Shibi Aburame, You're Here Too?

Shimura Danzō was a troublemaker!

If they let that guy stay, he was bound to spout nonsense and rile up the victims.

If that sparked another conflict, there'd be no easy way to wrap things up today.

If things got so bad that Hiruzen had to "kill his own trusted man," wouldn't that leave him in an impossible position?

Killing Danzō was something Hiruzen couldn't bear to do, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He only had a few classmates left, and there weren't any better candidates for the role of his black-gloved hand.

But if he didn't kill Danzō, Hiruzen would lose the support of four staunch clans.

Without the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho-Aburame, he'd have to bring out the Sarutobi Clan to fill the manpower gap.

But then the Sarutobi Clan's true numbers would be laid bare for everyone in Konoha to see...

That would be even worse!

A lot of things weighed only a few ounces before they were put on the scales, but once weighed, they could tip the balance by a thousand pounds!

So Danzō was better off staying far, far away.

As usual, Hiruzen chose to sweep things under the rug. Rather than solve the problem, he postponed the fallout, hoping the conflict would gradually shrink from a major issue to a minor one, then disappear altogether.

Seeing this, Yamanaka Chujiu knew that Hiruzen's feelings for Shimura Danzō, at least for today, were unshakable.

He had done everything he could. Now it was time for his big brother Inoichi to step in and secure some assurances.

He quietly shifted his position, keeping the others in front of him.

Then, through the Heart Severing Realm, he seized on everyone's relaxed mood and gradually made himself less noticeable, withdrawing completely from center stage.

The outcome came as no surprise. Hiruzen agreed to restrain Shimura Danzō, apologized for the offense, and offered substantial compensation.

The Ino-Shika-Cho-Aburame clans all managed smiles, saying that what had happened was in the past and that they were still loyal subordinates of Lord Third Hokage!

The two sides laughed and chatted, but the awkwardness in the air remained.

Whatever else, they were now at war with a powerful enemy. Everyone needed to stand together against the outsiders; they couldn't ignite a civil war in Konoha.

Shikaku Nara quietly reminded the Third Hokage, "Lord Third Hokage, you... you need to confirm the Fifth Hokage soon. Otherwise, Danzō..."

Hiruzen seemed to snap out of a daze. Right in front of Shikaku Nara, he drew in a sharp breath, his face darkening as he said, "I understand. I'll handle it."

After the Third Hokage left, Yamanaka Inoichi asked, "Shikaku, do you think Lord Third Hokage will deal with Danzō?"

Shikaku Nara shook his head. "How could he?"

"If he could make up his mind, Shimura Danzō's name would already be on the Memorial Stone."

"My suggestion is that the Third Hokage confirm the Fifth Hokage as soon as possible. Whether it's Lord Orochimaru, Lady Tsunade, or even the unreliable Lord Jiraiya, any of them would be better than having no Hokage in office!"

Yamanaka Inoichi said, "Chujiu told me that Orochimaru thinks the Third Hokage might put himself back in power."

Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi were both stunned. "The Third Hokage returning to power? How could that be?"

Shikaku Nara suddenly jumped to his feet. "Damn!"

"Lord Orochimaru was right. The Third Hokage really might try to return to power!"

"That's right, Lord Orochimaru was right! There's no doubt about it!"

"I was wondering why the Third Hokage's decisions these past few days, and his personnel arrangements, had been such a mess. I thought he was getting senile."

"If the Third Hokage is trying to return to power, then it all makes sense!"

Yamanaka Inoichi said, "The Third Hokage returning to power wouldn't be good for Konoha. It'd be shortsighted, a way of muddling through without caring about the future!"

Torifu Akimichi sighed. "You're probably right. That's just the sort of person Hiruzen Sarutobi is. He doesn't have much foresight."

"If he really had foresight and decisiveness, he wouldn't have let Danzō establish Root and create this mess that's now impossible to control."

Yamanaka Inoichi asked, "Shikaku, what should we do?"

Shikaku Nara said, "I can only offer one piece of advice for now: the Ino-Shika-Cho must always follow the Hokage. It doesn't matter who the Hokage is."

Yamanaka Inoichi said, "So now it comes down to Lord Orochimaru's attitude."

"If he's willing to compete for the position, the Ino-Shika-Cho will support him. If he's too devoted to his experiments and doesn't want to become the Fifth Hokage, then we'll have no choice but to follow the Third Hokage wholeheartedly."

Torifu Akimichi nodded in approval. "Good. With Inoichi and Shikaku in this generation, the Ino-Shika-Cho are more than capable of keeping the three clans safe."

Shibi Aburame agreed. "Shikaku Nara is so clever, and Yamanaka Inoichi is so wise! The Aburame Clan will stand with you."

Yamanaka Inoichi: "..."

Choza Akimichi: "..."

Shikaku Nara: "..."

Torifu Akimichi: "...Huh? Shibi Aburame, you're still here?"

Shibi Aburame sighed deeply. "Yes, Senior Torifu Akimichi. I've been right beside you the whole time."

"Was I not supposed to listen...?"

Shikaku Nara waved his hands hurriedly. "No, no, Senior Shibi, it's best that you're here. With all four clans on the same page, we'll be better prepared for whatever changes come!"

Yamanaka Inoichi and Choza Akimichi were drenched in sweat, but nodded in agreement. "Right, exactly!"

After agreeing that the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Aburame Clan would stand together, the three clan heads politely saw Shibi Aburame off.

After repeatedly confirming that he had really left, Yamanaka Inoichi let out a long breath. "Good thing we didn't say anything too dangerous this time."

Shikaku Nara wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "We'll have to be twice as careful from now on. I'd meant to make sure Senior Shibi had left, but somehow I still forgot he was there."

Choza Akimichi patted his chest, then reached behind him and pulled out a braised chicken leg, using the food to soothe his startled heart.

As he ate, he muttered, "A talent for being inconspicuous is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying!"

Torifu Akimichi chuckled. "It's fine. The Aburame Clan has a good relationship with us, so it doesn't matter if Shibi overheard some of this."

"Of course, we should still be twice as careful from now on."

"Let's leave things at that. I doubt old Lukaku has any better ideas."

"Inoichi, that kid Chujiu has become Orochimaru's student. That's good for us. Have him watch Orochimaru's reactions and figure out what he really thinks."

Yamanaka Inoichi stood and bowed. "Yes, Senior Torifu. I'll tell Chujiu."

Only after everyone had completely dispersed did Yamanaka Chujiu emerge from the shadows of the courtyard wall. He released the effects of the Heart Severing Realm, then stretched luxuriously.

He was very pleased with how he'd done today. "Good. I've become even harder to notice than Senior Shibi Aburame."

The Heart Severing Realm had grown much stronger—almost completely transformed.