Hokage I Choose Orochimaru, Ten Years to Ascend the Moon

Shimura Danzō furrowed his brows.

Orochimaru wore a smile, though in the eyes of others, it was likely a sinister one; he sensed that Uchiha Gin was about to make a move.

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Go ahead."

"I suspect that the Hokage's advisor, Shimura Danzō, is colluding with Uchiha Madara!"

"During the Nine-Tails incident, the Military Police Force led a team to provide support, but they were blocked by Shimura Danzō. If the Military Police Force had been allowed to intervene at that time, the losses could have definitely been reduced, but they were stopped by Shimura Danzō!"

"The location of this incident is also very close to the bases of the Anbu and Root, so I believe Uchiha Madara and Shimura Danzō are definitely working together."

Uchiha Gin's words were like a thunderclap, leaving everyone present in stunned silence.

"You're full of crap!!"

Shimura Danzō's face turned red and his neck veins bulged as he pointed angrily at Uchiha Gin.

Those are my lines!

The ones colluding with Uchiha Madara should be you, the Uchiha Clan!!!

Following Shimura Danzō's roar, the scene instantly erupted into a cacophony of discussion, as if it were a vegetable market.

Everyone seemed to be speculating on the truth of the matter.

Yet, deep down, they were all secretly delighted.

Dogs biting dogs!

They hated both the Uchiha and Shimura Danzō.

The Uchiha were arrogant and overbearing in the open, which made them very uncomfortable, while Danzō used various threats in the shadows to force their families to give up their geniuses to become his puppets.

Fight, fight!

Many people cheered inwardly.

But in public, no one dared to fan the flames; they couldn't handle the retaliation from either the Uchiha or Danzō.

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, even Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned for a moment, as he felt there was some logic to it.

After all, Danzō's intentions were almost written on his face; he saw them clearly.

Minato becoming Hokage was undoubtedly an obstacle, so eliminating Minato was reasonable, and attacking the Root base could also be a way to frame the Uchiha.

If Uchiha Gin hadn't displayed the power of the Mangekyō, something might have truly gone wrong.

"Whatever I, Danzō, do, it is impossible for me to cooperate with the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha Clan are all..."

Danzō stood up abruptly and roared, but he stopped himself midway, his head cooling down slightly.

The words Uchiha Gin had just spoken made him feel insulted, even more so than being told to his face that he was inferior to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

I, Danzō, have risked my life for Konoha, having experienced countless battles, large and small. Whose Will of Fire is higher than mine!

"I believe the possibility of this suspicion is very low; I can vouch for Danzō's convictions."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke up.

Seeing Danzō's state, he knew Danzō hadn't done this.

Moreover, he couldn't possibly deal with Danzō based on a few words; Danzō was a very important tool under his command. Without him to attract hatred, it would be much more troublesome for him to get things done himself.

"Hmph, I think it's the Uchiha Clan that is colluding with Uchiha Madara and saying these things to frame me."

Danzō didn't swallow his pride either, directly retorting.

He had believed this all along, which was why he was so guarded against the Uchiha Clan.

"Hmph, if the Uchiha Clan were truly still in contact with Uchiha Madara, then the night of the Nine-Tails incident would have been enough to launch a rebellion."

"I believe Shimura Danzō is a prime suspect. However, since the Third Hokage is vouching for him, he is not suitable to continue serving as the head of the Root department for the time being. I think it would be more appropriate for the Third Hokage's disciple, Orochimaru, to take over."

"Only after Shimura Danzō is cleared of suspicion can we judge whether he should return as the head of the Root organization."

Uchiha Gin finally revealed his true intentions.

He was stirring up trouble this time specifically to show his sincerity to Orochimaru.

Secondly, disgusting Danzō was worth it, regardless of the outcome.

Currently, the Root organization was ostensibly responsible for the Anbu training department, an organization for cultivating new Anbu recruits, but in private, Danzō pulled many strings.

Some unspeakable tasks, such as espionage or assassinating nobles from other countries to stir up trouble—things that couldn't have their identities exposed—were all handled by Root.

This was naturally tacitly approved by Sarutobi Hiruzen; otherwise, it could never have been established.

"You arrogant brat, is this the kind of thing a kid like you can dictate?"

"Besides, the Uchiha Clan is also highly suspicious. No one can intervene there; who knows what you've done! Hmph, I also propose that the Military Police Force must be supervised by the Anbu!"

Danzō said, exasperated.

He wanted to drag the Uchiha down with him, as if he were determined to go down in flames together.

After all, he had indeed done many things in the Root organization that Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know about, and since he didn't have the strength to resist Sarutobi yet, he certainly didn't want his ambitions to be discovered by his old classmate.

The onlookers were all secretly overjoyed.

