Chapter 418: It's in Their Roots

People stared dumbfoundedly at the pair of cousins conspiring within the Heavenly Curtain—Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Zō.

The shock they had previously felt over the hidden secrets of history, or their disappointment at the Sage of Six Paths' apparent fall from grace, had been replaced by something far more immediate and chilling: sudden realization... and apprehension.

After a long while, someone finally swallowed hard and broke the silence in a dry voice.

"Th-This... the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan... Good heavens..."

"They've been schemers from the very beginning!"

Someone beside him picked up the thought, their tone filled with complicated emotions.

"'For peace in the shinobi world,' 'to prevent a second Kaguya'... What lofty words. In the end, they were doing it so their own clans could escape control and become independent!"

"Exactly! They were plotting against the Sage of Six Paths' sons from so early on—driving a wedge between brothers and manipulating the choice of successor... Those political methods, that long-term planning..."

The head of a small clan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling.

"No wonder they later became such powerful clans in Konoha and held influence over its upper ranks for so many years... Th-This kind of political instinct is practically written into their blood!"

A new understanding—and a profound wariness toward the origins of Konoha's two great clans—rapidly spread through the crowd.

The reverence people had once held for the Hokage's faction and Konoha's elder advisors was now involuntarily tinged with vigilance and a chill born from a conspiracy that had supposedly endured for a thousand years.

Konohagakure — Hokage's Office

The atmosphere here was even more stagnant and delicate than outside, as though the very air carried the weight of embarrassment and scrutiny.

Tsunade was practically slumped in the broad Hokage's chair, one hand supporting her forehead while the other rested casually on the armrest.

She wasn't looking at the documents on her desk, nor was she watching the sky beyond the window. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and cast an exceptionally meaningful sideways glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stood nearby with a face as dark as thunder.

"Old man..." Tsunade drawled. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word landed clearly in the silent office. "Your Sarutobi Clan really is..."

She paused, as though searching for the most appropriate words. In the end, her lips curved into a faint, cool smile.

"...something else from the very root."

It sounded less like praise and more like the most direct form of mockery and questioning.

Her words pointed squarely at the Sarutobi ancestor shown within the Heavenly Curtain—the man named Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had openly plotted against the Sage of Six Paths' sons for his clan's interests and sought to overturn Ninshū's entire balance of power.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows had long since furrowed into a deep crease, his graying beard trembling faintly.

His face burned as though he had been publicly slapped several times.

The face that had always been known for its kindness, composure, and foresight was now clouded with unmistakable gloom and embarrassment, along with a trace of deeply buried anger at having an ancient secret of his clan exposed.

His mouth opened, as if he wanted to offer some explanation.

But when the words reached his lips, he saw the knowing amusement in Tsunade's eyes and felt the silent pressure permeating the room. In the end, he found himself unable to utter a single word.

Before the Heavenly Curtain's "vivid" and internally consistent version of history, any defense would seem pale and powerless—and might only make things worse.

It was in the midst of this suffocating silence that Jiraiya, standing nearby, finally lost his patience.

He took a quick step toward Hiruzen. The normally carefree look on his face had been replaced by an expression of intense curiosity and an unwavering determination to get to the bottom of things. Lowering his voice, he spoke urgently.

"Old man! Old man! Just... just tell me the truth!"

He waggled his eyebrows as though they were sharing an earth-shattering secret.

"You really... really didn't know about this secret from a thousand years ago?"

"That can't be right! Something this important, something involving your clan's origins and... uh, rise to prominence? How could the Sarutobi Clan not have even the slightest record of it?"

"What about your clan genealogy? Ancient scrolls? Come on, tell me honestly. Don't worry!"

Jiraiya thumped his chest and made a solemn promise.

"My lips are sealed! Completely sealed! Even if you beat me to death, I won't tell anyone else! It'll just be between the two of us, so come on—tell me!"

His burning gossip instinct and complete disregard for the occasion instantly warped the heavy, awkward atmosphere in the office.

"Shut up!!"

Hiruzen suddenly turned toward the grinning face inches away from him. At last, he could no longer contain himself and shouted furiously!

His voice was slightly distorted by sheer anger and embarrassment, and the muscles in his face twitched faintly.

The last thing he needed right now was Jiraiya's utterly tactless "curiosity" and teasing!

Jiraiya shrank back at the shout, but the irritating grin on his face didn't fade in the slightest. Instead, he shrugged resentfully and muttered, "Fine, don't tell me. Why are you getting so worked up... Can't a guy be curious about the secrets of a thousand-year-old fox?"

Still grumbling, he slowly shuffled back to his original position. Yet from time to time, his eyes continued to dart toward Hiruzen, filled with undiminished curiosity.

Watching the master and his student, the corner of Tsunade's mouth—which she had been trying to keep straight—finally curved into a faint but genuine smile.

She turned her gaze back toward the window, as though she could see through the walls to the members of the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans throughout Konoha. It was as though she could also see the many subtle political balances, factional struggles, and transfers of power that had existed since the village's founding, hidden beneath the bright slogans and the Will of Fire.

"Heh..."

She let out a quiet laugh. It wasn't loud, but the other two men in the office immediately pricked up their ears.

"I really am curious..."

Tsunade's fingers tapped unconsciously against the armrest. Her eyes were deep and thoughtful, carrying an almost prophetic scrutiny.

"After the Sarutobi Clan... and the Shimura Clan plotted to elevate Asura and drive Indra away..."

She paused and glanced at Hiruzen, whose expression remained as unpleasant as ever. Her tone was calm, yet loaded with meaning.

"...what other methods, supposedly 'passed down for a thousand years,' will they come up with next?"

As soon as she finished speaking, silence once again descended upon the office.

The imagery of the Heavenly Curtain shifted. From the turbulent undercurrents of Ninshū's struggle for power, the scene suddenly changed to a strange and beautiful land overflowing with exceptionally dense natural energy—the depths of Mount Myōboku, at the secluded dwelling of Gamamaru.

Waterfalls cascaded and streams flowed through the landscape. Ancient trees towered overhead, while exotic flowers and plants radiated a tranquil, spiritual glow.

Yet that tranquility was shattered by the sudden arrival of a figure.

The Sage of Six Paths hovered in midair before the dwelling. His arrival was completely silent, yet the immense aura surrounding him—tinged with a faint restlessness—was impossible to ignore.

The passage of time seemed to have left even deeper marks upon him than it had when he was among Ninshū. The fear of growing old and his desperate longing for an "answer" seemed almost ready to overflow from his eyes.