If not for his unwavering sense of duty, Namikaze Minato would have quit long ago.
The moment Shimura Danzō arrived at the Hokage Office, he pointed at Sarutobi Hiruzen's nose and let him have it.
"Hiruzen! I've heard everything. You've disgraced our teacher! How could you let a mere Uchiha act so brazenly?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned. "Where did you hear about it?"
The incident had happened right outside the Security Division, with only the three of them present. There was no way word should have gotten out.
Shimura Danzō's hands shook with anger. "The Uchiha have already posted an announcement! They've declared that villager they seized off the street guilty of rebellion, and you, the Hokage, have confirmed it. How can you say this isn't your fault?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's vision went dark.
That Evil Uchiha! How could he be so wicked?!
The Security Division had posted the announcement right after he left.
To some people, what difference was there between that and him ordering the Uchiha to brand an innocent villager a rebel?
Danzo saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression and sneered.
"This is all because you've been too weak. You've let the Uchiha grow this arrogant!"
"Today they can grab a civilian off the street and call him a rebel. Tomorrow they'll openly surround the Hokage Building!"
"Hiruzen, you can't keep indulging them! The Uchiha must pay for what they've done!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was already in a foul mood. With Danzo pressing him, he recalled how Xuanye had mocked him to his face at the Security Division.
I may not be able to rein in the Uchiha, but I can certainly rein you in, Shimura Danzō!
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned all his anger on Danzo.
"Enough, Danzo! I'm the Hokage!"
A certain Little Sun hiding behind the desk: "..."
Wasn't I the Hokage now?
Forget it. Whoever wants the job can have it.
This is unbearable!
Danzo gave a heavy snort and stormed out, slamming the door.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this. You'll definitely regret this!"
Perhaps because Sarutobi Hiruzen had snapped at him, Danzo repeated that warning twice this time before slamming the door shut.
Sure enough, the Hokage soon summoned Fugaku. The message from the Anbu was stern, and every word suggested he would be held accountable.
Xuanye went along. Though he had already told Fugaku what to do, he still worried Fugaku might falter when it mattered.
Namikaze Minato was nowhere to be seen in the Hokage Office. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō, his head wrapped in bandages, waited inside.
Perhaps Little Sun had found the atmosphere too oppressive and gone to spend time with his wife during her maternity leave.
Seeing the two old men together, Xuanye knew this was unlikely to end peacefully.
Sure enough, the moment Fugaku entered the Hokage Office, Shimura Danzō stood and pointed at him.
"Uchiha Fugaku! What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Uchiha ninjas have been awfully active lately! Are you wicked Uchiha planning to betray the village?!"
Danzo had opened by accusing the entire Uchiha of treason.
In the past, Fugaku would have rushed to explain. Once Danzo finished playing the villain, Sarutobi Hiruzen could step in as the reasonable one and use the opportunity to make the Uchiha accept a series of Unequal Treaties.
This time, Fugaku said nothing. His expression did not even change, as though he had not heard a word Danzo said.
He did not so much as glance Danzo's way. He only stared coldly at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It was exactly the same as yesterday.
Xuanye had even less to say. He found a sofa, sat down, and leisurely watched the farce unfold.
Because to Xuanye, that was all this was: a farce, and one he had seen performed many times before.
A joke stopped being funny after it had been told enough times.
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought their methods were polished, but to Xuanye, who had received Nine-Year Compulsory Education, they were absurdly childish.
Still, with Chakra in the world, ninjas were War Machines capable of taking on a hundred enemies alone. There had even been people like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, whom no ordinary force could hope to match.
It was only natural that political struggles in the Ninja World looked somewhat ridiculous.
It was not that Xuanye had failed to see through them before. He had simply believed the Uchiha had no hope of winning.
Besides, the Uchiha would never have taken the words of an ordinary Chunin without even the Three-Tomoe seriously.
Now Xuanye had awakened a system and gained the Mangekyō. He could speak to them as an equal, even overturn the whole table. It was time to show these natives what a real struggle looked like.
Only after shouting for some time did Danzo realize no one was backing him up. Something felt off.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also noticed that Fugaku was acting strangely today, but he did not give it much thought.
As far as he was concerned, Fugaku would compromise as he always had.
He was certain of it. Fugaku's temperament made him far too easy to manipulate.
Once he felt Danzo had applied enough pressure, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped in to smooth things over.
"That's enough, Danzo. The Uchiha are part of Konoha too."
"But Fugaku, I do have to say something to you. That last incident caused a great deal of public outrage."
"For Konoha's sake, I ask that you make a small sacrifice."
"As for the Uchiha Clan Compound... move it to the outskirts of the village for now. After all, you wouldn't want every villager in Konoha to reject you, would you?"
It was the same old act of scolding both sides. Danzo received only a verbal rebuke, while the Uchiha had to make a real concession.
Moving the Uchiha Clan Compound to the outskirts was more than suppressing the Uchiha. It was an attempt to shut them out of Konoha's center of power entirely!
And not once had Sarutobi Hiruzen said how the move would be carried out or mentioned any compensation. As though relocating nearly a thousand Uchiha took nothing more than a few words from him.
The Uchiha would even have to bear the cost of moving the compound themselves.
Fugaku still said nothing. Not even his gaze wavered.
But inside, his emotions were in turmoil.
More than anger, he felt shock.
Xuanye had predicted not only exactly how Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo would confront him today, but even the demand Sarutobi Hiruzen would make afterward.
If the setting had been more appropriate, Fugaku would have asked whether Xuanye's awakened Mangekyō ability let him see the future.