You Said It Yourself: You're Not Worthy!

Danzo froze.

Worthy of what key?

He instinctively looked down at the Ninja Tool Pouch on his waist. There was no key in it.

He looked back up at Yongye, trying to find some hidden meaning in his expression. But all he saw was mischief and mockery.

Danzo wasn't the only one stunned. Everyone present was.

A key? What did that have to do with anything? Weren't they discussing his Elder position? Why had Yongye suddenly brought up a key?

That Uchiha lunatic really did say whatever popped into his head!

Danzo couldn't follow Yongye's train of thought, but he knew the Uchiha bastard wasn't right in the head. He couldn't let Yongye drag the conversation off course.

He decided to cut through the nonsense and steer the conversation back as quickly as possible.

"No!"

His voice rose half an octave, edged with impatience he was barely holding down.

"Stop talking nonsense! Just tell me whether you agree to my—"

Yongye cut him off before he could finish.

"You said it yourself... you're not worthy!"

Yongye's voice rose half an octave higher than Danzo's!

Open mockery spread across his face, and his tone all but said, Your words, not mine.

He grinned. "That's right. At least you know yourself. You're not worthy!"

The entire Training Ground fell silent.

Danzo slammed his cane against the ground with a heavy thud. The visible half of his face turned from green to purple, then from purple to black, before settling into an almost savage crimson.

When he had said "no," he had been answering the question about the key.

But Yongye had twisted it into an admission, straight from Danzo's own mouth, that he wasn't worthy of having his Elder position restored!

That bastard! Again and again, he humiliated Danzo in public!

The corners of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched several times. He lowered his head and pretended to tap the ash from his pipe, afraid he might otherwise burst out laughing.

Might Guy, standing behind him, had less self-control. A snort escaped him, and he hurriedly lowered his head and pretended to cough.

Uchiha Fugaku's face remained impassive, but the corners of his mouth edged upward.

After Yongye had called him a "Green-Headed Fly" the night before last, it was a rare pleasure to see someone else left speechless by that poisonous tongue. He even felt a little glee at Danzo's expense.

Danzo flew into a rage. He brought his cane down hard, his voice rising into a shrill shout:

"If none of you are sincere, then forget it! Let Madara Uchiha keep wreaking havoc on us... We'll see whose luck runs out and who dies next!"

With that, he turned to leave.

The two Root ninja behind him immediately followed, their formation neat and their movements crisp.

Leaning on his cane, Danzo headed for the Training Ground's exit. His steps were heavy, and his cane knocked against the ground with every stride.

But he wasn't moving quickly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi vanished in a blur. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he appeared directly in front of Danzo and blocked his path.

His Hokage robes snapped in the night wind. His wrinkled face was cold and rigid, as though he hadn't managed to relieve himself in days.

Danzo's attitude disgusted Hiruzen Sarutobi. Having to stop him disgusted Hiruzen even more.

But as Hiruzen saw it, Danzo's terms were acceptable. His position would only be restored "after the deed was done."

If the ambush failed and Danzo died, there would be nothing left to discuss. If it succeeded, Danzo would have earned the credit and proved himself innocent. Restoring his position would be reasonable.

More importantly, Danzo was the one proposing an ambush against Madara Uchiha.

If Danzo truly washed his hands of it, the Masked Man would remain a blade hanging over Konoha's head, ready to fall at any moment.

The death of his son, Kokoro no Suke, would remain unexplained forever, too!

So Hiruzen had to stop Danzo.

But though Hiruzen could stop him, he couldn't decide for Yongye. Otherwise, the next person to cause trouble might be the Uchiha madman with all Eight Gates open.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Uchiha Fugaku.

The meaning in his gaze was clear: You're the Uchiha Clan Head. Say something. Talk to your clansman.

Uchiha Fugaku pretended not to see the Third Hokage's hint.

He kept his arms folded and stood straight, expressionless, letting his gaze wander across the sky. Tonight's moon looked especially round. It made him think of his wife, Uchiha Mikoto.

He played dumb, blind, and deaf.

He knew his limits. Uchiha Yongye had dared call him a Green-Headed Fly to his face. As if he could talk that blockhead into anything!

Whether he tried to pressure Yongye as clan head or overawe him with the pride of someone who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the result would be the same: Yongye would insult him to his face, probably with something worse than "Green-Headed Fly."

He, Uchiha Fugaku, was the head of a clan, after all. Why invite more humiliation?

Hiruzen Sarutobi shot him several meaningful looks. Fugaku ignored them all.

The Third Hokage's expression grew fouler and fouler. The muscles at the corners of his mouth twitched several times, and he nearly lost his composure.

Just then, Uchiha Itachi, who had remained silent until now, spoke.

"Lord Danzo, if you offer a hundred million as compensation... I think Yongye will agree."

Everyone froze at those words.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly and looked at Itachi in surprise.

Uchiha Fugaku turned too, unsure what his eldest son was up to. Danzo stopped walking and narrowed his one eye, looking back and forth between Itachi and Yongye.

Yongye's Clear Sword Heart instantly picked up on the crucial detail.

Then he smiled.

