I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

Inside the command tent of the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage sat in the center, with Kyoichi and Danzo facing off on either side.

“Kanda Kyoichi, you took a Jinchuriki out on your own. You're playing with fire,” Danzo said coldly.

“I dared to take him because I have absolute confidence. Besides, with a brain like yours, how could you possibly understand my plans? Your vision is far too limited,” Kyoichi shot back without hesitation.

In the past, he avoided meeting Danzo because his strength wasn’t enough—he couldn't beat him.

But now…

What was there to be afraid of?

This guy thought he could sit here and dictate orders? Did he really think he was that powerful?

Danzo’s expression remained cold as he stared at Kyoichi for a long moment before speaking.

“I suggest we extract the Tailed Beast and seal it within one of our own shinobi. After the war, we can decide whether or not to return it to Iwagakure.”

Tap, tap, tap!

The Third Hokage’s fingers drummed lightly on the table as he narrowed his eyes at Danzo.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Kyoichi couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Danzo, oh Danzo… You really have a talent for stepping on landmines.

Sealing It into One of Our Own Shinobi… And Then Giving It Back?

How exactly were they supposed to "give it back"?

By forcibly extracting the Tailed Beast?

The Third Hokage may have struggled with the idea of using a Tailed Beast for their own benefit, but he would never consider extracting and sealing it, only to return it later. Because in the end, that process would cost a Konoha shinobi’s life.

“The Jinchuriki is an important asset. If we had one, our chances of victory in a head-on battle would be much greater. And besides, it wasn’t Konoha that broke the rules first—it was Iwagakure,” Danzo continued.

He was still convinced he was in the right, arguing his case with so-called "logic."

Kyoichi didn’t bother responding.

Let him talk. If he still couldn’t see the bigger picture by now, then he was just a fool—not even worth the effort to argue with.

“Danzo, your proposal is interesting. But who do you suggest should become the Four-Tails Jinchuriki?”

“The members of Root are all willing to sacrifice themselves.”

“In that case… how about you?” the Third Hokage asked coldly.

Danzo narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. “I’m more valuable on the battlefield.”

“Danzo-sama, to be honest, you and Root aren’t as indispensable as you think. Konoha was undefeated in the shinobi world long before Root—or even the ANBU—existed, wasn’t it? Besides, I’m here, aren’t I? I promise, after you die, I’ll take good care of Root for you,” Kyoichi interjected with a smirk.

The Third’s rebuttal had been too perfect.

Danzo… this old fossil would never willingly sacrifice himself unless forced into a corner, like when Sasuke hunted him down. When had he ever considered giving up his own life for the sake of Konoha’s future?

Danzo’s eyes darkened. He turned his gaze away from Kyoichi and looked at the Third Hokage instead.

The Third closed his eyes, as if recalling something from the past.

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Do you remember the last question our teacher asked us?”

“…What do you mean?”

Danzo’s expression turned icy.

That question.

He would never forget it.

Kyoichi glanced at them, sensing that he didn’t need to say anything for now.

One of the unspoken rules of arguing was that you never exposed someone’s deepest regrets—especially not between old friends.

Clearly, the Third Hokage was truly angry.

“The Will of Fire has never been about demanding others sacrifice themselves for Konoha. It is about sacrificing ourselves—the older generation—to preserve Konoha’s future and its younger generation,” the Third Hokage said calmly.

“If you truly believe your plan is the best course of action, then you should become the Four-Tails Jinchuriki yourself. And after the war, if the situation demands it, you will personally extract the Tailed Beast and return it to Iwagakure.”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

If you can’t do it yourself, then stop talking.

Danzo’s face darkened to the color of iron.

Kyoichi had to admit, when the Third Hokage got serious, he was far more respectable than Danzo. No wonder Danzo never dared challenge him for the Hokage seat while he was alive.

“Hiruzen, you’ll regret this.”

“I don’t know whether the Hokage-sama will regret it or not. But if being strong means you shouldn’t be sacrificed, then Second Hokage’s decision would be hard to understand, wouldn’t it?” Kyoichi said lightly.

Danzo had no response.

Senju Tobirama was a master of Water Release, the fastest shinobi of his time, capable of both teleportation and Flying Thunder God. If he had wanted to escape back then, he could have done so effortlessly.

But instead, he chose to face the Kumo forces alone, sacrificing himself to ensure Konoha’s future.

Senju Tobirama had done so.

And later, the Third Raikage had done the same.

And yet…

Was this the "future" the Second Hokage had hoped for?

What Kyoichi didn’t say out loud was—

If Senju Tobirama saw what Danzo had become, he might just break out of Edo Tensei himself just to beat some sense into him.

Danzo had no words. After throwing out one last threat, he stormed out.

Kyoichi didn’t bother stopping him.

Their ideals were too different—arguing any further was just exhausting.

“Hokage-sama, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving too…”

“Wait,” the Third Hokage said.

“What do you plan to do with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki? It’s clear now that Ōnoki won’t back down—he doesn’t care whether his Jinchuriki lives or dies.”

He couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice one of his own people just to gain a temporary advantage with a Tailed Beast weapon.

But at the same time…

Rōshi’s presence was a problem.

He was useless as a bargaining chip, provided no benefit, and instead drained Konoha’s resources since they had to keep him under constant watch.

So, the Third Hokage needed to hear what Kyoichi planned to do next.

“I never expected Ōnoki to actually care about his Jinchuriki,” Kyoichi replied.

If Ōnoki truly cared, then when Rōshi and Han defected, he wouldn’t have just let them roam free for years. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the ability to track them down.

The Third Hokage frowned. “Then what’s your plan? Persuade Rōshi not to return to Iwagakure?”

