Inside the private room of the barbecue restaurant, the charcoal fire had weakened, leaving only a few dark red sparks gasping in the ashes.
"What about us?"
Choza Akimichi's question broke the heavy atmosphere.
He put down his chopsticks, his eyes—which usually only focused on meat—were exceptionally clear now, staring straight at Shikaku Nara.
As the 'Cho' of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, though Choza appeared simple-minded, he knew very well that the fate of a clan often rested on a single decision.
Shikaku Nara did not answer immediately.
He picked up the sake bottle, refilled the cups of his two old partners, and then poured one for himself.
The sake swayed in the cup, reflecting the dim yellow light from above.
"In the past, we were the shadows standing behind the Hokage," Shikaku said, picking up his glass, his gaze deep. "No matter who the Hokage is, as long as it's for the village, Ino-Shika-Cho will carry out the orders. This is the way our three clans survive—loyalty to the position of 'Hokage,' not to an individual."
"And so we shall continue..."
Inoichi Yamanaka picked up the conversation, his fingers lightly rubbing the rim of his cup. "Though Lord Third is still around, his attitude tonight has explained everything. He is tired, and he is old. He has completely handed over the scepter of power, even acquiescing to Danzo's downfall to pave the way for the Fourth Hokage."
"Exactly." Shikaku drained his glass in one gulp, the spicy liquid burning down his throat and sharpening his thoughts. "The current Konoha is like the charcoal in this stove. The old warmth remains, but a new flame has already been lit. If we don't add wood, we old coals will eventually turn to ash."
Choza frowned. "Shikaku, stop speaking in riddles. Just tell us, what do we do?"
Shikaku set down his glass with a crisp clink.
"Take a side proactively."
He spat out those words with absolute certainty. "Not the passive kind where we wait for orders, but the proactive kind where we provide help in his time of need."
"Danzo has fallen, and Root has been sealed. A massive vacuum has appeared in the village's dark side." Shikaku extended a finger and drew a circle on the table. "Intelligence, assassination, interrogation, surveillance... the fields previously held by Root are now all empty. Although the Fourth has the Anbu, he is far from having enough manpower, and many within the Anbu are still old subordinates of Lord Third."
"What he lacks most right now are confidants. As long as we help him fill this vacuum and help him reconstruct Konoha's power structure—"
"—then we will have a voice in the upper echelons of Konoha in the future."
Inoichi's eyes lit up. "You mean, we should take the initiative to claim these duties?"
"Yes." A glimmer of wisdom shone in Shikaku's eyes. "The Yamanaka clan excels in sensory and interrogation; they can take over the screening of Root's intelligence network. The Akimichi clan is powerful and loyal; they can handle the defense of key areas, filling the holes left by Root. As for our Nara clan..."
He pointed to his head. "We can help the Fourth manage the complicated administrative affairs and strategic planning, allowing him to free up his hands to deal with the real enemies."
"That's a great plan!" Choza grinned. "The Fourth must be buried in work right now."
"It's not just helping in a time of need; it's a pledge of loyalty." Shikaku stood up and grabbed his vest from the rack. "Since the winds have changed, we'd be too slow if we stayed huddled in the harbor. Let's go."
"Where to?" Inoichi asked.
"The Hokage Building." Shikaku pushed open the door, letting the night wind rush in. "While the night is still thick, let us deliver a gift to our Hokage."
...
The Hokage's Office.
The mountain of documents seemed endless.
Minato Namikaze rubbed his aching brow. Having just endured a high-intensity political game, followed immediately by cleaning up the mess left by Root's suspension, even he felt a hint of exhaustion.
"Knock, knock."
The knocking was steady and rhythmic.
"Come in." Minato put down his pen and adjusted his posture.
The door opened, and Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi filed in one after another.
They weren't casual like they usually were; instead, they walked to the desk and knelt on one knee in unison.
"Lord Hokage."
Minato was slightly startled, then stood up and walked around the desk to help them up. "You three, what is this for? Please, rise."
