Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [154]

On the Waterfall.

Sarutobi Asuma stood by the waterfall, his eyes filled with confusion as memories of recent events flooded his mind, especially the issues that even foreign shinobi had pointed out during the Chūnin Exams.

"The Hero White Fang… he died! And the rumors recently spreading around the village, clearly started by certain clans, are targeting these powerful families…"

Asuma, still in his rebellious phase and dissatisfied with his father, carried a deep-seated frustration after the recent events.

He believed in his father—there was no way his father could be such a petty man!

But reality cruelly slapped him in the face.

After the White Fang incident, he tried to convince himself it was a mere accident. Yet one event after another made the seeds of doubt in his heart sprout and grow rapidly.

"My father, the Third Hokage, is truly nothing more than a hypocritical, petty man!"

Looking at his reflection in the water, Asuma felt that his once-proud image of himself was now drenched in bitter irony.

"Back then, the guards of the Hokage abandoned the Second Hokage and, upon returning, rose to the upper ranks of the village, including the Third Hokage. Meanwhile, White Fang, who prioritized his comrades over a mission, returned only to be condemned by everyone…"

"If White Fang was wrong, then what about my father and his allies? Back during the war, they relied on the great clans to end the conflict, but in these past twenty years…"

Asuma's unfocused gaze reflected the information he had uncovered during his investigations.

A shinobi's forte is gathering intelligence, and the Sarutobi clan, being one of the oldest families, naturally kept meticulous records.

In just twenty short years, these records painted a complete picture.

"What a bitter joke. The First and Second Hokage sacrificed themselves to protect the youth of the village, yet the 'Will of Fire' that my father always preaches is nothing but hypocrisy. He sits comfortably in the Hokage's office, enjoying the protection of thousands of Konoha shinobi while indifferently watching batches of young shinobis go off to the battlefield…"

Asuma muttered to himself, unaware that the dark seed planted in his heart long ago by a Sharingan's genjutsu was growing and thriving under his thoughts.

"And White Fang's downfall… other shinobi villages had already anticipated it!"

At this moment, anger and inner turmoil surfaced in Asuma's previously blank eyes. When had his father become like this? The hero he once idolized… turned out to be nothing more than a hypocritical and greedy man.

"Kakashi! Didn't Shirou-sensei say that once you've adjusted to this speed, he'll teach you the Chidori technique?"

In the distance, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, startling Asuma. He hurriedly hid in a nearby grove, peeking cautiously at the approaching figures.

A warm-hearted five-year-old Uchiha Shisui was seen comforting Kakashi.

Although Kakashi hadn't fallen into utter darkness like, in the original timeline, his father's death had left him lifeless and despondent.

The duo walked toward Asuma's hiding spot. Seeing this, Asuma's face burned with shame. Kakashi's father had just died, and this incident was inseparably linked to his father.

As Shisui and Kakashi approached, Shisui kept consoling him:

"Kakashi, don't listen to those rumors. Shirou-sensei said that many spies are trying to destabilize the village, spreading lies like how White Fang was supposedly forced to his death by the village. And those ridiculous claims that the Third Hokage clings to power and refuses to step down—they're all just rumors."

Despite Shisui's enthusiastic attempts at encouragement, Kakashi's response was a lifeless nod.

"Mm, I understand."

His tone and expression were devoid of vitality, which made Shisui recall something. He hurriedly added:

"Kakashi, Shirou-sensei also said that if the Third Hokage were truly greedy for power, he wouldn't have gone after White Fang. Instead, he would've directly started another war, which would have postponed the selection of a new Hokage indefinitely. So, all of this is just the work of enemy spies!"

Shisui's firm conviction stunned Asuma, who was hiding in the bushes.

"That's right! What if all of this is the work of enemy spies?"

Proving his father's hypocrisy would require evidence—evidence like the sudden outbreak of a shinobi war to demonstrate his father's lust for power.

As Shisui and Kakashi passed by, Asuma slowly emerged from the bushes.

"Yes! Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding. Sure, our clan has grown stronger over the years, but my father is the Hokage. Under his leadership, it's only natural for the clan to flourish."

Desperate to convince himself, Asuma clung to this excuse as he quickly left the scene.

However, he failed to notice a pair of blood-red Sharingan eyes observing everything from the treetops above.

"Sensory ninjutsu combined with the hypnotic powers of the Sharingan… truly effective."

Shirou had long memorized Asuma's chakra. Knowing the rebellious young man's character, he had anticipated his doubts and came prepared.

"Just now, Shisui's words were all seeded by my Sharingan's hypnotic suggestion. But I didn't lie. I did tell Shisui those things—it's all for the good of the village, to ensure they trust the righteous Third Hokage and don't develop extreme thoughts."

With a faint smile, Shirou reflected on his handiwork.

"But if a shinobi war suddenly breaks out and the blame is pointed at Konoha… well, that has nothing to do with me."

The darkness in Asuma's heart was merely youthful rebellion for now. But suppressed over time, it would fester and grow, eventually exploding to consume him entirely.

"Third Hokage, I'm only using the methods I learned from you—for the good of the village, of course. I'm sure you understand."

With a chuckle, Shirou's body dissipated into a puff of white smoke.

...

Iwagakure.

"White Fang committed suicide!?"

Onoki, seated in his office, was stunned as he confirmed the report.

The shinobi before him respectfully nodded.

"Yes, Third Tsuchikage-sama. After multiple verifications, the information is accurate—White Fang has taken his own life."

After confirming the news, the red-nosed Onoki burst into laughter, thumping his desk in joy.

"Hahaha! The Sage of Six Paths must be watching over us. A legendary Kage-level shinobi died such a pathetic death—delightful! Truly delightful!"

