Naruto: Destroy the Sarutobi Clan At the Beginning

Kirito nodded as he explained, "One was me, and the other was Uchiha Itachi. That idiot was completely brainwashed by the Third Hokage. Then Danzo manipulated him, convincing him to annihilate his entire clan under the guise of saving his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. And that fool actually did it."

He continued, his voice tinged with bitterness, "At the time, I had a close friend in the Uchiha clan. Danzo tried the same tactics on me, threatening my friend's life. But Danzo is always too greedy—he had no intention of sparing my friend. He assigned Uchiha Itachi the task of killing both me and my friend. That's when I realized the truth and decided to take action. If I was going to be branded a traitor anyway, I thought I might as well make it worth it. I slaughtered the Sarutobi and Shimura clans to ensure those two old monsters—Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo—paid for their crimes."

"You really are vengeful," Tsunade said, her lips twitching between a smirk and a scowl.

Though her words sounded like criticism, a strange warmth filled her heart. Normally, hearing about such carnage within her grandfather's village would have enraged her. But knowing that her man had taken revenge in such a decisive manner stirred an odd sense of pride and satisfaction within her.

Kirito chuckled. "I've always been the type to settle my grudges immediately. What was I saying before this? I lost track."

"You were talking about Konoha's current situation," Tsunade reminded him.

"Ah, right," Kirito said. "Konoha is stuck in a false sense of peace, blinded by nostalgia for its past glory. The village has grown complacent, content with the status quo. If this continues, Konoha will collapse under its own weight, and Sarutobi Hiruzen will be the one to blame."

"Still, to involve ninjas from other villages in this plan is unacceptable. It will only harm Konoha more in the long run," Tsunade said angrily.

"Of course," Kirito agreed. "Orochimaru understands this too. That's why he plans to kill the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, halfway through his journey and take his place. This way, Orochimaru can misdirect the Sand Village's efforts. By eliminating Rasa, one of Konoha's most hostile enemies, Orochimaru ensures minimal losses for Konoha. Once the Sand Village discovers what happened, they'll likely return to the alliance with Konoha."

Kirito sighed. "Orochimaru's methods are extreme, but he's not entirely evil. He still has some attachment to Konoha, no matter how twisted it may be."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know all of this?"

Kirito smirked. "Because I recently helped him. One of my companions had a grudge against Rasa, so I accompanied her to Orochimaru. Together, we killed Rasa before I came to Tansho Street."

Tsunade's jaw dropped. "You… you killed a Kazekage just like that?"

Kirito shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

Tsunade groaned inwardly. What kind of man had she gotten involved with? Killing the Kazekage of one of the Five Great Nations sounded like child's play to him.

Kirito continued, "But here's the crux of the matter: Konoha's stagnation begins and ends with Sarutobi Hiruzen. As long as he lives, the village can't move forward. And, honestly, this suits the Third Hokage just fine."

"You're saying the Third Hokage knows Orochimaru is coming for him?" Tsunade asked in disbelief.

"He might not know yet, but he'll figure it out soon. And when he does, he won't stop it," Kirito said. "Hiruzen is old and has made too many mistakes. He's carrying a lot of darkness. Instead of fading away quietly, he'd prefer to die a martyr, protecting the village. This way, he can leave behind a legacy of being the 'Strongest Hokage' in history."

Tsunade sighed. "So Orochimaru gets to kill the Third Hokage and claim he acted out of some twisted form of loyalty?"

Kirito nodded. "Exactly. Jiraiya knows this too. That's why he probably won't intervene. He'll let the battle play out, believing it's the best course for the village. As for me, I'll wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru to decide the winner, then clean up the mess."

Tsunade fell silent, her mind racing as she processed Kirito's words. Finally, she asked, "You said this is one of Orochimaru's goals. What's the other?"

Kirito scoffed. "He wants Sasuke. Ever since Orochimaru was humiliated by Itachi's Sharingan, he's been obsessed with acquiring the Uchiha's bloodline. By killing the so-called 'strongest Hokage,' Orochimaru hopes to lure Sasuke away with promises of power and revenge."

"Orochimaru was defeated by a child from the Uchiha clan?" Tsunade asked, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

She felt the sting of generational change. But looking at the man lying beside her, she felt a little better. At least he wasn't part of the younger generation surpassing her.

"What about you?" Tsunade asked, her voice softer now. "What's your position in all of this?"

Kirito smirked. "What if I told you I want to destroy the Konoha your grandfather built?"

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained steady. "You won't. You hate the higher-ups, the Sarutobi clan, and Danzo. But you grew up in Konoha. You wouldn't destroy it without a reason."

Kirito raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. You're not as brainless as people say. But how did I manage to seduce you so easily?"

"Idiot!" Tsunade smacked his arm, her cheeks flushing. "Don't say things like that."

Kirito chuckled. "Alright, serious question. After the Third Hokage dies, the Elders will likely nominate Jiraiya for Hokage. But Jiraiya will refuse, and he'll recommend you. What will you do?"

"What do you want me to do?" Tsunade asked, her gaze steady.

Kirito thought for a moment. "If you refuse, and Jiraiya does too, Danzo might take the position. And trust me, you don't want that. Unless you're okay with me assassinating him, you should seriously consider becoming Hokage."

Tsunade hesitated before asking, "If I become Hokage and ask you to return to Konoha, would you?"

(End of this chapter)