Sowing Discord

Hiruzen!

Danzo's expression chilled. "If Orochimaru had killed Uchiha Shisui, do you think he would have secretly sneaked into Konoha?"

The three of them were taken aback again.

If Orochimaru had really killed Shisui, he would definitely have gone into hiding somewhere. There was no way he would come to Konoha.

Since it wasn't Orochimaru, that left Root.

However...

A thought crossed all three of their minds at the same time.

Root was unlikely, too.

After all, assassinating Uchiha Shisui at a time like this would do Root no good.

Danzo gave a cold laugh. "Do you still suspect Root of killing Uchiha Shisui?"

The three exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

Since neither Root nor Orochimaru was responsible, Uchiha Shisui's death could only have been caused by someone else.

Danzo narrowed his one eye.

"There's only one possibility: Uchiha Shisui staged this farce himself. The Uchiha Clan must be behind it, and their aim is naturally to seize control of the village."

He tapped his cane again and sneered. "The Uchiha have already made their move. Are we really going to sit here and wait for death?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a moment.

Danzo's argument did have some merit.

Shisui's sudden death had been suspicious from the start. It seemed that both Orochimaru and Root could be ruled out.

That left only one explanation: another faction was manipulating events.

Their goal was to disrupt the peace between the Uchiha and the village, and the Uchiha Clan themselves were highly suspect.

But...

Mitokado Homura asked in confusion, "What about what Kakashi Hatake and the Byakugan saw...?"

"That was all an Illusionary Technique!"

Danzo interrupted him without the slightest courtesy and sneered. "The Uchiha are a clan of illusion specialists, and Shisui is one of the best among them. With his ability, it would be no trouble to fool Kakashi's inferior Sharingan and the Hyuga's Byakugan."

He paused, then said, "The real question is why Uchiha Shisui's body hasn't been found. The scene could be faked, but not the body. So I believe Shisui is still alive, and may even be the mastermind behind this. We should strike first. I propose that we attack the Uchiha immediately and wipe out this evil clan once and for all."

Ever since learning Shisui's true strength from Orochimaru, Danzo had been determined to eliminate the Uchiha.

The Sharingan was a powerful Kekkei Genkai, and its strength had already allowed the Uchiha Clan to stand tall in Konoha. If they awakened a few more Mangekyo, the village might fall into their hands.

"No!"

All three spoke at once.

The village was already showing signs of division. Starting a war now would only tear it apart further and give other villages an opportunity to invade.

"Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table. "These are all your guesses. You have no evidence. Besides, protecting the village's stability is what matters most right now. If a war breaks out within our borders, it will give the other villages an opening."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura nodded as well.

Attacking the Uchiha at a time like this really was ill-advised.

Danzo remained composed. "If our Anbu join forces and launch a surprise attack, the fighting will be over quickly. It won't cause any other losses."

As he spoke, he took out a sketch.

He had run through countless scenarios for this.

By now, he was confident of success.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura studied Danzo's plans closely, their expressions grave.

There was no denying that Danzo was talented. His plan was nearly flawless, and if all went well, the battle would be over in a single night.

Once the Uchiha were wiped out, they could simply pin a charge of treason on them. No one else would be able to say much.

The two of them were beginning to be swayed. After all, they were deeply concerned about the Uchiha Clan, too.

"No!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen rejected the proposal without hesitation.

"Konoha was founded jointly by the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan. If we attack the Uchiha without solid evidence, the consequences will be severe. What will the other major clans think of us? What will the villagers think of us? The trust the First worked so hard to build would crumble overnight. I won't agree to this. We must return to the negotiating table and consider giving the Uchiha Clan more power."

That was true.

If they wiped out the Uchiha without solid evidence of their crimes, the other great clans would inevitably become uneasy.

The village would lose its unity. Every clan would feel threatened, and Konoha would become a village in name only.

"Hiruzen!"

Danzo's single eye flashed with disdain.

How could anyone tolerate a rival sleeping beside them? If the Uchiha Clan gained power, how could they ever be content to stand as equals?

As expected, Sarutobi Hiruzen had inherited the First's naivete.

He simply didn't understand why the Second Hokage had worked so hard to remove the Uchiha Clan from the center of power.

The Uchiha would never be satisfied with so little. They would inevitably seek even greater power.

"What if the Uchiha Clan wants the Hokage Position?"

Danzo sneered. "Would you obediently hand it over to them, too?"

"Well..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated and said nothing.

The Hokage had always been chosen by nomination. For decades, the Uchiha Clan had served in the Police Force, doing work that made them enemies. As a result, they had poor relations with the other clans in the village, and no one would ever agree to an Uchiha becoming Hokage.

There was only one path for an Uchiha to become Hokage: start a war and seize the position by force. But that would tear the village apart.

As a man who loved peace, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't accept that, either.

For a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt trapped between two impossible choices.

It seemed that no matter what they did, the village could hardly coexist peacefully with the Uchiha.

Danzo sneered. "It seems the only thing we can agree on is preserving the village's unity. But to preserve that unity, we have to eliminate the Uchiha Clan. Hiruzen, you have to make a decision now."

After a moment of silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally said slowly, "If there's solid evidence that the Uchiha Clan is planning a rebellion, I'll agree to your proposal. If there isn't, then we must return to the negotiating table. I believe time will provide the best solution. But..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"If anyone manipulates this situation to spark unrest in the village and take advantage of the chaos to pursue some hidden agenda, I won't let him get away with it."

As he said this, Sarutobi Hiruzen kept his eyes fixed on Danzo.

He was afraid Danzo might use the authority in his hands to force the Uchiha Clan into rebellion prematurely.