Hope

Uchiha Yan's hand had just touched Uchiha Izumi's silky hair.

Izumi, who had still been half-asleep a moment ago, flushed bright red.

"Yan, don't tease me."

Izumi murmured under her breath. Embarrassed, she lowered her head slightly, but made no move to pull away. Instead, like a cat being petted, she leaned into Uchiha Yan's hand and rubbed against it.

Uchiha Yan pressed down gently on the cowlick atop Izumi's head.

But as soon as he took his hand away, it sprang right back up.

Uchiha Yan raised an eyebrow at the sight.

A baffling desire to win welled up inside him.

He refused to give up and pressed it down again, smoothing it along the direction of her hair a couple of times.

"I refuse to believe this," Uchiha Yan muttered to himself.

Feeling the slight warmth on top of her head, Uchiha Izumi blushed all the way to the nape of her neck. Her little hands clutched Uchiha Yan's black jacket, and she gazed up at him with watery eyes, pouting, "Yan, did you come back so early just to pick a fight with my hair?"

"This is an appearance and grooming inspection by the Military Police Force," Uchiha Yan replied with a straight face, then slowly released his fingers.

The cowlick sprang back up again, even swaying provocatively.

Seeing that, Uchiha Yan simply laughed and let it go.

Only then did Uchiha Izumi say, looking aggrieved, "Konoha was such a mess yesterday. I was worried you'd get hurt, so I used the spare key to come into your room..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter until the cowlick drooped, too.

Uchiha Yan had more or less figured out that Izumi had simply been worried about him.

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

Only then did Uchiha Izumi look up at him and ask, "So, Yan, what were you doing last night?"

"I was worried that Sand Ninja spies might sneak into Sunagakure, so I spent the night patrolling outside the village," Uchiha Yan said naturally.

At his words, Uchiha Izumi immediately asked with concern, "Shouldn't you get some rest?"

Uchiha Yan waved her concern away. "I wasn't patrolling the whole time. Your leave's over, anyway. Once I change, we can head to the Konoha Military Police Force together."

Izumi nodded sleepily. After Uchiha Yan changed into a neat outfit, the two of them walked side by side.

Meanwhile, at the residences of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"Danzo" arrived at the entrance with several Root members.

Seeing Uchiha Inabi at the head of the group, he said calmly, "Captain Inabi, leave the rest to us."

He stepped closer and whispered in Inabi's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Trust me. Everything is under my control."

At those words, Uchiha Inabi's expressionless face suddenly registered shock, even fear.

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

It all fit. Every last piece.

Why had Danzo chosen to end his disappearance after Sarutobi Hiruzen died, just when the situation was easiest to control?

Uchiha Inabi, who thought he'd uncovered the truth while only seeing the second layer, believed he finally understood what was really going on.

Uchiha Inabi was silent for a moment, then waved to the people behind him.

The Hawk Faction didn't understand, but still made way.

In that instant, Uchiha Inabi thought he saw the truth behind Konoha's power. This wasn't a showdown between the Uchiha and the higher-ups. It was a long-planned transfer of power, with Sarutobi Hiruzen's death as its opening act.

And Uchiha Yan and Danzo seemed to have reached an unspoken understanding on some unseen level long ago.

Just before "Danzo" walked away, Uchiha Inabi couldn't suppress his curiosity any longer.

"I wonder how Elder Danzo plans to deal with these two advisors?"

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

He replied coolly, "These two are no longer Konoha's advisors. They're Konoha's 'historical leftovers.' History needs to be corrected."

Uchiha Inabi nodded.

Then he led the Uchiha away.

He was curious what price Uchiha Yan and Danzo had paid to get Danzo to take the blame.

Uchiha Inabi had assumed Uchiha Yan would simply arrange for the two advisors to die of illness. He hadn't expected someone else to come and handle them.

Danzo slowly entered the two men's residence.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were sitting in the courtyard, both looking troubled.

Hearing voices outside, they thought one of them sounded very much like Danzo.

They exchanged a glance. Their faces, which had been ashen, suddenly seemed to regain their color.

Still, they didn't dare get their hopes up. What if it only sounded like him?

The higher the hope, the greater the disappointment.

No hope meant no disappointment.

Just then, footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the "clack, clack" of a cane striking the ground.

Hearing it, the two of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In all of Konoha, no one of any importance besides Danzo used a cane.

As the sound drew closer, they straightened up and composed themselves.

They didn't want to lose face in front of their old friend.

Creak. The wooden door swung open, and Danzo slowly walked in.

Half his body was still wrapped in bandages, and he leaned on a wooden cane with his right hand.

"Danzo, it really is you!"

Utatane Koharu leaped to her feet, too excited to wait.

Her voice trembled with emotion.

"You came just in time! Those Uchiha madmen actually slaughtered our personal guards in broad daylight last night, then twisted the truth and claimed they were conspiring with Sunagakure!"

"Fugaku and that man named Inabi even used the Military Police Force to confine us!"

"And that bastard Jiraiya just abandoned us and refused to get involved!"

"Danzo, mobilize Root and contact Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga. If you join forces with us, Anbu and Root can unite, and with the great clans putting pressure on them, we can make those Uchiha madmen think twice!"

Mitokado Homura wasn't as excited as Utatane Koharu, but he adjusted his glasses and slowly stood up, looking as if he had everything under control.

"Danzo, Hiruzen died in battle, and Jiraiya left Konoha rather than accept responsibility."

"Now's your chance to take charge."

In their eyes, Danzo's interests aligned with theirs.

After all, his hatred of the Uchiha ran even deeper than theirs.

He was practically the perfect embodiment of the Second Senju Tobirama's will.

As the saying went, the enemy of your enemy was your friend. Besides, they believed they still had a few old ties with Danzo.