Yes.
In the entire shinobi world, there were plenty of people who weren't fond of daimyo.
With the exception of that big-hearted fool Senju Hashirama, any high-ranking figure with a shred of ambition wanted nothing more than to eliminate the daimyo and seize full control for themselves.
But—it couldn't be done!
The authority of the daimyo was too deeply ingrained in people's hearts. If someone assassinated him and took the seat by force, the entire Land of Fire would plunge into chaos.
Given enough time, perhaps they could barely bring it under control again. But the problem was—
The shinobi world had five great villages. If one country descended into chaos, would the others really let such a golden opportunity slip through their fingers?
So.
Unless one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages won an absolute victory and swallowed up the other four, no one dared to make the first move against their own daimyo.
And of course—the daimyo himself understood this perfectly well.
That was precisely why all the various daimyos had created things like the "Twelve Guardian Ninja." Every now and then, they'd even secretly stir up wars, hoping that in the bloodshed, the shinobi would be completely wiped out.
Anyone who climbed to the top wasn't a fool.
Everyone understood these truths, but for the moment, no one could think of a way to annihilate the other side completely.
So, they could only maintain this fragile balance.
Sarutobi Ran understood all of this.
Unfortunately…
That idiot Sarutobi Asuma had no clue.
Now…
Shinnosuke was dead—and not just dead, but disgraced. Asuma was unreliable. Within the entire Sarutobi clan, the only one left who could bear the clan's banner… was him.
Yes. Him, and him alone!
Under such circumstances, how could he not be thrilled?
The thought that he was about to lead the Sarutobi clan, that he would inherit Sarutobi Hiruzen's massive, practically limitless estate—Ran's entire body trembled with excitement.
With a soft sigh, Sarutobi Ran curved his lips into a smile.
"I finally won."
"After so long groveling, after so many years playing the dog…"
"Now at last—the clouds have parted and the sun shines on me!"
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In the reception room.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly.
Clearly—he had no idea yet that his precious eldest son had already been dealt with by three of his "old friends" working together with his own clan's prodigy.
At the moment, his mind was still occupied by the Uchiha affair.
Especially after hearing Nara Shikaku's analysis—he had broken out in a cold sweat, and had immediately summoned his three "old friends" to explain the situation. His tone was heavy as he spoke:
"My friends, I regret it."
"I truly didn't expect the Uchiha to be this cunning."
"To think they would stage such an elaborate play just to lure me in."
"But… Shikaku is right."
"Whatever the truth behind this, I must accept Shisui's group, and treat them well if possible. Only this way can I ease the suspicions of the other clans."
"After all, the Uchiha sacrificed several lives to make this happen."
"If I were to claim now that their defection was a sham, then no matter what evidence we produce, the other clans would only think we're burning the bridge after crossing the river—that we've decided Shisui is no longer useful, and so we're discarding him."
"But… damn it, I'm not reconciled!"
"I paid two hundred million ryō for Shisui, and even let that whole group live inside the Sarutobi compound."
"What is this?"
"Did I just invite the enemy to live in my own home?"
"How am I supposed to sleep at night?"
"So—absolutely not!"
"I called you all here tonight to ask if anyone can think of another way."
"Something that handles this matter cleanly, while also silencing the other clans."
"So no one can find fault with us!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was furious—his teeth nearly grinding as he spoke.
It was plain to see.
This time, the Uchiha's scheme had truly infuriated him.
But what could he do?
He really couldn't think of a good solution.
So, all he could do was place his hopes on his old comrades before him.
Koharu Utatane: "…"
Homura Mitokado: "…"
Shimura Danzo: "…"
The three exchanged glances, stunned.
Clearly, none of them had expected the Uchiha to play such a hand either.
But they had to admit—the move struck right at their weak point, leaving them with no way out.
Just like Shikaku said.
This was an open conspiracy.
Unless they were willing to tear off all pretenses, there was no way to deal with it.
Danzo, however, only cast a cold glance around before speaking in his usual frosty tone.
"This is easy to resolve."
"Since Shisui and the others have already defected to us, then simply assign them to Root."
"My Root operates underground, and everything we do is for Konoha."
"They've shown the will to defect, so surely they've also prepared themselves to sacrifice everything for the sake of the village…"
"So my Root welcomes such talent."
The corners of the others' mouths twitched.
Good grief.
With that solemn air, perhaps his suggestion would sound plausible coming from anyone else.
But Danzo?
They didn't even bother to retort.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to reject it: "Absolutely not!"
"Root's reputation is abysmal. If we place Shisui and his men there, the other clans will only flock to the Uchiha's side."
Danzo's face remained calm.
He shrugged casually, speaking with disdain: "In that case, I have nothing more to offer."
Yes.
Ever since Shinnosuke's death tonight, the bond between him and Sarutobi Hiruzen had already fractured.
For many things, evidence wasn't even necessary.
As long as Shinnosuke had disappeared, Hiruzen would inevitably suspect them—whether or not there was proof.
And once the Anbu investigated—Koharu, Homura, Danzo, Sarutobi Ran…
Too many of their movements tonight couldn't be hidden.
By coincidence, they had all been acting separately. By coincidence, Shinnosuke had vanished this very night.
Even if Hiruzen were a fool, he could guess the truth.
Not to mention—
In order to cement their alliance, they had each offered "pledges of loyalty." Hiding things had never been their intent.
So, since they had already offended one another, the only reason the last shred of pretense remained was because the Uchiha and Hyuga issues weren't yet resolved.
Under such conditions, if Hiruzen got burned, Danzo certainly wasn't interested in stepping in.
Yes, he hated the Uchiha too.
But likewise—unless he could utterly crush them, he wouldn't act rashly.
Koharu and Homura, of course, shared the same view.
"Hiruzen, just accept it," Koharu said coolly. "Shikaku was right—this is an open conspiracy."
Homura nodded.
After a long silence, he spoke helplessly:
"For now, we keep those Uchiha fed."
"Even if we want to deal with them, that has to wait until the war is truly over."
"At this stage, it's best not to stir things up."
"Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Sand Village could erupt into war any day now."
"Our main focus should be uniting everyone, striking Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Sand Village hard!"
"Once the war is settled, and the village returns to peace—then will be the true time to settle accounts with the Uchiha."
"For now—we must endure!"
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