Danzo: "Sarutobi, You'll Regret This!"

His tone was chillingly cold. The other two Hokage Advisors likewise turned their gazes toward him, their expressions inscrutable.

"He's only a child. Since Uchiha Huayue possesses such talent and has yet to fully formed the values an adult should have, with proper guidance, he may not be unable to break free from the shackles of his bloodline and stand with the village."

"Just like Kagami Uchiha, wholeheartedly taking responsibility for the village's safety. That was also the Second Hokage's long-standing hope."

His eyes vicious, Danzo slammed his cane heavily against the floor and let out a cold snort.

"If so, then hand Uchiha Huayue over to Root. Root members will monitor him twenty-four hours a day. The moment he shows any inclination toward the rebels, erase him completely before the sapling has the chance to grow."

With the dagger finally revealed, Danzo exposed his true purpose. A talent who, at only ten years old, could fight the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki without falling behind...

With a little training, he could become a weapon to help Danzo ascend to the position of Hokage.

Whether for assassinations, seizing power, or protecting his personal safety, the Flying Thunder God Technique was the most suitable Space-Time Ninjutsu.

Ever since the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, created this Space-Time Ninjutsu, there had been no ninja capable of wielding it freely aside from Namikaze Minato of Sarutobi Hiruzen's faction.

But now, there was another—and he was from the Uchiha Clan, giving Danzo a legitimate reason to make his move.

"Absolutely not. Whether killing him or handing him over to Root, I refuse to agree to either option..."

"Sarutobi Hiruzen!"

"I am the Third Hokage!"

Veins bulged across the aged hand gripping his cane. After drawing a deep breath, Danzo spoke in a freezing tone.

"Sarutobi, you'll regret this."

That old bastard only knew how to suppress him with his status as Hokage. One day, he would personally drag Sarutobi Hiruzen down from the position of Hokage.

"I have never regretted my decisions."

After Danzo left the meeting room, Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help but let out a deep sigh. Why had his old friend become so unfamiliar?

"Sarutobi, Danzo's words are not without reason. The power of the Uchiha Clan is simply too dangerous, just like that rebellion that erupted during the Second Hokage's tenure."

"With Uchiha Setsuna at its head, the Anbu had to deploy three full squads to quell that unrest. That man's will is like a lingering ghost, clinging to the Uchiha Clan."

"That is why we have remained wary of the Uchiha to this day."

Utatane Koharu's murmur filled Sarutobi Hiruzen with helplessness. Only after a long silence did he voice his thoughts.

"Facing two battlefronts at once, Konoha no longer has the spare capacity to guard against the Uchiha. No one knows when this war, which drains the nation's strength and manpower, will end."

"The outstanding ninja who can end a war quickly are often those so-called geniuses. At crucial moments, they possess the potential to tip the advantage toward Konoha."

As he spoke, he gently exhaled a cloud of smoke. A complicated gleam flickered in his slightly clouded old eyes.

Orochimaru was one such person. Namikaze Minato was another. The current Uchiha Huayue might also possess that potential.

"The existence of geniuses can greatly reduce the likelihood of the young sprouts being sacrificed. Judging by Uchiha Huayue's willingness to save those ninja he had never gotten along with, he may well have the potential to become a flame of fire. He only needs proper guidance."

"Where Konoha's leaves dance, fire burns on. The firelight will illuminate the village and allow new sprouts to grow into towering trees. Uchiha Huayue will eventually understand the village's good intentions."

The two Hokage Advisors exchanged glances. Since Sarutobi Hiruzen had already made his decision, it was not their place, as Hokage Advisors, to obstruct him further.

"I understand. I'll leave this matter to you, but the necessary vigilance cannot be neglected. Otherwise, Uchiha Huayue may very well become a second Uchiha Madara."

Mitokado Homura's voice trembled faintly. Even this name was a taboo that could not be mentioned, one that contained boundless and endless power.

"That is rather exaggerated. Even if that brat has talent, he cannot possibly be compared to the lifelong rival of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama—the two men known as the God of Shinobi."

Once everyone had dispersed, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked down at the detailed report on the encounter with the Fourth Raikage in his hand. His fingers continuously rubbed his pipe as he pondered something unknown.

Meanwhile, in an ordinary ward at Konoha Medical Hospital.

Uchiha Huayue sneezed instinctively and could not help looking around.

"Who? Who's plotting against me? Danzo, Sarutobi, or perhaps the entire Konoha F4... Forget that. How much longer are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

A breeze drifted past, green grass spread in every direction, and howling mountain winds gently brushed against his body. The steady sound of breathing was like thunder.

"You're so annoying, brat. Rather than wandering around here all day, shouldn't you be concerned about those eyes watching you?"

"Whether they're Anbu directly under the Third Hokage or Danzo's Root, I can easily deal with them if I want to. They're just insignificant fodder."

"But do you really not know Sage Mode? Jiraiya should have taught it to Namikaze Minato, who then passed it on to Minato, and then to Menma. Haven't you heard of it?"

The Inner world, which should have been light blue, was now dyed green, leaving Huayue unusually unsettled.

"I already told you, This Lord doesn't know any Sage Mode. If someone with malicious intent approaches, watch out for yourself."

His pupils contracted. Huayue instantly withdrew from his Inner world, opened his eyes, then closed them again.

One, two, three... A standard three-man squad. Anbu members. Are they testing me?

As he pondered whether they had been sent by the Third Hokage or were acting on Danzo's orders, deep, steady footsteps gradually approached and pushed open the ward door.

"To emerge unscathed from a fight against the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, paying only the price of excessive chakra consumption—your talent exceeds even what I had seen."

"I have never misjudged someone's talent. As expected of a genius who bears the Uchiha name. Are you interested in becoming my disciple?"

The figure before him was neither Anbu nor the Third Hokage or Danzo, but Orochimaru, the man who called himself a Jonin Instructor yet had vanished without a trace before even half a day had passed.

"If I become your disciple, what will I gain? What benefit is there for me? Please don't give me those empty, useless speeches about will and dreams. If you lose your life, any dream becomes empty talk."

At those nearly indifferent words, a trace of surprise flashed through Orochimaru's eyes before turning into a smile.

"You're not one of those brats immersed in dreams. Then I'll offer you a condition you absolutely cannot refuse. That is..."