Before dawn, the Hokage Tower was already ablaze with light.
The night's quiet had been shattered. ANBU operatives had dragged the village elders and Hokage advisors from their sleep, summoning them urgently to the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere inside was heavy.
"Bang!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his palm down onto a dossier on his desk. His eyes burned with restrained fury and deepening concern.
"Take a look," he said coldly. "This is the latest intelligence from the Interrogation Division."
He lifted his pipe, inhaled deeply, and forced his anger down before addressing the three before him.
Shimura Danzō stepped forward first, picked up the file, and began reading alone. The further he read, the tighter his brows drew together.
"Might as well tell us directly, Hiruzen," said Mitokado Homura impatiently. "Passing it around one by one wastes time."
Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement.
If Hiruzen had summoned them before sunrise, it could only mean something serious.
Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke, his expression dark.
"Yesterday, ANBU transferred the Iwagakure spy and the Root operative to the Interrogation Division. After the Yamanaka clan searched their memories…"
He paused.
"We discovered that the real instigator behind the rumors was someone else."
"Who?!" Homura and Koharu blurted out together.
Before Hiruzen could answer, Danzō abruptly lifted his head.
"How dare they," he snarled. "What exactly are the Uchiha trying to do?"
"Uchiha?"
Homura and Koharu both froze and turned toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen gave a grim nod.
"Yes. Both the Iwagakure spy and the Root shinobi had been placed under genjutsu. In their memories—there was a pair of Sharingan."
Silence.
"That's impossible," Homura said slowly. "The Uchiha are the biggest victims in this incident. Why would they smear their own name?"
He genuinely could not see the motive.
In truth, Hiruzen and Danzō had initially thought the same. They had dismissed the Uchiha from suspicion early on and concluded that Ōnoki of Iwagakure was manipulating events.
Which only made the revelation more infuriating.
All his life, he had hunted hawks—
And today, the hawk had pecked his own eye.
Danzō let out a cold laugh.
"What else could it be? The Uchiha are trying to sever ties with the village. They're preparing for rebellion."
Homura frowned.
"I spoke with the Second Elder, Uchiha Yashiro, yesterday. He was furious, yes—but he also expressed a desire to resolve the matter quickly. They shouldn't know the deeper details of this situation, much less be plotting rebellion."
He shook his head, unwilling to fully accept Danzō's conclusion.
Danzō cast him a flat look.
"Yashiro may be ignorant. But the Uchiha are not of one voice."
"Certain elements within the clan are deliberately driving a wedge between the Uchiha and the village. Once the bond is severed, the rest of the clan will have no choice but to follow them."
"You don't see something so obvious?"
Homura's expression tightened. Doubt crept in.
Koharu spoke next.
"Danzō may be right. This reeks of the radical faction. Someone like Uchiha Setsuna."
She did not forget history.
Setsuna had once attempted a coup during the era of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. He had been imprisoned for years before eventually being released through clan mediation.
Since then, the village leadership had remained wary of the Uchiha.
Koharu turned to Hiruzen.
"This is dangerous. Mishandle it, and the Uchiha may truly rebel as a clan."
Danzō seized the moment.
"What else is there to consider?" he said coldly. "We strike first. While their internal unity is fractured, we eliminate them in one decisive move."
"This is the best opportunity we'll ever have."
"If we wait until their resentment peaks and they unify, the cost will multiply."
This time, after brief contemplation, Homura and Koharu unexpectedly found themselves leaning toward Danzō's side.
"Danzō is right," Homura admitted. "If we act, it must be now. If we miss this window, the price will be far higher."
Koharu nodded. "The Uchiha are too unstable a variable. Removing them while we can may be safest."
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
"You're thinking too narrowly."
His voice hardened.
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure—even Kirigakure and Sunagakure—are still watching us."
"The war has not fully stabilized. A single spark could reignite open conflict."
"This is not the time for internal bloodshed."
Homura and Koharu exchanged uneasy looks.
They had not considered the broader balance.
Danzō snorted.
"If they wish to fight, let them fight. They are defeated enemies. Do you truly fear they can overturn the tide?"
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
"Easy for you to say."
"Where will the manpower come from? Where will the funding come from?"
"If we lose the Uchiha—and the forces required to suppress them—what remains to defend against external invasion?"
"This war has already forced me to announce my resignation. Do you intend to push other clans to rebellion as well before you're satisfied?"
His voice rose with each word.
He did not notice the subtle gleam that flashed through Danzō's eyes.
Yes.
The war had generated dissatisfaction throughout the village. In the end, Hiruzen had taken the blame and stepped down from the Hokage's seat.
If the transition to Namikaze Minato were completed soon—
And if conflict reignited under Minato's tenure—
Then who would bear the blame next?
Not Hiruzen.
Jiraiya was unreliable.
Tsunade had already left the village.
Orochimaru… had weaknesses Danzō understood all too well.
If Minato fell—
Who else would remain?
The Hokage's seat would be his.
Danzō's thoughts shifted decisively.
The idea of immediate suppression faded.
Instead, he said calmly:
"Hiruzen. Leave the Uchiha matter aside for now."
"It's time you recall Namikaze Minato to the village."
The room fell silent.
Outside, dawn had yet to break.
But in the Hokage Tower, a different kind of sun was already beginning to rise.
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