Hiruzen stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of the Hokage Office, smoke drifting from the pipe between his fingers.
His gaze was locked on the direction of the Uchiha compound.
The ANBU report had just arrived minutes ago. Kamiyama Ryo had shattered the Uchiha gate and pushed through all resistance, knocking out a large number of clan members with a terrifying mental shockwave.
The flickering ember of the pipe reflected the swirling schemes in Hiruzen's eyes.
"Is everything in place?" His voice was low, and he didn't turn around.
From the shadow behind him, a masked ANBU emerged silently. "Yes. Surveillance crows have been deployed over the Uchiha compound. The barrier squad is on standby. The sensory squad has locked onto the target's chakra. Sandaime, do we proceed?"
Hiruzen remained silent. Outside the window, the last rays of sunlight dipped behind the western mountains. The room dimmed, save for the ember glowing faintly in his pipe. He took a deep drag, the harsh smoke rolling down his throat.
"Wait a little longer." He exhaled slowly. The smoke curled in the air, making his tone unreadable. "Have ANBU keep their distance. Monitor only, do not engage. Unless... the situation spirals completely out of control."
"Out of control?" The ANBU paused slightly.
Hiruzen turned around. His back was to the light, concealing his expression. "I want to see a casualty report from the Uchiha. One, or two deaths. That's our best window for intervention." His voice was resolute. "It's the perfect excuse... to temper a blade that's grown too sharp."
"Yes." The ANBU understood immediately and faded back into the darkness.
The heavy office doors creaked open, briefly letting in light from the hallway.
Koharu and Homura entered one after the other. Homura flicked on the chakra light on the wall, its soft white glow dispelling the gloom and illuminating the tightly furrowed brows on Hiruzen's face.
"We've received the report." Koharu walked straight to the desk, bracing herself with both hands on the tabletop, leaning forward. Her voice was fast and low. "That Kamiyama Ryo kid actually charged in? He trampled the Uchiha clan gate?"
Hiruzen didn't speak. He nodded heavily. The pipe tapped against the desk's edge, scattering a few ashes.
His gaze never left the direction of the Uchiha compound, as if he could see the chaos through the layers of rooftops.
"Hmph." Koharu sneered. Her voice laced with unfiltered schadenfreude. "Serves them right. Those arrogant Uchiha, always flaunting their Sharingan, even daring to defy the Hokage's orders. About time someone stepped on their pride. Let them see what it feels like to be humiliated."
Even the crow's feet at her eyes eased slightly from her satisfaction. "Especially that old relic Uchiha Setsuna, who's clung to power in the clan longer than Fugaku's even been the head. Let's see where his pride lands now. I hope that kid grinds his face into the dirt."
"Koharu." Homura's voice was low, a warning. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and turned to Hiruzen. "Hiruzen, now is not the time to gloat. Intelligence shows that Suna's diplomatic delegation has entered the Land of Fire. By noon tomorrow, they'll arrive at Konoha."
He walked over to the large map of the shinobi world, tapping Suna's marked location, then tracing a line toward Konoha. "If we suffer internal strife now, especially one involving a bloody clash between Ryo of the Hokage faction and the Uchiha clan..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication weighed heavily in the air.
Suna was coming with the humiliation of defeat and resentment in their hearts. Internal chaos in Konoha would give them a perfect excuse to drive up demands or even lash out.
Hiruzen's frown deepened. The hand holding his pipe clenched unconsciously, knuckles whitening.
Of course, he understood the consequences Homura had hinted at. Konoha would become a laughingstock. The negotiations would collapse, and his leadership would suffer a devastating blow.
"I know." His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping wood. "That's why I ordered ANBU to hold back. But..." A flash of malice passed through his eyes. "This might also be an opportunity. That brat Ryo, his power's growing too fast, and he's becoming unmanageable. On the battlefield in Ame, he dared humiliate Danzō in front of everyone. If this continues, not even Tsunade can restrain him."
He stepped behind his desk, tapping his fingers heavily against the wood, each thud echoing. "We need a trigger. Something to force him to recognize he must act within the rules. If he actually kills someone in the Uchiha compound today, even one of our own, even a drop of blood... then he's a criminal. No matter how much merit he's earned, he'll have to bow his head to the Hokage's authority. That'll be our leverage to suppress his unchecked edge and put him back in the box."
