A Grand Affair and a Small Test!

Today, the Hokage's Office was unlike its usual quiet state. Besides the current Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Konoha's three advisors—Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—were all present.

Minato sat behind his desk while the others sat separately on the office sofas. No one spoke, leaving the atmosphere in the room somewhat heavy.

Knock, knock!

A moment later, a knock broke the silence in the Hokage's Office.

"Come in." Only after receiving Minato's permission did an Anbu wearing a cat-faced mask push open the office door.

The newcomer entered the room, ignored the people on the sofas, and reported directly to Minato Namikaze.

"Hokage-sama, members of the Hyuga Clan will be arriving downstairs shortly."

The Anbu's voice was youthful, as though he was still going through puberty, and he was not very tall. Though he wore a mask, anyone could tell that this Anbu ninja was quite young.

Before Minato could respond to the report, a cold snort suddenly came from the sofa.

"Hmph!"

"The Hyuga Clan is becoming more and more unruly!"

"They haven't even finished the job properly, yet they're already thinking about claiming credit!"

"If Konoha's ninjas were all like them, how could people like us manage the other ninjas?"

"Minato, Hiruzen, when it comes down to it, the two of you have indulged them too much!"

Before Minato, seated behind the desk, could speak, Mitokado Homura, who sat between Danzo and Utatane Koharu, let out another cold snort and spoke furiously.

Yesterday, after learning that the Hyuga Clan wanted to borrow the Scroll of Seals, Danzo had tried to stop it, only to be brushed aside by Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, he had no intention of giving up. The next day, he brought along the other two advisors to demand an explanation.

All three advisors opposed lending out the Scroll of Seals.

On the surface, the advisors were worried that the Forbidden Jutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals might be leaked, creating security problems for the village.

But their true aim was to prevent the relationship between the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and the Hyuga Clan from growing any closer.

Though Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for many years, Konoha was still not his personal domain. Factional struggles had always existed within the village. Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu—although these advisors had all been Hiruzen's comrades from the same generation, their existence also diluted Hiruzen's authority.

The current Hokage was Minato Namikaze. He had been Hokage for only a short time and had no foundation to speak of. With his gentle nature, he had even less ability to resolve the village's factional problems.

If he wanted to command the ninja clans in the village, the title of Hokage alone was far from enough.

Only after becoming Hokage did Minato come to deeply understand this. Because of that, he had also intended to win over some of the major clans and strengthen his own influence.

In this regard, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato stood on the same side.

Compared with old comrades like Danzo, Minato, his disciple's disciple, was undoubtedly closer to Hiruzen and more easily controlled as one of his own!

From the day Hiruzen and Minato visited the Hyuga Clan, Konoha's political struggle had already begun!

Mitokado Homura's tone was icy, and his words drew the attention of everyone else in the office.

A trace of awkwardness appeared on Minato's face. However, because of their seniority, he did not know how to smooth things over and could only turn his gaze toward Hiruzen.

Even the future Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, despite being the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama, would still be constrained by the advisors. That alone showed how greatly the advisors' power limited the Hokage's authority.

"Claiming credit is a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?"

"After all, the Hyuga Clan had fully cooperated with the mission to guard Kushina during childbirth and selected eight elite ninjas."

"We're all on the same side. We're simply helping one another."

"Or is there something about the Hyuga Clan that you don't trust?"

Minato was not in a position to speak, but Hiruzen Sarutobi did not need to hold back so much before his old comrades. At the end, Hiruzen suddenly asked a pointed question.

"..."

They did not trust the Hyuga Clan?

Even Mitokado Homura, an advisor, did not dare say such words. Though he was a Konoha advisor, compared to a giant like the Hyuga Clan, he was merely a ninja with some seniority.

It was fine to grumble in private, but openly opposing them would cause serious trouble.

"Hiruzen, you obviously know that isn't what Homura meant."

"The Scroll of Seals is, after all, a ninja scroll recording numerous Forbidden Jutsu. If anything goes wrong, it will bring enormous trouble to the village."

"Or can you guarantee that nothing will go wrong with the Hyuga Clan borrowing the Scroll of Seals? Or perhaps you, Fourth Hokage, can guarantee it?"

