Danzo's Night Visit to the Uchiha

Ignoring Sakumo, who was still caught up in his dilemma, Kawafune assumed he was worrying about why his wife still had not gotten pregnant.

Since he already knew his nephew would be called Kakashi, he did not comfort him. This was not something that could be rushed.

Seeing Kushina's curious expression, Kawafune rubbed her lovely red hair.

"What, do you want to learn?"

Kushina nodded, then quickly shook her head.

"Big Brother Kawafune, it's not that I want to learn."

"I just think a friend of mine would become incredibly strong if he learned this technique."

Kushina looked so adorable that Kawafune could not resist teasing her.

"Is this friend of yours a boy?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Does he have blond hair and a really nice smile?"

"Yes. Have you met him?"

"Is his name Minato Namikaze?"

Kawafune did not answer Kushina's question. Her astonished expression was too amusing.

"Ah, you got every single one right."

Only now did Kushina act like a child, tearing away the strong facade she usually wore.

"A trivial matter. I merely need to count on my fingers to know."

Kawafune lifted his chin, putting on a profound and unfathomable expression.

"Tch, I don't believe you. You must have heard it somewhere."

"After all, Minato is my only friend at school."

Looking at this smug big brother, Kushina's intelligence once again seized the high ground.

If they had not been talking about Minato, she would not have been interested at all.

"Cough, cough."

Kawafune coughed twice awkwardly after his attempt at showing off failed.

This was Minato's signature technique. How could he not become strong after learning it?

"If your friend is interested, have him come find me."

"I happen to be short a student."

Taking Minato as his disciple would be quite an achievement. Jiraiya probably had not discovered this prodigy yet, so it could not be called stealing someone's love.

Besides, Jiraiya had so many disciples that one less would not matter.

Kawafune excused his own thoughts. First he had stolen Jiraiya's goddess, and now he wanted to steal his disciple.

He truly was a bastard.

"Big Brother, you're going too far."

Nawaki, who had silently been holding his horse stance, was unhappy. He was talking about lacking a student right in front of him?

Wasn't he learning from him?

"Oh, Nawaki, you're different."

"What kind of relationship do we have? Could ordinary people compare?"

Seeing his brother-in-law's dissatisfaction, Kawafune quickly changed his attitude and coaxed him.

"That's true. I'll forgive you, then."

Nawaki was completely soothed. This thick nerve must have come from Senju Hashirama.

If he had even a fraction of Senju Tobirama's brains, he would not have forgiven Kawafune so happily.

"Really?"

Kushina ignored the exchange between the two of them, her face filled with excitement. She felt that with Minato's talent, if he had a teacher as powerful as Kawafune...

He would definitely become incredibly, incredibly strong.

"Really."

Kawafune answered firmly. He was definitely taking Minato as his disciple. Even if the Death God came, it would not change anything.

"Then let's make a pinky promise. When school starts, I'll tell Minato."

"He'll definitely be very happy."

As she spoke, Kushina held out the little finger of her right hand.

Kawafune indulged in childishness for once and hooked his finger with her tiny one.

Since Kawafune was willing to take Minato as his disciple, Kushina no longer wanted to hold a horse stance with Nawaki. Whoever wanted to do it could do it.

Her attention was drawn to the Ghost Mastiff running around the Training Hall. She truly was a violent girl.

For an ordinary girl, not fleeing at the sight of the Ghost Mastiff would already count as brave.

She spread her legs and charged straight toward the Ghost Mastiff.

"Ah, what a huge doggie!"

Perhaps it was the Uzumaki Clan's innate affinity, but the Ghost Mastiff actually let Kushina pet it without resisting.

It even looked as though it was enjoying itself. Then, with a low whine, it sensed Kawafune's displeasure.

When I pet you, you look half-dead, but when a pretty little girl does it, you enjoy it?

Where am I, Hatake Kawafune, supposed to put my pride?

The Ghost Mastiff's fur stood on end. It hurriedly pulled free from Kushina's palm, and only then did the chilling aura making its fur bristle fade away.

What a possessive man. Terrifying.

The day passed, and Nawaki and Kushina returned to the Senju Clan under the escort of Samurai.

As the moon rose above the branches, all of Konoha fell silent.

Late at night, three black-clad figures concealing their identities arrived at the Uchiha compound.

Under the moonlight, the X-shaped scar on the chin of the man in front was faintly visible. It was Shimura Danzō.

He had visited the Hatake Clan last night and the Uchiha tonight. Who knew how many subordinates he had left to die?

After avoiding the Uchiha sentries, they made their way through the Uchiha compound with great familiarity.

They arrived before the Uchiha Clan Head's residence.

One of the men behind stepped forward and knocked on the door, then retreated back into place.

A moment later, the door opened, and a young man in a kimono appeared before Danzō and his two companions.

"I am Uchiha Fugaku. What business do you three have with the Uchiha Clan, arriving so abruptly?"

Fugaku looked proud but wary. After all, three strangers appearing outside the clan head's door already spoke to their capabilities.

"I am Shimura Danzō. I have an important matter to discuss with your clan head."

Danzō did not take this young Uchiha seriously. Sooner or later, he would eliminate the Uchiha.

"Wait here."

Fugaku frowned. Naturally, he knew Danzō's name. Root had clashed with the Uchiha more than a few times.

Among Konoha's upper ranks, Danzō had no goodwill toward the Uchiha. Fugaku did not know what he had come for tonight.

He turned around without closing the door. To a ninja, a door was nothing more than a flimsy screen.

A moment later, Fugaku returned and led Danzō and his two companions to the Quiet Room in the clan head's residence.

Looking at the Quiet Room, which was eighty percent similar to the one from last night, Danzō's eye twitched slightly.

His neck seemed to ache faintly again.

After steadying himself, he sat down opposite the Uchiha Clan Head.

Behind him stood two Root ninjas, while Fugaku stood behind the Uchiha Clan Head.

At Uncle's signal, Fugaku poured Danzō a cup of tea.

"Since when did the Uchiha have important matters to discuss with Lord Danzō?"

The Uchiha Clan Head spoke without the slightest hint of politeness.

"The Senju Clan intends to open a hospital beside the Police Force."

Danzō did not mention the Hatake Clan, because the Senju were the Uchiha's mortal enemies.

"Is that true?"

The Uchiha Clan Head immediately began to speculate, believing this was a new method from the Third Hokage to deal with the Uchiha.

Seeing the sudden change in the Uchiha Clan Head's expression, an imperceptible smile flashed across Danzō's face.

"Absolutely true. The approval has already been issued."

"Construction will begin once the money is in place."

Danzō was telling the truth, only leaving out that the Hatake Clan was providing the money.

"What is your purpose?"

The Uchiha Clan Head did not believe Danzō would kindly reveal this matter to him.

"I also do not want this hospital to open."

Since he could not become the hospital's director, Danzō would rather see it fail to open. He was even willing to cooperate with the Uchiha, whom he hated most.

That showed just how black-hearted he was.

The Uchiha Clan Head had spent most of his life in politics, so he immediately saw through Danzō's intentions. He simply feared that once Tsunade gained prestige, she would compete with him for the position of Hokage.

That guess indeed matched Danzō's ambitions.

"How do you propose we cooperate?"

Since their goals aligned, the Uchiha Clan Head did not mind cooperating with Danzō once.

Moreover, Tsunade now had the Hatake Clan at her side, and they were not easy to provoke.

Fugaku's skills ranked among the best in the Uchiha, yet he had not lasted even one move against Hatake Kawafune.

If he knew Danzō had nearly died at Kawafune's hands last night, he would likely have felt very differently.