Usually, although they were subordinates, these three were clan heads and senior Jonin; there wasn't so much formality in private.
Such gravity tonight was clearly out of the ordinary.
Shikaku did not rise. He looked up, his eyes burning as he watched Minato. "Lord Hokage, we apologize for the late-night intrusion, but we know the predicament you currently face."
"Advisor Danzo has been suspended, and Root has been sealed. While this was done for the justice of the village, it cannot be denied that a massive gap has appeared in Konoha's intelligence system and clandestine defense forces."
Minato's hand paused in mid-air, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Shikaku continued, "The Anbu is already stretched thin. Between maintaining daily missions and screening Root members, they are likely at their limit. If this void isn't filled quickly, the village's defense system will suffer fatal vulnerabilities."
"Therefore, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is willing to share Lord Hokage's burden."
Shikaku's voice was steady and powerful. "The Yamanaka clan is willing to mobilize its elites to assist the Anbu in taking over the Intelligence Analysis Corps and the Interrogation Department. The Akimichi clan is willing to dispatch combatants to take over Root's observation posts on the village perimeter. As for the Nara clan..."
He paused, showing a confident smile. "If Lord Hokage does not mind, I am willing to be stationed at the Hokage Building after handling my clan affairs to assist you with administrative tasks and strategic deployment."
Minato looked at the three men before him, his eyes squinting slightly. Although he knew their purpose, a warm current rose in his heart, making him feel a sense of relief.
They hadn't pledged allegiance before, but they were doing so now. Didn't that mean they finally recognized him?
And... he needed this desperately.
Taking down Danzo was easy, but managing the mess he left behind was difficult.
Root was dark, but it truly handled a large portion of Konoha's dirty work.
Minato had just been having a headache about how to squeeze personnel out of the limited Anbu, and he hadn't expected Ino-Shika-Cho to volunteer.
Moreover, this wasn't just about manpower.
It was about attitude.
These were three of Konoha's oldest and most stable clans expressing unreserved loyalty to him, the young Hokage.
"Senior Shikaku, Senior Inoichi, Senior Choza."
Minato extended both hands, firmly helping the three of them up one by one. His azure eyes sparkled with sincerity. "Your timing couldn't be better. To be honest, I was just worrying about this."
"Since you three have such resolve, I won't be polite."
Minato turned to the map, immediately entering a professional state. "Senior Inoichi, there is indeed a backlog of work at the Interrogation Department, especially concerning intelligence recovered from Root. I don't feel comfortable leaving it to anyone else; I can only entrust it to you."
"Understood," Inoichi nodded.
"Senior Choza, the southern defense line was originally handled by Root, and it is now vacant. Please take your men and ensure it is guarded."
"Leave it to me!" Choza patted his chest.
"As for Senior Shikaku..." Minato turned to look at the smartest brain in Konoha. "From now on, this office will need an extra chair. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the follow-up plan to appease the Uchiha clan."
Shikaku smiled, a feeling of meeting a worthy opponent and a wise ruler. "It would be my pleasure."
A few simple lines of dialogue completed a significant reorganization of Konoha's power core.
Without the hindrance of Root, and with the full support of Ino-Shika-Cho and the acquiescence of the Third, Minato Namikaze's position as Hokage was finally truly secure.
After seeing the three off, silence returned to the office.
Minato walked to the window, watching their departing figures, and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew... the most urgent gap has finally been plugged."
"Ribbit."
A slightly mocking croak sounded.
Gamakon jumped out from behind a pile of documents, landing on Minato's shoulder and pawing at Minato's blonde hair. "Not bad, Minato. I used to think you were just a sunny boy, but now it seems you've mastered the art of sovereign tactics on your own. That bit of 'courting the worthy' just now moved those three old guys so much they'd probably die for you on the spot."
Minato gave a wry smile and closed the window. "Mr. Gamakon, please stop teasing me. I am truly grateful to them. Without their support, I couldn't protect everyone on my own."
