"Lord Third, these are some of my initial thoughts and suggestions."
Inside a conference room in the Hokage Building, Minato Namikaze respectfully handed over a report to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others present.
The room itself wasn't very large, and there weren't many people inside.
But every single person seated there held significant influence within Konoha.
Besides Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, there were also Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Shikaku Nara—along with several department heads from Konoha's key organizations.
Meetings like this were supposedly meant to pool collective wisdom, helping Minato avoid making flawed judgments when handling major decisions. If something went wrong, the others could step in and correct the course.
But after attending many such meetings, Minato already understood something.
People like Shikaku Nara rarely spoke during these sessions. Most of the time they simply observed quietly—eyes lowered, saying nothing.
The ones who actually voiced opinions were always the same few individuals.
And what frustrated Minato the most was that those people not only held tremendous authority…
Sometimes even their counterarguments sounded perfectly reasonable.
For example, Minato had once proposed improving relations between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
His idea was simple: allow more Uchiha members to work in other departments of the village so they could gradually reintegrate into Konoha's broader system.
Unfortunately, the response he received was:
The tension between the Uchiha and Konoha could never be solved simply by assigning them to a few additional positions. It was a long-term and difficult issue.
Moreover, the Uchiha clan's temperament meant they might not perform effectively in many departments. In fact, their presence could potentially worsen the already fragile situation.
And beyond that, the Uchiha already controlled the Konoha Military Police Force.
Granting them additional authority elsewhere might disrupt the balance of power within the village.
Arguments like these left Minato extremely frustrated.
Yet he couldn't easily refute them.
He wanted to argue back—how could anyone know the Uchiha wouldn't succeed if they never even tried?
But the reality remained: the clan already held immense authority through control of the Military Police.
Giving them even more power carried real risks.
If things went well, perhaps everyone would understand and coexist peacefully.
But if things went poorly…
Other interest groups in the village might become dissatisfied, while the Uchiha—suddenly elevated—could grow even more arrogant.
It was practically a paradox.
Unless the Uchiha themselves agreed to loosen their grip on the Police Force.
Yet intelligence reports suggested that even within the Uchiha clan, the struggle for control over the Police Force had never truly stopped.
Allowing outsiders to intervene would likely make matters even worse.
"Hmph. What kind of proposals are these, Hokage-sama?"
Just as Minato was lost in thought, Danzo suddenly snorted coldly and spoke up.
"If Konoha didn't maintain strict surveillance and decisive measures, how could the village possibly enjoy the peace it has today?"
The reason Danzo was angry—and spoke so bluntly, in a way that could almost be seen as openly challenging the Hokage—
Was simple.
Minato's proposal had touched Danzo's interests.
At the center of Minato's proposal this time was one thing:
Root.
Perhaps it was the intelligence provided by Natsuhiko that had pushed Minato to act.
Or perhaps Minato simply couldn't tolerate Root's philosophy:
"If you resist, you deserve to be killed.
If you don't resist, that means you accept being killed."
Whatever the reason, Minato had decided to focus his proposal on Root.
Of course, he understood something clearly.
This wasn't the kind of issue that could be solved overnight.
If he wanted to gradually gain oversight of Root—gather more detailed information without alerting them—then every move he made had to be careful.
Careful.
And subtle.
For example, what he had raised today wasn't a direct attack.
Instead, it was simply a question about Root's operational methods.
Minato was well aware that many clans within Konoha harbored deep dissatisfaction toward Root.
Because of that, he intended to test the waters first—to weaken Root slightly, or at the very least probe the limits of what it could get away with.
That was the reason behind the report he had submitted today.
Its core message was simple:
Before Root carried out any operation, it should first conduct a proper investigation.
And if the target turned out to be someone from within the village, then after the investigation ended, that person deserved a reasonable explanation.
"That may sound reasonable," Minato said slowly, frowning as he looked at Danzo Shimura,
"but don't you think you've gone too far?"
He spoke each word clearly.
"If the people you acted against were outsiders, I might not say a single word."
"But those people are members of Konoha. They are our own people."
"What you're doing is excessive."
"I have never doubted my actions," Danzo replied calmly, staring straight at Minato Namikaze as if the Hokage title meant nothing.
"And I will never hesitate."
"Everything I do is for Konoha."
