sufficient funding, the newspaper could continue to expand and sustain itself, rather than relying on ANBU resources. It was a perfect cycle—self-sufficient and constantly growing.
Within just half a year, the Shinobi World Daily had become something nearly everyone in the Land of Fire recognized.
Even though Hiruzen had attempted to launch a competing paper, it couldn't truly rival Natsuhiko's.
His version barely circulated within Konoha itself, and worse, it relied entirely on village funds—operating at a loss.
All of this drained his already limited energy even further. Between that and his administrative duties, he simply didn't have the capacity to monitor Danzo's actions anymore.
Danzo was like a vicious hound that needed to be kept on a tight leash. Once no one held him back, the destruction he could cause was unimaginable.
And as the one who "owned" that hound, Hiruzen would inevitably bear the consequences. After all, if a dog bit someone, it wasn't as if they could just bite the dog back.
"But if I want to completely bring down Hiruzen… this still isn't enough. At the very least, though, his authority has taken a solid hit."
Setting down the documents in his hand, Natsuhiko reflected quietly.
He understood all too well that Hiruzen, even as a provisional Hokage, would not fall easily.
Still, it wasn't impossible.
He was waiting—for the right opportunity.
Or more precisely, he was waiting for certain clans to fully take a stand. Once that happened, Hiruzen's days in power would be numbered.
Two clans, in particular, were key to this—
The Uchiha.
And the Hyūga.
...
"Shibi, how are things progressing?"
Inside a barbecue restaurant in Konoha, Shibi Aburame sat together with several of his old acquaintances. To an outsider, it looked like nothing more than a casual gathering of friends.
Though, admittedly, these gatherings had become a bit more frequent over the past six months.
Still, they kept a low profile. None of them belonged to the largest clans in Konoha, and many of them had fought together in past wars.
From an outsider's perspective, there was nothing unusual about old comrades meeting up.
But the true purpose of these gatherings…
Was far from simple.
The number of participants had gradually increased, and so had the number of clans involved.
By now, even members of the Inuzuka Clan had begun to appear among them.
They were all brought together by Shibi Aburame—clan heads who had suffered the same fate as him.
However, their circumstances were far worse than his.
Under the overwhelming pressure of Danzo, they had been forced to hand over their people. And because they lacked a true understanding of the ANBU, and were wary of the power struggles within Konoha's upper ranks, none of them had ever dared to make contact with ANBU.
But when Shibi found them and subtly revealed certain truths, they were all filled with deep regret.
They regretted why, after reading the newspaper and deducing certain things, they hadn't made any decisions or judgments.
However, Shibi's appearance also gave them a new choice.
To resist.
Even if they were reluctant to take sides, Danzo had gone too far. And the Third Hokage's indulgence of him only deepened their resentment to the bone.
Without much difficulty, they formed an alliance. After Shibi carefully verified each of them, confirming that none posed a threat or hidden agenda, he relayed some of Natsuhiko's instructions.
They were uneasy about it, but at this point, they had no other choice.
Either they resisted and carved out a future for their clans…
Or they continued enduring endless oppression, watching their own clan's talents be sent one after another into situations tantamount to death.
—
"The situation on the ANBU side is still unclear, but I believe the Commander has his own plans."
Shibi Aburame looked at the group in front of him and spoke cautiously.
In truth, they had already set up a soundproof barrier, yet he still remained extremely careful.
As he spoke, a faint trace of awkwardness flashed through his eyes. He actually knew more than he was letting on.
After all, he was the first one to find Natsuhiko. Because of that, Natsuhiko hadn't hidden many things from him.
He knew that Natsuhiko was going to make a move—and that the timing was likely very soon.
But precisely because of that, and to prevent any leaks or preemptive actions from their opponents, Shibi still felt it was better to keep things vague.
This involved far too many sensitive elements—especially since their target stood behind the Hokage himself.
Or rather, what they were doing was effectively opposing the Hokage.
If this information were to leak…
Then not only they, but their entire clans, would likely be finished.
"I see…"
His response brought a clear sense of disappointment to the group, but none of them dared to voice it.
Since they had already chosen to participate, they could only follow the plan. And given how dangerous and complicated the situation was, caution was only natural.
Suppressing their frustration, they chose not to dwell on the matter any further.
Seeing this, Shibi also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew his answer had disappointed them, but he couldn't reveal the truth. That left him somewhat frustrated, forcing him to remain silent as well.
Fortunately, the atmosphere soon shifted.
The others quickly changed the topic, deliberately steering the conversation toward lighter, more enjoyable subjects.