Amid the joking, Minato walked back to the desk and picked up a document concerning the Uchiha clan, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Gamakon asked at the right time, "Minato, since the Root issue is temporarily suppressed, is it time to deal with the Uchiha problem?"
Minato's finger tapped lightly on the name 'Uchiha Fugaku.' "Although we barely suppressed the rumors this time, if we don't resolve the rift at its root, the Uchiha issue will explode in the village sooner or later. I want to take this opportunity to try and integrate the Uchiha into the village's core management, even if it's just a marginal position..."
"Stop."
Gamakon interrupted Minato's daydreaming without hesitation.
He jumped onto the map, sitting right on the location of the 'Root Base,' his toad eyes full of seriousness.
"Put the Uchiha matter aside for a moment. The civilians are currently quite hostile toward the Uchiha. You need to let the relationship between the civilians and the Uchiha cool down first, and wait for this 'rumor storm' to completely subside."
Gamakon extended a claw and pointed to the black dot on the map.
"And, your biggest threat right now isn't the Uchiha at all."
Minato was stunned. "You mean... Danzo?"
"Duh."
Gamakon rolled his eyes. "You think just because you stripped him of his title and took his power, he's become a toothless tiger? Too naive."
"Minato, your understanding of 'Root' is still too shallow." Gamakon's voice dropped, carrying a hint of a chilling aura. "Do you know why Danzo was able to control Root for decades, making his subordinates so loyal that they aren't even afraid of death?"
Minato frowned. "Because of brainwashing?"
"Brainwashing is just the surface."
Gamakon shook his head. "The true control lies in the 'Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal'."
"That seal?" Minato recalled the patterns he had seen on the tongues of the assassins before. "I remember that's a seal to prevent information leaks."
"That's only one of its functions."
Gamakon sneered, his tone grim. "That seal is inscribed directly onto the tongue. Whenever Danzo wishes, he can make the target unable to speak at any time, or even... paralyze their body. More importantly, the control of this seal is bound to Danzo as a 'person,' not to the 'Leader of Root' position."
Minato's pupils shrank suddenly.
He instantly understood Gamakon's meaning.
"You mean..."
"Exactly." Gamakon stared into Minato's eyes. "Even if you announce the dissolution of Root now, even if you throw Danzo in prison, as long as that seal exists, those Root ninja will forever be Danzo's private army. You removed his position, which only forced him from the surface to the underground, but the sword in his hand is still held by him."
"Believe it or not, with a flick of Danzo's finger, those Root members currently being screened by the Anbu could turn violent or commit mass suicide at any moment?"
The temperature in the office seemed to drop several degrees instantly.
Minato looked at the map, cold sweat soaking his undershirt.
He had originally thought that as long as he cut off the source of power, Root would naturally dissolve and be absorbed by the village.
But he had ignored the forced constraints that supernatural powers like ninjutsu could place on the human heart.
"Old powers die hard."
Minato murmured to himself, the ease in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by unprecedented vigilance. "It seems I still underestimated the 'Darkness of Shinobi'."
"So, don't rush into high-difficulty instances like the Uchiha."
Gamakon patted Minato's shoulder. "The priority now is to find a way to crack or suppress the 'Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.' Otherwise, you'll be sleeping next to a bunch of time bombs."
"Also," Gamakon added, "don't forget the masked man, Obito. With Danzo suffering a setback, Black Zetsu will surely look for new opportunities. The peace in Konoha right now is nothing more than the calm before the storm."
Minato took a deep breath and nodded.
"I understand."
He picked up his pen again and wrote the character for 'Seal' on a piece of paper, then drew a heavy circle around it.
"It seems I need to consult Kushina again. When it comes to sealing arts and cracking cursed seals, she is the expert."
Gamakon reminded him from the side, "You need to put your own strength on the schedule as well. Find time to go to Jiraiya and practice Sage Mode. That was my purpose for coming here in the first place."
"In a while, we might have to go out again."