Danzo glanced at the silent Mitokado Homura and cursed useless fool inwardly before taking over the conversation.

At the mention of a guarantee, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately fell silent.

There was a high chance that nothing unexpected would happen, but once he truly gave a guarantee, something would definitely go wrong...

Danzo's Root had always remained beyond his control, and none of his other old comrades were easy to deal with either.

These people had even pinned the blame for Konoha's devastating losses in the Third Shinobi World War on him, forcing him to step down in disgrace.

Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have needed to hand over the position of Hokage so early. Look at Ōnoki of Iwagakure—he was even older than Hiruzen, yet he still sat steadily in the position of Tsuchikage!

Hiruzen was only fifty-seven now. In modern society, he would be nowhere near retirement age. He was still in his prime!

"Danzo, no matter what you say, I already promised Hiashi in person that the Hyuga Clan could borrow the Scroll of Seals."

"Minato agrees to this as well."

"As Hokage, we cannot go back on our word."

Though unwilling to offer a guarantee, Hiruzen Sarutobi still pushed for the matter. It concerned the honor of the Hokages, and he could not back down.

"Hmph!"

"We have no intention of making you go back on your word!"

"It is simply that... the Scroll of Seals is not something just anyone can borrow whenever they please, is it?!"

"I heard Hyuga Hiashi wants it for his son? A five-year-old brat wants to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"

"Heh heh. In that case, it isn't unreasonable for us to first assess whether that child has the aptitude to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, is it?!"

"If he doesn't possess that kind of talent, then why talk about learning the Flying Thunder God? Let them back down after realizing the difficulty and give up on their own. That wouldn't count as you breaking your word, would it?"

"Of course, if he truly has exceptional aptitude for learning the Flying Thunder God, then that makes things easy. Nurturing Konoha's outstanding younger generation is the duty of people like us, isn't it?"

Danzo and the others had clearly come prepared. Seeing Hiruzen brush them off with talk of keeping his word, they came up with another method.

Now that things had reached this point, if Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze continued to object, they would be openly tearing their relationship with the advisors apart and acting on their own. At that point, not only would it look bad, it would also affect the harmony within the village.

To fight without breaking apart—that was what best served Konoha's development. For that reason, Hiruzen could even tolerate the existence of Danzo's Root, which answered neither summons nor commands.

The Third Shinobi World War had not yet ended. Konoha's high-ranking officials absolutely could not tear their relations apart. Even Minato was not in a position to say much at this time.

Of course, the main reason was that both Hiruzen and Minato felt that Danzo's words made some sense.

Hyuga Hiashi's son wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, but it was not something one could master simply by wanting to. If the child lacked the aptitude, making him back down after recognizing the difficulty might actually be a good thing.

"Danzo, how are you planning to assess his aptitude? Don't be unreasonable!"

Naturally, Hiruzen would not voice this agreement. Though he questioned Danzo in return, anyone with eyes could tell that he had relented.

"Heh heh heh..."

"How could I possibly be unreasonable?"

"My method may not be absolutely effective, but it will at least convince the Hyuga Clan!"

"Why, isn't the man standing before the Fourth Hokage right now the best possible examiner?"

"Kakashi Hatake! Konoha's universally acknowledged Genius Ninja. Yet even he failed to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, didn't he?"

"My method is simple. Have that child... defeat Kakashi, and he will be allowed to borrow the Scroll of Seals!"

"Of course, considering Hyuga Hiashi's son's age, this promise to the Hyuga Clan will remain valid indefinitely!"

"Whenever Hiashi's 'genius' son can defeat Kakashi, he will be allowed to borrow it."

"Otherwise... he should first grow stronger by studying the Hyuga Clan's inherited ninja arts!"

"Hiashi's son is supposedly such a genius that he wants to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique. If he cannot even match Kakashi's talent, then even if he were given the Flying Thunder God, it would merely waste the child's time."

"Hiruzen, this is the opinion of our Council of Elders. You may relay it in full to the Hyuga Clan."

As Danzo spoke, the young Anbu standing before Minato could not help turning his head to look at him. Behind the mask, his handsome face was filled with question marks.

Wha... what's going on? This involves me too?