Acting at Full Throttle

After exchanging a round of meaningless pleasantries, Uchiha Yushu took the initiative to steer the conversation toward the attack that night.

Yushu put on an extremely guilty expression. "Lord Hokage, I only learned after becoming clan head last night and reviewing the records that there was a group of Root ninja in the village. I had always thought they were spies disguised as Anbu who had infiltrated Konoha. I actually killed them. I regret it so much, Lord Hokage. I feel like I have betrayed the Will of Fire. But I truly didn't know there was a department called Root!"

"Hehe, ignorance is no crime. Root ninja do tend to act somewhat excessively. As long as Chief Yushu compensates Root for its losses, that will be enough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was cursing furiously inside, but outwardly, he continued to offer gentle consolation.

"No, Lord Hokage. Thirty million ryo cannot possibly ease the guilt in my heart. The loss of nine elite Root ninja will surely greatly affect the village's strength. The Uchiha Clan is willing to send eighteen elite jonin to join Root, to be commanded by Elder Danzo as he sees fit. Elder Danzo, please make sure to accept them!"

As he spoke, he looked at Danzo with a face full of guilt.

Good grief! You were openly trying to plant spies in my Root.

Danzo's previously amused expression instantly darkened. "Uchiha Yushu, put away your tricks. Do you really think there is nothing this old man can do to you?"

"Oh? I merely wish to make up for Elder Danzo's losses. What do you mean by tricks? Does Elder Danzo look down on our Uchiha Clan?"

As he spoke, he had already activated his Sharingan. His entire aura erupted as he pressed it toward Danzo.

"How could this be? Why is this brat so strong?" Facing Yushu's full might head-on, Danzo felt as though he had returned to his childhood, standing before the Second Hokage.

This discovery filled Danzo's heart with disbelief and endless humiliation. This brat, this brat definitely has a problem!

Had Danzo been a member of the Uchiha Clan, he might have angrily awakened his Sharingan under such circumstances. Unfortunately, he was not. He could only glare at Yushu with an even more sinister gaze while doing his best to resist Yushu's pressure.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing nearby, also sensed Yushu's strength. Looking at Yushu, who seemed like a hotheaded fool ready to fight after just one sentence from Danzo, Hiruzen was worried by Yushu's power but also grateful that they had not completely fallen out before this.

The commotion had already alerted the Anbu outside. More than ten figures appeared in an instant, and the leader asked, "Lord Hokage, is everything all right?"

Seeing that his old companion was about to be unable to hold on, Hiruzen Sarutobi released his own aura. Working together with Danzo, he easily dissolved the clash between them.

"It's fine, it's fine. Everyone, don't get worked up. If there is something to discuss, sit down and talk it over slowly."

At that, Yushu and Danzo both withdrew their auras, and the Anbu who had appeared concealed themselves once more.

Yushu was naturally delighted inside. Danzo had actually dared to lay hands on Natsuri. This was only a negligible bit of interest from Danzo's debt. After today, he would let Danzo experience what true all-around suppression meant.

Danzo's heart, meanwhile, turned icy. It seemed he needed Orochimaru to speed things up. The Sharingan he currently had should barely be enough.

Danzo had collected these Sharingan by looting corpses all over the place during the two Ninja World Wars. He had originally intended to create the perfect arm after wiping out the Uchiha Clan, but now he could only make a half-finished version first.

"It seems Elder Danzo does not want compensation from the Uchiha Clan."

"Hmph! This old man would rather have no compensation than this kind of compensation!"

"Lord Hokage, what do you think?" Yushu asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Since Danzo does not want compensation, then let the matter of compensation be dropped."

The Third Hokage sighed as he spoke. Feeling somewhat troubled himself, he took out his pipe.

"You don't mind, do you, Yushu?"

"Of course not. Please, Lord Hokage. Next time, I'll bring you some fine tobacco as thanks for the care you have shown me."

"How thoughtful, Yushu."

When the time comes, should I throw it away, or throw it away?

After taking several puffs, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression relaxed somewhat.

At this point, Yushu brought up another doubt. "I heard from Senior Fugaku that Natsuri and Sasuke Uchiha seem to be about to withdraw from the Ninja Academy. Is that true?"

"Yes. That is the village's decision."

Yushu once again put on an expression as though he had suffered a tremendous blow. One hand pressed against his chest, he said in a heartrending voice, "Why? Why? Is the village going to drive our Uchiha Clan out of the village? Our Uchiha Clan wants to integrate into Konoha. Is the Will of Fire flowing through every inch of our bodies going to be severed in the next generation?"

Then he dramatically leaned back against the sofa.

"Will the children of our Uchiha Clan never again be able to feel the radiance of the Will of Fire? First Hokage, Second Hokage, can you see this? Konoha's next generation is about to lose the Will of Fire!"

By now, Hiruzen Sarutobi had more or less realized that Yushu was his kind of person. That shameless face, those superb acting skills, that mouth full of the Will of Fire—Hiruzen knew he had underestimated Yushu before. From now on, he needed to take him seriously.

Fugaku, standing to the side, found the sight incredibly satisfying. Every time he had negotiated with Konoha in the past, the other side had always talked about the village and the Will of Fire while steadily forcing him into a corner, until he had no choice but to accept their excessive demands.

This complete reversal delighted him. At the same time, he could not help thinking that the Will of Fire really was useful. He had always dismissed it because it had been proposed by the Senju Clan, but it now seemed necessary to study it carefully and figure out how to use the Will of Fire for himself.

Danzo watched Yushu's exaggerated performance. Hearing an Uchiha speak endlessly of the Will of Fire made him sick. In his eyes, only his own Will of Root could make Konoha great again!