The tension eased significantly, and the gathering once again resembled nothing more than an ordinary get-together among old friends.
But just then—
Two figures approached them.
And the moment they appeared, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to them.
"Why are they here?"
Shibi frowned slightly as he looked at the newcomers.
They were not strangers—Akimichi Chōza and Yamanaka Inoichi.
Both were familiar faces to them, but their status was on an entirely different level compared to the group present.
Even among the secret technique clans, their intelligence, influence, and methods were on another scale entirely.
The alliance formed by the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, along with the power they held within Konoha, gave them an influence that could only be described as formidable.
And yet, that very alliance was something others could not replicate. It was born of natural advantages—something established long before Konoha itself had even been founded.
Right now, Konoha was deliberately preventing situations like this from ever arising again. Even though nothing had been openly stated, in practice, the village was actively isolating all the major clans one by one.
This isolation had a very clear effect.
It prevented any single clan from growing too powerful—and ensured none of them would ever be able to challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule.
Hiruzen himself came from the Sarutobi Clan, which was not a particularly large or dominant clan. More importantly, his rise to Hokage had never gone through a formal election process, meaning there were still many within the village who did not fully accept him.
To maintain control over Konoha, he had done everything he could think of. In the end, his approach had become this: isolate the clans from one another, while simultaneously elevating the status of civilian ninjas.
However, this so-called "isolation" did not mean expelling the clans from Konoha. Hiruzen was not foolish—he fully understood how vital these clans were to the village.
Instead, what he did was sever the connections between them, preventing them from forming tight-knit alliances like the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.
Konoha already had two uncontrollable giants—the Hyūga and the Uchiha—and a nearly unbreakable alliance in the Ino–Shika–Chō clans. He could not allow any more such forces to emerge.
"Long time no see, everyone."
Before long, Akimichi Chōza and Yamanaka Inoichi arrived.
Chōza, with his naturally outgoing personality, greeted them warmly, while Inoichi, more reserved by nature, simply nodded politely.
In truth, they were all former classmates—some could even be called comrades-in-arms. Years ago, Chōza had even served on missions alongside Shibi Aburame.
"Clan Head Chōza, Clan Head Inoichi—"
Shibi began to speak, but was immediately interrupted.
"Don't call us 'Clan Head,'" Chōza said with a laugh, shaking his head as he lightly punched Shibi on the shoulder. "That makes us sound way too distant. We were teammates before, weren't we? Even friends, more or less. Is there really a need for that formality?"
"…Understood," Shibi replied after a brief pause. Seeing Chōza's attitude, he knew further objection was pointless and simply nodded.
"Good. Then let's get to the point."
Chōza and Inoichi sat down. Chōza glanced around the group, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Honestly, your gatherings here have already drawn our attention. We just chose not to interfere. In fact… Shikaku has already more or less guessed what you're trying to do."
The moment he said that, he paused.
Because he noticed it immediately—the expressions of everyone present had changed.
Their eyes had sharpened, filled with clear hostility.
As a veteran of the battlefield, Chōza recognized that look instantly.
So did Inoichi.
As an intelligence specialist—someone who frequently assisted ANBU in extracting information directly from living targets—Inoichi had seen all kinds of eyes before. Fear, desperation, suspicion… and now, this guarded hostility.
But he also understood why.
Shikaku Nara's analysis had already led them to a conclusion: these people were likely involved in something extremely dangerous.
And more importantly, it might involve Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Every single person present here was a clan head with exceptional talent in intelligence gathering—or even assassination.
The recent expansion of ANBU, along with the massive increase in its funding, pointed to one undeniable fact.
Most likely, the ANBU Commander—or perhaps even the Fourth Hokage himself—had reached some kind of agreement with the Third Hokage. If ANBU was expanding, then Root would inevitably have to expand as well.
Even subtle shifts in the village's financial allocations hinted at this.
And although most budget decisions no longer passed directly through the administrative department, someone like Shikaku Nara only needed a single detail to see the bigger picture.
Root's expansion naturally required a constant influx of talented individuals, but everyone present was well aware of Root's reputation.
Especially Danzo—there was not a single person in the room who held even the slightest goodwill toward him. The things he had done were far too numerous, and far too infamous.
Everyone seated here had, without exception, been "visited" by Danzo at some point in time—and those visits had never carried even a shred of kindness.
In truth, the purpose of their gathering had already become obvious.
Even though they all acted cautiously in their daily lives and had taken great care to meet in secret, this place was still an establishment owned by the Akimichi Clan. While it could block Root and even ANBU surveillance, it could not escape the attention of the Akimichi themselves.
