Hidden Leaf, Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others returned here.
"Hiruzen, someone like him should be placed in my Root!"
"While keeping an eye on him, we can also put him to work for us."
Excitement glinted in Danzo's eyes. If he could successfully brainwash Zhou Cheng, he would have an enormous trump card.
A trump card that could help him claim the Hokage Position.
Kakashi was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Danzo to have such an idea.
But he wasn't worried. Given the strength Zhou Cheng had shown so far, he wasn't someone they could manipulate just any old way.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, head lowered, smoking his pipe in silence.
He couldn't figure out what kind of person Zhou Cheng was.
Judging by the strength he had shown so far, things could easily go wrong if they mishandled this.
What's more, his surname was Uchiha.
"With the rewards he's handed out over the past few days, all he has to do is call on them, and more than half the Uchiha Clan will answer."
"So we can't rush into anything!"
The older Hiruzen Sarutobi got, the more indecisive he became.
"Exactly! That's why we need to send him to Root and keep a close eye on him!"
Danzo naturally wouldn't give up. The Hokage Position and power had become an obsession for him, turning him into a man who would stop at nothing.
"What if he refuses?"
Kakashi interjected. Out of gratitude for the book and the Chakra Fruit, he naturally chose to side with Zhou Cheng.
As for the conflict between the Uchiha and the village, he couldn't be bothered with it. The higher-ups could deal with that headache.
"If he refuses, that proves his sinister ambitions. All the more reason for Root to keep him in check!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes. Why not just say you want to brainwash Zhou Cheng?
After decades of knowing him, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Danzo's intentions perfectly. He wanted to brainwash Zhou Cheng and control him with Sealing Jutsu.
If Zhou Cheng were an ordinary genius, Hiruzen would have agreed.
But the strength Zhou Cheng had shown made even him, a Kage Level shinobi, wary. If they mishandled this, it could turn into a major incident!
Hidden Leaf might suffer another catastrophe like the Nine-Tails' rampage.
The village couldn't take another upheaval like that!
"He won't agree!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took one last drag on his pipe, then set it on the desk.
Danzo sprang to his feet, his eyes blazing.
"Then put pressure on him!"
"Pin some charges on him and force him to comply!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes again. Did Danzo really think that would work?
It might work on other people, but it wouldn't do a thing to Zhou Cheng!
He hadn't done anything wrong. All he'd done was set up an Arena, and that didn't violate the village's laws.
He hadn't gathered people to fight, either. He'd simply stood there and let them attack him without ever striking back, then given them rewards.
Everyone who received a reward was grateful to him and regarded him as a teacher and senior.
Under those circumstances, who would accept the charges they pinned on him?
But Kakashi didn't want to say that aloud. He wanted to see Danzo get his comeuppance!
He knew all too well how dark Root was. Once you went in, you couldn't get out.
You either died or had a seal placed on you and became a tool of Root.
"It won't work!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi still refused. Zhou Cheng wasn't like anyone else, and Hiruzen wouldn't provoke him recklessly without knowing the full extent of his strength.
What's more, Zhou Cheng now had far too many admirers, both men and women, who were grateful to him.
If they mishandled this, those people would only grow resentful toward the village, creating another potential threat.
"We'll observe him for a few more days. There's nothing more to discuss!"
Seeing that Danzo was about to say something else, Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the desk.
"Shimura, I'm the Hokage!"
Danzo glared at him, his voice full of fury.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
"Kakashi, I'll make time to visit the Arena tomorrow, too."
"Carry on as usual!"
Kakashi's eyes lit up. He'd been afraid Hiruzen might stop sending him!
He nodded happily, then opened the door and left.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the window and stood alone, gazing quietly into the night.
"Zhou Cheng, don't disappoint me!"
"Stay out of that mess with the Uchiha!"
The Uchiha Clan's meeting hall.
The place was brightly lit. Two rows of people sat inside, more than a dozen in all.
"That's everything that happened today!"
When Shisui finished speaking, the entire room fell silent!
A fruit that could turn parts of the body into flames.
Such a powerful Summoning Technique creature!
They were starting to envy the rewards Itachi and Shisui had received.
Why hadn't they sent their own direct subordinates to the Arena sooner?
The elders looked as if they'd lost billions.
"Summoning Technique!"
White smoke billowed, and a massive figure appeared in the hall.
Its powerful build and imposing presence shook them once again.
Fugaku was delighted. His son was growing at an incredible pace, which would make his position as clan head all the more secure.
"Such a powerful summon, and Zhou Cheng just gave it to you?"
The elders were deeply shaken by Charizard!
With Shisui's strength and a summon like this, his title as the Uchiha's strongest man seemed all the more deserved.
Roar!
Charizard gave a low growl, as if asking Shisui something.
"Charizard, there's no enemy. They just wanted to meet you!"
Charizard's eyes widened. They'd summoned him just to look at him?
It was the middle of the night! He deserved a night out, too.
A female Charizard had taken a liking to him, and he'd been about to get to know her better when they summoned him here.
Roar!
He threw his head back and roared. One foot came down and smashed through the hall's wooden floor.
The elders' faces changed. Thinking Shisui was about to attack them, they stumbled backward in fright.
"Charizard, calm down!"
Shisui immediately appeared in front of him.
Why were you so docile around Senior Zhou Cheng?
Why were you so hot-tempered with me?
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have summoned you for no reason!"
He could only do his best to soothe Charizard.
Charizard turned around and canceled the Summoning Technique himself, returning to his own world, where a beautiful female Charizard was waiting for him.
"That's enough!"
As clan head, Fugaku had to step in and restore order.
"We should be glad our clan has someone like him."
"The Great Elder sent some of his own people to challenge him and claim the rewards a while ago!"
"I imagine the Harvest was quite good, right?"
He was clearly insinuating something, dragging the Great Elder into it.
You can forget about becoming clan head!
The other elders' gazes toward the Great Elder changed at once.
You old bastard! You told us not to bother with Zhou Cheng, yet secretly sent people to claim his rewards yourself. What a sly old fox!
"Damn you!"
The other elders tore into the Great Elder.
That old man was far too devious!
"I was only scouting ahead for everyone! Testing whether Zhou Cheng was the real deal!"
"Bullshit! If you were really testing him, you could've said so openly. Why put on one face in public and another behind our backs?"
"I say you just want your own branch to dominate, so you can seize the clan head position!"
The Great Elder's expression changed. Trying to seize the clan head position was a grave offense in the clan. If things went wrong, his entire branch could be finished!
He looked at Fugaku and saw the cold smile on his face. His beard trembled with rage. He had lost this round!
Before you continue