Danzō was the kind of man who acted the moment a thought crossed his mind.
Early the very next morning, he went straight to the Hokage's office to find his old friend.
Before coming, he had already prepared himself mentally.
An argument was inevitable.
He might not win—but he needed to vent.
He had been holding this in for far too long.
"Hm? Why are you here?"
Without knocking, Danzō pushed the door open and walked straight in.
The ANBU hidden in the shadows didn't dare stop him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled. He hurriedly shut down the crystal ball on his desk, then looked up.
"You've got something to discuss?"
"I do."
Danzō swept his gaze across the room. One glance was enough to tell what his old friend had been doing, and that only fueled his anger.
Damn it… no wonder he raised someone like Jiraiya.
And it's my fault too. If I'd been even one second faster back then, Sensei wouldn't have made that wrong decision…
Despite the storm of resentment in his head, Danzō kept his face impassive.
"It's about the Chūnin Exams."
"The Chūnin Exams?"
Hiruzen immediately thought of a certain name, but his expression remained calm.
"Why are you suddenly interested in that?"
"Stop pretending, Hiruzen."
Danzō had no patience for verbal fencing. He went straight to the point.
"Uchiha Itachi is participating, correct?"
So it was about this.
Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. He knew all too well how deep Danzō's prejudice against the Uchiha ran.
Though, truth be told, even he sometimes found that clan exhausting.
Still, he wanted them to integrate into Konoha—at least for now.
"Yes."
He sighed lightly.
"Uchiha Itachi is outstanding. His age and strength both meet the requirements."
"But his teammates are dead."
Danzō spoke flatly.
"His squad is no longer at full strength. Forming a temporary team is meaningless. Letting him participate violates the rules."
"Rules are made by people."
Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
"Besides, this is an internal Konoha exam. Even if he participates alone, it's acceptable."
"That makes it even less acceptable!"
Danzō seized on the point instantly.
"If we change the rules for one person, it's unfair to everyone else!
And don't forget—he's an Uchiha. His strength is exceptional, and the Uchiha are an unstable factor.
"If he participates alone and passes, it'll cause a massive stir. It could even embolden that entire clan—"
"The Uchiha are part of Konoha!"
Hiruzen finally snapped.
Unfair?
Coming from you?
Who was he trying to lecture?
Utter absurdity.
"I know you dislike them," Hiruzen said coldly, "but they can change. Don't forget Uchiha Kagami."
"Kagami was an exception."
Danzō shot back without hesitation.
"After his death, the clan was dominated by people like Uchiha Setsuna."
He knew Hiruzen was angry—but he'd come here to argue.
And he wasn't wrong.
Through years of manipulation, the Uchiha had grown more and more extreme. Setsuna's ideology had spread throughout the clan.
That man had even attempted to assassinate their teacher.
He'd been labeled an extremist and thrown into prison—only spared execution because Konoha needed Uchiha manpower during wartime.
Otherwise, he'd have "committed suicide" long ago.
"We should have followed Sensei's will and eradicated the Uchiha completely," Danzō said icily.
"Not waver endlessly like you."
"You've crossed a line, Danzō."
Hiruzen's gaze turned frigid.
"I'm stating facts."
Danzō remained expressionless.
"Enough! I am the Hokage!"
Silence fell.
Danzō nearly cursed aloud.
Using the Hokage title to suppress him—shameless.
He wanted nothing more than to slam the door and leave.
But his real goal wasn't finished yet.
He clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay.
"You'll regret this."
"Whether I regret it is a matter for the future."
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, realizing his words had been harsh.
Danzō, for all his faults, was still his old comrade—albeit a petty and vindictive one.
"As Hokage," Hiruzen said, "my duty is to unite everyone for the sake of the village.
I won't abandon any opportunity that could lead to peace."
"Hmph."
Danzō snorted.
Now it was time for his real proposal.
"If he's participating, so be it. But I have a suggestion."
"Oh?"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"Let's hear it."
"I want to assign a special examiner for Uchiha Itachi."
Danzō didn't bother hiding his intent.
"That brat is far stronger than ordinary genin. At eight years old, he defeated one of my Root operatives.
A normal examiner won't be able to test his limits."
"And who do you intend to assign?"
"It's not a recommendation—it's an arrangement."
Danzō spoke the name plainly.
"Shihara Ren."
Hiruzen fell silent.
Testing Itachi's limits?
This was blatant retaliation.
Yes, Itachi was a prodigy—Sharingan awakened early, Root defeated at eight.
But Ren was no ordinary shinobi either.
Sunagakure had been thrown into chaos by him, and he'd walked away unscathed.
Making Ren Itachi's examiner…
It was hard not to suspect ulterior motives.
"This…"
Hiruzen pondered for a long moment.
Then, unexpectedly, he nodded.
"It may work."
Danzō knew him well.
Hiruzen did want Itachi in ANBU.
Brilliant, perceptive, close to Shisui—and most importantly, Fugaku's son.
If Shisui could influence him…
If his thinking could change…
It would benefit both Konoha and the Uchiha.
Ren was Shisui's teammate.
With a few hints—and Shisui's encouragement—
"Yes," Hiruzen said slowly.
"Itachi is exceptional. A standard examiner wouldn't suffice. Ren is strong enough, and as an ANBU operative, his schedule is flexible."
Danzō stared at him expressionlessly.
Did you really have to mention ANBU?
Regret gnawed at him for sending Ren there in the first place—but it was too late now.
Still, his goal had been achieved.
The visit wasn't a waste.
"If you value him so highly," Danzō thought coldly,
"then I'll make sure he humiliates that Uchiha."
"Even if he passes—he won't come out unscathed."
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