The Beginning of Tension

One week later.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage sat with a serious expression while an Anbu ninja wearing an animal mask kneeled before him. The ninja belonged to the Uchiha clan and was known as "Instant Body Shisui," one of the two Uchiha geniuses alongside Itachi Uchiha.

"The council gave me some information, but Shisui, I want to hear your opinion on the Uchiha clan's intention to launch a coup."

The Third Hokage wanted to hear Shisui's opinion on the Uchiha clan's intention to launch a coup. He didn't want the village to be thrown into turmoil.

The outbreak of the Third Ninja World War, alongside the disappearance of the Third Kazekage, was largely due to the suicide of Konoha's White Fang. The departure of the three legendary ninjas also weakened Konoha significantly, making other villages see an opportunity to replace it. 

Now, nearly ten years after the end of the Third Ninja World War, Konoha has almost recovered from its losses. But if the Uchiha clan started a war now, Hiruzen feared the Fourth Ninja World War might break out.

With the death of the Fourth Hokage, there was no one in Konoha strong enough to resist such a threat. 

If only his students were here, he wouldn't worry so much. Among the three legendary ninjas, Orochimaru had become a traitor and died while experimenting with biological studies. Tsunade was addicted to gambling and likely in debt; her whereabouts are unknown. Jiraiya had lost contact with the ninja world, chasing his own interests.

Konoha couldn't withstand another war. The situation with the Uchiha clan made Sarutobi Hiruzen deeply concerned. He was old and did not want to see more bloodshed. 

"The Uchiha clan indeed has some dissatisfied members, but Itachi and I have been trying to appease them. To solve this problem, we must improve the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village. It is possible for both sides to coexist peacefully," Shisui expressed. 

However, the situation within the Uchiha clan was not as optimistic as Shisui believed. In a recent meeting, the clan discussed potential actions, even considering joining forces with other clans from different villages. Shisui found himself torn between his clan and his beloved village, hoping to avoid a never-ending conflict. 

"I understand, Shisui. Please report to me promptly if you notice any signs of movement," the Third Hokage said, dismissing Shisui. 

"Hokage..." Shisui began. 

"Dismissed!" the Third Hokage interrupted, ending the conversation. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen is a smart man who understands the irreconcilable nature of the problem between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, as expressed by Shisui. If the issue could have been resolved through mediation, it would not have been unresolved for so long. Konoha couldn't satisfy the ambitions of the Uchiha clan, as it is not just the city of one person. Konoha is made up of numerous families with complex interests.

Shisui tried to speak but hesitated and left the hostage's office without saying anything. Almost instantaneously, he disappeared. 

"Now, Sarutobi, it is time to make a decision. Since the time of Mr. Tobirama, the Uchiha clan has been a thorn that Konoha must remove." A figure hidden in the shadows suddenly spoke.

"Wait a little longer, just a little longer."

Sarutobi threw his pipe aside without looking surprised at the sudden voice, for he knew who was lurking in the shadows. 

"We can't wait any longer. The Uchiha clan is ambitious, and we must take the initiative to eliminate them unexpectedly and minimize the losses." Shimura Danzo's voice was chilling as he stated his opinion. 

He and Hiruzen were classmates, both disciples of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Danzo still remembered the ambush during the trip to Hidden Cloud Village when Tobirama stayed behind to ensure their retreat and appointed Hiruzen as the Third Hokage.

After all these years, Danzo still vividly remembered the moment Senju Tobirama asked who was willing to stay behind and cover the retreat. Danzo had hesitated, driven by his fear of death, while Sarutobi, who was braver, became the third Hokage. 

This incident deeply affected Danzo, making him believe that he too could have become Hokage had he spoken up sooner. Thus, as Sarutobi's assistant, Danzo always approached major decisions from his own perspective, confident in his judgment being more accurate and beneficial to the village. 

However, he never considered whether he would have had the courage to volunteer if Sarutobi had not spoken first. 

In an era of frequent wars, everyone dreams of becoming a hero and earning the respect of many. But when faced with death, most people choose survival over heroism. Senju Tobirama was well aware of the situation and wouldn't hesitate to pass the position of Hokage to Sarutobi Hiruzen, rather than Shimura Danzo or any other exceptional disciples. 

"Wait a bit longer. You should understand the sheer power of the Uchiha clan..."

"Sarutobi, if you're concerned about the losses being too great, don't worry. I'll reach out to the ninja mercenary organization, Akatsuki. When the time comes, with Itachi and Akatsuki working together, I can guarantee that no ninja in Konoha will die!"

"Akatsuki? How much do you know about them? Can we trust them?" 

"We pay them, they do the job, and we'll have no further obligations. There's no need to understand them." 

It must be said that Shimura Danzo's proposal did entice him.

If he could resolve the Uchiha clan issue by simply spending some money without harming the village, he would agree, even if the act of exterminating the clan seemed cruel. 

Influenced by Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't treat the Uchiha clan impartially. Otherwise, he wouldn't have continued the policy set by the Second Hokage towards the Uchiha clan.

***

"It's finally about to begin." 

As Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo finished their conversation, Yato put down the telescope and shifted his gaze from the Hokage's office to the large tree near the back door of the ninja school. 

Simultaneously, a sound transmission note in his hand emitted a golden light and dissipated into the air. This item, found in the Talent Exchange Shop, allows him to eavesdrop on conversations within a certain range and at a certain time. 