Under normal circumstances, Chōza and Inoichi would never have interfered with such meetings.
That was precisely one of the reasons this location had been chosen. The Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans had always maintained a neutral stance—helping where necessary, but always measuring their involvement carefully. They only committed themselves fully to the side they believed would ultimately win.
But now, the situation had changed.
Once their own interests were threatened, they had no choice but to protect themselves.
Because even Yamanaka Inoichi had been "visited" by Danzo.
"Everyone, there's no need for such tension."
Before Chōza could continue speaking, and before Shibi Aburame could respond again, Inoichi let out a soft sigh.
"To be honest, we didn't want to disturb you. But unfortunately… I now find myself in the same situation as all of you."
"Hmm?"
His words immediately caused subtle changes in everyone's expressions. Shibi's brows furrowed deeply.
"Inoichi… do you understand what you're saying?"
"Of course I do."
Inoichi gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Because I've met Danzo as well. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here to see you all."
"That means…" Shibi's expression shifted slightly.
He truly hadn't expected even the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance to be targeted. Had Danzo really become this reckless?
Shibi had always acknowledged that the power and authority in Danzo's hands allowed him to make most people in Konoha step aside without resistance.
But had he ever considered the consequences of his actions?
This was no longer mere misconduct—it was an outright erosion of Konoha's internal structure, a direct blow to the village's cohesion.
To put it bluntly, Danzo was destroying Konoha from within.
Even if he followed the rules just a little more strictly—even if Root had clear regulations and a visible exit system like ANBU—it would not have earned such hatred.
But as things stood, their resentment toward Danzo was absolute.
Once someone entered Root, there was no way out. Not truly. Only death provided release.
Take Yakushi Nonō, for example. Even after leaving Root, she had still been monitored closely. And if not for Danzo's temporary removal and ANBU's intervention, her situation would have only worsened upon his return.
In their eyes, even the woman who had withdrawn into an orphanage would eventually be dragged back in by Danzo's methods.
Entering Root meant one thing—there was no escape unless you died. That was an unspoken rule everyone understood.
"I think I understand now."
Shibi fell silent for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh and nodding slowly.
"No one would ever want to endure such a fate. However—"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"What exactly do you hope to achieve by coming to us? We're nothing more than a group of people licking our wounds together. If you truly want to do something, you should be looking for those with greater power."
"You're being very cautious, aren't you?"
Inoichi let out a faint, disappointed sigh, though it seemed he had already anticipated this reaction. After a moment, he nodded slightly again.
"Exactly. Matters like this require caution."
Yamanaka Inoichi gave a faint nod, his expression calm but measured.
"I only came here to deliver a signal, because I will be paying a visit to a certain big figure soon. I believe that signal has already reached its destination. At the very least, that person should now be somewhat prepared, don't you think?"
...
"Sora, you're back this late again?"
Within the Uchiha compound, as Sora returned home, Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Haru both turned their gazes toward her.
Her standing within the clan had steadily risen—especially after the ANBU's growing influence became increasingly visible, and after the sudden rise of that newspaper that had shaken the entire village.
No matter how little Shin and Haru actually understood about what Sora was doing in the ANBU, they understood one thing very clearly: her position there was far from ordinary.
The information she occasionally revealed—things she was able to share—were all of significant importance.
Even without that authority, simply being Natsuhiko's classmate and serving as a bridge between the clan and the ANBU was enough for them to value her highly.
"Yeah, things piled up a bit, so I came back late," Sora replied with a soft smile as she nodded, slipping off her shoes before walking inside.
"Honestly, why does that Commander keep dumping so much work on you?" Haru sighed helplessly. "You must be exhausted, right?"
"Shut up," Shin immediately snapped, glaring at his son. "If Sora is busy, it only means she's trusted enough to handle important work."
Then he turned back to her with a gentler expression. "Don't listen to your father. He doesn't understand anything."
"It's fine, Grandpa," Sora said lightly, taking a seat. "Father is just concerned about me."
Her smile remained calm as she continued, "There's no helping it. Things are especially complicated right now."
She didn't elaborate further, and Shin and Haru wisely chose not to press her.
Sora leaned back slightly, easing the tension from her body. Lately, she had indeed been busy—but she was also genuinely happy.
Since she had entered the ANBU, since Natsuhiko had helped reshape the Uchiha Police Force, and since that newspaper had begun changing how the clan was perceived, both her father and grandfather had finally stopped wearing those constant, weary expressions.