"This is how you protect Konoha?" Minato's frown deepened.
"Those people are also residents of the village. Is this how you protect them?"
"Don't twist the meaning of my words."
Danzo shook his head before speaking coldly.
"When I say Konoha, I mean the village itself."
"A great tree may harbor parasites within its trunk."
"And within a village, there will always be tumors and hidden threats."
"If I eliminate them to protect Konoha… what's strange about that?"
With that, Danzo slowly stood up.
His gaze swept across everyone in the room before finally settling back on Minato.
"Hokage-sama, your report is worthless."
"You don't understand how many dangers Konoha truly faces."
"And let me make something very clear."
"Everything I do is for Konoha—and I will never stop."
"Whether it's an individual or an entire clan, if they betray Konoha or oppose it, then I will remove them and lighten the burden on this village."
"As for your ideas…"
Danzo's tone turned even colder.
"They're naïve."
"Evidence is rarely easy to find. It is hidden, covered up."
"If your investigations alert those people, or if—according to your suggestion—you let them know exactly what they've done wrong…"
"They will simply hide like turtles in their shells."
"And then they will find other ways to continue harming Konoha."
"That would only cause even greater damage to the village—and more suffering for innocent people."
"I know you're dissatisfied."
"But Root has existed for a long time and has never fallen."
"Again and again, it has stopped threats against Konoha."
"That alone proves its value."
"Yes, its reputation is terrible."
"But Hokage-sama… Root exists to do the dirty work."
Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And surely the Hokage doesn't wish for his own hands to be stained with blood, does he?"
Danzo's speech was clear, structured, and delivered with absolute conviction.
For a moment, Minato found himself unable to respond.
In fact, he almost began to question whether his own doubts about Root were justified.
Root's existence… was indeed necessary.
He could not deny that.
But the way Root operated—
that was something Minato simply could not accept.
Did every ninja in Konoha really have to live beneath Root's shadow?
Unaware that at any moment, they might face its blade?
"Enough, Fourth Hokage."
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke.
"I understand your concerns."
"I will urge Root to make some adjustments. After all… this is a time of peace."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"However, Fourth Hokage, there is something I must tell you."
"Please speak, Lord Third."
Hiruzen slowly drew on his pipe before continuing.
"Sometimes, there are things everyone knows about."
"As long as no one exposes them, people can pretend they don't exist."
"But once you tear away the curtain, those matters must be investigated."
"And once investigations begin, the results may eventually need to be made public."
"At that point… many departments, many people…"
He looked directly at Minato.
"Even you might become involved."
"And when that happens, people may begin to lose faith in the Hokage."
"Some might even become afraid to approach you."
Hiruzen's voice grew quieter.
"Remember this, Fourth Hokage."
"A shinobi has the right to know the truth about themselves."
"Even if it's after the fact."
"But they also have the right to remain ignorant."
"Even if it's… after the fact."
...
When Minato Namikaze stepped out of the conference room, he let out a weary sigh.
The outcome of this meeting felt… frustrating. In fact, "failure" wasn't too strong a word to describe it. Even though, deep down, he had expected this.
Still, being dismissed so thoroughly stung more than he would have liked to admit.
But Minato was Minato. He knew this was only a trial—an initial probe—and in that sense, it was enough for him.
He could see clearly that both Danzo and the Third Hokage, despite their differences, had acknowledged Root's existence and its actions in their own way.
Even if it was only tacit approval, it was enough to give Minato plenty to think about. Plenty of interesting, potentially exploitable thoughts.
What gnawed at him, though, was that he couldn't find any real way to refute Danzo's arguments—at least, not yet.
Even when it came to the Uchiha clan, Minato had struggled to come up with a solid counterargument.
I underestimated Danzo's ability to defend his position, Minato thought.
In his memory, Danzo had always been the silent but ruthless type—someone who spoke little but acted decisively. Every move he made was precise, leaving almost no room for error or mercy.
But today, in the meeting, Minato realized that Danzo's rhetoric was far sharper than he had imagined. He could structure his arguments with precision, weaving truth and logic in a way that made Minato struggle to respond.
Worse yet, some of the points Danzo raised were undeniably correct, and that was what made countering him so difficult.
Forget it… Ishouldn't dwell on this, Minato sighed, returning to his office.
