Habara studied the Fourth Hokage's mission records from before his death, thus verifying some things. Logically, these documents were confidential, and ordinary ninja weren't authorized to view them. But as long as Uzumaki Kushina said it was okay, then it was okay.
The mission Habara wanted to investigate, Kakashi had actually participated in as well. He remembered that year, he was still very young, and Kakashi still had both of his eyes. However, Habara couldn't directly ask Kakashi about it, so he found a way to view the Fourth Hokage's mission records.
The timeframe of that mission was easy to determine. At that time, Kakashi had already become a Jounin but hadn't yet received the Sharingan, thus narrowing down a general time period.
After determining the approximate time frame, it was just a matter of following the clues. Thus, Habara quickly found the mission record.
"Got it!"
Knowing that everything was true, Habara could now begin implementing his plan. For the next while, Habara immersed himself in the development of a new jutsu formula. Analyzing high-level forbidden jutsu like the Living Corpse Reincarnation or the Eight Branches Technique was incredibly difficult. But Habara hadn't just obtained the formulas; he also had a complete set of analytical methods… It was like a reading comprehension question in a language arts test, where Habara had the author's creative thought process written right next to the question. Under these circumstances, his research progressed very quickly.
This led Habara to suspect that Konoha's various forbidden jutsu scrolls might have been deliberately written in an obscure and difficult-to-understand manner. Without the right aptitude, you simply couldn't grasp them. Since they were forbidden jutsu, there had to be a corresponding learning barrier. If there was no barrier, then one was intentionally created… This approach wasn't incomprehensible.
And while Habara was engrossed in his research, the Uchiha also quieted down. Konoha officially began its post-war reconstruction efforts.
...
Unknowingly, another year passed, and the time came to Konoha Year 50.
100 kilometers south of Konoha, an unnamed mountain.
The 16-year-old Hatake Kakashi, carrying a Red Gourd on his back, arrived at the foot of the mountain. Clearly, he was here on a mission that was serious in nature but actually quite leisurely.
Following a specific route into the dense forest, he walked for a distance before suddenly stopping.
"Code phrase, '1096'."
A person's voice came from an unknown direction and distance.
Kakashi's eyes were filled with resignation, but he still had to speak, "Response, 'Untrodden Path'."
The password was clearly correct. After a short while, a person appeared before Kakashi… It was Shiranui Genma.
"Shiranui, what's the point of verifying this code? Can't you see I'm carrying this?"
Saying this, Kakashi pointed to the Red Gourd on his back.
"Kakashi, it's procedure, you know, procedure?" It was their turn to stand guard, and being stationed here was probably quite boring, so Shiranui Genma was quite happy to see Kakashi. "Are you here to replenish chakra?"
"Yes, according to some people, this is called 'recharging'."
Kakashi waved his hand and walked straight towards the mountain. He entered the cave where the Three-Tails was sealed and immediately placed the Red Gourd onto the… pedestal.
After a short while, Kakashi left the cave with the Red Gourd.
"Leaving already?"
Kakashi came and went in a hurry, so Shiranui Genma was a little sad. Who could understand his loneliness and cold?
"I'm leaving. I probably won't be coming back here anymore."
Leaving this sentence behind, Kakashi drifted away.
"Won't be coming back? What does that mean…"
The Three-Tails had been in Konoha's possession for a while now, and they would certainly have to return it to Kirigakure eventually. Kakashi probably said that because he had heard some news.
...
The Third Hokage had resumed control of Konoha for some time now, but there was still no trace of Tsunade. After all, there were very few people in the world who were so dedicated to studying the Transformation Jutsu… For Tsunade, gambling was just a hobby; maintaining eternal youth was life. It could be said that she loved gambling, but she loved looking good even more.
Since he couldn't find Tsunade, the Third Hokage had to resort to backup options… Orochimaru or Jiraiya.
At this time, the Third Hokage still hadn't given up on the idea of retiring. A new generation replacing the old; wouldn't it be much better for him to retire early and quietly "support" the next Hokage, rather than clinging to power? This idea was no different from the Third Hokage's decision to let the Fourth Hokage take over. It could even be said that this idea was quite correct. It was just that, while the idea was good, the execution wasn't… As it turned out, the Third Hokage wasn't very good at "supporting." The example of the Fourth Hokage was right there.
The person was "supported" to death by the Third, and the ship, under the Third Hokage's "escort," capsized.
However, this kind of thing had only happened once, so it could be considered an accident and didn't prove that the Third Hokage's thinking was flawed. Therefore, he decided to try again.
The Third Hokage had never hidden his intentions. Soon, Konoha would have a new Hokage succeed him. This was already a consensus among the ninja.
Allowing supreme power to transition smoothly seemed to be an obsession of the Third Hokage, but this intention of his was too strong, which wasn't a good thing.
Regarding the matter of the next Hokage, the Third Hokage had hinted at Jiraiya several times, both directly and indirectly. Jiraiya had always refused, so it seemed like a three-way choice, but in reality, it was a one-way choice… Orochimaru's candidacy was brought to the forefront.
However, Orochimaru could not become Hokage. Orochimaru himself had already lost interest in the position. More importantly, preventing Orochimaru from becoming Hokage was extremely easy…
In terms of being a "Hokage candidate," Tsunade was "invincible by virtue," Jiraiya was "a flawless jade with a slight flaw," and Orochimaru? Flawless jade with slight whiteness? No, no, he wasn't white at all.
Konoha had flourishing branches and a sturdy trunk, but it also had a rotten "root."
In the shadows underground, Konoha's scapegoat king and vanguard of trouble asked his subordinate:
"Have all the necessary technical materials been obtained?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
After a long silence, Danzo's voice sounded again, "In this matter, it can only be blamed on Hiruzen's selfishness. The person who becomes Hokage should not be that kind of person…"
There was nothing wrong with these words. Orochimaru could not become Hokage. However, the problem was that Danzo only prepared to make a "righteous denunciation" when Orochimaru was actually about to reach that position… The Third Hokage had selfish motives, Orochimaru also had selfish desires, so what about Danzo?
Truly selfless and impartial.
"Have our people take action. Orochimaru cannot be allowed to remain."
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
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