The Uchiha Madonna

"Minato, you see it too. It's not just me being paranoid; such an unstable factor in Konoha is far too dangerous! We must find a way to control him." Recalling the terrifying strength of Uchiha Gen, Danzo Shimura no longer thought about elimination; controlling Uchiha Gen within the upper echelons was the best option for now!

"What would you have me do? Uchiha Gen's parents died on the battlefield long ago. Now, he's a lone wolf with no ties or burdens. If you go provoke him today, he could walk right up and cut you down without a second thought!" Third Hokage replied, speechless. If it were that easy to control him, did he think he wouldn't have done it already?

"Uchiha Gen will have to marry eventually. I believe he'll be more cautious in his actions once he has a wife and children," Koharu Utatane considered.

"That's likely a long way off. Does Uchiha Gen even have a woman he likes? If he ends up like Madara Uchiha, living out his life in solitude, then we're completely out of options!" Homura Mitokado worried.

"A woman he likes? He did mention to me previously that he intended to pursue the Chunin Kurenai Yuhi," Namikaze Minato said. Although he felt it was wrong to scheme against someone's family, Uchiha Gen's personality was indeed malicious. For the sake of Konoha's stability, only an Uchiha Gen with emotional bonds could be trusted.

"What? Kurenai Yuhi? Isn't that the girl my brat is currently pursuing? Uchiha Gen wants to cut in?" Third Hokage looked bewildered. Was he eating melon only to find it was his own son?

"Hiruzen, I have to criticize you for this. What era do you think this is? We seek free love now; everyone has the right to pursue what they desire. Your Asuma hasn't even made a move yet, so can you really say Uchiha Gen is cutting in?" Danzo Shimura's eyes lit up at Namikaze Minato's words, and he righteously attacked Third Hokage.

Danzo, we've worked together for decades—who doesn't know your little schemes? Who are you trying to fool? Although Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado knew Danzo's true intentions, they didn't call him out. After all, Uchiha Gen was the real threat, and minor issues like Asuma's love life could be pushed aside!

"Fine, fine. For the greater good, Asuma will just have to suffer a little! A great man shouldn't worry about the lack of a wife. Asuma, I hope you can understand your father's painstaking efforts!" Third Hokage consoled himself.

"Since that's settled, it just so happens I have a document here from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. The Daimyo wants to form a ninja unit to maintain the daily security of the royal family. There are twelve positions, six to be selected from Konoha and six to be recruited by the Daimyo himself. How about I recommend Asuma for one?" Namikaze Minato said, pulling another document from his pouch under the desk.

"Hmm? The Twelve Guardian Ninja?" This would be a perfect chance for Asuma to build his political resume and get familiar with the Daimyo, paving the way for his future. Besides, protecting the Daimyo wasn't a dangerous job. No madman in the entire Ninja World would dare assassinate the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations. Although the nations were often at war, the Daimyos had long been forced into an alliance due to the pressure of the extraordinary power wielded by ninjas. Any ninja or faction that dared to assassinate a Daimyo would be hunted down by the other four nations.

Unless someone was brain-dead or involved in a succession struggle, no one would touch a Daimyo. However, ninjas generally didn't interfere in such messy, troublesome matters.

In the original story, the Land of Snow incident occurred because the Daimyo of the Land of Snow issued a mission requesting Konoha to take away Koyuki Kazahana, not because he asked Konoha to kill his brother, Dotō Kazahana!

Koyuki Kazahana's ascension over a decade later had its own reasons. The initial mission was merely to protect Yukie Fujikaze during her performance; it was only due to the Snow Ninja's attack and Naruto's hot-blooded, brainless interference that the subsequent events unfolded!

"Sigh, let it be. I have no objections!" Third Hokage accepted the arrangement, appearing helpless.

Tch.

The others curled their lips in disdain.

Afterward~

Konoha, Elder's Office~

The Konoha F4 gathered once again.

"Hiruzen, we must take the initiative. We can't just count on that brat Uchiha Gen falling in love and getting married—and even if he does, it's not guaranteed!" Danzo Shimura suggested.

"That makes sense. We must prepare a second, backup plan!" Homura Mitokado agreed.

"What other options are there? Only Wood Release can suppress the Uchiha Mangekyo. The Senju clan is down to just Tsunade, and she hasn't awakened Wood Release—plus, she has hemophobia. We can't count on her!" Koharu Utatane fretted.

Danzo's eyelid twitched at the mention of Wood Release. Wood Release? I have it, but can I tell them? Definitely not. But thinking of Tenzo's Wood Release compared to Uchiha Gen's Susanoo, were they even on the same level? Tenzo would probably be swatted away like a fly.

Is it just because he's still young? That must be it. As the two poles of the Warring States period, there's no reason Wood Release should be this weak! Let's wait and see. What if Tenzo has a breakthrough as he grows older? Who can say for sure? Evil Uchiha brat, I'll let you be smug for a little longer!

"It doesn't necessarily have to be Wood Release to suppress a Mangekyo. Other Mangekyo could do the same, couldn't they?" Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, brow furrowed.

"Hiss—Hiruzen, have you lost your mind? One pair of Mangekyo is already hard enough to deal with, and you want to find another?" Homura Mitokado gasped, making a significant contribution to the global cooling of the Ninja World.

"Hiruzen, calm down. I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately. If you can't handle it, why don't you go home and rest? We can discuss this slowly later!" Koharu Utatane even began to suspect the Third Hokage had developed a split personality from the stress.

I object! Hiruzen, you're playing with fire! The Third Hokage was truly incompetent. One Mangekyo-wielding Uchiha Gen was already a headache; he wanted another? No matter how Tenzo developed, he wouldn't be able to withstand two pairs of Mangekyo! Danzo ranted frantically in his heart.

"Don't be so hasty, listen to me. We can't guarantee what other Uchihas will do, but Uchiha Shisui, as a descendant of Kagami Uchiha, we've watched him grow up. Although Shisui is young and can't compare to Uchiha Gen yet, his talent is plain for all to see. If he can awaken the Mangekyo, I believe that with our support and cultivation, suppressing Uchiha Gen will be a simple matter!" Third Hokage reasoned.

"Impossible! Hiruzen, have you forgotten how the Second Hokage evaluated the Uchiha clan? Uchiha Gen isn't the only 'naturally evil brat.' Shisui might be excellent now, but can you guarantee his personality won't change after awakening the Mangekyo? By then, who knows if he'll be swinging his blade at Uchiha Gen or at you!" Danzo Shimura vehemently opposed. He would never allow another Mangekyo user to emerge from the Uchiha clan!