Yato didn't plan in advance to have this item; he simply thought of using it when Riku detected Uchiha Shisui passing. 

He exchanged the Shadow Clone technique for enough talent points to buy it.

"Riku, did you hear that? There's a connection between the Uchiha's Genocide and the Akatsuki organization." 

Riku was surprised to hear that Konoha and Danzo were already aware of the Akatsuki organization's existence and had some involvement with them. In the original TV series, the Uchiha clan's extermination was mentioned but not shown in detail.

Yato wasn't too surprised by the news. It would be unreasonable to think that the Uchiha clan was wiped out silently by just two individuals in such a short amount of time. 

He acknowledged Itachi's strength. With the Mangekyō Sharingan, he was unbeatable against any member of the Uchiha clan, and even all of them combined couldn't defeat him. However, it was important to consider the limitations of manpower. The Uchiha clan was the most powerful in Konoha and had been preserved by the policies of the second Hokage. With its large population, it would be impossible to silently kill them all. 

Yato knew that Itachi wouldn't openly wreak havoc, attracting attention from Konoha's ninjas and civilians. Which means he received help from Obito and the Akatsuki organization.

The question now was: who would the Akatsuki organization send this time? Given the caution of Sarutobi and Danzo, they will not send all of them, even if they hire a rebel ninja mercenary group as powerful as the Akatsuki organization. At most, they can only send 3–4 people. Sending more people would make the target bigger and cause Konoha to feel unsafe. 

"Why are you so sure that Sarutobi has agreed to Danzo's proposal? Hasn't he refused?" 

"Hiruzen will agree. And even if he doesn't, Danzo will force him." 

Danzo is cautious of the Uchiha clan and their powerful Kotoamatsukami abilities. He doesn't feel at ease with such a powerful force not in his control. 

Shisui is destined to die, and his plan with Itachi is impossible to achieve!

"If you want to blame someone, blame Uchiha Shisui for being too naive. He revealed his Mangekyō ability to others." 

From Yato's perspective, Shisui was too stupid. He wouldn't use such a powerful illusion that could change an opponent's will with a glance, unless it was a matter of life and death. So why would he tell others about it? 

There are not just one or two people in the Uchiha clan with rebellious hearts, but almost the entire clan wants to rebel. Do Uchiha Shisui's eyes alone suffice? 

It would be better to use it directly on Danzo or the Third Hokage. Maybe there is still a chance. You're here. Let's go quickly. Teacher Iruka asked everyone to gather in the playground to practice shuriken."

While Yato was thinking, Hanabi suddenly appeared, took his arm, and walked towards the gate. 

"I can walk by myself." 

Ignoring her dissatisfaction, Yato simply waves his hand, walks in front, and soon arrives at the playground. 

The atmosphere is no different from previous study sessions. Most students are even more enthusiastic during outdoor classes. 

After arriving at the playground, Yato joins the large group and waits for Iruka's roll call. 

While waiting, the children whisper to each other, eager to show off their skills. 

Yato remains silent and instructs Riku to pay attention to any suspicious movements and observe if there are more Anbu ninjas in the shadows.

If not, it means that Konoha has not yet made a decision to attack the Uchiha clan.

If so, then the Uchiha clan's destruction is not far away. 

During the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on Konoha, many people saw the scarlet Sharingan reflected in his eyes. If Sarutobi and others decided to take action, they would naturally do a good job of protecting the Jinchūriki in advance to prevent history from repeating itself.

While he was deep in thought, it suddenly became Yato's turn! 

Yato paused his thoughts, took the shuriken, and threw it directly. 

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh! 

Three sounds of the shuriken cutting through the air rang out in quick succession, but only one hit the target, and it was far from the bull's eye.

"Twice off target, once 2 rings, this guy's luck is too bad!"

"I thought I was the worst, but I didn't expect someone to be even worse than me. Now I won't have to worry about getting scolded by my father when I go home, hahaha..."

"Huh, this arrogant kid is only good at physical skills. What's the use of that? A ninja who only knows physical skills is useless!" 

There were quite a few people who disliked Yato on a regular basis.

His cold face and the air of pretentiousness that almost overflowed made him deeply unpopular among the boys.

Watching him make a fool of himself, these guys couldn't help but be sarcastic. 

Ignoring the laughter on the playground, Yato walked over to a tree with a blank expression, leaned against it, and closed his eyes to rest. 

Hanabi didn't pay any attention to the ridicule. Instead, she walked over with a smile, with her hands behind her back, and spoke to Yato. 

"I finally found your weakness. It turns out that you can't throw kunai!" 

"This guy really can't throw. He usually relies on gravity to control it," Riku chimed in.

But Hanabi naturally couldn't hear what it said. Seeing that Yato didn't react, she thought he was feeling discouraged, so she comforted him.

"It's okay, Yato. I will teach you how to throw shurikens in the future. And as for Kunai, leave it to me!" 

"Girl, are you sure you want to do this? This guy is... Riku said. 

Yato suddenly raised his hand and slapped his left shoulder, as if swatting a fly, repeatedly slapping and smacking, each hit breaking the Dokkaebi's spirit until the darn spirit shut up.

Yato looked up at Hanabi and said, "I don't have a talent for this; you don't have to waste your time!"

*****

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