"The Uchiha clan has called another high-level meeting. That's the third one this month."
"And the content?"
"They didn't let Uchiha Itachi participate. He's been exposed."
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe as he listened to Danzo's intelligence. The swirling smoke made his wrinkled face appear even more ancient.
"Sarutobi."
Danzo let out a low growl, as if trying to wake the Third Hokage from his hesitation.
"An Uchiha rebellion is now a certainty. Our priority is to minimize the damage. I propose that Root takes action to—eliminate—the Uchiha clan."
"Wait a little longer."
"But—"
Danzo started to argue, but he stopped when Hiruzen suddenly looked up. The Hokage's clouded eyes were fixed on Danzo with a killing intent so tangible it felt physical. He looked, for a moment, like an aging lion reclaiming his throne.
"Do not act on your own authority," Hiruzen commanded.
Looking at his old friend, who briefly resembled the man once hailed as the 'Shinobi God,' Danzo opened his mouth but found no words.
"Hooo..."
A long exhale followed the smoke. The sharpness in Hiruzen's eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an unmistakable weariness.
"The Uchiha helped found this village alongside the Senju. Moving against them requires absolute caution, both ethically and logically. Times have changed. From the moment the hidden villages were formed, any clan that remained independent was destined for decline. The Uzumaki faced it, and the Uchiha are no different. They aren't stupid; they understand this."
Hiruzen leaned back. "The Uchiha aren't the Senju. they are masters of the duel, but they cannot win a war of attrition. Konoha outnumbers them a hundred to one. Even if they had five more pairs of Mangekyo, how many could they kill before their chakra ran dry? Desertion or rebellion—both lead to extinction. Fugaku Uchiha is a smart man. He will realize this."
Danzo curled his lip in silent derision. Root's research into the Sharingan and Hashirama's cells was reaching a critical phase; he needed "experimental materials." If the Uchiha didn't rebel, where would he get his eyes?
Weak Sarutobi. You aren't fit to be Hokage. Once I possess the power of the First and the Uchiha, I will lead Konoha to unify the world and prove the Teacher was wrong to choose you.
"The entirety of Root has mastered the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique," Danzo stated coldly. "Combined with the Sealing and Water Style squads, we can strike the Uchiha at a moment's notice."
Hiruzen nodded, acknowledging the preparation. With such defenses in place, an Uchiha revolt wouldn't break the village.
As the topic of the Uchiha closed, Danzo seemed to remember something. "By the way, that matter you promised me last time—how is it progressing?"
Hiruzen blinked, looking puzzled. "What matter?"
Danzo's temper flared at his friend's senile act. "Tch, stop playing dumb. Root is short on men and funds. You said you'd transfer people to me within a week. How long has it been?"
Seeing that Danzo was forcing the issue, Hiruzen dropped the act.
"You want them young, high-potential, and possessing either a Secret Technique or a Bloodline Limit. Such 'seedlings' are the treasures of their respective clans. Where exactly do you expect me to find them for you?"
"If you have a truly exceptional prospect," Danzo argued, "I might be willing to relax the other conditions slightly."
Hiruzen froze. Looking at the talent-hungry Danzo, he thought of the mysterious Hinami.
Young? Yes. Powerful? Extremely.
She fit Danzo's criteria perfectly. Moreover, her origins were suspicious; handing her over to Root didn't bother his conscience in the least.
By putting her in Root, he could sever whatever unknown intentions she had for the Academy without wasting her talent. Under Danzo's brutal training, she might actually become a loyal asset. And if something went wrong, it was Danzo's fault, not his.
"Hmm... come to think of it, I might have just the person for you," Hiruzen said, feigning deep thought.
"Oh? Which clan?" Danzo was surprised. Usually, the Third was the one taking people from Root, not the other way around. He had come today mainly to push for research funding; he hadn't actually expected to get any recruits.
"Here. Take a look at this." Hiruzen pulled Hinami's file from under his hat and handed it over.
Danzo took the intelligence report and read it carefully.
Adopted daughter of Might Guy... a civilian? Danzo felt a twinge of disappointment but kept reading.
Six years old... blind girl...
Blind?!
Slap! Danzo slammed the report onto the desk and turned to leave in a huff.
"If you don't want to give me anyone, just say so. Don't try to insult me with this broken scrap."
Hiruzen, who had been mentally patting himself on the back for his "brilliant" plan to solve two problems at once, was stunned.
"Wait, did you even read the rest? Hey, don't go! Look, you're being impatient again!"
Danzo didn't look back. To risk a confrontation with Might Guy—whose family was known for the terrifying Eight Inner Gates—just for a blind civilian girl? He wasn't afraid of Guy, but he wasn't stupid either.
"Hmph! Root does not accept the disabled!" Danzo barked, setting a higher bar for entry as he swept out of the room.
"You'll regret this, Danzo."
"I am the leader of Root."
SLAM!
The office door shut with a heavy bang. The dumbfounded Hiruzen stood there, speechless. He slowly picked up the report, muttering to himself.
That old fool... he's got one eye himself and he's looking down on someone for being blind? Honestly...
Fine. If he doesn't want her, he doesn't want her. To be honest, Hiruzen felt a small sense of relief. It felt almost like a waste to let Danzo ruin a talent like Hinami's. He would just have to keep a closer eye on her himself.
"Hinami, why the long face?"
Guy was walking beside her, his left hand carrying groceries from the supermarket and his right hand clutching a stack of textbooks. Seeing Hinami's brooding expression, his thick eyebrows knit together in concern.
"It's nothing," Hinami replied, shaking her head. But her heavy footsteps told a different story.
She was weighing the threat of Danzo and Root. By using Might Guy as a bridge to get onto the Third Hokage's "big ship," she had secured enough backing to ward off the Hyuga. Without evidence, no one could touch her legally; and if they tried to play dirty, they'd have to go through her newly hired bodyguard.
However, she had realized something. Danzo wasn't the type of man to fear the Third or Guy. Normal people weighed pros and cons; Danzo was a clinical sociopath. Whether he would care about Guy's potential was a coin toss.
You can't use logic to predict a madman, she thought. She couldn't see a way to completely avoid him, so she could only hope for the best. At this point in time, the Uchiha problem was much larger than she was; Danzo likely didn't have time to bother with her.
Still, the hunger for power gnawed at her. If she had the strength of Hashirama Senju, she could simply crush them all.
I hate these shallow political games. When I grow up, I'll kill them all.
"Ta-da! Hinami, look what I got!"
Just as she was drowning in thoughts of the Root threat, Guy came running out of a stationery store. The textbooks were gone, replaced by a bulging, bright pink teddy bear backpack.
"A gift for your first day! To celebrate your enrollment and to help you achieve your dreams!"
"No!" Hinami turned her head away instantly. Between her two lives, she was over thirty years old. Carrying a toddler's backpack was a fate worse than joining Root.
Guy looked crestfallen. "But it's so cute! Look!"
"I'm blind!"
"Stop lying! You saw Kazama-sensei's Body Flicker perfectly during the fight!"
"I still don't want it!"
"Just try it on..."
"No."
Guy, holding the backpack by its straps, began to circle Hinami like a persistent salesman. Hinami said nothing, simply tapping her cane and marching forward into the sunset.