Hope

Uchiha Yan's hand had just made contact with Izumi's soft, flowing hair.

Izumi, who had been dazed and groggy just a moment ago, felt her face flush a bright red.

"Yan, stop it."

Izumi muttered softly, lowering her head in embarrassment, yet she made no move to pull away. Instead, like a contented kitten, she leaned gently into Uchiha Yan's hand.

Uchiha Yan applied a little pressure, smoothing down the cowlick atop Izumi's head.

However, the moment he pulled his hand away, the cowlick sprang right back up.

Seeing this, Uchiha Yan raised an eyebrow.

A strange, inexplicable sense of competitiveness welled up inside him.

Refusing to accept defeat, he pressed it down again, smoothing it over a few extra times along the grain of her hair.

"I don't believe this," Uchiha Yan muttered to himself.

Feeling the lingering warmth on her head, Izumi was so shy that even the base of her neck turned crimson. Her small hands gripped the black jacket Uchiha Yan was wearing, and she looked up at him with watery eyes, pouting, "Yan, you came back first thing in the morning just to pick a fight with my hair?"

"This is a grooming inspection for the Konoha Military Police Force," Uchiha Yan said with a straight face, spouting nonsense before slowly releasing his fingers.

As a result, the cowlick stood back up, even swaying provocatively.

Seeing this, Uchiha Yan finally let out a resigned laugh.

Seeing him smile, Izumi spoke up, looking aggrieved, "Konoha was so chaotic yesterday; I was worried you were hurt, so I used the spare key to get into your room..."

Izumi's voice grew quieter as she spoke, and eventually, even that stubborn cowlick seemed to droop.

However, Uchiha Yan had gathered enough to know that Izumi was simply worried about him.

He reached out and ruffled Izumi's hair, saying, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."

Only then did Izumi look up at him and ask, "Then Yan, where did you go last night?"

Uchiha Yan replied naturally, "I was worried about Sunagakure spies infiltrating, so I spent the night patrolling outside the village."

Hearing this, Izumi immediately asked with concern, "Then shouldn't you go get some rest?"

Uchiha Yan waved his hand, "I wasn't patrolling the entire time. Since your leave is over, let me change my clothes, and we can head to the Konoha Military Police Force together."

Izumi nodded groggily, and once Uchiha Yan had changed into a neat set of clothes, the two walked off side by side.

Meanwhile, inside the residence of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"Danzo," accompanied by several Root members, walked slowly toward the entrance of the estate.

He looked at the leader, Uchiha Inabi, and said in a calm tone, "Captain Inabi, leave the rest to us."

He stepped closer, leaning in to whisper in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Trust me, everything is under my control."

Upon hearing these words, Uchiha Inabi's previously expressionless face was suddenly struck by a look of shock and even fear.

His pupils contracted violently as he stared fixedly at the "Danzo" before him.

It all lined up—everything lined up.

Why, after Sarutobi Hiruzen's death, did Danzo choose to end his concealment at the very moment the situation was most ripe for control?

Uchiha Inabi, who thought he was on the final layer of the scheme when he was actually only on the second, believed he had seen the truth.

Uchiha Inabi remained silent for a moment before waving his hand to those behind him.

Though these members of the Hawk Faction didn't understand, they chose to yield the position.

In that instant, Uchiha Inabi believed he had glimpsed the truth of power in Konoha; this was not a confrontation between the Uchiha and the high-ranking officials, but a long-premeditated ceremony of power transition, with the death of Sarutobi Hiruzen as the overture.

And Uchiha Yan and Danzo seemed to have reached some sort of tacit understanding on a level invisible to others.

As this "Danzo" was about to move away, Uchiha Inabi could not suppress the curiosity in his heart.

"I wonder, Elder Danzo, how you intend to deal with these two advisors?"

"Danzo" raised his hand, signaling the Root members behind him to take over the gate.

He said indifferently, "These two are no longer advisors of Konoha; they are 'historical remnants' of Konoha. History is something that needs to be corrected."

Uchiha Inabi nodded.

He then led the Uchiha group away.

He was very curious about what price Uchiha Yan and Danzo had paid to make Danzo willing to take the fall for this.

Originally, Uchiha Inabi had assumed Uchiha Yan would simply have the two advisors die of illness; he hadn't expected someone to come and handle it directly.

Danzo walked slowly into the residence.

At that moment, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were inside the courtyard, looking distressed.

Hearing the voices outside, one of the familiar tones sounded very much like Danzo.

The two exchanged a glance, their faces, which had been ashen just moments ago, suddenly flushing with color.

However, they still dared not rejoice, for what if the voice merely sounded similar?

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Where there is no hope, there is no disappointment.

Just then, the sound of footsteps and the rhythmic "tap-tap" of a cane striking the floor echoed from outside.

Hearing this, the two finally let out a sigh of relief.

Because in this Konoha, no one of any standing chose to use a cane, save for Danzo.

As the sound drew nearer, the two straightened their backs, forcing themselves to adopt a relaxed demeanor.

They did not wish to lose face in front of their old friend.

"Creeeak," the wooden door groaned as Danzo slowly walked inside.

He remained half-wrapped in bandages, leaning on a wooden cane with his right hand.

"Danzo, it really is you!"

Utatane Koharu stood up, unable to contain her excitement.

Her voice trembled with agitation.

"You've come just in time! Those Uchiha madmen actually dared to openly slaughter our personal guards last night, and then had the audacity to claim they were colluding with the Sand Ninja!"

"Fugaku and that man named Inabi even mobilized the Military Police Force to place us under house arrest!"

"And that bastard Jiraiya, he just washed his hands of the whole affair!"

"Danzo, quickly mobilize Root and contact the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga. As long as you join forces with us, merging the Anbu and Root, and add the pressure of the great clans, we can surely force those Uchiha madmen to hesitate!"

Although Mitokado Homura was not as agitated as Utatane Koharu, he adjusted his glasses and slowly stood up, projecting an air of calculated confidence.

"Danzo, Hiruzen has unfortunately fallen in battle, and Jiraiya has abandoned Konoha, refusing to shoulder his responsibilities."

"Now is the perfect opportunity for you to take charge of the situation."

In their eyes, Danzo's interests were perfectly aligned with their own.

After all, his hatred for the Uchiha far exceeded even their own.

He could be said to be the perfect executor of the will of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

As the saying goes, the enemy of one's enemy is one's friend, and furthermore, the two of them believed they still shared a bond of old friendship with Danzo.