"Hiruzen, what do you mean by that?" Homura frowned. "Danzō never rejected the benefits we directed to the Shimura clan either, did he?"
Hiruzen was silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"You both know what kind of man Shimura Danzō is. He's extreme. Far more detached from clan sentiment than we are."
"What he truly values is Root—not the Shimura clan."
"You gave the Shimura clan plenty of resources. But as far as I know, most of those resources were siphoned into expanding Root."
"That's why, even now, the Shimura clan remains only a mid-sized clan in Konoha."
He looked at them steadily.
"So even if your financial dealings implicate the Shimura clan… Danzō would not hesitate to cut them down alongside you."
"Sacrificing a minor clan in exchange for removing two Konoha elders?"
"That's absolutely something he would do."
"He might even take the opportunity to dismantle the Shimura clan entirely and absorb its members into Root."
Koharu's eyes widened. "Surely not? Would he really be that ruthless? Even toward his own clan?"
Hiruzen shook his head.
"It's not about trust."
"Every clan has elders—those who act solely for the clan's prosperity. Even the clan head is constrained by them."
"Danzō places his own ambition above everything. Clan interests come after."
"He's long used clan resources to serve his personal objectives."
"And once the Shimura elders realized that, they began restricting his authority within the clan."
"In his eyes, the Shimura clan has become a hindrance. Root is far more convenient."
"In Root, every member bears his curse seal. Absolute obedience."
He paused.
"If anything… dissolving the clan to strengthen Root may already be something he's considered."
Homura's expression darkened.
If that was true, then Danzō truly had nothing left to lose.
They, on the other hand, had too much to protect.
Hiruzen continued calmly.
"So we must secure two matters immediately."
Koharu asked, "Which two?"
"Regardless of whether Danzō wins the Fourth Hokage position, everything hinges on two forces."
"First—the Uchiha clan."
"Second—the Daimyō's court."
"If Danzō fails in the election, he will rely on the Daimyō to delay recognition and buy time."
"And whether he wins in the first place depends heavily on Uchiha support."
"Even gaining the Daimyō's backing goes through the Uchiha."
"So the real problem is the Uchiha—and the Daimyō."
Homura nodded slowly. "Your reasoning makes sense. But how do we handle the Uchiha? You've already spoken to them once. They still sided with Danzō. Can they be trusted?"
Hiruzen shook his head.
"It's not that simple."
"In the meeting today, I observed carefully. The alliance between Uchiha and Danzō is purely transactional."
"If we offer greater benefits, they may very well change sides."
He recounted his earlier negotiations.
"At the time, I sent Minato to speak with them. They proposed terms."
"I hesitated. I didn't respond immediately."
"I underestimated how quickly Danzō would strike a deal with them. That cost us the initiative."
"So the Uchiha haven't betrayed us."
"There is still room to negotiate."
Koharu frowned. "But what could we possibly offer? I've heard Danzō offered the Hyūga clan an elder seat. His offer to the Uchiha won't be any less."
Hiruzen did not hesitate.
"If Danzō can offer an elder seat—so can we."
Homura stiffened. "That's a high price. A Konoha elder sits at the core of decision-making."
Hiruzen waved it off.
"If Danzō becomes Hokage, his elder seat disappears anyway."
"We'd simply be replacing one elder with another."
"Three of us, plus Minato—that makes four."
"Four against one."
"The Uchiha won't be able to cause trouble."
Homura and Koharu exchanged glances. After some thought, they nodded.
As long as their internal unity held, granting the Uchiha a single elder seat was manageable.
Hiruzen continued:
"Securing the Uchiha largely resolves the Daimyō issue."
"But to be safe… I'll send someone to find Tsunade."
"Have her visit the Daimyō's court."
Koharu studied him carefully. "Are you certain Tsunade will listen?"
For a moment, Hiruzen's expression grew weary.
"At this point… I have no choice but to swallow my pride."
"Konoha was built upon the blood and will of the Senju."
"For the Buddha's sake, if not the monk's—Tsunade is unlikely to refuse."
"She will not want Danzō ruling Konoha either."
Homura added thoughtfully:
"Even so, it may not be enough."
"If we're offering one elder seat anyway… what's one more?"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"You're suggesting…?"
Homura replied calmly:
"I'll go speak with the Hyūga clan."
The game was no longer about ideals.
It was about numbers.
And whoever secured more pieces on the board—won.
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