In an office inside the Hokage Tower, an elderly man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window into the distance.
Age spots marked his face, and he was neither tall nor imposing.
There was no strong chakra presence emanating from him; he looked like any ordinary old man.
Yet the intimidating gleam in his eyes, which made others instinctively avoid eting his gaze, betrayed his true identity.
This man was none other than the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
A masked ANBU wearing a dog-faced mask knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he stepped inside.
"What is it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked calmly.
"Last night, Sarutobi Keisuke, Sarutobi Hiroshi, Sarutobi Kazune, and Sarutobi Shinichi provoked Hatake Yuhi, Hatake Takashi, and Hatake Jinichi. A fight broke out between them," the ANBU reported respectfully.
"The Guard Division has issued a ruling Sarutobi Keisuke and the others are to be detained for ten days."
At the report, a cold glint flickered in Hiruzen's eyes, though he remained facing away from the ANBU.
Even if Keisuke and the others were at fault, they were still mbers of the Sarutobi Clan his clan.
For the Guard Division to punish them without the slightest leniency was clearly a slap in the face to him as Hokage.
But that coldness vanished in a flash. When he turned around, only his usual warm and kind expression remained.
He spoke with his usual affable tone.
"If they've done wrong, punishnt is appropriate. The Guard Division handled this well. This is exactly the kind of discipline the village needs."
"Tell Keisuke and the others to reflect deeply. Just because they're Sarutobis doesn't an they can act with impunity. Don't tarnish the clan's na."
"Yes, sir."
The ANBU looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with even greater reverence.
The Hokage remained just and principled, treating even his own clan without favoritism. If only the rest of the village leadership could uphold the sa sense of justice, there would be far fewer internal conflicts.
With a respectful bow, the ANBU exited the office, carefully closing the door behind him.
After he left, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
"Is this truly justice being served or a targeted move against the Sarutobi Clan?"
anwhile, Shimura Ryoma left the Hidden Leaf Village in haste, accompanied by two clan mbers.
Their destination: the headquarters of the Land of Fire's largest rchant caravan.
According to the information he received, the caravan would be arriving in Konoha in a few days.
For now, the village council had not convened, and the Uchiha Clan still held authority over border security.
If the caravan arrived as planned, the Uchiha would undoubtedly profit handsoly from it a scenario Ryoma found both intolerable and deeply enviable.
The mont he got word, he imdiately left the village with his n, intending to persuade the caravan to delay its arrival.
"Lord Ryoma," one of his companions a teenage boy asked, "I heard the caravan leader has strong ties with the Uchiha. What if he refuses to listen and insists on going to the village?"
The boy, around seventeen or eighteen, had short hair and brown eyes tinged with arrogance. His na was Shimura Ichiro a promising young talent of the Shimura Clan.
If not for the overwhelming fa of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, his reputation would've spread far across the village. He deeply resented this and had long yearned to challenge them, though he'd never had the chance.
"He'll make the smart choice," Ryoma replied with a faint smile.
Anyone capable of building the Land of Fire's largest rchant caravan had to be a shrewd businessman.
The Uchiha Clan's influence was waning, and it was only a matter of ti before they lost their authority over the village's borders.
Ryoma was confident the caravan leader would see which way the wind was blowing.
As for their so-called 'friendship' with the Uchiha, Ryoma believed it was purely pragmatic born of necessity while the Uchiha held power.
Now that their dominance was slipping, such ties would be cast aside without hesitation.
"But what if he doesn't listen?" Ichiro frowned.
"Then we'll have to play the part of bandits," Ryoma replied, a glint of coldness in his eyes.
He was certain the rchant would heed their advice and delay the visit.
But if he didn't then they'd have no choice but to stage an ambush and force his hand.
"Play the part of bandits?" Ichiro blurted out in shock, staring at Ryoma with concern.
"If we're caught, we'll be severely punished. Even Lord Danzo might not be able to protect us."
"As long as we don't get caught," replied the third man a man in his thirties nad Shimura Sosuke.
Unlike Ichiro, Sosuke showed no surprise at the plan. His calm deanor made it clear he was no stranger to such tactics.
"Exactly. As long as we stay hidden," Ryoma said, his eyes sharp and calculating.
If they were discreet enough, even if the Uchiha suspected sothing, they would have no proof against the Shimura Clan.
After all, the Land of Fire was teeming with rogue ninja. A caravan being raided by bandits was hardly unusual.
—
A few hours later, the three Shimura clan mbers were traveling swiftly through the forest, leaping from branch to branch far from the Hidden Leaf.
Suddenly—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of kunai and shuriken flew toward them like a torrential downpour.
"Ambush!" Ryoma barked, eyes narrowing.
All three of them reacted imdiately, dodging the deadly rain with practiced agility.
While evading, they also drew their own kunai, deflecting the projectiles they couldn't avoid.
Swish—
Just as the barrage stopped, a masked attacker silently appeared behind Shimura Ichiro, thrusting a kunai toward his back.
A cold chill ran down Ichiro's spine. Relying on pure instinct, he twisted away just in ti to avoid a fatal blow.
But the mont he dodged, another masked assailant leapt from a tree to intercept him.
Slash!
Caught mid-movent, Ichiro couldn't evade. The enemy's kunai tore into him, leaving a deep gash.
At the sa ti, Ryoma and Sosuke were also under siege, each confronted by two masked assailants.
Like Ichiro, Sosuke was injured during the sudden attack.
Only Ryoma, a highly skilled elite jonin, managed to fend off his attackers without taking a hit.
"Who are you?!" Ryoma roared, glaring at the masked figures surrounding them.
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