Retsuo: They Actually Sold Me Out!

Uchiha Retsuo had no idea who had passed his words along.

"My dream is also to join the ANBU, Third Lord." Retsuo remained composed. "My goal is to take things one step at a time: become an ANBU member, then an ANBU captain, then a Hokage Guard, make enough contributions to the village, and finally become Hokage."

The Third Hokage and Utatane Koharu both nodded. That was an excellent answer.

"Then why do you wish to become Hokage? To gain the recognition of the entire village?" Sarutobi Hiruzen continued. At that moment, he began to waver over the decision he had made before coming here.

"No. You need the recognition of the entire village in order to become Hokage." Retsuo spoke calmly, and even Fugaku fell into thought.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wavered completely. Utatane Koharu, on the other hand, continued smiling. "Little Retsuo, that was very well said. Unfortunately, each Ninja Clan can only have one member enter the ANBU. There are quota restrictions. Wait a few more years, Hiruzen. What do you think?"

Retsuo was utterly stunned. Not only stunned, but embarrassed as well. Becoming ANBU and becoming Hokage had both been nonsense he made up, but damn it, Konoha actually had a rule like this?

Utatane Koharu was equally surprised. What surprised her was that Sarutobi Hiruzen had not followed her lead and had instead sunk into contemplation.

Hiruzen was still as indecisive as ever. Sigh! The four of us are one whole! Only if the four of us remain united can Konoha stand as firm as a mountain. Everything else is trivial.

After thinking for a moment, she raised her teacup and took a sip, deciding to give things another push. "Little Retsuo, although the ANBU has this rule, Root Anbu does not use up a quota. Your good friend Kakashi has also decided to transfer to Root Anbu. In fact, you could also..."

"Grandma Koharu, I will never join Root."

Retsuo said it with absolute certainty. As he spoke, he glanced twice at Sarutobi Hiruzen and found the old man wearing a sleazy expression.

Heh! You old bastard, did you just sell me off to Danzo?!

What price did you sell me for?

Kakashi joined Root too? What the fuck! Wait, why did I say "too"? Did he really enter Root? Everything's messed up, completely messed up!

A ball of fury burned in Retsuo's chest.

Utatane Koharu did not get angry. Instead, she spoke with the calm assurance of an elder. "Perhaps you have some misunderstandings about Root Anbu, but Root Anbu is absolutely one of the village's core forces. Root Anbu ninjas have also made great sacrifices for the village. Isn't that right, Hiruzen?"

You old undead turtle, sitting on a rocking horse—who the hell are you pretending to be?

Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to nod. "Speaking of which, Retsuo, didn't you get along quite well with Orochimaru? Orochimaru is also a Root Ninja."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze turned complicated when he mentioned Orochimaru. Why the hell are you bringing up Orochimaru? You're Zhu Bajie wearing a little red flower—you don't think you're embarrassing?

Yet among all the "important figures" he had met, Leng Jun Orochimaru was the only one with whom he had gotten along so naturally. That was rather strange.

"Third Lord, Grandma Koharu, the reason I will not join Root is because I am not qualified to join Root." He did not back down, speaking slowly. "There is no darkness in my heart. I do not meet Root Ninja selection standards. Not only me—our Uchiha Clan is naturally unsuited for it."

At once, every Uchiha present except Shisui nodded repeatedly. Well said! Were the Third Hokage and Utatane Koharu senile, trying to make a genius of the Uchiha Clan join Root?

On the other side, Utatane Koharu was simply stunned!

It was not because Retsuo was being unreasonable. Rather, that was precisely Root's standard for selecting recruits, and she knew it perfectly well.

Might Guy was immensely powerful, yet because there was not a trace of darkness in his heart, Root had rejected him even after he voluntarily sought to join: You are not qualified. Get lost.

But even Fugaku, that idiot, might not know about this, right? Just look at Fugaku's expression!

"Little Retsuo." She spoke, but her tone became cautious, as though she were not speaking to a nine-year-old child, but to someone who could stand as her equal. "How do you know Root so well?"

Retsuo clenched his little fist. "Grandma Koharu, Konohagakure was founded by our Uchiha Clan together with the Senju Clan. Is there anything in the village that we should not know about?"

"This..."

Utatane Koharu was speechless.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was speechless.

Uchiha Fugaku was speechless.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen was a hero of his generation. Faced with such a minor situation, he immediately laughed it off and changed the subject.

Retsuo finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he would not be sent to Root for dissection today.

He quietly stepped back and asked Elder Jianshan in a low voice, "Elder, at today's village meeting, who presided over the new land allocations for the various clans?"

Jianshan was Uchiha Kumata's uncle and also the first person to curry favor with Retsuo. He immediately lowered his voice and said, "Danzo."

Fuck! They made up that quickly? Sarutobi Hiruzen really can't go a single day without Danzo. No wonder he could let Danzo off so lightly even after Danzo tried to assassinate him.

"Also, the Wood Release Ninja who attacked you has been assigned to the ANBU." Uchiha Kanzan continued. "He will serve as Shisui's ANBU squad captain."

"What is his name?"

"I don't know. I heard the Third Hokage and Danzo even had an argument over naming him."

Retsuo gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a silent, mocking laugh. The Third Lord would never let Yamato out of his grasp; he had begun a full-scale campaign of control.

He just did not know how the script for the Third Hokage's assassination would unfold. Retsuo looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with ill intent. There were probably only a few days left before the Third Lord headed for the capital of the Land of Fire.

For that matter, it was unclear whether there would even be an assassination attempt at all.

He had originally wanted to give Sarutobi Hiruzen a warning, but forget it!

Just then, Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking at Retsuo as well. Their gazes met in the air, then both looked away.

He felt it was time to leave. He should hurry up and finish the polite formalities!

"Ahem! Fugaku, although this village reconstruction plan has brought the greatest changes to the Uchiha Clan, you should look on the bright side."

Uchiha Fugaku replied woodenly, "There is... a bright side?"

"Of course. Many people in the village still suspect that a mysterious member of the Uchiha Clan launched the attack that night, and the Masked Man's body has never been found. Not only have the doubts not been cleared up, they have become even more serious. Is it appropriate for the Uchiha to remain as they were at a time like this? The village absolutely does not intend to isolate you in some corner and restrict you. At the very least, the Konoha Military Police Force has not been disbanded."

Utatane Koharu nodded approvingly. "Exactly. The Uchiha Clan's new territory merely makes the route to duty somewhat longer. We are all ninjas; it is hardly worth mentioning. But the land is twice as large as before, and the environment is exceptionally elegant. It is one of the major achievements of this village's outward expansion. Others would be jealous even if they wanted to be, ho ho ho."

That laughter made it sound as though the Uchiha had gotten an enormous bargain.

You exchanged our prime land inside the second ring for a new development outside the sixth ring. It's only twice as big, and we got a huge bargain?

Give me a break! That might fool Tenma and Shinji.

Seeing that the Uchiha elders all looked as though they had been kissed by pigs, Sarutobi Hiruzen said with satisfaction, "It seems everyone accepts the village's proposal?"

Then an discordant voice sounded. "But haven't we suffered far too great a loss?"