He Just Wanted to Drag Everyone Down to Hell!

"Weak?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated the word, then raised his head. His usually kind eyes held a gravity Utatane Koharu had never seen before.

"Koharu, you weren't there. You didn't see that boy."

His voice dropped, thick with helplessness, frustration, and barely suppressed fear.

"Uchiha Yongye is harder to deal with than Madara Uchiha was!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both went pale. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

Madara Uchiha!

He was the nightmare etched into Konoha's collective memory, the Asura of the Ninja World, a forbidden name who had nearly overturned the Shinobi World single-handedly!

You're comparing a teenage Uchiha to Madara Uchiha? Hiruzen, have you lost your mind?

"However dissatisfied Madara Uchiha was with Konoha, he still chose to settle things with the First Hokage at the Valley of the End."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice sank lower. He gripped his pipe so tightly his knuckles stood out.

"But Uchiha Yongye threatened me. If our talks failed, he'd go on a killing spree in Konoha!"

"He doesn't care about winning, about saving face, or about any rules!"

"He just wants... to drag everyone down to hell with him!"

Mitokado Homura's lips trembled. Utatane Koharu's face turned ashen.

They were old, but their minds were still sharp.

Even the shockwaves from a clash between powerful fighters could devastate Konoha.

Uchiha Yongye could overpower Might Guy with the Seventh Gate open. He was at least Kage Level. If someone like that abandoned all restraint and set out to destroy things, Konoha would suffer terribly.

Worse, if he could open the Seventh Gate so easily, he could probably open the eighth!

"What do you plan to do?" Mitokado Homura asked, his voice low and grave.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a mouthful of smoke. Behind it, his gaze turned icy.

"Gather enough intelligence. Then—eliminate him!"

His tone left no room for debate.

He had not spoken like that in years.

Utatane Koharu nodded firmly, as though she had been waiting for those words.

"Exactly! A mere Uchiha dares to act so brazenly? Does he think Konoha has no one who can stop him?"

Before she finished, another knock sounded at the door.

An Anbu Ninja knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice, "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha request an audience."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow eased slightly. He had stayed awake precisely to wait for these two Uchiha prodigies.

They were his best option for dealing with an Uchiha.

"Send them in."

Uchiha Itachi and Shisui Uchiha entered the office, one behind the other.

Itachi was still somewhat pale. His gait looked more natural than before, but emotions darker than usual churned in his black eyes.

Shisui wore his usual gentle expression, though an unshakable worry lingered between his brows.

Hiruzen Sarutobi dispensed with pleasantries and asked directly:

"Can Uchiha Yongye use Lightning Release? Was he the one who attacked Root and ANBU?"

Uchiha Itachi looked up without hesitation.

"I tested him. He said he couldn't use Lightning Release. Judging by his expression, he wasn't nervous in the slightest. He even seemed amused, as if he were deliberately toying with me."

He paused, his voice turning grave.

"But I still don't trust him!"

"The way he broke my genjutsu, the speed of his attacks, how composed he was in battle—none of that can be explained by 'natural strength.'"

"I think he's the attacker!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing and turned to Shisui.

Shisui Uchiha was silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"I think Yongye was telling the truth."

"At his age, he managed to hide from everyone that he'd trained in the Eight Gates Release up to the Seventh Gate. That alone makes him a genius among geniuses!

Lord Hokage, you know better than I do how hard the Eight Gates Release is to master. How many years has Guy trained? How much blood has he shed? And how old is Uchiha Yongye?"

"He devoted all his energy to Taijutsu. Could he also have secretly mastered Lightning Release? I doubt it."

His tone was gentle, but his reasoning was persuasive.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent in thought.

Their views were completely opposed. One was certain Yongye was the attacker; the other thought it unlikely.

For the moment, even Hiruzen Sarutobi found it hard to judge.

"From now on, I'll arrange for him to go on missions with you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Watch him closely and gather everything you can about him. His fighting habits, every Chakra nature he possesses, weaknesses in his personality, his relationships—anything. The more, the better."

His gaze moved between Itachi and Shisui, his tone growing solemn.

"Yongye is a grave threat. Whether the Uchiha and Konoha can coexist peacefully rests on you two."

"Yes!" the two Uchiha prodigies answered loudly in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Then Shisui Uchiha spoke again.

"As I see it, Yongye has no great ambitions and isn't scheming. When he saves people, asks for money, or speaks his mind, he's direct about it. As long as no one provokes him, there shouldn't be a problem."

Uchiha Itachi said nothing, but cold derision flashed through his dark eyes.

"I disagree."

His voice was cool and sharp, every word resolute.

"I think Uchiha Yongye is reckless and extremely dangerous! He humiliated Danzo in public and forced Lord Hokage to yield in front of everyone. He showed no restraint from beginning to end!

Someone like that cannot be without ambition. He simply hasn't shown all his fangs yet!"

Shisui frowned slightly. He did not argue, but his expression made his disagreement clear.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at them, torn between amusement and exasperation.

Of the two Uchiha prodigies, one believed people were good at heart; the other was convinced they were treacherous. Yet both were the Uchiha informants he trusted most, and both carried the Will of Fire.

He could not discourage either of them.

"Enough."

He raised a hand to halt the dispute, then gave his orders.

"You each have your own perspective, so focus on what you do best. Shisui, keep him steady and help him move past his hatred as soon as possible. Itachi, observe him and gather as much intelligence as you can. Report to me immediately if anything seems amiss."

"Yes."

They accepted their orders, discussed a few mission details with the three elders, then took their leave.

The office fell quiet again.

Watching them go, Mitokado Homura spoke with relief.

"Fortunately, there are still reasonable people among the Uchiha. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble."

Utatane Koharu was less optimistic. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke in a hushed voice.

"Hiruzen, I'd rather not say this, but..."

She paused, carefully choosing her words.

"Be careful of Danzo. He won't swallow this humiliation. He may well cross the line!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing. Pipe between his lips, he sat amid curling smoke, his wrinkled face unreadable.