Chapter 58: A Win-Win Plan

"Stop complaining about the Second Hokage."

The Third Hokage's gaze was displeased as he warned Danzo once again. His face then took on a nostalgic expression, "The Second Hokage had his reasons for entrusting the police force to the Uchiha. We are short-sighted, do we have the right to question his decision?"

He was the chosen successor of Hashirama Senju, defending the Second Hokage was also defending his own authority. However, the Third Hokage also admitted:

"The times have changed, the Leaf Village is no longer what it was during the Second Hokage's era. The power of the police force should be reclaimed by the Leaf Village in an appropriate manner."

Danzo had been waiting for the Third Hokage to say this. His eyes flashed as he proposed, "I have a plan. If we can prove that the Uchiha are incapable of managing the police force, we can justifiably further reduce their power."

"How do we prove it?" The Third Hokage asked.

"Prison riot," Danzo said coldly.

"What do you mean?" The Third Hokage frowned again, asking for clarification.

Danzo took a sip of water, then calmly laid out his plan: "The police force's law enforcement is too harsh, often arresting people on the street for trivial matters, which has caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the villagers. So, I plan to instigate a prison riot, then use this to take back the police force's prison from the Uchiha. At that time, we can also release those ninjas and civilians who were wrongfully imprisoned, thus gaining more public support. This is a win-win plan."

Listening to Danzo's confident explanation, it seemed he had been planning this for a long time. However...

"No," the Third Hokage shook his head decisively, seeing the problem with the plan, "Once a prison riot occurs, the situation will become uncontrollable. If all the prisoners of the police force escape, how can we ensure the safety of the villagers' lives and property?"

"Don't give me that, Hiruzen," Danzo retorted with a mocking face, as if he had seen through the Third Hokage, "To achieve great things, sacrifices must be made. The more villagers are affected by the prison riot, the more responsibility the Uchiha will have to bear. You've been Hokage for so many years, don't tell me you don't understand this?"

Sometimes, for the greater good, the interests of a small part of the population must be sacrificed. This is a truth that every leader must understand.

"I'll say it again, we must think long-term about this matter," the Third Hokage stared back at Danzo with a stern gaze, his attitude still very firm.

"In that case, I have nothing more to say," Danzo stood up and left.

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances. They both understood that the Third Hokage's stance, while seemingly opposed, was actually a tacit approval of Danzo's plan. He just didn't want to openly take the blame.

Without Danzo carrying the darkness, how could people see a kind and bright Third Hokage?

"If there's nothing else, we'll leave first," Koharu said, standing up with Homura to bid farewell.

"Sigh," the Third Hokage sighed, feeling drained. Should he really let Danzo do such a thing?

Just as he was hesitating, an Anbu wearing an eagle mask hurriedly entered the office and reported to the Third Hokage, "Hokage-sama, the Uchiha clan is making a move. Just now, more than thirty Uchiha ninjas left their clan grounds."

The Third Hokage's face changed, pushing other matters to the back of his mind, he asked, "Who is their leader, where are they headed? Are they coming for the Hokage building?"

At this critical moment, it was a case of fearing what might come. The eagle's answer, however, was beyond the Third Hokage's expectations.

"No, they seem to be... heading towards Uchiha Dan's gym," the eagle made a guess, but he couldn't be sure yet.

"Hmm?" The Third Hokage was taken aback upon hearing this, and then ordered, "I see, continue surveillance."

After a while, the still uneasy Third Hokage took out a fist-sized, semi-transparent crystal ball from his drawer. He focused his chakra, performed a hand seal, and the figure of the Anbu codenamed "Eagle" appeared in the crystal ball.

The man was lurking on a rooftop, watching a small alley below. In the alley was Dan's gym - the Body Modification Department. This was the Third Hokage's unique technique - Telescope Technique. As long as he knew the target's chakra characteristics, he could monitor them from a distance through the medium of the crystal ball. It was a very magical surveillance technique.

However, this technique wasn't so exaggerated that the Third Hokage could monitor everyone in the village at will. He didn't have the ability or the energy to do so. Up to now, he had only monitored a few of his subordinates and some special individuals in the village.

For example, Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Some powerful ninjas like Danzo could detect the Third Hokage's surveillance and use methods to make the Telescope Technique ineffective.

This was also why the Third Hokage didn't use this technique to monitor Shisui, because the latter would definitely notice. If this affected his image as the Hokage in Shisui's heart, it would be more harm than good.

Just then, more than thirty Uchiha ninjas indeed appeared in the crystal ball. They marched into the alley in a grand manner, heading straight for the gym. What on earth were they up to?

The Third Hokage watched this scene, frowning and focusing his attention.

A group of Uchiha ninjas, all dressed in high-collared blue robes, each with a serious expression on their face, swiftly moved through the streets. The leaders were Uchiha Inohi, Uchiha Tetsuhi, and several other high-ranking members of the police force.

Anyone who saw this scene was buzzing with speculation. "So many Uchiha ninjas moving out together, what are they up to? They don't look happy."

"Are they going to arrest some important criminal? Looking at this formation, I'm afraid some big ninja clan in the village is in trouble."

"Anyway, let's stay away from them, be careful not to get involved."

The Uchiha passed by, causing the bystanders to change color, fearing they couldn't avoid them fast enough.

But they guessed wrong.

These conspicuous Uchiha, after causing quite a stir along the way, finally rushed into a secluded, deserted alley.

At the clan meeting last night, Dan, as the clan leader's younger brother-in-law, made a stunning appearance. He demonstrated his true power in front of all the clan members, making them realize their own weakness.

Tearing apart the fake Madara with his bare hands, using the Indra's arrow, Dan's power made the Uchiha fear him, but also drove them crazy.

Dan said that the current strength of the Uchiha clan was too poor to catch his eye.

Hearing this, many prideful clan members went home and pondered how to become stronger. Some even stayed up all night thinking.

This morning, a group of them gathered and thought for half the day.

In the end, they still couldn't figure out how to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan or enhance their strength in other ways.

Finally, Inohi and others decided to muster the courage to go to Dan's gym and ask him for advice in person.

These more than thirty Uchiha, both radicals and moderates, many of them had dropped their tasks or taken leave from the police force just to visit Dan.

As the clan leader and head of the police force, Fugaku not only tacitly approved of Inohi and others' actions, but also readily granted everyone's leave.

So, they hurriedly arrived at the gym.