Danzo Vents His Grievances

Not long after Uchiha Ling left the Hokage Office, Danzo, having suffered a setback, arrived there as well.

Shimura Danzō did not sit in the guest chair. Instead, he stood directly in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk, gripping his wooden staff so tightly that it trembled slightly in his hand, his knuckles white.

His one visible eye was bloodshot, brimming with fury and humiliation he could barely contain.

"Hiruzen! You saw it! You saw everything!"

Danzo's voice was hoarse. The gloominess he usually carried was gone, replaced by the sharpness of someone thoroughly enraged.

"That Uchiha brat! Does he have any regard for the village? For us elders who've shed blood and sweat for it?

"He actually—actually had his subordinates stop me at the door! Since when did the Military Police Force become Uchiha Ling's personal kingdom? Huh?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long draw from his pipe. Smoke swirled, obscuring the complicated look on his face.

He did not answer right away, only watching his old friend, who was worked up.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could understand Danzo's anger. Anyone subjected to such public humiliation would struggle to remain calm. But at the same time, he could not entirely agree with Danzo's claims.

"Danzo, calm down." Hiruzen finally spoke, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Uchiha Ling came by yesterday. His explanation was that everything was being done according to the regulations left by the Second Hokage. Those rumors do exist, and they're serious. He investigated them according to the law. We can't find any major fault with the procedure."

"Procedure? Regulations?" Danzo sounded as if he'd been stepped on, his voice suddenly rising.

"That's all an excuse! Hiruzen, can't you see? That brat is using the regulations to openly expand his Uchiha power and attack his rivals!

"This time it's me. Who'll be next? Could it be you?

"The Military Police Force has independent law-enforcement, investigative, and detention powers! It covers the entire village! It can even take 'extraordinary coercive measures'!

"That's far too much power! Enough to threaten the Hokage's authority and upset the village's balance!"

Those words pierced straight into the deepest recesses of Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, striking one of his most persistent misgivings.

How could he not know the Military Police Force had too much power?

When the Second Hokage established the force and handed authority to the Uchiha, there had already been an element of keeping them in check and apart.

But times had changed. With Uchiha Ling, an exception to the rule, the balance of the past seemed to be tilting in an uncontrollable direction.

Uchiha Ling had not been shackled by the Military Police Force's day-to-day affairs and isolated by the resentment of the villagers like the Uchiha Clan Heads before him. Instead, he had used the force to establish his authority, even turning the regulations against the council of elders.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi fall silent, Danzo knew his words had hit home. He lowered his voice, his tone turning even more sinister. "Hiruzen, we can't let this go on. Uchiha Ling is ambitious and ruthless, with extraordinary strength and a gift for swaying people.

"If he's allowed to keep commanding the Military Police Force, which is entirely controlled by the Uchiha, then given enough time, Konoha may truly end up belonging to the Uchiha!

"We have to find a way to weaken the Military Police Force's power. At the very least, we need to break the Uchiha's monopoly over it!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted his head and looked sharply at Danzo. "Weaken it? How? Repeal the regulations laid down by the Second Hokage just because we think Uchiha Ling has too much power? What would the clans that have always followed the rules established when the village was founded say?

"Besides, Uchiha Ling just 'followed the law.' If we repeal the regulations right after that, we'll only provoke an even stronger backlash from the Uchiha Clan and make the other clans wary."

Danzo's single eye glinted. He clearly understood that outright repealing the regulations was unrealistic, and he had already worked out a plan.

"If we can't repeal them, then dilute their influence! Put people in the Military Police Force! Change its admission rules and make it clear that it's no longer the Uchiha's private property. It should be open to qualified shinobi from across the village!

"Bring in members of other clans, even civilian shinobi. Once we have our people in there, along with other parties with a stake in it, it won't be so easy for Uchiha Ling to monopolize everything!

"We can slowly infiltrate and divide them, then eventually bring the Military Police Force's real power back under our control."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into a long silence. The tobacco in his pipe slowly burned away.

Putting people in the Military Police Force to dilute the Uchiha's control was indeed a relatively moderate and more practical solution.

"Perhaps this is the most feasible option for now." After a long pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slowly and made his decision.

"However, we can't rush it. We'll need to find the right moment to discuss it with Uchiha Ling.

"After all, he's currently the Military Police Force's leader in name. If we bypass him and force this through, it might backfire."

"Discuss it? Hmph. I doubt that brat will go along with it easily," Danzo scoffed.

"We have to try." Hiruzen Sarutobi snuffed out his pipe.

"As for you, Danzo, you did act thoughtlessly this time. Even if you didn't directly order those rumors spread, you're still implicated.

"I'll announce that you're receiving an 'internal warning' and order you to keep your subordinates in check. For now, this matter ends here."

Danzo's expression shifted several times. In the end, he forced down his resentment and nodded.

For now, he had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

"I understand..."

The next morning, Uchiha Ling was summoned to the Hokage Office again.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not beat around the bush. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he went straight to the point, his tone gentle but carrying undeniable weight.

"Ling, I've discussed the Military Police Force with several of the elders. When the Second Hokage established it and granted it considerable authority, his intention was to maintain peace in the village.

"Times have changed. To better foster integration among the village's clans and shinobi from all walks of life, and to embody Konoha's spirit of unity and shared governance, we think the Military Police Force's composition could perhaps be adjusted."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused to gauge Uchiha Ling's reaction. Seeing that his expression remained calm, he continued.

"We're considering whether to make some appropriate changes to the Military Police Force's admission rules, opening it to the whole village and bringing in talented shinobi from other clans, as well as exceptional civilian shinobi. What do you think?"