Shimura Danzō's words carried obvious resentment. It was clear he was still irritated by Hiruzen Sarutobi's earlier remarks.
Hiruzen merely glanced at him and ignored the complaint. Instead, he continued calmly:
"In this war, three members of the Uchiha Clan stood out the most: Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Shisui, and Uchiha Ren."
"Among them, Uchiha Fugaku is the current head of the Uchiha Clan. You all know his temperament—mild and cautious. Having someone like him sitting in the position of clan head is actually beneficial for us."
"As for Uchiha Shisui, he is a descendant of Uchiha Kagami. Just like Kagami, he possesses the Will of Fire. He is not as arrogant and unruly as most Uchiha and is a young shinobi worth cultivating."
"It is only Uchiha Ren whom I cannot quite see through."
Due to the long-standing influence of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen and the others had always viewed the Uchiha Clan with suspicion.
They constantly kept watch over the clan.
Whenever a particularly outstanding Uchiha appeared, they would quietly take notice and monitor the situation.
Yet Uchiha Ren seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, catching them completely off guard.
After a pause, Hiruzen continued:
"Uchiha Ren has an aloof personality. After his parents died, he became even more withdrawn. During his time at the Ninja Academy, he rarely interacted with others. After graduation, he joined the Konoha Military Police Force."
"In terms of strength, although he was far stronger than ordinary civilian shinobi, he was overshadowed by the brilliance of his contemporary, Minato Namikaze, and appeared no different from an average Uchiha."
"But during the war against Kirigakure, he displayed extraordinary power."
"His Fire Release techniques reached an exceptional level—even capable of suppressing Water Release despite the elemental disadvantage."
"First, during the encounter with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he cooperated with the genin Might Duy and killed four of them while seriously injuring the remaining three."
"After that, he fought across multiple battlefields, successively killing powerful shinobi from the Kaguya Clan, the Yuki Clan, the Hōzuki Clan, and other users of kekkei genkai and secret techniques—without suffering a single defeat."
"Finally, Uchiha Ren directly defeated Kirigakure's Fourth Mizukage, completely establishing his reputation and earning the title 'Red Sun.'"
After recounting everything he knew about Uchiha Ren's record, Hiruzen's frown deepened.
Homura Mitokado cleared his throat.
"Actually, it isn't too difficult to understand why Uchiha Ren rapidly improved and shined during the war. After all—he's an Uchiha."
"But typically, when Uchiha gain greater power, their personalities become even more arrogant and cold."
"Yet this Uchiha Ren is the exact opposite."
"According to the intelligence I've received, his personality has actually become more approachable in recent years. Not only has his arrogance disappeared, he has also made many friends. His conduct toward others is gentle and impeccable."
"That's… rather unusual."
Among the Uchiha, Ren's personality had always been somewhat out of place.
Combined with his extraordinary strength, it was impossible for him not to attract attention.
And since the Konoha High Command already held deep suspicions toward the Uchiha Clan, their first reaction upon noticing him was naturally—
To question whether something was wrong.
Koharu Utatane said coldly,
"As the saying goes, when something is abnormal, there must be a reason."
"In my opinion, this Uchiha Ren gives off a sinister aura. We should proceed cautiously."
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"I intend to recruit him into the ANBU once he returns."
"ANBU?"
Both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were visibly surprised.
The ANBU was the Hokage's direct force, responsible for missions involving Konoha's most sensitive secrets.
Until now, even Uchiha Kagami, the personal disciple of Tobirama Senju, had only served in the Hokage's personal guard unit.
No Uchiha had ever joined the ANBU.
Hiruzen nodded and explained:
"First, I have never personally observed him at close range. Bringing him into the ANBU will give me the opportunity to watch him carefully."
"Second, placing him in the ANBU ensures that this uncertain factor remains directly within my field of vision."
"The ANBU is filled with our own people. Even if he harbors other intentions, it will be difficult for him to stir up trouble."
"Third, it also serves as a form of restriction."
"Uchiha Ren achieved considerable merit on the battlefield. His reputation is already approaching that of Minato Namikaze. If he receives no reward, the public will not accept it."
"So we will recruit him into the ANBU, give him a position, and appear to promote him."
"But in reality, it will be a promotion in name but a demotion in practice."
"In a few years, he will quietly fade into obscurity."
It was an extremely clever move.
The ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai — the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad) served directly under the Hokage.
In many ways, every action they took represented the Hokage's will.
For the Uchiha Clan—who had long been excluded from Konoha's core political power—having one of their members enter the ANBU would seem like a major breakthrough.
For the moderate faction within the clan, it would be a welcome sign.
Even the more hardline members of the Uchiha would have little reason to object.
Thus, allowing Uchiha Ren to join the ANBU would appear to be a significant gesture of goodwill toward the clan.
It might even persuade Uchiha Fugaku to voluntarily relinquish the compensation and benefits that the clan rightfully deserved.
However, the full name of the ANBU was the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.
While shinobi understood the ANBU's high status, most ordinary villagers did not even know the organization existed.
ANBU operatives had no names, no faces, and no identities.
When carrying out missions, they wore white masks modeled after animals.
All information regarding their assignments and identities was strictly confidential.
Once Uchiha Ren joined the ANBU—
As far as Konoha was concerned, the shinobi named Uchiha Ren would effectively cease to exist.
Under such circumstances, with a few additional manipulations, the fame he had gained on the battlefield would vanish within just a few years.
It was truly a plan that achieved multiple objectives at once.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado quickly grasped the logic behind it and both showed approving expressions.
Homura Mitokado said with admiration,
"Hiruzen, this move is absolutely brilliant. Those Uchiha probably won't even realize what happened until the day they die."
Koharu Utatane nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. Once that Uchiha Ren enters the ANBU, even if he had three heads and six arms, he wouldn't escape our control."
A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
Although the idea had originally come to him on a whim, the more he thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed.
"Heh."
At that moment, a cold, disdainful laugh sounded.
It came from Shimura Danzō.
Hiruzen frowned slightly and turned toward him.
"Danzō, do you have a different opinion?"
"No."
Danzō shook his head, though a trace of amusement appeared on his face.
"I just want to remind you of something."
"You'll soon no longer be Hokage."
"Are you certain that the ANBU will still follow your will when that happens?"
Then he added meaningfully:
"After all, I've heard that Uchiha Ren and Minato Namikaze are extremely close friends."
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