Hiruzen's voice carried a suppressed eagerness. "If he submits, I'm even willing to give him more. Real power in ANBU. Access to S-rank jutsu. Even the position of Hokage's assistant isn't off the table. But the condition is, he must understand whose village this is... whose rules he must follow."
Koharu's mocking tone subsided somewhat, her expression thoughtful.
Homura stood in silence, watching Hiruzen. The lenses of his glasses caught the light, hiding his gaze.
"The risk is enormous," Homura finally said, each word heavy. "Suna's delegation is en route. If things truly spiral, if the Uchiha suffer too much, or worse, a chain reaction breaks out... we can't afford a breakdown in negotiations. Konoha needs stability now, not fresh conflict."
Hiruzen took a deep breath of smoke, then exhaled a thick cloud, hiding half his face.
"I'm aware of the risk," he said firmly. "That's why ANBU are watching closely. If anything goes wrong, I'll intervene immediately. But I'd rather see Setsuna forced into a corner in his own compound. I'd rather see that brat Ryo bloodied and needing the Hokage's help to escape."
Silence once again filled the room. Only Hiruzen's heavy breathing remained. All three glanced toward the Uchiha district outside the window. The tension in the air felt like a storm was about to break.
Time crawled forward. Each passing second gnawed at Hiruzen's nerves. He stood before the giant window like a statue. Only the burning stub of his pipe proved time hadn't stopped.
Outside, the lights of Konoha slowly came on, outlining the peaceful village. But that peace was as fragile as thin ice, hiding turbulent currents beneath.
A shadow stirred. An ANBU reappeared silently, kneeling on one knee. His voice was low but clear, shattering the frozen air in the office.
"Sandaime. Urgent report. Target, Kamiyama Ryo, has left the Uchiha compound."
Hiruzen spun around. His eyes lit up sharply. "Casualties? What are the Uchiha losses? How many did he kill? How many elite were seriously injured? Speak!"
The ANBU's voice remained calm, almost confused. "Report. Uchiha casualties... zero deaths. No critical injuries. Minor injuries consist mostly of blunt force trauma or light fractures, mainly affecting a few Jōnin who initially attempted to block his path. The rest..." He paused, organizing his words. "The rest of the clan members who lost consciousness were affected by mental shockwaves. Their vitals are stable. They're expected to recover soon."
"What?!"
"No deaths?!"
"No serious injuries?!"
Three voices rang out in unison, equally stunned and disbelieving.
The eagerness on Hiruzen's face froze instantly, then twisted into something hard to describe.
"You're sure?!" Hiruzen's voice shot up. "He fought his way in, shattered their gate, knocked out so many... faced off against their elites... and you're telling me he didn't kill a single one?! The Uchiha maniacs didn't even fight to the death?"
"Confirmed," the ANBU replied. His head bowed even lower, but his tone remained crisp. "The process... was more like a one-sided crush. The Uchiha's resistance was meaningless before Kamiyama Ryo. The mental shockwaves he used had wide coverage but were precisely controlled. Only Jōnin-level shinobi could remain conscious. The elite Jōnin who attacked together had their combined jutsu shattered by what appeared to be a non-ninjutsu energy burst. The backlash caused minor injuries. Throughout the entire event, Kamiyama Ryo did not use any lethal jutsu or weapons. His objective was clear: retrieve Uchiha Mikoto. The Uchiha... could not stop him."
"Useless! A bunch of spineless cowards!" Koharu slammed the desk, shrieking. "They strut around the village like they're kings, always looking down their noses at others! They polish their clan symbol more than they train! Now their gate's been stomped in, their faces ground into the dirt, and they didn't even dare bleed?! Are their Sharingan just for show? Where's Setsuna? Did a dog bite off his spine?!"
She trembled with anger. The satisfaction she'd hoped for had turned to scornful disgust.
Homura sighed silently. He lifted his hand and rubbed his temple wearily.