As he reveled in his victory, Onoki couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

"Damn it! Konoha has grown so strong they can casually dispose of such powerful figures, while I'm still struggling to train the next generation. What nonsense!"

His gaze then landed on the intelligence scroll, and he frowned.

"And this information?"

The shinobi standing before him nodded respectfully.

"According to our spies in Konoha, ever since White Fang's death, rumors have been spreading, most of which seem to have been instigated by foreign spies."

Onoki smirked knowingly, slamming his hand on the desk.

"Rumors? Inform our spies to spread more chaos. It doesn't matter what Konoha says—we'll treat all these rumors as facts!"

Cunning and shrewd, Onoki understood the power of turning whispers into reality.

"Yes!"

As the ninja left, Onoki revealed a satisfied smile. Nothing could be better than this news.

"Konoha has severed one of its arms. Senju Tsunade, along with the countless rumors about Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konoha's upper echelon driving White Fang to his death... Hehehe…"

Thinking about this, Onoki squinted his eyes as he looked in the direction of the Land of Fire.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, this time, you're in for a real headache."

Now, just one step remained—just one step to ignite a war.

...

Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.

"Hahaha, good, very good! Damn, Konoha! Damn, Danzo! And that old bastard, the Third Hokage!"

The Third Raikage was in a rare good mood and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Konoha has lost a powerful force. I don't care whether these rumors are true or not—we in Kumogakure must help solidify these rumors throughout the shinobi world."

No one hated Konoha more than the current Raikage.

"Third Raikage-sama, whether or not Konoha is in chaos, our village and even the entire Land of Lightning are already showing signs of internal unrest."

As one of the Third Raikage's most trusted subordinates, the jōnin frowned while speaking.

Hearing this, the Third Raikage slammed the table heavily and roared:

"That damned Konoha! To use such despicable means! They even intend to incite division within our village and the entire Land of Lightning!"

Compared to the enraged Third Raikage, the jōnin seemed much calmer and sighed helplessly:

"Third Raikage-sama, lately there have been various rumors spreading throughout Kumogakure and the Land of Lightning. They claim that we discriminate against other races."

Hearing this report, the Third Raikage couldn't help but curse: "Nonsense! Complete nonsense!"

"But the problem is, in Kumogakure and throughout the Land of Lightning, from our ninja leadership to the aristocracy, everyone in power has deep-brown skin…"

The jōnin sighed helplessly, stating the undeniable truth.

These rumors were meant to incite division—it was obvious to anyone. Yet the biggest issue was that the leadership in the Land of Lightning was indeed dominated by deep brown-skinned individuals.

"Based on our tracking of the initial source of these rumors, we can confirm with near certainty that they were spread by Konoha's Root spies."

Hearing this, the Third Raikage became even angrier.

"That filthy rat, Shimura Danzo! Too despicable!"

The seeds of conflict and division had already been sown.

"Shimura Danzo, the shadow of the shinobi world, is indeed a tricky opponent."

This time, even the jōnin sighed helplessly. He had no solution to counter such underhanded tactics.

"Third Raikage-sama, the only way to resolve the internal division within our village and the Land of Lightning is to start a war and shift the internal conflicts outward."

He reluctantly proposed the only solution, but the Third Raikage, who was usually eager for battle, showed a serious expression when he heard the suggestion of war. He shook his head and said:

"Given the current state of the shinobi world, even a war against a small village could ignite a full-scale conflict. The risks of starting a war are too great."

Even he dared not recklessly initiate a war—the stakes were too high.

"However, since Konoha has thrown mud at us, we must retaliate. Send out our spies. Back when the Second Hokage came to the Land of Lightning for negotiations, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo who were cowardly and incompetent…

They even abandoned their Second Hokage. Such despicable behavior should lead to the same fate as White Fang—seppuku to prove their innocence to the shinobi world…"

The Third Raikage spoke bitterly. "You want to divide Kumogakure? Fine, I'll disgust you old Konoha geezers in return."

It must be said that the initial tactics of war between great nations were often extremely lowbrow, resorting to flinging mud at one another.

For a time, the entire shinobi world felt like a storm was brewing, with all sides throwing accusations and insults at each other. It seemed as though war could break out at any moment.

But in the end, the threats were mostly bluster. No great nation dared to make the first move lightly, knowing full well that if one did, it would unleash devastating consequences.

The shinobi world was in chaos, with every nation engaging in underhanded tactics. There was no trick too low for the great nations to stoop to.

...

Back in Konoha, the village was thrown into turmoil because of these rumors.

Inside the Hokage's Office.

"Damn it! Hiruzen, these Iwa-nin and Kirigakure are disgusting, but Kumogakure is the most shameless of all!"

Koharu Utatane slammed the desk in anger as she read through the rumors. They accused her of abandoning the Second Hokage and fleeing alone. That alone was outrageous enough, but now they were claiming that she, Koharu Utatane, had used her body to trade for power and wealth, which was how she became a Hokage advisor.

The rumors were utterly vile, accusing her in vivid detail of sleeping with Hiruzen Sarutobi and other high-ranking male ninjas to climb to her current position.

For a female ninja, these accusations were the most humiliating.

"Koharu, watch your composure."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly, reminding Koharu of her status and to maintain her decorum. However, even he felt the need to lower his Hokage hat slightly in shame. For men, accusations of impropriety were merely a stain on personal virtue, not a grave offense.

"But the Senju clan has been surprisingly quiet lately—no signs of any activity."

Amid the chaos, the Senju clan's calm demeanor brought Hiruzen Sarutobi some relief, though he also felt a tinge of worry. He hoped they wouldn't be affected by the turmoil.

Given the current state of the shinobi world, the village couldn't afford any further instability.