Uchiha Rotation

Early spring, Konoha Year 52.

Hokage Office.

Several of Konoha's advisers held another private meeting with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This meeting was to discuss the Uchiha Clan.

Because the Third Hokage's compromising stance in the face of Kumogakure's Extortion had created a rift between one of Konoha's great clans, the Hyuga, and the Third Hokage, he had become even more wary of the Uchiha Clan.

Most importantly, because of what Danzō had done, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan had also grown distant from the Hokage's faction.

The Hokage faction's original pressure on the Uchiha Clan had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

The Third Hokage had also intended to deal with those restless elements among the Uchiha. Originally, he had planned to ease the Uchiha along slowly, boiling the frog in warm water until, in the end, the Uchiha were forced into confrontation with the village.

"Hiruzen, has Kushina completely gone over to the Uchiha? She's far too close to the Uchiha Clan, and she's even brought Naruto into the Uchiha along with her." Utatane Koharu frowned, clearly disapproving of the way Sarutobi Hiruzen was handling things.

"Kushina is now an extremely powerful ninja. We can't push her too hard. She isn't like the Konoha White Fang; she doesn't identify much with the Will of Fire. Ever since Naruto went missing last time and she kicked down the door to my office, that has been abundantly clear. So on some matters, we can let her have her way."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, he glanced at Danzō.

Shimura Danzō was rather indignant. How had this come back to him again? Wasn't Hiruzen the one who had spoiled her?

"And then there is Orochimaru's matter! Danzō, just how much have you been hiding from me?"

"Hmph. Cell research began as early as our teacher's time. Just because you were unwilling doesn't mean your disciple was unwilling too," Danzō snorted coldly.

"Human experimentation violates the natural order. My ban on human experiments was also for Konoha's benefit."

"Enough. You just want the results, don't you? No need to say so much. I'll give them to you."

After Danzō finished speaking, he took out a scroll.

The other three were extremely surprised as well. Why was Danzō so easy to talk to this time? So straightforward?

"Ahem." Sarutobi Hiruzen reached out, took the scroll into his sleeve, then changed the subject. "Danzō, even if human experimentation is conducted, we cannot use people from our own village as test subjects. Do you know how great an impact this has had on the safety of our own village?"

Shimura Danzō looked at this old partner who had taken the benefits yet still wore an unhappy expression, and he grew somewhat furious. "Hiruzen, he is your disciple! Not mine! Don't blame every failure of your own teaching on me!"

After Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, they shifted the topic. "Hiruzen, how should the Uchiha problem be handled?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression also became solemn.

"I have already received some intelligence through Uchiha Shisui."

"The Uchiha Clan has no intention of launching a coup."

"Hmm?!" *3

This was something the advisers had not expected. Before the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Uchiha had already shown some faint signs of a coup.

Afterward, it went without saying that their relationship with the Hokage faction had become increasingly tense.

Even now, the relationship between the Uchiha and the Hokage faction showed little sign of easing.

But now Shisui's intelligence said the Uchiha had no intention of a coup. What was going on?

"Shisui said that recently, during meetings at Naka Shrine, the Uchiha Clan stated that they would both oppose and cooperate with us."

"What does that mean?" *3

"Shisui said the Uchiha have now completely given up on a coup. To be honest, Fugaku is very clever. With this move, he has directly integrated both the Dove Faction and the Hawk Faction's ninja."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression did not look good.

How had he never noticed before that Uchiha Fugaku's political ability was this high?

"Hiruzen, you mean the Uchiha will cooperate with us on one hand to build the village and stabilize Konoha, while opposing us and refusing to cooperate on the other? That is completely contradictory!" Utatane Koharu found it strange even as she spoke, unable to understand it.

"Their opposition is only directed at our Hokage faction, not the entire village," Mitokado Homura said, having understood.

"Damn Uchiha!" Shimura Danzō was somewhat furious. With this, the atmosphere he had previously built in Konoha had been shattered all at once.

Moreover, if the Uchiha openly declared dissatisfaction with the current Hokage, the effect of him smearing them would be greatly reduced.

"In addition, Uchiha Shisui has already submitted his resignation to me. He will leave the Anbu in one month." Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression grew even uglier. After he said this, the pressure in the office dropped considerably again.

"In other words, we have already lost the flow of information from within the Uchiha Clan, and in the future we will no longer be able to obtain any intelligence on the Uchiha? Damn it! Hiruzen! You should never have—"

"Danzō! I am the Hokage!"

"Hiruzen, do you regret it?"

"No. Regarding the Uchiha Clan, I have decided to dispatch their ninja to rotate duty on the border."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, the office fell silent once more.

"Hiruzen! Do you know you're playing with fire? If the Uchiha Clan goes to the border, and their achievements become great enough, their prestige high enough, they really will have a chance to run for Hokage!"

"Since the Uchiha Clan has already decided to cooperate with us, then we must use them to protect the village."

"What if they intend to start a war? You know that once war breaks out, they can gain even more achievements on the battlefield."

"I am the Hokage. Do they get to decide which battlefield they go to? Besides, if they dare start a war, I will dare pin all the blame on the Uchiha!"

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, his gaze turned toward Danzō.

"So, old friend, I need you to keep yourself a little busier."

"Heh heh, Hiruzen, you've finally made up your mind. Then let's hit them! I've been sick of those other ninja villages for a long time."

"Mind your limits. Don't make too many enemies. And one more thing! Don't drag me into this. Remember, the war was started by the Uchiha, not me!"

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, he looked at Danzo with eyes as still as an ancient well. The chill in that gaze even suppressed Danzo's own vicious gloom.

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen fully displayed his bearing as the God of Shinobi before his old friend.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also felt chills run through them.

To secure his position, the Third Hokage had already begun taking the initiative to stir up war, that eternal sixth-man move.

The Uchiha?

Could they really outplay Konoha's God of Shinobi?

Late spring, Konoha Year 52.

Large numbers of border personnel from Konoha returned to the village, and at the same time, Konoha's ninja clans sensed that something was off.

The clan ninja they later sent to the border were notified that their deployment would be postponed.

At the same time, they discovered that the number of Uchiha ninja in Konoha had greatly decreased.

The Konoha Military Police Force had also been drastically downsized.

The border personnel who had returned were also granted at least a month of leave.

With fewer of their clansmen going to the border, wasn't it obvious which clan was being used to fill the gap?

Lord Hokage was actually letting the Uchiha Clan take responsibility for that much of the border? At least one-third of their clan's ninja had gone.

Was he about to make a move against the Uchiha?

Then why send so many Uchiha to the border? That made no sense!

In Kushina's Sealing Space, Anju heard Minato muttering, listened to the content for a bit, and only then learned of Sarutobi Hiruzen's maneuver.

Anju thought about it for a moment and understood the Third Hokage's intention.

He wanted to use an external war to divert trouble elsewhere and frame the Uchiha.

This was practically standard practice for the other ninja villages. Konoha was playing that game too?