Not long after Uchiha Yato left, an Anbu ninja reported:
"Elder Shimura Danzo seems to have kidnapped Uchiha Shisui."
Upon hearing the name "Uchiha Shisui," Hiruzen froze for a solid three seconds.
Then, his expression twisted into something straight out of The Scream (The Scream.jpg).
"Quick! Bring Uchiha Yato back here immediately!" Hiruzen barked.
Now that he had thought it through, having a "Master of Balanced Accounts" and the support of the Uchiha Clan was still quite important.
Besides, if Uchiha Yato found out about this now and decided to bust out his Gundam (Susanoo) to deal with Danzo, at least half of the Hidden Leaf Village would be reduced to rubble.
Murphy's Law dictates that the things you try hardest to prevent are the ones that slip through your fingers.
Aburame Ryoma swaggered up to Uchiha Yato like he owned the place and said,
"Lord Danzo has a message for you~"
"Your little brother is currently in Elder Danzo's custody. I suggest you don't put up a pointless struggle."
The way Ryoma spoke gave Yato an inexplicable vibe of a traitorous collaborator.
Yato didn't waste words—he immediately knocked him out with a genjutsu.
But this time, Ryoma had learned a dirty trick.
It turned out to be an insect clone!
Well, as long as he got the message, that was enough. Yato returned to the Hokage's office.
Their second meeting in less than five minutes was, to put it mildly, awkward.
Yato immediately fell back on his usual tactic—crying.
Wailing dramatically, he said, "Lord Hokage~"
"My brother's been kidnapped! You have to stand up for me!!"
At that moment, Hiruzen's already hanging heart finally dropped dead.
Originally, he had planned to stall Yato here while sending Anbu to negotiate and resolve the matter quietly.
But now that Yato knew, that plan was off the table.
Hiruzen decided to drop the act.
Pulling out a Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill from a hidden compartment, he clutched it in his hand and met Yato's gaze. "Alright, out with it. What do you want to do? I can take it."
The whole scene made it seem like Yato was some super-villain forcing an innocent man into corruption.
Amused, Yato quipped, "Should I have someone bring in a coffin for you?"
This time, it was Hiruzen who lost his composure first.
Yato, however, wasn't in a hurry. After all, it was Obito who'd been captured, not his actual brother.
Uchiha Madara was probably lurking in the shadows protecting Obito anyway—why should he panic?
Hiruzen said, "It's true that Elder Shimura Danzo acted improperly, but that doesn't mean we have to resort to extreme measures."
Just as he spoke, the remaining two members of the Hidden Leaf's F4 arrived.
Koharu Utatane immediately snapped, "Uchiha Yato, don't you dare act so arrogantly!"
"Have you no respect for hierarchy? Elder Danzo is your senior! Is this how the Uchiha Clan raised you?"
Yato couldn't fathom where they got the audacity to say such things.
Without missing a beat, he shot back, "I hear the Hidden Leaf's medical division has been quite busy lately.""Tsunade mentioned that someone has been embezzling medical funds, leaving the hospital without proper medicine. I believe this matter also warrants investigation, don't you agree, Hokage-sama?"
Uchiha Yato was clearly stoking the flames.
Koharu Utatane was responsible for the financial affairs and certain expenditures of the medical department.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was well aware of this, but he usually turned a blind eye to it.
For Uchiha Yato to bring it up so abruptly was purely to mock and suppress Koharu Utatane. However, he himself was already mired in controversy and didn't want to say much more.
After all, those who are guilty know it best.
Koharu Utatane immediately escalated her tone, "Since when does Uchiha Yato have the authority to meddle in the Hokage's affairs?!"
"This is no place for your insolence."
Uchiha Yato didn't hold back, replying, "Then, Elder Utatane, what brings you here today?"
"Just to lecture a junior like me?"
"Your age may qualify you, but do you have the strength to back up those words?"
Though Shimura Danzo's actions were despicable and revolting, at the end of the day, his only goal was to become Hokage—a man with ambitions far beyond his actual capabilities.
To be honest, among the Hidden Leaf's "F4," Uchiha Yato held the least respect for Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Two old relics who were utterly useless and contributed nothing.
During the Third Great Shinobi War, didn't the Tsuchikage and Raikage both take to the battlefield?
Yet the Hidden Leaf was stuck with a bunch of high-ranking officials who only knew how to scheme for power, accomplishing nothing.
This led to one tragedy after another.
As he spoke, Uchiha Yato showed no restraint. The mischievous demeanor he usually wore vanished, replaced by the aura of a lion freshly awakened.
This startled Koharu Utatane.
She could see his eyes had already taken on the form of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. If he grew any more agitated, she might witness the Mangekyo again.
Normally, when Koharu Utatane made her cutting remarks, Uchiha Yato would at most laugh it off or toss back a sarcastic retort before letting it go.
But today, it was as if he had swallowed gunpowder—he immediately turned hostile.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the situation unfold, unsure of what to say.
His old friends had chosen the worst possible time to show up. The man's younger brother had just been kidnapped, and here they were, provoking him.
If not for their positions as advisors, it was questionable whether these two would even still be around.
Homura Mitokado stepped in to mediate, "Enough, enough, Koharu, hold your tongue!"
"Yato, you too."
"Elder Koharu has always been like this. Why take it to heart?"
"We came here today to resolve issues, not to create more discord. Let's not damage relations."
One had to admit, he was quite skilled at smoothing things over.
Uchiha Yato had no intention of burning all bridges either. His expression shifted as quickly as flipping a page, instantly reverting to that of a cheerful young man.
Homura Mitokado primarily oversaw procurement for the Hidden Leaf, so he was particularly uneasy about the current situation.
(Note: The roles of these two advisors are original settings. Feedback is welcome if there are any concerns.)
Uchiha Yato said, "Elder Danzo has committed wrongdoing and should face punishment."Koharu Utatane was about to speak when Homura Mitokado cut in first, saying, "Elder Danzo merely made a mistake in the heat of the moment. His crimes don't warrant death."
"Hiruzen, you should say something too."
This old fool was clearly used to muddling through situations without any real solutions, always relying on Sarutobi Hiruzen to take charge.
No wonder the Hidden Leaf's leadership was such a mess—their longevity was purely due to sheer dumb luck in having so many talented individuals.
No surprise the aged Sarutobi Hiruzen was so broken—he'd been spoiled rotten by these people.
Left with no choice, Hiruzen finally spoke to the Anbu.
"First, detain Elder Danzo. We'll discuss further once the investigation is complete."
There was no way around it—Uchiha Yato had gathered far too much damning evidence.
Add to that Yato's influence among both the Uchiha Clan and civilian shinobi—if he truly stirred up a storm, it would plunge the Hidden Leaf into chaos.
The Uchiha Clan under Yato's guidance had shed at least nine-tenths of their original arrogance, becoming far more approachable to civilian shinobi.
These two advisors had come to offer counsel, yet after all that, when Hiruzen made his decision, neither could muster a single word.
Just as Yato was about to turn up the heat—
"Ding~"
A sudden chime echoed in his mind.
"System update complete!"
"Host may now claim the major update reward."
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