And more importantly, she could feel it—the villagers' attitude toward the Uchiha was slowly changing.
None of this was achieved by effort alone. Without Natsuhiko's guidance, without his advice on what to do and how to do it, without his support in spreading information and shaping perception, they would never have reached this point.
On top of that, he had given her something beyond imagination—a gift that had drastically elevated her strength.
Natsuhiko had given her, and her entire clan, help that could not even be properly measured.
And she would never forget it.
Thinking of that, Sora felt that it was time she did something in return. Something important was about to happen, and the Uchiha needed to take a clear stance.
"Grandpa, how is our control over the Police Force right now?" she suddenly asked.
"The Police Force?" Shin paused, then his expression sharpened immediately.
"As you know, we fully control two divisions now, and we're currently negotiating for a third. Is there some kind of directive from the Commander?"
"No directive," Sora shook her head. Her voice remained gentle, but firm. "This is just my own judgment. I think we should be more proactive."
"Very soon, something very unusual will happen in Konoha. I want the clan—and the Police Force—to be ready to show a clear stance. This is not the Commander's intention. It is mine."
"I see…" Shin fell into deep thought for a moment before gritting his teeth and nodding. "Understood. I'll try harder. I'll do my best."
"Grandpa," Sora said quietly, "the Commander once said that some things cannot be handled with just 'trying harder' or 'doing our best.'"
"…You're right. That was my oversight. I will give it everything I have."
...
"Is it finally time to act?"
At Natsuhiko's residence, Renge sat on the sofa, quietly watching him as he lay with his head resting on her lap.
Her voice was soft as she asked the question.
"Of course," Natsuhiko replied without even opening his eyes. "We've waited long enough. They've already prepared everything they needed to prepare. If we don't make a move now, even they'll start getting suspicious."
Natsuhiko kept his eyes closed as he spoke casually, as if what he was discussing were nothing more than trivial matters.
But in reality, what was about to be shaken was Sarutobi Hiruzen himself—the Third Hokage.
After such a long period of preparation, with Shibi Aburame carefully contacting and coordinating the various clans, the time that had been stretched out had already become a test of patience for everyone involved.
What they were doing—on a small scale—could be described as protecting their own interests. But on a larger scale, it was no different from a collective uprising.
Natsuhiko understood very well that this wave of pressure would not be small. In fact, it would be enough to severely damage Sarutobi Hiruzen's authority and shake him to his core.
But even so, it was still not enough to bring him down completely.
Human endurance had its limits. The pressure those clans were under was something Natsuhiko himself could not fully feel, but he could understand it.
If it were him in their position, even he might eventually reach his breaking point—especially since he had deliberately forbidden Shibi Aburame from leaking any information.
No one liked walking a path where they could not see the end. Even if they understood Natsuhiko's intentions, that did not mean they could continue bearing it indefinitely.
"What a pity. If we could cause a bit more damage, we might have been able to bring down the Third Hokage himself," Renge said softly with a sigh, sounding as though she genuinely regretted not being able to topple him from his position.
Natsuhiko, still resting his head on her lap, gently shook his head. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he felt the subtle fragrance of her presence around him.
"Not necessarily," he said calmly. "It's actually better that he doesn't fall just yet."
"As long as he remains in that position, the accumulated resentment toward him will only continue to grow. Someone with a history like his will never be able to easily regain trust again."
"More importantly, we need him to make mistakes. While we wait for that moment, we can also bring more people over to our side—like the Police Force, or even more clans."
"And have you considered one thing?" Natsuhiko continued lightly. "If he steps down… then who takes his place?"
That question carried real weight. It was something Natsuhiko had to consider carefully.
His answer was simple—he would take that position himself.
But at the moment, he still did not possess enough authority or convincing power to make that transition smooth. Even though he had gained considerable fame from resolving the Nine-Tails Incident, it was still not enough.
Even if he could ascend to that position, the obstacles waiting for him would be significant.
So, for Sarutobi Hiruzen to remain in place a little longer wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It would give Natsuhiko more time to prepare.
Especially now that Kumogakure was becoming increasingly unstable—instability like that was hardly a bad thing for him.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly.
A small insect flew in swiftly, dissolving into a puff of smoke before dropping a sealed scroll.
Renge took it without even opening it and placed it directly into his hand.
Natsuhiko calmly broke the seal and unfolded the scroll, scanning it briefly.
Then, slowly, the smile on his face deepened—becoming even more radiant than before.
"So it seems… Lord Danzo has brought us another pleasant surprise."