Hiruzen Sarutobi Sets His Own Trap! (Please Follow)

Hiruzen Sarutobi Sets His Own Trap! (Please Follow)

"You're utterly ridiculous!! How could I possibly do anything that would harm Konoha!!!"

Danzo was so furious he nearly spat blood. This guy's ability to lie through his teeth was even more impressive than anyone Danzo had encountered before.

He had originally thought that, once he presented those two arguments, Bai Ye would have no way to refute him.

But who could have expected Bai Ye to be even better than him at twisting black into white?

"Have you done so little? Do you not know how the White Fang died?"

Bai Ye looked at Danzo with a smile, but in Danzo's eyes, that smile gave him an inexplicable chill.

Of course he knew how the White Fang had died. Hadn't he been driven to death by Danzo himself?

Back then, the White Fang's prestige in the village had been far too great.

At the time, Danzo still harbored a sliver of hope—that after the Third Hokage stepped down, he could smoothly take over and become the Fourth Hokage.

But he had never expected the White Fang's sudden rise to utterly ruin his plans.

Fortunately, heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard. An opportunity had presented itself. He had merely wanted to strike at the White Fang's reputation, but he had never expected the White Fang to commit suicide over it.

After that, the Sannin had all become potential obstacles in his path.

Danzo had begun targeting them one by one as well, but he had never expected Minato Namikaze's appearance to completely disrupt his plans.

Just as it had become all but certain that Minato would become Hokage,

the Nine-Tails' Rampage broke out not long after he took office.

At the time, Danzo had practically grinned from ear to ear.

Thinking that if Minato died, he would reap the benefits, he had not shown himself at all.

More importantly, quite a few people had seen the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes.

That had given Danzo a tremendous advantage over the years.

Because of the Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Uchiha clan's reputation had plummeted. In the past, they had been arrogant, but everyone had simply endured it.

Yet after the Nine-Tails' Rampage came to an end, he discovered that the village had begun to reject the Uchiha clan. Then, using his old methods of manipulating public opinion,

he pushed the Uchiha clan to the opposing side. He had originally believed that as long as Fugaku remained clan head, the Uchiha clan would inevitably be wiped out by his hand, and he would fulfill the Second Hokage's "last wish."

That would also prove that he was more capable than Hiruzen Sarutobi and better suited to be Hokage.

"Ahem. Bai Ye, I don't think we need to be like this. We're all part of Konoha. Why make things difficult? Haven't we also been working to improve the relationship between the village and the Uchiha?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a light cough. Clearly, he knew this matter could not be openly discussed.

Everyone understood it perfectly well.

"Also, Danzo, stop bringing up the Nine-Tails' Rampage. The Fourth Hokage told me before that it was someone wearing a mask."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to continue discussing it. In his view, there was no conclusion to be reached.

Was he really supposed to say it had been the Uchiha clan and provoke internal conflict?

Whether it had been an Uchiha from within the clan or a rogue Uchiha outside the village, Hiruzen Sarutobi would simply treat it as though it had not been the Uchiha clan.

"Lord Hokage, we Uchiha also want to improve our relationship with Konoha. But before that, shouldn't you show us some sincerity?"

Bai Ye smiled at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Seeing him act this way, how could Bai Ye not know that he was playing the good cop again?

Compared to a genuine villain like Danzo, hypocrites like Hiruzen Sarutobi were far more disgusting.

Without Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval or tacit consent, Danzo would never have dared to do many of those things.

Yet he still had to put on the appearance of some pure, innocent saint.

Anyone who did not know better would think he was completely blameless.

"Fine, tell me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up. He had not expected Bai Ye to be so easy to talk to. Had that just been a show of force?

If that was the case, then he seemed easy enough to control.

Seeing that Bai Ye had stopped pretending, Danzo inwardly sneered and recalled what Uchiha Fugaku had demanded back then.

It was probably the same thing Fugaku had wanted, right?

If so, why had they needed to replace Uchiha Fugaku in the first place?

Sure enough, this was no longer the Uchiha clan of old. They were merely Uchiha struggling at death's door.

