Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, then fixed Danzō with a sharp gaze. "You have always believed that Teacher Tobirama's attitude toward the Uchiha Clan was one of total rejection, but that is not the case. Teacher merely reminded us to treat a handful of extremists with caution, not to regard the entire Uchiha Clan as enemies. Ying Yue's strength is exactly what we need in the current situation. I do not want this internal division to undermine Konoha's unity."
Danzō remained unconvinced and snorted coldly. "You are too naive, Hiruzen. If Ying Yue truly betrays Konoha one day like Madara did, the consequences will be unbearable! I am only reminding you not to be deceived by superficial loyalty."
A trace of displeasure flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, but he steadied his emotions and spoke firmly. "No matter what, we cannot casually discard such a powerful force. We must continue to observe and verify Ying Yue's loyalty to Konoha, but winning him over rather than excluding him is the right choice."
After Sarutobi Hiruzen made his position clear, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura no longer insisted either, and the meeting temporarily subsided.
However, the aftereffects of this discussion would clearly continue to linger among Konoha's upper ranks.
Although Shimura Danzō still harbored suspicions toward Ying Yue and privately considered how to further check Uchiha Ying Yue's influence, Sarutobi Hiruzen's declaration and firm stance temporarily stabilized the situation.
Konoha's upper ranks realized that the most important thing at present was still to stand united against the external threats facing the Ninja World.
Although the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had refuted Shimura Danzō during the meeting, a trace of unease remained in his heart.
Danzō's words reminded him of Uchiha Madara. Madara's betrayal of Konoha and his decisive battle against the First, Senju Hashirama, at