I thought I could raise a Hokage!!!

The atmosphere in the Daimyo's residence was brimming with positivity... 

Beiyuan silently praised it in his heart—getting news about the Hokage this easily was unimaginable anywhere else. The ninja world had such a low emotional intelligence per capita! 

The genius Chunin beside him had no idea that the crow on his shoulder had just delivered a broadside against the entire ninja world. Instead, he was still lost in thought, trying to articulate his feelings about this city. "This kind of place..." 

"His Excellency the Daimyo's handwritten decree! Officially appointing Sarutobi Hiruzen as the new acting Hokage of Konohagakure! His Excellency the Daimyo's decree! Officially appointing Sarutobi Hiruzen as the new acting Hokage of Konohagakure!" 

Several young men ran through the streets, loudly announcing the news. It was unclear why they were so excited—perhaps their wives had just given birth… 

Konoha had long accepted the Daimyo's delegated rule as a national policy, but the fact remained that the so-called master of the Land of Fire had a rather weak presence. It was understandable that he wanted to forcibly insert himself into the narrative. 

"..." Uchiha Shisui was at a complete loss for words. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just been appointed acting Hokage, walked behind the young heralds in silence, flanked by his guards. 

"Is that the Hokage of Konohagakure?" 

"Wasn't he Hokage before?" 

"I remember seeing him visit the Daimyo's mansion often when I was a kid!" 

"At his age… can he really still serve as Hokage?" 

Despite the murmuring crowd, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained indifferent, turning a deaf ear to their remarks. His guards, on the other hand, looked visibly displeased—they clearly wanted to intervene. 

"Let's follow them… Something feels off about Hokage-sama," Uchiha Shisui muttered, grabbing Beiyuan before he could fly off, and discreetly trailing the Hokage's escort. 

The Sharingan clan's sensory abilities were not as refined as those of the Hyuga, but they were still exceptional. From every observable angle, there was nothing unusual about Sarutobi Hiruzen. 

And yet… 

Shisui couldn't shake this strange feeling. Sarutobi Hiruzen had always given off a warm and reassuring presence—like a hearth on a cold night. But now, he felt completely unapproachable. 

In the Land of Fire, impersonating the Hokage was no small offense—it was an outright insult to the dignity of Konoha's tens of thousands of shinobi! 

"Gah..." 

Beiyuan, however, knew a little more than Uchiha Shisui. This was a scenario he had anticipated. Good job, kid, for thinking critically. 

After leaving the city, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his guards picked up their pace. However, instead of taking to the trees like proper ninjas, they chose to return to Konoha via an open road. 

"This is too dangerous..." 

Sweat formed on Uchiha Shisui's brow. Even when traveling on missions within the Land of Fire, ninjas made sure to conceal their positions as much as possible. This group… they were moving like freshly graduated Genin, as if they were inviting disaster. 

Shisui's tracking skills were top-notch. He followed the group through the forest without being detected—perhaps because his targets weren't even trying to look out for spies. 

"Gah!" 

Beiyuan suddenly pulled Shisui into a thicket. There was someone in the forest ahead! 

"Who are you?! How dare you attack the Hokage!" 

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" 

"Kill them!" 

"They're a group of rogue ninjas! Eliminate them!" 

"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" 

The fierce clash of jutsu didn't last long. The sounds of battle gradually died down, and Uchiha Shisui hesitated for a moment before stepping out to investigate. 

Beiyuan's crimson eyes grew darker. Watching Shisui leave, he took off alone, observing the battlefield from above. The fight wasn't over yet. He needed to get closer—just enough to avoid exposing himself. 

"Gah!" 

If there was anything in this ninja world that Beiyuan found remotely useful, it was probably the D-rank Transformation Jutsu… It could turn him into a human form, but his voice would still be that of a crow. 

At least in terms of appearance, no one would suspect anything, right? The only real flaw was his lack of usable ninjutsu—this needed to be finished quickly. 

A black-and-white figure silently landed on the ground and darted toward the battlefield without a sound. 

The battle was drawing to a close. The attackers had clearly underestimated their targets, failing to anticipate that they would run into a squad of elite Anbu. They were utterly routed and now fled in disarray. 

"Gah…" 

"Argh!" 

One rogue ninja heard the faint cry of a crow. A second later, a choked scream escaped his lips—just one. 

Because someone had just snapped his neck. 

A corpse was needed to cover up a crime. 

"Uchiha Shisui? Didn't you just join Anbu recently? Did Hokage-sama assign you to this mission as well?" 

The remaining Anbu had regrouped, eyeing Shisui warily. As a mere Chunin, he felt somewhat embarrassed to be in the presence of so many elite shinobi. 

"Uh… seniors, I—" 

"Look out!" 

A dagger suddenly stabbed into an Anbu's side. The wounded shinobi instinctively reached for a kunai to counterattack, but his strength was failing—blood poured from his wound as he collapsed. 

A shadowy figure flickered and vanished before anyone could react. 

"Stay alert!" 

The white-haired ninja leading the team—Hatake Kakashi—leapt into the trees. "Retreat! The enemy might be using the Flying Thunder God Technique!" 

"That's impossible! Only the Fourth Hokage—" 

"Agh!" 

Crack! 

A towering Anbu was struck down instantly. The strange attacker had appeared behind him out of nowhere… and vanished just as quickly. 

"Senior, he's fast!" Uchiha Shisui activated his Sharingan, able to track the attacker's movements—but the moment he disappeared… 

Kakashi, having studied under the Fourth Hokage, had seen this jutsu in action far too many times. His voice was grim. "That's definitely the Flying Thunder God Technique… Is this his trump card?" 

Shimura Danzo's failed assassination attempt on the Hokage had only involved a handful of weak Wood Release users. Aside from the surprise factor, there was nothing noteworthy about it. 

But this assassin… his face was unsettlingly unnatural, almost as if it had been fabricated. 

So, in addition to obtaining Wood Release through human experimentation, had Root also managed to acquire a ninja skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique? 

Lord Danzo… Your resources are terrifyingly vast. 

"Boring." 

The crisp sound of clashing blades echoed. An Anbu barely blocked the attack, only for the assailant to disappear again before he could counter. 

"Don't let your guard down—" Kakashi stopped mid-sentence. 

Anyone marked with the Flying Thunder God seal could be attacked at any moment! 

The enemy suddenly reappeared from another angle and struck. 

Shisui formed a hand seal. "Body Flicker Jutsu!" 

Over a dozen identical clones filled the clearing, standing on high alert. 

Shisui turned to Kakashi. "Senior Kakashi, is there a weakness to the Flying Thunder God Technique?" 

"...As long as the user doesn't touch you," Kakashi muttered, trying to recall how Minato had struggled in battle. But Minato's opponents had all been exceptionally strong… 

Replicating those conditions was impossible—Konoha didn't have an army, nor did they have a Jinchuriki like the Fourth Hokage did. Worse still, Minato had relied on the very same jutsu to win. 

This was bad. 

Whoosh! 

A shuriken whizzed past Kakashi. 

The enemy didn't seem to care if it hit—he had only used it to place a Flying Thunder God mark. 

Kakashi barely dodged the next attack, but his mask and white hair were cut in the process. The enemy vanished again before he could react! 

Another shuriken flew into the battlefield. 

And now… all but Kakashi had been taken down.