Uchiha Setsuna, however, had a change of expression when he heard Bai Ye was about to negotiate terms with Hiruzen Sarutobi. A long-buried memory suddenly struck him.

It seemed Uchiha Fugaku had also started out rather forcefully when he wanted to negotiate with Konoha.

Then, later on, nothing came of it.

Could Bai Ye end up the same way?

He had finally seen hope in Bai Ye. Would Bai Ye really disappoint him just like that?

"First, return the land that originally belonged to the Uchiha clan before the Nine-Tails' Rampage!"

"..."

What?

You were going that big right from the start?

The kindly expression on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face instantly froze.

He had thought Bai Ye would at most ask him to improve relations with the villagers.

At worst, he might ask for money or status. Who would have thought Bai Ye would demand land the moment he opened his mouth?

Could they give it to him?

The area where the Uchiha had once lived was right in the center of Konoha!

Who had it now?

The Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan had taken a portion. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had also taken portions for their clans.

Then some had been given to the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga clan.

Now that land had already been divided up. Were they supposed to go ask for it back now? How could they possibly take it back?

"Go ask the Hyuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho for it!"

Danzo immediately tossed out those words, a cold smile flashing across his face.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was embarrassed to say it, so Danzo would say it for him.

"Danzo, watch your words!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed as he quickly shouted.

Danzo, on the other hand, did not care. He knew this was merely Hiruzen Sarutobi's act.

"The Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga took at most a quarter. The Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan took half of the rest, while the remaining half was taken by Utatane Koharu's and Mitokado Homura's clans. What, being elders gives you special privileges? Besides... who told you I would not ask them to return it?"

Bai Ye raised his head, a cold smile appearing on his face.

With the Mangekyo, he had the confidence. At worst, he would lead the clan into rebellion. As long as he won Shisui over, he would fear no one in all of Konoha.

Win Shisui over, and they would have two pairs of Mangekyo. Then, after reasoning with Fugaku and appealing to his emotions, they would have three pairs.

He did not believe three pairs of Mangekyo could not resolve the problem between Konoha and the Uchiha.

Bai Ye would not touch the Ino-Shika-Cho or the Hyuga for now, but he would not let Konoha F4 off.

"Then... once you get those back first, my Shimura clan will return all the land to you!"

Danzo smiled as well. If Bai Ye had the ability, he could go to the Hyuga. Danzo refused to believe the Hyuga would return land to the Uchiha.

As long as the Hyuga did not return it, neither would he.

"I agree. If the Hyuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho are willing to return the land to your Uchiha clan, then an exchange would be no problem."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura agreed as well. Neither believed the Hyuga clan would yield to the Uchiha clan.

Those two clans had always been competing openly and covertly. Asking the Hyuga to return land was plainly impossible.

"Bai Ye, if you think reclaiming the land will improve things, then I can exchange the Sarutobi clan's land for the Uchiha's current land right now. Of course, if you want to settle things with the Hyuga clan first and reclaim everything afterward, I can agree to that as well."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke hypocritically. The Sarutobi clan was located in the very center, while the Uchiha's reclaimed land would be too small to house the entire clan.

And the Hyuga clan was right next to it, so they had to take the Hyuga's land in order to build anything. Thus, the issue circled back to the Hyuga clan.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi was willing to offer Bai Ye the exchange in advance.

"You're mistaken. That land does not belong to your clan. It belongs to Konoha. When Konoha was founded, that land was taken by our ancestor, Madara Uchiha. So if anyone has a claim to it, it is the Uchiha clan, not the Sarutobi clan. Fine, then we will do as you say. If I settle things with the Hyuga clan, I will reclaim the land that belongs to the Uchiha clan!"

Unable to settle things with the Hyuga?

What a joke!

He had thought reclaiming the land would not be easy, but Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were actually digging a pit for themselves.

"Then, let's put it in writing!"

"What!?"

"Write it! If you can't get the land back from the Hyuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho, then you can't keep making trouble for us over this matter!"

Danzo hurriedly said.

