Chapter 39

Killing Sarutobi Hiruzen is not difficult for Kisaragi, but what benefit would it bring him? At most, he could gain 100 evil points. Whether he kills a powerful Kage-level person or an ordinary person without Chakra, he would receive the same amount of evil points, as the system treats them equally.

Keeping Sarutobi Hiruzen alive might bring him even greater benefits.

"It's not impossible to let Asuma go, but Hokage-sama's attitude makes me very dissatisfied," Kisaragi said, leaning back in his chair, sitting in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. To an outsider, it might even look as if Kisaragi were the Hokage.

"Uchiha Kisaragi, my tolerance has its limits. Don't anger me. It's not good for you or Uchiha. Don't think that just because Uchiha Mikoto has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, you can act so arrogantly," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his face grave and his tone stern. He even mentioned Uchiha Mikoto's awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan, signaling to Kisaragi that the secrets of the Uchiha clan were not hidden from him.

"It seems there are traitors within the Uchiha clan," Kisaragi's smile faded, replaced by a murderous intent.

Not everyone in the clan knew about Mikoto's Mangekyō Sharingan, and few people had witnessed it at the time. Kisaragi had specifically ordered that no one reveal this information, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had found out. There was only one explanation: someone had betrayed the clan.

Kisaragi despised traitors who betrayed their own for outside gain.

"But yes, I am arrogant. What can you do about it?" Kisaragi asked Sarutobi Hiruzen, smiling coldly. "Do you dare to go against the Uchiha? You know the destructive power of Susanoo, don't you?"

"Even if the Uchiha can't defeat Konoha, we can still deal considerable damage. Do you think the other villages would hesitate to take advantage of the chaos?"

Kisaragi's words struck Sarutobi Hiruzen like a hammer. Originally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had intended to pressure Kisaragi into letting Asuma go, but he hadn't expected Kisaragi to retaliate with his own threats.

What Kisaragi said was exactly what Sarutobi Hiruzen feared. Danzo had previously tried to persuade him to move against the Uchiha, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had refused, fearing the very scenario Kisaragi was now describing.

Especially after learning, through a special channel, that Uchiha Mikoto had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sarutobi Hiruzen had grown even more wary of the Uchiha. He knew how destructive Susanoo could be. The Valley of the End, where Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage had battled, was testament to that.

Even if Uchiha Mikoto's Susanoo wasn't on the same level as Uchiha Madara's, for Konoha Village, it would still be akin to facing a rampaging tailed beast.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I'm calling you Hokage out of respect for the title. If I didn't care about that, you'd be nothing to me," Kisaragi said, walking over to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Taking advantage of his height, Kisaragi looked down at him and poked his finger at the top of Sarutobi Hiruzen's head.

[Ding! The host commits a crime by humiliating the leader of a village, reward: evil value +10,000]

"There's a reward for that?" Kisaragi was momentarily surprised, before his smile grew more wicked.

"I heard you're called 'The Professor,' right? But you don't seem very bright to me. You're supposedly the strongest Hokage, but who have you ever beaten? The First Hokage could take you down without even using his hands. Every time I hear your title, I feel embarrassed for you."

[Ding! Extreme humiliation, reward: evil value +20,000]

"Uchiha Kisaragi, that's enough!" Sarutobi Hiruzen growled, his eyes sharp like knives as he glared at Kisaragi.

"Why, do you want to fight me? I wouldn't mind," Kisaragi replied. The terrifying Chakra hidden within him flared up, accompanied by a murderous aura that made Sarutobi Hiruzen feel genuinely threatened.

Feeling the weight of Kisaragi's strength, Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger cooled, replaced by a sense of dread. He realized he had severely underestimated Kisaragi. He had assumed Kisaragi was only at a quasi-Kage-level, but the pressure he was feeling now made it clear that Kisaragi had already reached Kage-level strength.

This was not a threat Sarutobi Hiruzen could ignore.

"What will it take for you to release Asuma?" Sarutobi Hiruzen finally asked, reasoning overriding his anger.

Kisaragi's power was far greater than expected, and the Uchiha threat was too dangerous to dismiss. He had no idea whether Kisaragi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but Sarutobi Hiruzen knew how dangerous the Uchiha could be. He had learned about the Mangekyō Sharingan from Uchiha Kagami, a disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

Uchiha Kagami was, ironically, Senju Tobirama's disciple, despite Tobirama's deep mistrust of the Uchiha. Uchiha Shisui was even a descendant of Uchiha Kagami.

Mangekyō Sharingan could only be awakened by witnessing the death of a loved one or a close friend, and Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't recall anyone close to Kisaragi. As for his parents, Kisaragi's had died when he was very young.

Sarutobi Hiruzen thus guessed that Kisaragi hadn't yet awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. But this didn't mean that Kisaragi would be easy to deal with. In fact, Sarutobi Hiruzen found him even more dangerous than Uchiha Mikoto, who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"It's possible to release Sarutobi Asuma, but first, Hokage-sama, please tell me: who told you about Mikoto awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Kisaragi demanded.

Traitors who betrayed their own people for personal gain had to be dealt with.

Despite the Uchiha clan's arrogance, they treated their own well, especially those who contributed to the clan's benefit. Kisaragi would never tolerate anyone who enjoyed the clan's rewards but betrayed it from the inside.

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted slightly, his eyes flickering.

"If you don't want to say, I won't force you," Kisaragi continued, "but Sarutobi Asuma will remain locked in Konoha Prison. I wonder if he can endure that, at his age."

With every sentence Kisaragi spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened. Kisaragi claimed he wasn't forcing the issue, yet every word was laced with threats. If Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't been wary of Kisaragi's strength, he likely would have lashed out long ago.

Kisaragi sat back down, firmly in control. Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen refused to reveal anything, Kisaragi had his own ways to find the traitor. After all, there weren't many people present at the time. Kisaragi could interrogate each one. With the power of the Sharingan's Hypnosis ability, and especially with his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, there weren't many who could resist his interrogation.