He walked to the desk, picked up a cup of cold tea, held it for a moment, then finally spoke, voice hoarse. "Unexpected... but not unreasonable. That boy Ryo, while overbearing, isn't without restraint. Uchiha Mikoto was imprisoned by her own clan. His anger is justified. But he still remembers this is Konoha. He still remembers Kushina. And... Tsunade."
Homura paused. "And while he did humiliate the Uchiha, he didn't kill. He didn't violate the village's rule against internal slaughter. Strictly speaking, his only fault is trespassing into the Uchiha compound... an impulsive act for a woman, perhaps. He walked the edge of the rules... but didn't cross the line."
He looked at Hiruzen. His gaze complex. "He didn't kill. He didn't let it spiral out of control. He left the village and Hokage's office their dignity. And left room for negotiations with Suna. As for the Uchiha... well, they swallowed their pride."
"Dignity?" That word struck Hiruzen like a blade.
The trap he'd so carefully laid, meant to bind a wild hawk, had been rendered useless. Overwhelmed by pure strength and the Uchiha's unexpected submission, he hadn't even had the chance to tighten the snare.
An uncontainable fury surged in his chest. It nearly tore through the calm he'd built over decades.
His fingers clenched the rosewood pipe tightly, knuckles pale. The surface of the pipe creaked under the strain.
He hated Ryo's rule-defying power and its unpredictable dominance. But even more, he loathed Setsuna's failure and the Uchiha's cowardice. If they had just fought back, just shed some blood, the outcome would've been completely different.
"Trash. Born cowards," Hiruzen raged inwardly. "They walk around like they own the village, but when it matters, they let someone trample their pride and don't even resist? Paper tigers."
What frustrated him most was that Ryo's so-called "rage for a woman" couldn't be condemned. No deaths, no serious injuries, only the Uchiha's shattered dignity.
Everyone knew the Uchiha were resented within Konoha. The other clans and civilian shinobi, unable to challenge them openly, always kept their distance.
Now that someone had crushed the Uchiha and walked away unscathed, the unspoken approval and secret delight from others was inevitable.
Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath. "Heh... trash... nothing but trash. They always act arrogant, look down on everyone. But when it's life or death, that bloodline pride of theirs? Gone. Not even brave enough to fight."
His hand trembled slightly as he gripped the pipe, revealing the storm in his heart. But he restrained himself from further outburst.
That red-haired boy had just declared a truth with strength alone. To him, some rules were meaningless.
Not because he didn't understand them. But because... he didn't care to break them in the expected way. He chose a more direct, brute-force method. Yet still left Konoha with a final layer of dignity.
Frustration. Humiliation. And a touch of helplessness wrapped tightly around Hiruzen's heart.
He'd lost this round. Completely and without warning.
All his rage and resentment had nowhere to go, and finally turned into even deeper contempt for the "inherently evil," yet laughably spineless, Uchiha.
"Pass it down..." Hiruzen's voice came muffled from beneath his hand, hoarse with fatigue and resignation. "Suna's delegation is arriving soon. Konoha will operate as normal. The conflict in the Uchiha compound was a minor internal matter, now resolved by ANBU. No major injuries. It won't affect the talks. No one is to speak of this again. Violators... will be punished."
He paused. His voice sank lower, almost inaudible, carrying a bitter undertone. "As for Kamiyama Ryo... his 'achievements'... the Hokage's office will remember them."
He understood. This gag order wasn't just to save face for diplomacy. It was to prevent the public from spinning the story out of control.
Ryo's actions, on the surface, were to save Uchiha Mikoto. But as Tsunade's disciple, a member of the Hokage faction, his attack on the Uchiha could easily be seen as infighting within Konoha's leadership.
Those cunning clan heads were surely already behind closed doors, quietly observing.
They wouldn't publicly celebrate the Uchiha's humiliation. That would mean openly supporting Ryo and offending the dangerous "Asura of Konoha."
Nor would they jump in to help the Uchiha. That would mean taking sides in what might be a deeper internal rift.
To pick a side now would be a massive political risk. Silence and caution would be their only response.
Homura nodded silently and left to issue orders.
Koharu looked at Hiruzen's exhausted, defeated state. Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't speak more. She snorted and left.
The heavy doors closed behind them, sealing off the world.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling adorned with the Hokage's wide hat emblem. The light stung his eyes.
(To be continued.)u