For now, let us not mention what the others were thinking.

As a master of the Will of Fire himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not stand it any longer. "Yushu, it is not that Konoha refuses to accept the Uchiha Clan. It is because your sister Natsuri came into contact with Naruto Uzumaki. Yushu, you should also know that Naruto is the current Nine-Tails jinchuriki. For the jinchuriki's safety, Natsuri and Sasuke can only be wronged."

Yushu widened his eyes and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in disbelief. "So that's how it is. The jinchuriki's safety is indeed important. For the sake of the village, the Uchiha Clan is willing to give up the chance to bask in the Will of Fire."

Then Yushu continued, "But the Uchiha Clan alone is not enough. For the jinchuriki's safety, for Konoha, the Konoha Military Police Force is willing to mobilize all its strength at the entrance of the Ninja Academy to prevent Hyuga Clan, Inuzuka Clan, Aburame Clan, Nara Clan, Yamanaka Clan... every child who might threaten the jinchuriki's safety from entering the Ninja Academy."

"Rest assured, Lord Hokage, we absolutely will not reveal any information. For Konoha, the Uchiha Clan is willing to silently bear the hatred of every clan and make this sacrifice. We absolutely will not allow the jinchuriki to suffer even the slightest harm."

Bastard, is that what I meant? I was targeting only you Uchiha. What does this have to do with the other clans? Hiruzen Sarutobi roared inwardly.

But words that had already been spoken could not easily be taken back. Yet if he did not make the children of the other clans withdraw as well, it would indeed make it seem as though he were targeting the Uchiha Clan too blatantly. Though that was exactly what he meant, he could not make it so obvious.

"Regarding the jinchuriki's safety, I will discuss it again with the advisory council. For now, Natsuri and Sasuke may continue attending the Ninja Academy."

Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to discuss things with his old companions and come up with a method that would leave no room for argument.

"Many thanks, Lord Hokage. Our Uchiha Clan can once again bathe in the radiance of the Will of Fire. However, nearly all Konoha jonin know that the jinchuriki is Naruto. As the saying goes, one person's plan is limited. Why not convene a jonin assembly to discuss the jinchuriki's safety together? A decision reached by everyone together will surely earn everyone's approval."

Yushu knew perfectly well that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to make decisions within a small circle. His meaning was clear: don't expect me to accept decisions you make in private. Either make the matter completely public and let everyone discuss it together, or forget it. You still want to play your little clique games? I won't accept that.

Hiruzen Sarutobi found this troublesome. How was this brat inferior to Fugaku? Now that he was facing this little fox, he dearly missed the days when he had argued with Fugaku.

At the same time, he did not forget to glance at Fugaku, who stood motionless behind Yushu. Why were you so useless? I even treated you as an opponent once.

Meanwhile, Yushu was looking at him with sparkling eyes, seemingly delighted with the suggestion he had just made.

I wonder what I usually look like in Danzo's eyes. Hiruzen Sarutobi could not hold back any longer. After the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, he said, "Yushu, the jinchuriki matter is not suitable for such fanfare. It does seem inappropriate to make Natsuri and Sasuke withdraw from school. They should continue attending as usual."

When it came to his sister, Yushu had no intention of letting the matter go so easily. His eyes shifted, then suddenly lit up. He said excitedly, "For Konoha's safety, how can we be so careless? Why not have the jinchuriki withdraw from school instead? Lord Hokage, don't you think that is a good idea?"

Danzo, who had been watching the two of them perform with growing disgust, suddenly lit up. "Hiruzen, I think this is an excellent idea. For the jinchuriki's safety, he should withdraw from school. But to prevent the jinchuriki from becoming useless when he grows up, hand him over to me."

Already fed up with Yushu, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Danzo still trying to steal from him at a time like this and finally could not endure it any longer. A terrifying aura burst from him. "Both of you, shut up! Naruto will not withdraw from school. I will increase the Anbu forces around Naruto. The jinchuriki is not something you should concern yourselves with. Watch your positions. I am Konoha's Hokage!"

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi faintly regain some of his old heroic bearing, and even getting a bonus interaction with Danzo out of it, Yushu stopped while he was ahead.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Afraid that Yushu would stir up more trouble, Hiruzen Sarutobi directly issued an order to send them away.

"This old man still has Konoha's affairs to handle, so I will not see you off."

Yushu clearly wanted to say something more, but Fugaku, behind him, lightly tugged on him. When Yushu turned around, he saw Fugaku shake his head slightly.

In the end, Yushu opened his mouth but said nothing. He left together with Fugaku.

Danzo still did not move. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with an expression that plainly said, why are you still here?

After Danzo saw the outsiders leave and the office was once again occupied by only himself and Hiruzen, he said, "Hiruzen, that brat is no simple matter. He is only fifteen now. Why don't we strike directly?"

How could Hiruzen Sarutobi not have considered it? But after sensing that Yushu's aura was no weaker than his own at his peak, he had ultimately chosen compromise out of fear that Konoha would suffer tremendous losses, just as he had compromised countless times before.

Therefore, his expression did not change at all. He continued to stare at Danzo with that same look asking why he had not left yet.

Knowing Hiruzen's character well, Danzo understood that Hiruzen had backed down. Without support, he intended to rely on himself. As expected, only I can save Konoha from the evil Uchiha.

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!" Danzo left after throwing down those words.

The only sound in the office was Hiruzen Sarutobi puffing on his pipe. After carefully reviewing everything that had happened today, Hiruzen thought of something puzzling.

"Go find the documents the Second Hokage once issued to the Uchiha Clan," Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered.