"But I don't want the people I send over to be treated unfairly."
"Of course. I'll talk to Koharu."
The Administration Department was currently under Utatane Koharu's charge.
Minato Namikaze was also worried that the people he sent over might not get access to any of the department's core work.
They might be stuck doing odd jobs and never get any real training.
"Then let's put this matter behind us." Sarutobi Hiruzen brought the discussion to a decisive close.
"Of course." Minato smiled faintly.
The two of them had reached an agreement. From now on, this matter would not be brought up again.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled to himself. Appealing to our friendship really does work.
It was a shame about Danzo. He would find another chance to let him out later.
"All right, if there's nothing else, I'll go see Danzo first."
"Very well. Take care, Lord Third."
··········
Shimura Clan compound
A roar rang out, followed by the sound of several things being smashed.
"What!"
"What does Minato Namikaze think he's doing? How dare that snot-nosed brat do this?!"
"I won't even complain about losing my position as an elder, but why did he have to cut the Root in half?!"
Danzo's eyes were murderous, and his chest heaved with rage.
"Danzo, your people were caught red-handed. What else is there to say?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said irritably, "Besides, he's the Hokage now. You should stop thinking about anything else."
Hearing this only made Danzo angrier.
It's because I'm not the Hokage that I can be pushed around like this.
And when he recalled Sarutobi Hiruzen saying, "He's the Hokage now," his resolve to become Hokage only grew stronger.
I'll prove to my teacher that I'm the one best suited to be Hokage!
Seeing Danzo lower his head, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought he was feeling dejected and said, "I'll find another chance to help you become an elder. Don't take it too hard."
He even patted Danzo on the shoulder to comfort him.
What he meant was that Danzo shouldn't expect the Root to be restored to what it had been.
Little did he know that an evil plan was taking shape in Danzo's mind.
··········
Konoha Police Force
Police Force Director's Office
"Poof!"
A cloud of white smoke dispersed.
A plump little orange cat appeared, strolling in with an unhurried gait.
Masaki Uchiha was working at his desk. He glanced at the cat, then lowered his head and continued working. "Which side is the message from?"
The cat was named Natsume.
He was Masaki Uchiha's intelligence chief.
His job was to gather intelligence from the Ninja World.
After Masaki Uchiha became clan head, he had more subordinates gathering intelligence. After all, many members of the Uchiha Clan used cats as their summoning animals.
So Natsume had become the Uchiha Clan's intelligence specialist.
"I just received a message from Kaito Uchiha."
"It was marked as top secret, so I brought it here myself." With that, he flipped his paw, and a top-secret report appeared in it.
"A report from Kaito? Let me see." Masaki Uchiha had been working, but as soon as he heard it was from Kaito, he knew what it was about.
He opened the report. As expected, things had worked out.
It said that Kaito Uchiha had already made contact with the Daimyo.
Masaki Uchiha needed to set aside time to go to the capital and pay the Daimyo a visit.
The mission he'd given Kaito last time had been completed perfectly.
Masaki Uchiha laughed heartily. Everything was going according to plan.
He pulled a blank intelligence scroll from his desk and began writing.
"Take this to Kaito and tell him to meet me at the capital's city gate at noon in five days."
Natsume took the scroll in his paw. "What about my reward? I delivered this message in person, you know."
"I knew you wouldn't forget about that. Here." Masaki Uchiha took two thousand-ryō bills from his tanuki wallet and handed them to Natsume.
Natsume's eyes narrowed into happy little slits when he got the money.
"See you later, meow!"
"Poof!"
The smoke cleared.
Natsume used the Reverse Summoning Technique to leave.
"Shisui," Masaki Uchiha called.
"I'm here, Clan Head." Uchiha Shisui appeared from a corner, where he had been the whole time.
"Gather the members of the guard squad. We're leaving for the Capital of the Land of Fire today."
"Yes, sir."
Uchiha Shisui had been working very diligently lately. I'll reward him with a ninjutsu technique.
··········
Five days later
At the gates of the Capital of the Land of Fire
Kaito Uchiha led the group of clan members who had come with him to welcome Masaki Uchiha.
Someone shouted, "The Clan Head is here!"
Kaito Uchiha rose onto his tiptoes and spotted Masaki Uchiha among the crowd, protected by the guard squad.
He immediately led everyone over to greet him.
"Clan Head, I've completed the mission you entrusted to me." Kaito Uchiha spoke with great seriousness.
"Hahaha, why are you being so formal with me?" Masaki Uchiha laughed, punching Kaito Uchiha on the shoulder.
"Clan Head, I'm not the same person I used to be."
Masaki Uchiha chuckled. "Good. I'm glad you've matured. Your brother can rest easy now."
"Tell me about the situation in the capital."
The others realized they were about to discuss business, so they immediately moved aside to give the two of them room to talk, while also keeping anyone else from eavesdropping.
"Yes. As you instructed, I led our clan members in beating all the Twelve Guardian Ninja."
"This drew the Daimyo's interest in the Uchiha. He said he wanted to meet us."
"So I hurriedly sent word back and asked you to come pay him a visit."
Masaki Uchiha asked, "Did the Daimyo say anything else?"
"No. He only said he wanted to meet us. I told him that I alone didn't carry enough weight, and asked him to let our Clan Head come pay his respects. The Daimyo agreed."
Kaito Uchiha's expression turned serious.
"Very well. We'll rest for a day and visit the Daimyo tomorrow." Masaki Uchiha had also spent several days on the road. He wasn't tired, but the clan members traveling with him surely were.
They should rest for a day and gather their strength. Then they could go together tomorrow and make a grand impression.
"Yes. I've already arranged a place for us to stay. Please, follow me."
Masaki Uchiha looked at the clan members gathered around them. "Let's go enjoy the high life in the capital, too. Hahaha!"
Hearing their Clan Head say that, everyone grew eager.
In truth, a ninja's life was spent with one foot in the grave.
They risked their lives every day; one wrong step could be their last.
It wasn't that they were always going hungry. They simply lived better than commoners, but worse than merchants.
Compared with the nobility, there was no contest.
Enjoyment had always seemed a distant thing to ninjas.
Since their Clan Head had said so, they were certainly going to enjoy themselves to the fullest.