The change in his expression was worthy of an award-winning actor. His cold disdain vanished, replaced in an instant by a beaming smile!

"Fine. A hundred million it is!"

He sounded delighted, as though the words "you're not worthy" had never left his mouth.

"I want it by tomorrow... at the latest!"

He made a show of greed and eagerness, like a miser who had been dazzled senseless by money.

At the same time, he despised Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi, father and son, even more than before.

No wonder the Uchiha were wiped out under their leadership.

All they cared about was clearing the Uchiha of the blame for the Nine-Tails' Rampage. They had forgotten that if Danzo cleared his name, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi would be close allies again.

Then the two old bastards would undoubtedly join forces and continue targeting the Uchiha.

They couldn't grasp something so simple. No wonder their clan got wiped out.

Uchiha Fugaku and Hiruzen Sarutobi both breathed a sigh of relief.

To them, a problem money could solve wasn't a problem at all.

Danzo, however, was dumbstruck.

He stood rooted to the spot, his one eye fixed on Yongye's greedy smile, unable to react for a moment.

He had intended to make sure his talks with Uchiha Yongye failed!

He had deliberately drawn Yongye into the discussion to create a deadlock. If Yongye refused and the negotiations collapsed, Danzo could lay the blame squarely on him.

Then he could exclude Uchiha Yongye, the greatest unknown, from the operation to ambush Madara Uchiha.

But Uchiha Itachi had suddenly cut in with an offer of money, throwing his plan into disarray.

And Uchiha Yongye...

This arrogant lunatic, this bastard who made Danzo grind his teeth in hatred yet left him powerless—had money really won him over just like that?

For a mere hundred million ryō?

That was enough to change this lunatic's mind?

So there are paupers among the Uchiha, too. How greedy!

Danzo narrowed his one eye, suddenly feeling more confident.

Good. Greed for money is a weakness. And someone with a weakness is easier to deal with!

An enemy who could be bought was no longer invincible. A hundred million was no small sum, but if it gave him an opening against Uchiha Yongye, it was worth it!

Danzo nodded slowly.

"Fine. One hundred million... delivered tomorrow."

His voice returned to its usual rasp and steadiness, but a faint, malicious smile flickered deep in his eye.

The three sides then discussed the practical details:

When to launch the ambush, which fighters each side would select, how they would coordinate in battle, and the most crucial question: how to respond if their target lashed out in desperation and used large-scale destructive Ninjutsu that threatened the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Fugaku led the discussion. Danzo occasionally put in a word, while Yongye said nothing more.

He kept his hands in his pockets, standing at ease as his gaze drifted across the sky... When he saw the bright moon, he, like Uchiha Fugaku, soon thought of someone: Uchiha Mikoto.

But his Clear Sword Heart continued to silently scan everyone present.

He had Danzo's intentions figured out. Hiruzen Sarutobi's wariness was equally plain to him. And Uchiha Fugaku's wavering went without saying.

Only one person drew more of his attention.

A Root ninja standing behind Danzo.

From beginning to end, the ninja said nothing and made no unnecessary movements. The figure stood steadily, breathing evenly, with Chakra fluctuations as still as a stagnant pool.

But Yongye's Clear Sword Heart could sense that this person's attention was focused on the Third Hokage almost the entire time.

And the ninja's feelings toward Hiruzen Sarutobi included not just resentment and grievance, but a deep, lingering attachment!

Now that... is interesting!

Yongye glanced over, and his smile grew brighter.

Once they had settled the details, the negotiations officially ended.

Hiruzen Sarutobi left first with Guy and the masked ANBU. Danzo followed with his two Root ninja.

The two groups vanished into the night one after the other, heading in entirely different directions. Clearly, neither side trusted the other.

Yongye remained where he was, watching the unusual Root ninja disappear into the distance. A knowing smile slowly curled his lips.

Uchiha Itachi caught the smile. He followed Yongye's gaze, but all he could see was the Root ninja's back as the figure vanished among the treetops.

"What is it? Do you know that person?"

Itachi's voice remained cool, but a note of alertness had entered it.

Yongye looked away. His smile turned unreadable, as though he were admiring an intriguing treasure—or savoring the memory of an especially delicious dish.

"No."

He shook his head, his tone light, as if it were nothing important.

"I just think that person is interesting!"

Interesting?

Itachi frowned slightly. He turned to look again in the direction the Root ninja had gone. The night was vast and dark; there was nothing left to see.

A Root ninja who hadn't even shown a face was "interesting"?

He wanted to ask more, but Yongye gave him no chance. In a blur, Yongye vanished from where he stood. With Yongye gone, Fugaku and Itachi began walking back to the clan compound side by side.

Uchiha Itachi remained silent along the way, his expression more solemn than usual. Deep thoughts churned behind his dark eyes.

Uchiha Fugaku noticed something was troubling his son.

"Is something wrong?"

Itachi was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I thought that Root ninja was strange, too."

"I kept an eye on that ninja during the talks. Their gaze was on Lord Hokage almost the entire time.

It wasn't a wary look. They just kept watching him, as though Lord Hokage was the only person who mattered to them."

He paused, his expression growing graver.

Hearing this, Uchiha Fugaku's face darkened too.