After leaving the training ground, Hatake Ziyan returned to Hatake Sakumo's courtyard and found Sakumo wiping down his Short Blade.
"Sakumo, I have a few things I need you to do!" Hatake Ziyan said bluntly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Sakumo put away his Short Blade and said, "Uncle Ziyan, go ahead!"
"As you know, I want to put Minato Namikaze in the Hokage position. That means Minato needs outstanding military achievements to shut those people up!" Hatake Ziyan said. "You'll most likely be sent to the Land of Water Battlefield. I want you to hold their forces there. Do your best to make it look as though both sides are evenly matched on the Land of Water Battlefield, then wait for Minato to arrive before defeating them in one decisive strike. Let Minato take the credit!"
Hatake Sakumo nodded. "No problem. I'll find a way to hold the others back, but most of Konoha's capable ninja who haven't gone to war yet belong to the Uchiha Clan. Konoha High Command will most likely send the Uchiha to the Land of Water Battlefield with me. Most Uchiha ninja use fire, so that would let them wear down a considerable portion of the clan's fighting strength. Given the Uchiha's temperament, it'll be hard to get them to cooperate with me in dragging things out!"
Hatake Ziyan nodded. He knew all too well how stubborn and extreme the Uchiha could be. This really wasn't something Sakumo could resolve.
"Leave the Uchiha to me. I'll go talk to them. Their current clan leader is Uchiha Fugaku, right?" Hatake Ziyan asked.
"Yes, Fugaku is their current clan leader, but their grand elder, Uchiha Tazawa, is probably the one who holds the real power!" Hatake Sakumo answered.
"Oh, that old fellow is still alive? If he's still around, this will be easy! Don't worry. Just do as I said when the time comes!" Hatake Ziyan said.
"Yes!" Seeing his uncle's excitement, Hatake Sakumo had a feeling that the Uchiha named Tianze was in for some trouble.
After making arrangements with Sakumo, Hatake Ziyan had someone deliver a letter to Tsunade. He told her not to rush into an attack once she developed an antidote to Chiyo's poison, but to wait for Minato to arrive. He also explained his reasons in the letter. Hatake Ziyan believed Tsunade would agree to his plan.
As for Jiraiya on the Land of Earth front, Hatake Ziyan had no plans to write to him. After all, Minato was his student. Jiraiya had no reason to steal Minato's military credit, and he already intended to help Minato become Hokage.
As for Orochimaru on the Land of Lightning front, Hatake Ziyan had Nawaki take him a message. Over the years, Hatake Ziyan had given Orochimaru a great deal of help with the Immortality Reincarnation Technique. Having already achieved results in his research into immortality, Orochimaru had no interest whatsoever in the Hokage position. To him, becoming Hokage was worth less than a little more advice from Hatake Ziyan on immortality.
Besides, even without Hatake Ziyan's plan, Orochimaru couldn't handle the Hidden Cloud Village's A and B duo alone. He would certainly accept Hatake Ziyan's proposal and help pave the way for Minato.
Hatake Ziyan reviewed his arrangements. Only the Uchiha remained.
Hatake Ziyan stood up and headed toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
When he reached the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Compound, a gatekeeper from the clan stopped him.
Hatake Ziyan wasn't angry. He told the man blocking his way, "Notify your clan leader. Tell him Hatake Ziyan is here to visit!"
The Uchiha gatekeeper raised his chin. "You're from the Hatake Clan? Do you have an appointment with our clan leader? You should know that even your clan leader, the so-called Konoha White Fang, has to send a visiting card in advance if he wants to meet ours!"
Hatake Ziyan's gaze turned cold. He was speaking politely because he needed the Uchiha Clan's cooperation, not because he lacked the dignity of a powerful man!
"How dare you! Is that any way to speak to Lord Ziyan?" Someone rushed over, shouting as he ran.
Hatake Ziyan looked at the approaching man, the faintest hint of a smile lifting the corner of his mouth. Before the man could reach him, Hatake Ziyan pressed a finger directly between the brows of the gatekeeper who had just spoken.
The approaching man had barely stopped when he realized that the clansman who had insulted Hatake Ziyan was no longer breathing. Before he could reach out to support him, the gatekeeper collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Lord Ziyan, what is the meaning of this? Do you think you can bully the Uchiha Clan?" the newcomer asked angrily.
Hatake Ziyan walked into the Uchiha Clan Compound without any expression on his face and addressed the man behind him. "As you are now, your Uchiha Clan really would be quite easy for me to bully. But that isn't why I'm here. I came to discuss something with your clan leader, so I've already shown you a great deal of respect.
"I came through the front gate and asked to have my arrival announced to show you that I was sincere about these talks, not that I was here to beg. If you refuse to cooperate, I can use other methods to make you agree. And don't think I'm afraid of the Uchiha. The strong have their dignity. When I show you respect, you'd better accept it. If you mistake that for weakness and try to use me as a stepping stone, you'd better be prepared to die!"
The man who had just arrived followed Hatake Ziyan. "You certainly are overbearing, Lord Ziyan! A subordinate had never seen you before and failed to recognize you. You killed him simply because he was discourteous!"
Hatake Ziyan stopped and turned to look at him. "Do you realize that I could kill you for what you just said, and your grand elder would still praise me for it? Do you believe that, boy?"
The newcomer was none other than Uchiha Fugaku. He had just returned from the Hokage Building, where the Hokage had given him the orders concerning the Uchiha Clan. Fugaku had only just finished reporting to the clan's grand elder when the elder told him to go to the gate immediately and meet someone-someone they couldn't afford to offend.
However, what the grand elder had anticipated was not quite what Hatake Ziyan had come to discuss.
Hearing Hatake Ziyan's words, Fugaku wanted very much to say he didn't believe him. But reason told him that if he dared say so, he would end up just like the clansman at the gate in the very next second-dead!
Hatake Ziyan looked at the silent Fugaku, then turned and continued walking. "Fugaku, boy, the higher-ups keep suppressing your Uchiha Clan and using every opportunity to wear down your ninja. Haven't you ever thought about defecting from Konoha?"
Uchiha Fugaku jolted at Hatake Ziyan's words and immediately looked around. Only after finding nothing unusual did he turn back to Hatake Ziyan. "Lord Ziyan, have you come to sound us out on behalf of Konoha High Command? Our clan has never had any intention of rebelling. We Uchiha founded Konoha together with the Senju. Why would we leave?"
Before you continue