At that moment, even Nara Shikaku, a staunch Hokage supporter, felt angry.
How had Sarutobi Hiruzen made a man like that Hokage Assistant? Just because Danzo had also been the Second Hokage's student?
Even putting a pig in the position would have been better than giving it to someone hell-bent on attacking his own side.
Now they were trapped either way.
Refuse him, and they would offend Danzo. Give him what he wanted, and the Uchiha would come after them with everything they had.
Who had the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans ever offended?
For the first time, Nara Shikaku could not help wondering whether the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans were right to pledge loyalty only to the Hokage.
Once your allegiance was set, everyone else could offend you without a care.
Just look at what Xuanye had done: he had thrown the Yamanaka Clan's reputation to the ground and trampled it.
But the Uchiha did not care. Or rather, Uchiha Genya himself did not care.
He had never intended to win over the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans in the first place.
Before he became Hokage, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans could never be his allies. Once he did, they would come fawning over him. So why would it matter how badly he offended them beforehand?
If he won, he gained everything. If he lost, nothing much would change.
Damn it. The Uchiha found a loophole.
Nara Shikaku could not help wondering: With someone so skilled at power plays among the Uchiha, was that good or bad for Konoha?
Then another thought struck him. Xuanye's combat strength was apparently off the charts too.
According to the reports, Xuanye had killed nine elite Root Shinobi on his own. Three were Jonin, and Yamanaka Fu was an Elite Jonin who had mastered his clan's Secret Technique.
Yet Uchiha Genya had killed the entire group with ease.
He himself seemed unharmed and could even send someone around to collect "hush money."
Clearly, he had not taken the attack seriously at all.
An Uchiha who could fight that well and think that sharply... Shikaku could not tell whether he would prove a blessing or a curse for Konoha.
"Forget it. From now on, we'll steer clear of Danzo's side as much as possible." Nara Shikaku had no better option.
On one side stood the deeply entrenched Hokage faction. On the other stood Konoha's foremost clan, with overwhelming combat power.
And the Uchiha had plainly given up on winning them over. If they came after the three clans in the future, they would show no restraint.
Without the Hokage stepping in, even all three clans together could not withstand the Uchiha's pressure.
Inabi did not return until the sun was nearly down.
Grinning, he pulled a stack of bills from his coat and set it in front of Xuanye.
"You really have a way with these things. You got us all this money without breaking a sweat."
"Once the Yamanaka Clan gave in, those smaller ninja clans fell in line even faster. They paid the emotional distress compensation as soon as I showed up."
He had learned the phrase from Xuanye. Thinking about it now, he found it perfect. Brilliant!
Of course it fit! Nine ruthless Root Shinobi had openly tried to assassinate Xuanye right there in the village. He must have been terribly frightened.
What? All the Shinobi who attacked Xuanye were dead?
They had only lost their lives. The head of the Security Division had nearly been frightened!
Which mattered more was obvious.
Just as Inabi was about to leave, Xuanye stopped him.
"Wait."
Inabi froze in place.
Xuanye glanced at the bills on the table and held out his right hand.
"How much did you skim? Hand it all over."
They had grown up together like brothers. Did Inabi think Xuanye did not know what he was like?
Inabi's face fell at once.
"Boss, I took two of the guys along to extort—"
At the word "extort," Inabi caught Xuanye's displeased look and hurriedly corrected himself.
"To collect emotional distress compensation."
Only then did Xuanye nod in satisfaction.
As one of the Uchiha's finest, how could Inabi get something so basic wrong?
Even with no outsiders around, it was best not to say anything that might undermine unity.
Having corrected himself, Inabi hurried on.
"When we went to collect it, I paid out of my own pocket to treat those two guys to barbecue. You can't expect me to lose money for doing a job, can you?"
Xuanye wanted to throw the teacup on the table at him.
"No wonder you took so long to get back. You even found time to go out for barbecue!"
Xuanye himself had to pretend he was so badly shaken that he had shut himself away in the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Meanwhile, these three had finished their task and gone out to fool around instead of coming straight back?
Xuanye swallowed his anger and finally sighed.
"I have an important use for this money. Keep a little change for yourselves, but hand over the rest."
"Remember, everything I do is for the Uchiha."
At those words, Inabi stopped bargaining. He pulled out another stack of bills, nearly as thick as the first, and placed it on the table.
Danzo's approach really did work. Xuanye had first talked Fugaku into handing over control of the Security Division, then kept Shisui steady for the time being.
Now even his little brother Uchiha Inabi had obediently handed over everything he had skimmed.
But still...
Looking at the two stacks, almost equal in size, Xuanye felt a vein throb in his forehead.
"Were you planning to split it fifty-fifty with me? Is there more? Hand over all of it!"
He had never realized Inabi was this bold—or this greedy!
Once Xuanye became Hokage, he would demote the guy to a Genin guarding the gate!
Inabi waved his hands frantically.
"That's all. I swear that's all."
He had thought this was a private job between brothers.
Even brothers had to keep their accounts straight. Why wouldn't they split it fifty-fifty?
Once Xuanye's anger had eased a little, Inabi sidled closer and asked with a shameless smile,
"Xuanye, what exactly are you planning? Can't you just tell me?"
Xuanye shook his head.
"It's better if you don't know yet. All you need to know is that the Security Division will soon undergo a complete transformation in Konoha."
Inabi did not quite understand, but the clan head had chosen to trust Xuanye, so he had nothing to say.
All he had to do now was work hard to grow stronger, so he could help Xuanye in what came next.
Danzo did exactly what Nara Shikaku had expected. While the Uchiha collected "emotional distress compensation" on a wide scale, he stayed in Root and pretended not to hear a thing.
A small ninja clan with only a handful of members even went straight to Root to plead its case, only to be thrown out.
Who did they think they were, asking Lord Danzo for money?
Did they want to "commit suicide"?
Danzo was secretly pleased. The Uchiha had offended even more people, bringing themselves closer to becoming the enemy of all Konoha.
That would mean less resistance when the time came to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan.
Even so, what had happened today was a warning.
Uchiha Genya had been a nobody before. Why had his strength suddenly grown so much?
Nine elite Root ninja had gone after him, yet not one had come back alive to report what happened.
Danzo could not help suspecting that the Security Division's Uchiha elites had been lying in wait around Xuanye. Otherwise, surely at least one of his men would have survived.