Danzo: Hiruzen, you will regret this!

Hidden Leaf, Hokage office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and a few others had returned.

"Hiruzen, a person like that should be placed in my Root!"

"While we monitor him, we can also make him work for us."

Excitement flickered in Danzo's eyes; if he could successfully brainwash Zhou Cheng, he would possess an incredible trump card.

A trump card that could help him seize the position of Hokage.

Kakashi was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Danzo to harbor such intentions.

However, he wasn't worried. Given the strength Zhou Cheng had displayed so far, he wasn't someone who could be manipulated so easily.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, head bowed, puffing on his pipe in silence.

He couldn't quite pin down what kind of person Zhou Cheng really was.

Judging by the strength he had shown, if things weren't handled properly, it could easily lead to disaster.

What's more, his surname was Uchiha.

"With the rewards he's been handing out these past few days, if he were to raise a call, more than half of the Uchiha Clan would respond to him."

"Therefore, we cannot be too hasty!"

The older Hiruzen Sarutobi grew, the more indecisive he became.

"That is exactly why he must be sent to Root and kept under close surveillance!"

Danzo naturally wouldn't give up; the Hokage seat and power had become his inner demon, turning him into a man who would stop at nothing.

"What if he doesn't agree?"

Kakashi interjected. For the sake of those books and the Chakra Fruit, he naturally chose to stand on Zhou Cheng's side.

As for the conflict between the Uchiha and the village, he couldn't be bothered to care; the higher-ups could deal with that headache themselves.

"If he doesn't agree, it only proves his wolfish ambition, making it all the more necessary for Root to restrain him!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes after hearing this. Just say you want to brainwash Zhou Cheng and be done with it!

As a friend of several decades, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Danzo's thoughts all too well. He wanted to brainwash Zhou Cheng and control him with sealing techniques.

If it were an ordinary genius, he might have agreed.

But the strength Zhou Cheng had displayed made even a Kage-level ninja like him wary. If handled poorly, it could lead to a major incident!

Perhaps the Hidden Leaf would suffer another catastrophe on the scale of the Nine-Tails' attack.

The Hidden Leaf could no longer afford such turmoil!

"He won't agree."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took one last puff of his pipe before setting it down on the table.

Danzo stood up abruptly, his gaze burning:

"Then put pressure on him!"

"Frame him with charges that work against him and force him to submit!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes again. Would that trick even work?

It might work on others, but for Zhou Cheng, it would be completely useless!

He hadn't done anything wrong; he had simply set up an Arena, which didn't violate any village laws.

He hadn't incited violence either; he just stood there, letting people attack him without ever fighting back, and then gave those people rewards.

Everyone who received a reward was grateful to him, viewing him as a teacher and a senior.

Under such circumstances, who would believe the charges you try to pin on him?

However, he didn't want to say it out loud; he wanted to see Danzo get shut down!

He was well aware of the darkness within Root; once you went in, you weren't coming out.

You either died or were branded with a seal to become a tool for Root.

"It's useless!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi still disagreed. Zhou Cheng was not like the others; without knowing his true strength, he wouldn't easily provoke him.

Furthermore, he currently had too many young fanboys and fangirls who were deeply grateful to him.

Handling this poorly would only make these people resent the village, which was another potential hidden danger.

"Observe him for a few more days. There is no need to discuss this further!"

Seeing that Danzo still wanted to say something, Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table lightly:

"Shimura, I am the Hokage!"

Danzo was furious, his eyes bulging as he shouted:

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

After saying this, he slammed the door shut and left.

"Kakashi, I will also make time to go to the Arena tomorrow to take a look."

"You carry on as usual!"

Kakashi's eyes lit up; he was only afraid that you wouldn't let me go anymore!

He nodded happily and also opened the door to leave.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the window, watching the night sky quietly all by himself.

"Zhou Cheng, do not let me down!"

"Do not get yourself tangled up in those messy affairs of the Uchiha Clan!"

Uchiha Clan, conference hall.

The place was brightly lit, with over a dozen people sitting in two rows.

"That is everything that happened today!"

After Shisui finished speaking, the entire room fell into a dead silence!

A fruit that could turn parts of one's body into flames.

Such a powerful summoning beast!

They began to grow envious of the rewards Itachi and Shisui had received.

Why hadn't they sent their own direct subordinates to the Arena sooner?

The expressions of several elders looked as if they had lost hundreds of millions.

"Summoning Technique!"

White smoke billowed, and a massive figure appeared in the hall.

Its majestic body and powerful aura shocked them once again.

A look of joy appeared on Fugaku's face; his son was growing at a rapid pace, which would make his own position as clan head even more secure.

"Such a powerful summoning beast, Zhou Cheng just gave it to you like that?"

Several elders were deeply shaken by Charizard!

With Shisui's strength combined with such a summoning beast, his title as the strongest man in the Uchiha Clan became even more legitimate.

Roar!

Charizard let out a low growl, as if asking Shisui something.

"Charizard, there are no enemies; they just wanted to see you!"

Charizard's eyes widened instantly. You summoned me just to look at me?

It's the middle of the night, and we have our own nightlife too.

I had just gained the favor of a female dragon and was preparing to get to know her better when I was summoned here.

Roar!

It let out a furious roar toward the ceiling and stomped its foot, shattering the wooden floor of the hall.

The expressions of all the elders changed drastically; thinking that Shisui was about to make a move against them, they scrambled backward in fear.

"Charizard, calm down!"

Shisui appeared in front of it immediately.

Why are you so docile in front of Senior Zhou Cheng?

But you have such a fiery temper with me!

"I was wrong, I shouldn't have summoned you out for no reason!"

He could only do his best to appease Charizard.

Charizard turned its head, canceled the Summoning Technique on its own, and returned to its own world, where a beautiful female dragon was still waiting for it.

"Enough!"

As the clan head, Fugaku had to step in at this moment to take control of the situation.

"We should be happy that our clan has such people."

"The Great Elder has long since sent some of his own men to challenge and claim rewards!"

"I imagine the harvest must have been quite good, right?"

He spoke with pointed intent, dragging the Great Elder into the fray.

Still trying to vie for the position of clan head? Keep dreaming!

The gazes of the other elders toward the Great Elder changed instantly.

Damn you, you old fossil, acting all high and mighty while telling us to ignore Zhou Cheng.

He had secretly sent people to claim the rewards for himself; what a venomous old snake!

"Scoundrel!"

The other elders launched a verbal assault against the Great Elder.

This old bastard was far too treacherous!

"I was merely scouting the path for everyone! Testing the authenticity of Zhou Cheng!"

"Cut the crap! If it were truly a test, you could have just said so openly. Why act one way to our faces and another behind our backs?"

"I see it now—you just want to monopolize everything so you can seize the position of Clan Head!"

The Great Elder's expression shifted. Seizing the position of Clan Head was a grave crime within the clan; if things went wrong, his entire lineage would be finished!

He looked toward Fugaku and, seeing the cold, sinister smile on his face, felt his beard tremble with rage. He had lost this round!