Hiruzen, You'll Regret This!

Inside the Hokage's office.

"At eight, she awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and after just two years of ninja training, she's already at Chunin level. We can't let talent like that go to waste, especially when she's an Uchiha!" Danzo declared. "Hiruzen, hand her over to Root."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his eyes slightly. "When I offered her to you before, weren't you dissatisfied with her impure bloodline?"

After the Night of the Nine-Tails, Root had hoped to recruit orphaned members of the ninja clans. Uchiha Izumi had been one of the candidates, but... she'd been rejected.

Neither of her parents had any aptitude for being a ninja, and she had only half Uchiha blood. Danzo hadn't thought much of her.

"I didn't expect her to have so much potential." Danzo showed no embarrassment. Instead, he continued with righteous indignation, "That's exactly why we can't keep leaving her alone."

"She was a Root candidate, so she belongs to Root. Hiruzen, you can sign the order to bring her back."

Hiruzen refused outright. "She's an Uchiha who has inherited the Will of Fire. She can serve as a bridge between the village and the Uchiha Clan. I can't hand her over to you."

"Hiruzen!" Danzo stared at him in disbelief. "You still think the Uchiha and the village can be reconciled?!"

Hiruzen replied firmly, "I believe that if we show them genuine sincerity, we can succeed. The Uchiha are part of Konoha. We can't give up on them unless we have no other choice."

"You're too naive, Hiruzen!" Danzo fumed at his lack of resolve. "A stubborn clan like the Uchiha has to be brought to heel with an iron fist!"

"If you can't bring yourself to do it, then leave it to Root!"

"Danzo!" Hiruzen fixed him with a stern gaze. "I'm the Hokage. I decide what happens in the village!"

"I absolutely will not let you move against the Uchiha! Not for now, at least!"

"Hmph!" Seeing that Hiruzen was adamant and was even using his authority as Hokage to shut him down, Danzo realized there was no point arguing. He let out a cold snort. "Hiruzen, if you keep a tiger as a pet, it will eventually turn on you. One day, you'll regret this!"

He left with those words, slamming the door behind him.

Hiruzen sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

Elsewhere.

"Hokage... Hokage! Damn it, if only I were Hokage..." Danzo seethed with resentment.

In the shadows, the Spore Clone monitoring Danzo looked thoroughly disdainful.

He's gone mad with ambition to become Hokage...

In this life, he won't even get to be Fifth Hokage, let alone anything beyond that...

Elsewhere.

"So Danzo has his eye on me?"

"Because I stood out too much, he wants to recruit me into Root and brainwash me?"

On the way back to the clan grounds, Uchiha Izumi summed up what Sasuke had told her.

"Exactly." Sasuke nodded. "You've already earned Hiruzen's trust and attention. With him keeping Danzo in check, I don't think Danzo will try anything again for a while."

"But that doesn't mean you can rest easy. You'll have to keep earning Hiruzen's trust."

"Right. In the future, you can let a few things about the Uchiha Clan slip. It's not like one more traitor will make a difference."

Izumi wrinkled her nose, displeased. "Traitor? That's a horrible thing to call me."

After grumbling, she added worriedly, "But Itachi and Shisui..."

Having spent so much time with Sasuke, she already knew that Shisui Uchiha had sided with the Hokage faction.

But Itachi Uchiha was Shisui's close friend. He even looked up to Shisui as if he were his own big brother...

Thinking of Itachi, Sasuke couldn't help sighing inwardly.

He hadn't liked Itachi much in his previous life either, considering him an utterly devoted older brother. But in this life, he'd become Sasuke...

After more than two years together, Sasuke had truly felt the almost doting affection Itachi had for him as his little brother...

"Let's wait. I believe that one day he'll come to his senses... But Shisui..."

"His Dojutsu means I can never truly trust him..."

Izumi sighed inwardly.

That was right. Kotoamatsukami...

Who could trust someone who had already betrayed his clan and could change another person's will at any time?

When they got home.

"We're back." x2

Uchiha Mikoto leaned halfway out of the kitchen and smiled. "Sasuke, Izumi, just wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon."

"And congratulations, Izumi! Starting today, you're a ninja!"

"Thank you, Aunt Mikoto." Izumi smiled sweetly. "I'll help, too."

Mikoto glanced at Fugaku, who was sitting in the living room drinking tea. Seeing that he had no intention of saying anything, she nodded. "All right. Sorry for the trouble, Izumi."

"No trouble at all. I'd like to learn more about cooking from you, Auntie. I'm the one making you go to all this trouble."

"You're so sweet, Izumi."

Izumi went into the kitchen, while Sasuke sat down across from Fugaku. "Dad."

"Mm." Fugaku nodded slightly. He picked up a clean teacup, poured Sasuke some tea, and asked, "Izumi graduated today. What are you planning to do?"

Once he'd finished pouring, he handed the cup to Sasuke.

"Thanks, Dad." Sasuke took the cup and sipped from it before casually replying, "We'll start out as ordinary ninja."

"Just ordinary ninja, then? That's fine. Since you have your own plans, I won't interfere." Fugaku moved on to another topic. "Did Izumi meet with the Third Hokage today?"

"Yes." Sasuke nodded. "And Danzo has his eye on Izumi, so I made sure she earned the Third Hokage's favor."

"You want to use him to keep Danzo in check?" Fugaku understood what Sasuke meant. "Izumi is already associated with our faction. She's no longer just another Uchiha who can be ignored. Both the Third Hokage and Danzo will have to consider our clan's wishes."

"But I can't take that chance, can I?" Sasuke said. "Even if you can mediate, Dad, there's no guarantee Danzo won't make a move behind our backs. Only by associating Izumi with the Third Hokage can we completely put an end to Danzo's plans."

That was true... Fugaku sighed inwardly and glanced toward the kitchen. "Then Izumi will have to bear the burden."

Having been associated with the Hokage faction, her position in the Uchiha Clan—which had only just begun to improve—would probably grow even more difficult.

"No," Sasuke said, shaking his head. "You're the one who'll have to bear the burden, Father."

Izumi had been staying at their house all this time, and the clan believed that her current strength came from receiving guidance from the clan head.

If they found out she'd sided with the Hokage faction, they might say Fugaku hadn't taught her properly, damaging his reputation among the clan.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "Sasuke, I'm the head of the Uchiha Clan. Don't underestimate the standing I have among our people!"

Right, right. The clan head who could only give way and let resentment build throughout the clan... Sasuke kept the thought to himself and lowered his head obediently. "I was overthinking it."

You little... Fugaku could tell Sasuke didn't mean it, and it made his teeth itch with annoyance.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening came from the entrance, followed by Itachi's voice:

"I'm home..."

At that, Sasuke and Fugaku exchanged a glance.

That voice and tone... Something was wrong!