The Hyuga clan was already at odds with the Uchiha clan, and the Ino-Shika-Cho stood with the Hokage's side. It was plainly impossible for Bai Ye to reclaim the land.

That was why Danzo wanted it written down. It might even become a key weapon against the Uchiha clan in the future.

Thus, they drafted the agreement and finalized it.

"Then, Bai Ye, does your Uchiha clan have any other issues that need resolving?"

"There's no rush. We can settle things one at a time. Since there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first. Lord Hokage, just don't renege on your debt later. As for the Police Force, we'll deal with that after we finish our internal reforms. Lord Hokage, you'll have to handle the village's problems yourselves for the next few days. You are the Hokage, after all. You can't throw everything onto the Police Force, can you?"

Bai Ye did not want to raise too many issues at once. They could be resolved one by one. First, he would reclaim the land that had originally belonged to the Uchiha!

"I understand. I'll take over during this period. I hope you hurry."

Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head, a trace of gloom flashing through his eyes.

He knew that even if he refused Bai Ye now, Bai Ye would still do it. There was no point. They could only begin with this matter. Once Bai Ye failed to reclaim the Uchiha's original land and completely crushed every Uchiha hope, Bai Ye would surely be removed from his position.

Watching the four leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi made up his mind. He cast Danzo a subtle glance before turning away, and Danzo immediately understood.

After leaving, Uchiha Setsuna frowned and asked Bai Ye, "Are you sure the Hyuga will return the land to us? We're mortal enemies!"

Bai Ye had acted far too rashly just now.

Although Uchiha Setsuna had always wanted to reclaim their original clan grounds, it seemed completely impossible.

The others had already swallowed it. Would they really spit it back out?

"They hold power now, so we need to dismantle their prestige piece by piece before we can act. The Uchiha clan needs a victory. The clan is too repressed right now. I'll deal with the Hyuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho. I won't make promises lightly when I'm not confident!"

Bai Ye had two plans. First, if he could persuade or beat Hyuga Hiashi into submission, that would settle it. If not, then he could only persuade Shisui. After their previous heart-to-heart talk, Shisui had clearly begun to waver. Bai Ye only needed to give him one more strong push, and Shisui would defect outright. But Bai Ye would not mention that unless necessary. After all, Danzo's arm was his trump card for wiping out Konoha F4!

"Do you need the Uchiha's help?"

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes lit up. Bai Ye's words made too much sense.

The Uchiha desperately needed a victory right now. The clan members were pessimistic, and all kinds of emotions were spreading. If they could reclaim the land that had originally belonged to them, it would be a great victory for the Uchiha clan!

"Not for now. Since I'm the clan head, I'll handle it myself. Also, tell everyone in the clan that I'm going to reclaim all the land."

"Isn't that too risky?"

Uchiha Tetsu was dumbfounded. Bai Ye had not even gotten it back yet.

Why was he already eager to tell everyone?

"Even if I don't say it, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others will spread the news. It's their old trick. You might as well announce it yourselves. That way, we can seize the initiative!"

"I understand."

The three fell silent for a while before agreeing. They knew Bai Ye was right.

Thinking about it, the three seemed to see something in Bai Ye that Uchiha Fugaku had lacked.

And as the news spread,

the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga, and everyone in Konoha learned that the Uchiha clan intended to reclaim the central area of the village that had originally belonged to them.

"Shisui, what do you think he's thinking? If he can't get it back, then our Uchiha clan will become the laughingstock of all Konoha!"

Although Itachi Uchiha always said he hated how the Uchiha kept talking about the clan,

Bai Ye's actions clearly lacked consideration. If he failed to reclaim the land, how would Konoha see them?

"Itachi, trust Bai Ye. Though I hate to admit it, he really sees farther than we do. Look at the smiles and confidence on the clan members' faces. Maybe we were all wrong."

After speaking, Shisui closed his eyes and began to recall how long it had been since he had seen such expressions on the clan members' faces.

He had once believed he was helping the Uchiha clan, but the clan members had only misunderstood them. Yet Bai Ye seemed to have truly shown the clan hope.

The Uchiha clan had been repressed for far too long.