Danzō proposed to Hiruzen Sarutobi that Qianyu be sent to the Land of Waves to take command of the Uchiha forces.
Hiruzen sat in his seat, his pipe never leaving his hand. A long silence stretched. Finally, Hiruzen's voice rumbled, low and heavy. "Agreed. Qianyu, you will proceed to the Land of Waves and assume command of Konoha forces there, engaging the Kirigakure ninja. "You will have absolute authority over the Uchiha ninja under your command. But I have two conditions. First: the Uchiha must not realize we are targeting them. "Second: Konoha will send no further reinforcements to the Land of Waves. Therefore, I grant you high operational autonomy. But you absolutely cannot allow the Land of Waves to fall! "Can you fulfill these two conditions?"
Qianyu gave a slight bow. "Lord Hokage, I can. You can entrust this to me."
Hiruzen nodded. "Good. Then it's settled. The official transfer order will reach you tomorrow. The current interim commander in the Land of Waves is Nara Kubota. Upon your arrival, you will be the formal commander; he will serve as your deputy. "The situation in the Land of Waves is urgent. Kirigakure is fighting with no regard for losses. Therefore, you depart tomorrow. Get into position quickly and familiarize yourself with the battlefield. "Additionally, Uchiha forces will arrive in the Land of Waves in batches. Approximately one hundred, in total."
Qianyu bowed again. "Understood."
It was then that Danzō spoke up again. "One more thing, Hiruzen. Concerning the Nine-Tails jinchūriki."
At the words 'Nine-Tails jinchūriki,' Qianyu's body gave an almost imperceptible flinch.
Hiruzen's expression instantly turned grave, his eyes flickering towards Qianyu for a split second. He asked, voice stern, "What about the jinchūriki?"
Danzō addressed Hiruzen. "Hiruzen. Lady Mito's time is short. She will likely pass by year's end at the latest. You should begin preparations for the transfer."
"Of course I know that," Hiruzen said. "The preparations are already underway."
Danzō continued. "Regarding the candidate for the new jinchūriki, Hiruzen… I believe we should reconsider."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Danzō cut him off. "Hear me out first, then decide. "Miyuki Uzumaki's talent surpasses Kushina Uzumaki's. You know this as well as I do. Miyuki has studied sealing techniques for a far shorter time, yet her progress is remarkably swift. She will overtake Kushina sooner rather than later. "The matter of the jinchūriki must be treated with utmost seriousness. When a clearly superior option exists, why cling to Kushina Uzumaki? "The more suitable the vessel, the lower the risk of future complications. The lower the chance of a loss of control. You know better than anyone, Hiruzen—a jinchūriki running amok would be a disaster for Konoha."
Hiruzen's voice was heavy. "But precisely because we fear a loss of control, wouldn't choosing Kushina, who has already mastered the necessary seals, be the safer choice?"
Danzō shook his head. "In the long term, Miyuki is more suitable, is she not? You need not worry about a loss of control. Qianyu's Mangekyō Sharingan can suppress a tailed beast. Should a problem arise, Qianyu can subdue the Nine-Tails. "And… Hiruzen." Danzō's tone shifted slightly. "Qianyu is about to undertake a significant task for us. Should we not ensure he has no… lingering concerns?"
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, a headache brewing. Couldn't you have waited to discuss this until after he left? With Qianyu right here, how was he supposed to answer?
Qianyu was growing fonder of the old man Danzō by the minute. This was undoubtedly a move to win him over. Danzō was bringing it up in front of him on purpose. Danzō was a shady character, sure. But when he promised something, he delivered. Orochimaru was right. Cooperating with Danzō wasn't a bad deal at all. With Danzō arguing on his behalf, the likelihood of switching the jinchūriki increased dramatically.
Many thoughts raced through Hiruzen's mind. He still wasn't fully convinced about replacing Kushina with Miyuki. The period immediately following the Nine-Tails' sealing was the most volatile, the time when control was most easily lost. Miyuki, while talented, needed time to mature. But Danzō had forced his hand by raising the issue in Qianyu's presence. It left him with little room to maneuver. Qianyu was about to depart for the Land of Waves on a critical mission for them. Hiruzen could not refuse him outright now. Qianyu was going to handle the Uchiha situation for them. A refusal now… who knew how he would react? The reality was this: two candidates. Miyuki was more suitable long-term. Kushina was the safer bet. It came down to whether Hiruzen chose potential or security. Hiruzen's gaze flicked to Qianyu. Now he had to consider Qianyu's position as well… The scales in Hiruzen's mind began to tip towards Miyuki Uzumaki.
After a deep, searching look at Qianyu, Hiruzen said to Danzō, "I will consider this further."
Danzō, who knew Hiruzen intimately, understood this was as good as agreement. He stood. "Very well. Consider it. Qianyu, you should go and prepare. You leave for the Land of Waves tomorrow."
Qianyu lowered his head slightly. "Yes, Lord Danzō." He then turned to Hiruzen. "Lord Hokage, I will take my leave to prepare."
Hiruzen gave a slight nod. "Mm. Go. The transfer order will be delivered to you by an Anbu operative tomorrow."
After Qianyu and Danzō left the Hokage Tower, Danzō spoke without turning. "Follow me."
Qianyu followed Danzō to the Root base. Inside Danzō's office.
Once seated behind his desk, Danzō addressed Qianyu. "The matter of the jinchūriki transfer is essentially settled. You need not worry about it further."
Qianyu bowed. "My deepest thanks, Lord Danzō."
Danzō studied Qianyu through narrowed eyes. "You are now a formal member of Root. All members of Root receive a sealing technique. "This seal has no adverse effects. It is merely a curse mark that prevents the disclosure of classified information. Anyone subjected to it who attempts to speak of specified matters will find their entire body paralyzed—unable to speak, unable to move. "As my subordinate, you too must receive this seal. Do you have any objections?"
Qianyu answered without hesitation. "I have no objections, Lord Danzō."
Qianyu knew exactly which seal Danzō meant. The Tongue Eradication Seal. The seal Danzō used to bind his subordinates, preventing them from speaking his secrets. With his current reserves of Witness Points, breaking such a seal would be trivial for Qianyu.
Hearing Qianyu's immediate agreement, a faint curve touched Danzō's lips. "Good." He stood and approached Qianyu. His hands formed a series of seals, then he pressed them over the lower half of Qianyu's face. "Tongue Eradication Seal!"
A curse mark bloomed on Qianyu's tongue.
Danzō nodded, satisfied. Now, Qianyu was truly one of his own.
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