Sarutobi, You'll Regret This; Danzo, I'll Be Hokage

"Hiss!"

The Uchiha Clan's ninja all looked furious but dared not speak.

The Third Hokage was clearly shielding Rogge!

Years of wariness toward Hiruzen Sarutobi left Uchiha Zhenghong speechless.

That was right... he was the Hokage, Konoha's highest authority. If he stepped forward to vouch for Rogge, the Uchiha Clan could do nothing to him...

Unless the Uchiha Clan truly made up its mind to launch a coup.

But... the timing was far from ripe. Compared to all of Konoha, the Uchiha Clan's strength was still far too weak!

Besides, this had been a "normal" fight to the death, and everything had followed the "rules." Uchiha Shu and Uchiha Shimizu had died, but they had fallen in battle under fair rules!

By all rights, their Sharingan were indeed Rogge's spoils of war.

But... the Uchiha Clan had been domineering for too long. Even in defeat, they would never allow an enemy to take the Sharingan of their clansmen, because that was an insult to the entire Uchiha Clan.

"Hokage, this matter will not end here. The Uchiha Clan's dignity cannot be violated!" Uchiha Zhenghong solemnly declared before turning and striding away.

"Let's go!"

"Father..."

Fugaku Uchiha looked deeply unwilling, but the Uchiha elders beside him could only forcibly drag him away.

As he left, Fugaku Uchiha glared viciously at Rogge, as though he wanted to carve Rogge's appearance into his heart forever.

"Cowards... hahaha..." Rogge chuckled.

Uchiha Zhenghong really was someone remarkable. He could endure even this... he truly was a qualified ninja!

The young Fugaku Uchiha, on the other hand, was rather impulsive. Although Rogge's provocation had awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, his temperament and scheming were nowhere near the level required of a future clan head. He was far too green.

With the Uchiha Clan's departure, this fight to the death came to an end.

At Hiruzen Sarutobi's signal, the unrelated ninja also began to leave.

"Rogge, you may go first. Go back and rest. Come to the Hokage's Office at two this afternoon. I have something to discuss with you." Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed Rogge and let him leave on his own.

"Alright, I'll head home for lunch first. Goodbye, Godfather." Rogge vanished from the spot in the blink of an eye.

He used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport back to his home.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned in thought for a while before making the following arrangements. "Tsunade, from now on, Rogge will be under your instruction. You must build a bond with him and give him a sense of belonging to the village. Also, Team Eight will be formed, with Rogge, Mikoto Uchiha, and Hizashi Hyuga as its members."

Mikoto Uchiha was a genin who had graduated a few months earlier and had yet to be formally assigned to a team.

Hizashi Hyuga was Hiashi Hyuga's younger twin brother. He bore the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead and was a member of the Hyuga Clan's branch family.

"Good!" Tsunade's face lit up with excitement. Ever since becoming a jonin, she had wanted to be an instructor. Now, her wish had finally come true.

"Mikoto Uchiha?" Only after her excitement subsided did Tsunade notice that particular surname.

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained, "Mm... Mikoto is Kagami Uchiha's niece. She's a very innocent little girl."

He placed particular emphasis on the words "very innocent," making the implication more than obvious.

In other words... Mikoto Uchiha was a naive, sweet girl. During her instruction, Tsunade could thoroughly instill the Will of Fire in her and raise Mikoto Uchiha into a ninja who possessed the Will of Fire.

"I understand." As an experienced Konoha jonin, Tsunade naturally understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's unspoken meaning.

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, Nawaki Senju, Fugaku Uchiha, and Shimura Ayato—those three children will be under your instruction from now on."

Originally, as the clan head's son, Fugaku Uchiha could not possibly have been placed under Orochimaru. However, Uchiha Zhenghong had "lost the bet" earlier, so he had lost Fugaku Uchiha to Orochimaru, who naturally joined Team Six under Orochimaru's command.

"Mm, I have no objections."

Although Orochimaru was not particularly satisfied with this arrangement, with his level of composure, he would not question it in public. He could only accept it for the time being.

Jiraiya asked bluntly, "Teacher Sarutobi, what about me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment before saying, "Jiraiya, you will lead Team Seven next: Kakuhei Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki."

Spurred on by Rogge, Minato Namikaze had also applied for early graduation and successfully passed the graduation examination.

Kushina Uzumaki had done the same, graduating a year early.

Both Minato Namikaze's and Kushina Uzumaki's graduation applications had received the Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's official approval!

"Good! I'm finally an instructor! I'll definitely raise them into outstanding ninja!" Jiraiya wore a confident smile and looked brimming with motivation.

"Alright, you may all leave now."

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Orochimaru disappeared with a bang!

It turned out that the Orochimaru standing here was not his real body, but merely a Shadow Clone.

Orochimaru's true body had left the scene long ago.

Jiraiya likewise vanished in a puff of white smoke with a bang!

Well, Jiraiya had been a Shadow Clone too.

His real body had probably already rushed off to find Minato Namikaze. After all, Jiraiya had always wanted to take Minato Namikaze as his disciple, and now his wish had finally been fulfilled.

Tsunade left using the Body Flicker Technique.

It seemed only Tsunade had remained here in person. Those two unreliable fellows had slipped away long ago.

After everyone had left, Danzo Shimura emerged from the shadows and said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Rogge has such a calculating mind at such a young age. Could he be a spy from another village?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "I don't think so. His path of growth can be traced."

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi added, "Even taking the worst-case scenario, even if Rogge truly is a spy, we should not act rashly. He is a very useful blade. The Second Shinobi World War could break out at any moment. I intend to let Rogge join the ANBU and have him carry out assassination missions alone!"

Danzo Shimura grew anxious. "Hiruzen, aren't you afraid he'll lose control?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious. "You need not remind me of that. According to the ANBU's surveillance and investigation, Rogge and Kushina have always been good friends. They have already formed a strong bond. Rogge has a sense of belonging and identification with Konoha. As long as I guide him properly from now on, it will be fine."

Danzo Shimura did not agree with Hiruzen Sarutobi's view. "But Kushina will soon become the next generation's Nine-Tails jinchuriki. This matter is of great importance. There can be no mistakes!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment and said, "Danzo, aren't you simply afraid Rogge will defect? He won't. Although that child Rogge has some scheming, he is not someone innately evil. He is still young. As long as I guide him properly... perhaps Rogge will one day become an inheritor of the Will of Fire, protecting Konoha and protecting Kushina."

Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on without end! That was the Will of Fire!

Seeing that he could not persuade Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura directly roared, "Sarutobi, you will regret this!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared coldly at Danzo Shimura, once again emphasizing the Hokage's authority. "Do what you are supposed to do. Do not interfere directly in Rogge's affairs, or I will strip you of your position as Hokage's advisor and disband your Root!"

"Hmph!" Danzo Shimura angrily flicked his sleeve and left.

Yes, yes, you're the Hokage. Everyone has to listen to you, alright?

Hiruzen, you will regret this. Sooner or later, I'll drag you down from the Hokage's seat... Danzo Shimura's heart was filled with resentment.

If not for... if not for that moment of hesitation back then, the position of Hokage should have been mine, Danzo Shimura's!