“That’s not difficult. Ideally, I’d rather let him return and then have him and Ōnoki completely fall out. That way, Iwagakure gets some extra trouble to deal with.”

Kyoichi nodded to himself.

The so-called "leverage to force Ōnoki to retreat" had always been an excuse.

But even if he couldn’t cause trouble for Ōnoki, at the very least, he was confident that Rōshi wouldn’t go back to Iwagakure. And so far, things were progressing well.

The Third Hokage knew from the Yamanaka Clan’s intelligence that Iwagakure had internal conflicts regarding Jinchuriki, including discrimination and mistreatment.

Of course…

Konoha had its own problems too.

Even though Uzumaki Kushina wasn’t strictly forbidden from taking on missions, her opportunities to leave the village were far more limited than the average shinobi. And her goal seemed to be… Hokage?

The Third Hokage sighed heavily.

He wanted to talk to Kyoichi more, but when he looked up—

Kanda Kyoichi was already gone.

Jiraiya had already gone east.

And now, even if he just wanted someone to chat with, there was no one around.

Kyoichi had done it on purpose.

He had nothing in common with the Third Hokage.

Whether it was governing a village or waging war, the Third embodied the word stability. At least now, he understood something—

The future belonged to the younger generation.

His job on the frontlines was just to maintain the bigger picture.

The details? Let the younger ones handle it.

For instance, this time—

Kyoichi wanted to “reform” Rōshi.

Even if the Third Hokage didn’t agree, he wasn’t stopping him either.

Rōshi was already starting to think.

For an old warrior, even beginning to question things was a huge step forward.

Of course, Kyoichi didn’t realize—

Rōshi’s direction of reflection was slightly different from what he had in mind.

For the next few days, Kyoichi didn’t plan on seeing Rōshi again.

He needed time to let his thoughts settle.

--

Outside Konoha

A shadow clone of Kyoichi led Uzumaki Oriri, who was disguised through a transformation jutsu, toward the outskirts of Konoha. Sensing the presence of a barrier, he stopped in his tracks. Instead of moving forward, he silently summoned Katsuyu to notify Tsunade.

“Kyoichi-nii, is that Konoha up ahead?”

Oriri had long since realized that her rescuer was not an Uzumaki clansman. But Kyoichi made her feel safe—unlike the Kusa-nin who only saw her as a tool. Kyoichi was different.

Of course…

To her, Kyoichi and Konoha were two separate things.

Konoha was not necessarily trustworthy.

That was why her face was filled with unease and anxiety at the moment.

“Don’t worry. Once you’re in Konoha, you’ll be free to choose your own path. I won’t force you into anything. That includes the big sister who’s coming to meet us… Oh, and by the way, make sure to call her ‘Onee-chan,’ got it?”

“…Okay.”

Oriri nodded.

In truth, she had already sensed someone approaching—fast. The chakra presence was strong, far beyond that of an ordinary ninja.

Was this the leader of Konoha?

Her nervousness grew.

Moments later…

A woman wearing a green robe appeared from the treeline ahead.

“Tsunade-nee…”

“Why do you look like a total vagabond?”

Tsunade frowned.

Kyoichi’s current appearance was no different from a wandering samurai.

“This outfit doesn’t attract attention.”

Kyoichi didn’t care and simply smiled. Then, he gestured toward Oriri. “This is the girl I told you about.”

“Hmm… You’re not planning on joining Konoha for now, is that right?” Tsunade asked.

“Uh… I, um…”

Oriri hesitated for a moment before finally voicing her thoughts.

“I don’t want people to know about me.”

Tsunade thought for a while, then gave a slight nod.

She understood Ori’s concerns, so after considering it, she said, “That’s fine. Once you’re in Konoha, I’ll assign you to my personal guard. Besides Kyoichi and me, no one will know your true identity.”

“Thank you, Onee-chan.”

Oriri bowed deeply.

Tsunade beamed.

"Onee-chan"…

Now that was some sweet talk.

Wasn’t she so much more likable than Shizune?

The more Tsunade looked at her, the more she liked her. She nodded repeatedly and said, “Good, good. Don’t worry. Your abilities may be powerful, but Konoha isn’t so weak that we have to exploit you. If one day you want to live like a normal person, just let me know.”

Of course…

If Root got wind of this, they would definitely try to use her.

Tsunade was well aware of that, but she absolutely wouldn’t let Danzo find out about Oriri’s true identity or abilities.

Oriri was tense.

However…

Tsunade spoke to her in a gentle tone, steadily easing her emotions. The resistance Uzumaki Oriri initially felt was beginning to fade.

Then, Tsunade took out a set of clothing.

It was an ANBU uniform.

“What do I need to do?”

Oriri looked up.

Tsunade paused for a moment.

What she needed to do?

Tsunade hadn’t even thought about that.

The Uzumaki Clan had always been allies of Konoha—their emblem was even engraved on Konoha’s flak jackets. Her own grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had been a vital part of Konoha’s history.

From any perspective, she had never considered asking anything from Oriri in return.

However…

Oriri was completely serious.

She was already over fourteen—an age where, even in Konoha, many had already set foot on the battlefield. She had endured hardships while wandering from Uzushio to the Land of Grass and knew well that nothing in life came without a price.

“I am about to become the Fourth Hokage. Since you are now a member of my personal guard, your duty is to ensure my safety. Aside from that, I have no other demands.”

“Yes! I will protect you with my life.”

Oriri responded firmly.

She then put on the ANBU uniform. It fit perfectly. With the hood and mask in place, no one would be able to tell she was an Uzumaki.

Still…

She chose to maintain her transformation jutsu.

She had plenty of chakra.

So why not be a little indulgent?