Dog eat dog!

How satisfying!

"Alright, let's end this matter here..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with a furrowed brow; he did not want the situation to escalate any further.

Now was not the time.

But at this moment, Fugaku spoke up!

"Having the Anbu monitor us is a bit excessive, but to prove our innocence, the Uchiha Clan is willing to yield one squad's worth of positions within the Military Police Force to be appointed by the Hokage himself."

"This represents the Uchiha Clan's firm resolve to prove that Uchiha Madara has nothing to do with the Uchiha of today."

These words left everyone present stunned.

After all, even the Second Hokage, who held the most absolute power of all the Hokage, had never managed to insert his own people into the Military Police Force.

Over the years, Sarutobi Hiruzen's hints had always been met with a forceful rebuttal from the Uchiha Clan's stubborn attitude.

They had endured grievances in the past, but on this matter, they had never once backed down.

Yet now, they were actually!!! making a concession?

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a look of astonishment, and Danzo was even more incredulous.

Are you playing for real?

Danzo could not stop this thought from racing through his mind.

"Are you serious about what you just said?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help but ask.

"Of course. To prove our innocence, the Uchiha Clan is duty-bound to do so."

"However, Danzo should also be subject to investigation. The Uchiha can refrain from interfering and let the Anbu take charge."

Fugaku Uchiha replied with complete sincerity.

Everyone else thought Fugaku had gone mad; letting the Anbu investigate was just officials protecting one another. It would be a miracle if they actually found anything!

"You bastard!"

Danzo was incensed, his face flushed a deep red.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a sense of realization; he assumed Danzo had gone too far and ignited the Uchiha's fury, yet he felt as though he were overlooking something.

He fell silent.

Seeing this, Danzo grew anxious. He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen was beginning to waver, and that he might truly be removed for investigation.

Although he knew it was impossible for them to find anything on him, it would be a massive loss of face, and the fact that it was because of the Uchiha Clan made it unacceptable to him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Shisui and noticed that he, too, wore a look of shock, as did Tekka Uchiha.

Is this a plan by Fugaku and Uchiha Gin to pay this price in exchange for Danzo's downfall?

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered whether this price was worth it.

Although it appeared to be an open discussion, he was the only one who could make the final decision.

What trouble would arise if Danzo were forced into the shadows?

And what were the benefits of gaining a foothold in the Military Police Force?

"Orochimaru, what are your thoughts?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly asked Orochimaru.

"If necessary, I can take charge of Root."

Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed through the room.

Danzo's gaze instantly locked onto Orochimaru, filled with rage.

"Then Danzo, since that is the case, you shall step down from your duties at Root for now. Let the Anbu conduct a thorough investigation, and once your innocence is confirmed, you may return to your post."

"During this period, Orochimaru will be temporarily responsible for the affairs of Root."

Sarutobi Hiruzen declared.

After speaking, he looked at Orochimaru with a hint of suspicion.

Is there a connection between Orochimaru and the Uchiha?

However, if it were merely the Uchiha and his own disciple teaming up to do something, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not worried in the slightest. The only thing he feared was Uchiha Madara, who stood on par with the First Hokage.

Orochimaru?

He was merely a disciple of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"I understand!"

Danzo swallowed the bloody foam from his mouth, caused by his teeth clenching in fury, and spoke with great difficulty.

He knew that continuing to argue in a situation like this would be futile.

Since he understood that Sarutobi Hiruzen would not give up on dealing with the Uchiha Clan, he would simply have to shift his operations from the light into the shadows.

However, making concessions to the Uchiha Clan was something he could not tolerate!

"In that case, Orochimaru, you shall be in charge of Root."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, then continued speaking to Orochimaru.

"No problem, I will complete the mission properly."

Orochimaru replied.

"Third Hokage, the Uchiha Clan has relied on the Military Police Force for generations. If we give up a squad's quota now, our income will decrease."

"I wonder if you could approve the Uchiha Clan to conduct business within Konoha, such as manufacturing ninja tools, or opening restaurants and pharmacies, so that the Uchiha can gain other sources of revenue and reduce the burden on the Military Police Force."

Seeing the situation, Fugaku spoke up hurriedly.

In truth, he was very confused as to why Uchiha Gin wanted this authority; the Uchiha Clan was not exactly short on money.

Within Konoha, the funding the Uchiha received was, on average, two to three times higher than normal.

Yet, the risks they faced were not comparable to those of the ninjas on the front lines.

This was one of the reasons why the Uchiha were met with hostility from other clans, and under Danzo's secret guidance, the civilians also believed that the Uchiha were encroaching upon their interests.

"Just opening shops within Konoha?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen repeated.

Internal and external matters were two entirely different things.