April month Discount code
8C491
Start date
Mar 31, 2025 at 8:09 PM
End date
Apr 7, 2025 at 8:08 PM
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The Third Hokage felt his frustration growing.
"You're the one responsible for this mess!"
Danzo, however, remained unfazed.
"Just for this? He's resigning and retiring?"
Koharu Utatane was completely baffled.
"Seriously?"
Homura Mitokado shook his head with an annoyed expression.
"Does Sakumo even have a sense of responsibility?"
To him, it was one thing if Sakumo wanted to resign from Anbu.
That would at least prove he wasn't interested in becoming Hokage—he was avoiding suspicion.
But retiring completely?
That was too much.
"Doesn't he want to contribute to the village anymore? Does he not care about Konoha?"
"Has he forgotten what it means to be a shinobi?"
To Homura, Sakumo was abandoning his duty.
He wasn't even trying to act like a loyal tool for the village anymore.
But Danzo?
He had an entirely different perspective.
A smirk formed on his face.
"I thought it was something serious. That's it?"
"Isn't this a good thing?"
"If he wants to resign, let him. If he wants to retire, even better! Now, you don't have to worry about him threatening your Hokage position, Hiruzen."
"And he won't be a threat to my Hokage path either."
It didn't really matter whether Sakumo was dead or just out of the way.
As long as he was no longer a contender, that was good enough.
The Third Hokage's Growing Anger
"Danzo, you're missing the point!"
The Third Hokage's patience snapped as he glared at Danzo.
"You know very well this isn't just about power!"
"Sakumo is one of the strongest shinobi in the village—one of our top combat forces."
"In times like these, we cannot afford to lose him!"
"If he walks away now, Konoha's overall strength will take a massive hit!"
"Who will handle S-rank missions after this?"
"If another war breaks out, who will lead the charge? You?"
Danzo frowned.
He had no intention of going out onto the battlefield himself.
And Hiruzen?
He was Hokage—he had to stay in the village to handle affairs.
Koharu and Homura exchanged worried glances.
"This is bad," Koharu said.
"We can't let him resign publicly," Homura agreed.
"We have to stop him before he makes the announcement!"
Danzo's Counterargument
Danzo snorted.
"You're all overthinking this."
"Didn't Sakumo already say it himself? Even if he retires, he's still willing to help with missions when necessary."
"That's all that matters!"
"If an important mission comes up, we can just pay him to do it."
"He'll still serve the village—just without the title or position."
"Isn't that the best outcome?"
"We get his strength without the risk of him being a political threat."
The Third Hokage's Frustration
The Third Hokage scoffed.
"You really think it'll be that easy?"
"Once he quits as an official shinobi, we lose all control over him."
"He'll pick and choose which missions he wants to take."
"And if he refuses? What then?"
Danzo dismissed his concerns with a wave of his hand.
"If he gets out of line, we can always force him."
The Third Hokage, Koharu, and Homura stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
They knew Sakumo's strength.
Once he was free from their control, he wouldn't be so easy to manipulate.
Danzo didn't seem to care.
To him, Sakumo was a problem that could be dealt with.
Sakumo's Public Announcement
Meanwhile, outside…
Hatake Sakumo stood on a high platform, looking over the gathered villagers.
The crowd had swelled—nearly everyone in Konoha had come to hear what he had to say.
He took a deep breath and began speaking:
"I know the village has been talking about me a lot recently."
"Many of you see me as a hero."
"But in truth, I have only done what any Konoha shinobi should do."
"However, after more than ten years of service, I have accumulated countless old wounds."
"My body can no longer keep up."
"To avoid hindering the village, I have decided to officially resign as Minister of Anbu."
"And beyond that… I will be retiring from my role as a shinobi altogether."
"From now on, I am just an ordinary villager, like all of you."
"So, there is no need to worship me—I am no different from anyone else."
The Village Reacts
The crowd erupted.
"No! Lord White Fang! We need you!"
"You are different from us! You're a hero!"
"Tell us the truth! Did the Hokage force you into this?!"
"It must be! We need answers!"
The Third Hokage and his advisors watched in horror from the office window.
Danzo smirked.
"Well?"
"Are you still going to stop him now?"
The Third Hokage remained silent.
He had no choice.
If they tried to block Sakumo's resignation now, the villagers would grow even more suspicious.
The narrative was slipping out of their control.
With a deep sigh, the Third Hokage finally spoke:
"Let him go."
"He's given over ten years of service to the village. If he wants to retire, he has earned that right."
Danzo frowned slightly.
He had won this round, but…
The Third Hokage shot him a sharp glare.
"You're going to clean up this mess, Danzo."
Danzo suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
"He's planning something."
"I need to be careful."
The Hidden Observers – Black and White Zetsu
On a tree branch near Hokage Rock, a strange figure emerged from the trunk.
Black and White Zetsu.
"Tsk tsk… Konoha really knows how to put on a show," Black Zetsu mused.
"They just finished a war, and already they're turning on their own top fighters?"
White Zetsu grinned.
"Should we report this to Madara?"
Black Zetsu sighed.
"He doesn't care about stuff like this."
"We have bigger priorities."
With that, the two merged back into the tree, vanishing from sight.
Uchiha Genji's Instincts
At that moment, Uchiha Genji—who had been shopping with Kushina, Mikoto, and Rena—suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Mikoto noticed his reaction.
"Genji? What's wrong?"
He smiled calmly.
"Nothing."
But deep inside, he was on high alert.
He had just detected something near Hokage Rock.
A foreign presence.
His Kagura Mind's Eye locked onto the strange double-layered chakra signature.
And then—just like that—it vanished.
"That movement speed… Was that Black and White Zetsu?"
Genji narrowed his eyes.
"If they're here, does that mean Uchiha Madara is watching?"
"I need to be careful."
"It's time to start preparing for the real battles ahead."