The pile of reports and documents on his desk made him feel almost absurdly small. For a moment, he wondered if he was here to make policies at all.
Or if he was simply a tool—someone who signed papers and complied with the so-called "right policies."
Shaking his head, he picked up a file and started reading seriously, though a nagging curiosity—and worry—lingered in his mind.
Natsuhiko and Kakashi should be approaching Sunagakure by now. I hope they'll be alright. But why did Natsuhiko pick such a dangerous mission...
...
"It seems the brat has given up for now," After Minato and the other department heads, including Shikaku Nara, had left, Danzo Shimura remained in his seat. He didn't rise but addressed Hiruzen Sarutobi directly.
"Temporary, yes. Luckily, he keeps documents in the office. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to catch this intelligence at all."
Hiruzen shook his head slightly, then stood up and fixed his gaze on Danzo.
"I've never agreed with your extreme methods," he said calmly, "but as a teammate, I trust your character. I understand your judgment. So I won't argue further on this matter—you handle it as you see fit, Danzo."
"Don't try to sound so noble, Hiruzen." Danzo stood up as well, his voice a raspy taunt.
"Step one: scare the reporter. Step two: question the report's bias. Step three: cater to certain viewpoints. Step four, which I didn't use today, is to discredit the reporter—an enjoyable little move."
"Everything I used to counter him today… I learned from you, Hiruzen."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Seems like you've mastered the art of handling these situations quite well."
Hiruzen paused mid-step at that and looked Danzo over, but said nothing in response.
In truth, things were exactly as Danzo Shimura had said.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had dealt with situations like this countless times before. He had plenty of ways to reject any report that might negatively affect him.
Back when he first took office, his position had been extremely fragile. No one knew how many humiliations he had endured during those early years. Because of that, he had been forced to develop all sorts of methods to handle the troubles that came his way.
Later, when he finally secured real power, everyone had effectively become his subordinates. Many had even joined his circle of interests.
At that point, those methods had simply continued to be used.
After all, he couldn't just eliminate people whenever disagreements arose. If he did that, his time as Hokage would likely come to an end very quickly.
Of course, things like this were best left unsaid.
Everyone could understand the implication without needing the words spoken aloud. Once spoken, however, the meaning became something entirely different.
"Forget it. Let's not talk about that."
Danzo caught the look in Hiruzen's eyes and, satisfied, smoothly changed the subject.
"I heard you sent that brat from the Senju clan out on a mission. What, planning to get rid of him already?"
"That was a mission he chose himself."
Hiruzen's voice was calm and distant. He placed his pipe near the candle stand, warming it slightly before speaking again.
"He's a clever one. Naturally, he understands how dangerous that mission is. But since he wants to try it, then let him try."
A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"Besides… I'd like to see what he's capable of."
...
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha clan compound, Uchiha Sora had just returned home.
As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed someone already sitting in the room, calmly drinking tea.
"Grandfather? You're here already?" Sora smiled, sitting across from him. "You could've told me so I'd come back earlier."
"No need. I waited for you, Sora." Her grandfather waved it off casually. "By the way… how's your application report coming along?"
"The medical department application?" Sora prepared a cup of tea for him, then sighed softly. "Grandfather… you know as well as I do, my report stands no chance of passing—not at this moment, at least."
In truth, Sora had always known that her application to join the Medical Department would never be approved.
The report itself was less of a request… and more of a statement.
A statement from the faction within the Uchiha clan represented by her grandfather—a gesture showing their attitude toward Konoha.
Sora was intelligent.
She had always understood her grandfather's intentions, and she knew that the situation within the clan was far from optimistic.
But she also knew how difficult it would be for such a plan to succeed.
The fact that there hadn't been any response at all so far was already answer enough.
"I understand. This is a delicate matter… a particularly tricky one," her grandfather admitted with a sigh. "But it's a question of attitude. We have to do it… and we must do it."
"I understand, Grandfather," Sora nodded gently, her thoughts clear. She had already made peace with the reality of it.
"By the way… let me ask you something," her grandfather said, steering away from the frustrations for a moment.
"What is it, Grandfather?" Sora asked, curious.
"Back in your days… you had a classmate, Kakashi. Do you still remember him?"
Sora froze for a moment.
"…"