Uchiha Ren had expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to come looking for him, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
That very night, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze quietly appeared inside the Uchiha Clan Compound using the Flying Thunder God Technique, without alerting anyone.
The two moved swiftly through the compound. With their abilities, they reached the entrance of Uchiha Ren's house without attracting the slightest attention and knocked on the door.
They deliberately refrained from entering directly, partly to give Ren—now the head of the Uchiha Clan—proper respect and show their sincerity.
Wearing a night robe, Ren opened the door and led the two men into the reception room. During the entire process, the three of them maintained a tacit silence.
"Please, sit."
Ren casually took the seat of honor and gestured for Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze to sit as well.
Once the three had taken their seats, Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to speak when the door suddenly creaked open.
A figure wearing a night robe entered the reception room carrying a tray of tea.
Hiruzen instinctively swallowed the words he had been about to say. But when he saw the woman's face clearly, he couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"Yakushi Nono?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared in disbelief, his brows immediately knitting together.
After all, he had sat in the Hokage's seat for decades and was well aware of Yakushi Nono's background.
She was the "Walking Shrine Maiden", one of Konoha's most elite spies. Over the years, she had obtained countless crucial pieces of intelligence for the village.
However, Yakushi Nono belonged to Root, and thus had little direct interaction with Hiruzen Sarutobi. The few times they had met were when she came in the capacity of the director of the Konoha Orphanage, requesting funding from the Third Hokage.
What's going on? Why is Yakushi Nono here?
Right… there were reports that the Uchiha Clan donated large sums to the Konoha Orphanage. It wouldn't be strange if Uchiha Ren knew her.
But their relationship doesn't seem that simple…
And is their relationship genuine… or was it deliberately cultivated by her?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Hiruzen's mind. Ultimately, they all converged on a single question:
Was Yakushi Nono's relationship with Uchiha Ren intentionally orchestrated?
After all, as Konoha's most outstanding spy, creating such a relationship would be easy for her.
As for why she would approach Uchiha Ren… that hardly needed explanation.
It must have been an order from Shimura Danzō.
In order to keep his own reputation spotless, Hiruzen Sarutobi often delegated many morally questionable tasks to Danzō and avoided interfering.
Because of this, Hiruzen truly had no idea that Yakushi Nono had already broken free from Root's control.
"Please enjoy the tea, Lord Sarutobi. Namikaze-jōnin."
Yakushi Nono placed the tea in front of them on small tables, then quietly stepped back and sat beside Uchiha Ren.
Seeing this, Ren spoke directly.
"Lord Sarutobi, Namikaze-jōnin. I won't waste time with pleasantries. May I ask what brings the two of you here so late at night?"
"This…"
Hiruzen hesitated and glanced at Yakushi Nono, his intention obvious.
Until he confirmed her position, there was no way he would reveal the purpose of this visit.
In fact, if he had known she was here, he might not have come at all.
This visit had been meant to remain secret. Letting Yakushi Nono see him here was already a mistake.
Ren smiled faintly.
"Rest assured, Lord Sarutobi. Nono is my person—in every sense of the word."
"Are you certain?"
Despite Ren's confidence, Hiruzen couldn't help but question it.
In Hiruzen's view, Ren might be intelligent, but he was still too young and didn't fully understand the dangers of the world.
After all, the battles fought in the shadows were far more brutal than those fought in the open.
Ren didn't argue. Instead, he glanced toward Yakushi Nono.
Understanding his meaning, she spoke calmly.
"Please rest assured, Lord Sarutobi. I have long since left Root and severed my ties with Shimura Danzō. I am no longer the 'Walking Shrine Maiden.' I'm merely an ordinary orphanage director now."
A sharp light flashed through Hiruzen's eyes.
Yakushi Nono had openly revealed her identity. With Ren's intelligence, he wouldn't trust her like this without absolute certainty.
But that meant something else.
The one now in real danger… was Shimura Danzō.
A spy didn't only hold information about enemies—they also knew countless secrets about their own side.
Given Yakushi Nono's abilities, Danzō likely had no secrets left hidden from her.
Though countless thoughts ran through Hiruzen's mind, his expression remained calm.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts aside.
After all, he had come tonight for something extremely important. Everything else could wait.
"Uchiha Ren," Hiruzen finally said, "the reason Minato and I came here needs no explanation."
"I don't know what price Shimura Danzō has offered the Uchiha Clan. But I believe this document is enough to surpass anything he could promise."
Without further words, Hiruzen tossed a document toward Ren.
Ren caught it with one hand, curiosity flashing in his eyes at Hiruzen's confidence.
He opened it.
The moment he saw its contents, his expression froze slightly. His pupils contracted.
Beside him, Yakushi Nono leaned over to take a look—and she too was stunned. She turned toward Hiruzen in disbelief.
The contents of the document were simple.
It was merely a letter of appointment.
A formal document appointing Uchiha Ren as a Konoha Elder and Hokage Advisor.
All the necessary procedures had already been completed. The document bore the signatures and seals of every required department, as well as the other elders.
However—
In the section for the Hokage's signature, the name written was Minato Namikaze.
And the date on the appointment letter…
Was five days later.
Hiruzen spoke slowly.
"No matter how much Shimura Danzō promises you, they are still only promises. Whether they become reality is another matter entirely."
"But this appointment letter represents real, tangible benefits."
"Of course," he added, "the appointment will only take effect if Minato wins the Hokage election in three days and receives approval from the Fire Daimyō's court two days afterward—allowing him to officially exercise the authority of the Hokage."
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