Lord Danzo's 'Restlessness'...

Tension!

Although there were no obvious signs, a strange atmosphere permeated the entire village at this moment.

Members of the Uchiha Police Force, who were usually shunned by many villagers, had not been seen on the streets of Konoha for the past few days.

For the many villagers and vendors who detested these "city managers," this should have been a cause for celebration; after all, without their supervision, it was much easier to engage in activities that violated village regulations.

Hmm...

This stall is mine now, get lost, you bastard...

Cherish life, stay away from gambling and drugs—hey mister, want to come over and play a round?

And so on...

But as the saying goes, the duck is the first to know when the spring river warms; as the disappearance of the Police Force dragged on, their relief gradually curdled into fear.

After all.

Rumors that the Uchiha Clan might be planning a rebellion had circulated through various channels in Konoha for a long time, and with the Uchiha making such a massive move now, what exactly did it mean?

In fact, it wasn't just the ordinary villagers of Konoha; even some of the village's regular ninja, especially the high-ranking members of various ninja clans, couldn't help but let their imaginations run wild and fall into unease.

The Uchiha had suddenly sealed off their entire clan compound, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

Could it be!

Were they finally about to make their move?

The strength of the Uchiha Clan was well known to all, and if a civil war were to break out in the village, where would they stand?

This sentiment was further intensified by the sight of the Hokage's own Anbu and the Root, led by the Hokage's advisor Shimura Danzo, beginning to converge on the Uchiha compound.

Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage of Konoha puffed on his pipe, his brow furrowed in the smoke-filled office. His deep eyes stared fixedly in the direction of the Uchiha compound, and he remained silent.

As the highest authority in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen was naturally the first to receive news of the Uchiha Clan's unusual movements.

It was too frequent!

Ever since the Nine-Tails Rebellion, the Uchiha Clan's actions had become increasingly bold. Although there were no clear signs of rebellion, a shadow of doubt had begun to deepen in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.

Did this signify that they were about to take action?

Uchiha Jin!

The handsome figure that frequently drifted through his thoughts flashed across Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind, and the gloom in his eyes grew even more intense.

Tap! Tap! Tap...

Accompanied by the hurried sound of a cane, the door to the Hokage's office was pushed open without ceremony. An old man with half his body wrapped in bandages and exuding a cold, sinister aura strode straight in.

"Danzo, is there something you need?"

The Third Hokage's aged voice rang out. His tone seemed indifferent to the man's rude intrusion, but deep within his eyes, a flicker of dissatisfaction had taken root.

Throughout all of Konoha, there were few who dared to enter the Hokage's office without knocking, and only this old man carried such a chilling aura.

Hmm...

The Root has been getting a bit too fat lately. Once this incident is over, I might consider harvesting them!

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze toward Shimura Danzo softened, a gesture that caused the restless Shimura Danzo to calm down slightly.

As expected of my old partner, this demeanor is worthy of the position of the village's shadow. It's a pity he is too cowardly; only I can lead Konoha toward the future!

Shimura Danzo felt a brief warmth that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The softness that had just risen in his eyes turned back into indifference. After steadying his emotions, he mimicked the posture of the Hokage above him and said coldly.

"How do you intend to deal with the Uchiha Clan? Their recent movements have become increasingly frequent."

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent for a moment, though the smoke he exhaled was now slightly turbulent.

Seeing this, Shimura Danzo let out a cold snort and rebuked him sharply.

"How much longer do you intend to hesitate? Are you waiting until they strike at both of us, just as that rebel Uchiha Jin said?"

"Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen abruptly stopped his smoking, slamming his pipe heavily onto the desk before him, his voice low and stern.

"The Uchiha are a ninja clan of Konoha, and they are members of this village just like anyone else. Without evidence, I will never agree to your underhanded methods."

Shimura Danzo suddenly became incredibly angry, sneering coldly at the man before him.

"It will be too late by the time they make their move. If you want evidence, I have plenty of it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank at these words. He looked at Shimura Danzo with a grim expression, enunciating each word with heavy emphasis.

"Danzo! Abandon your little tricks. I will never allow you to use such conspiracies and schemes against our fellow villagers!"

The Third Hokage of Konoha wore a grave expression, and his frail body erupted with a majestic aura as radiant as the midday sun.

Shimura Danzo, long accustomed to this, merely revealed a terrifying smile and said with disdain.

"Hmph! You and I both know the sinful power of the Uchiha! This evil clan is not worthy of trust!"

Hmm...

The Third Hokage's face was grim as he puffed away at his pipe, and a strange, heavy silence once again descended upon the Hokage's office.

"Sarutobi, you've grown old. It's just the Uchiha Clan!"

As time ticked by, the impatience on Shimura Danzo's face became increasingly apparent, and the disdain deep within his eyes grew ever more intense.

Anyone who posed a danger to the village had to be dealt with.

Whether it was Uchiha Madara, Hatake Sakumo, Namikaze Minato, or Senju Nawaki—it made no difference!

"You no longer have the qualifications to sit in the Hokage's seat. Only I, Shimura Danzo, am the man who can lead Konoha to the pinnacle of the shinobi world!"

With that thought, Shimura Danzo stopped paying attention to Sarutobi Hiruzen and turned to walk out of the room that had made him so irritable.

"Sarutobi, you will regret this!"

Just as the door was about to close, Shimura Danzo's cold, low voice suddenly rang out.

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

The Third Hokage stared at Danzo's retreating back, and at the very last moment, he unleashed the overwhelming aura that had earned him the title of the 'strongest Hokage'!

Shimura Danzo's body stiffened for a split second, but he forced himself to maintain a stoic expression and continued his leisurely departure.

"Danzo, you are merely the root of Konoha, while I am the Hokage. Matters within the village are not as simple as mere killing..."

Sensing that Danzo's presence had completely vanished, Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe once more and took a leisurely puff.

One's position dictates one's perspective!

As the Hokage, he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had to consider problems from the perspective of the Hokage.

The Uchiha Clan was one of the oldest and most powerful clans in Konoha. Even if their reputation within the village was poor, if he were to strike at a shinobi clan without any evidence, what would the other clans think?

One had to remember that it had taken the efforts of several generations of Hokage to finally give civilian ninjas a chance to shine, but even now, the various shinobi clans remained the true pillars of Konoha.

If he were to strike at a clan while acting as Hokage, it would inevitably cause the various clans within Konoha to lose faith and drift away, even if it were the unpopular Uchiha Clan.

Furthermore!

Was the Uchiha Clan really so easy to bully?

As an evil clan possessing such a powerful bloodline limit, who could say for certain that the Uchiha didn't have such terrifying power hidden away?

That was the forbidden power of the gods!

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly, though he wasn't overly distressed; after all, he still had Shisui and Itachi as pawns in his hand.

While he couldn't be entirely sure to what extent these two would go for him, in the current situation, they were enough to buy him sufficient time to prepare.

Another, more important point was that although the village had signed a peace treaty with the Cloud Village, the outside world's covetous gaze toward Konoha had never ceased. If a large-scale conflict were to break out with the Uchiha, the Fourth Shinobi World War might not be far off!

The village still needed time...

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sighed softly and then turned his gaze toward the side of the room, where a photograph of a young man with golden hair hung.

The young man in the photo looked dignified yet approachable, youthful and full of vitality.

"Minato, if it were you, what would you do?"

A trace of wistfulness flickered in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, but this warmth vanished in an instant. He turned his head to scan the direction of the Uchiha compound once more, his eyes gradually clouding with doubt.

Recruiting medical ninjas! And that inexplicable assembly...

Uchiha!

What exactly are you planning!