Qianyu arrived at Root headquarters and went straight to Danzō's office, finding the man behind his desk.
Qianyu bowed slightly. "Lord Danzō."
Danzō looked up, a thin smile touching his lips. "You're here, Qianyu."
Qianyu straightened. "Lord Danzō. About yesterday's wedding… The Third Hokage ordered me to invite Minato Namikaze. I couldn't refuse a direct order. I know this displeased you. For that, I apologize."
Danzō's face darkened, his teeth grinding together. "That Hiruzen! First, he forces his grand-disciple into the Hokage's seat. Now he tries to poach from my side? He used your wedding to pull you toward Minato!
"Qianyu, remember this. Minato Namikaze stole the Hokage seat from your master. If not for Hiruzen's stubbornness, Orochimaru would be Hokage right now. And you, as his disciple, would have been the strongest candidate for the Fifth.
"But no. Hiruzen ignored my counsel. He chose a greenhorn with less battle merit and experience than Orochimaru. Now, the path for your master—or for you—is that much harder."
Qianyu almost laughed. He caught himself just in time.
He's really worried I'll jump ship to Hiruzen and Minato. Trying to stoke my anger. Even dangling the Fifth Hokage title in front of me. His intentions are transparent. If Orochimaru became Hokage, Danzō would just be counting the days until he could take the seat for himself.
Danzō wanted to turn him against Hiruzen and Minato.
The feeling was mutual.
He'd barely mentioned Hiruzen's order, and Danzō was already seething.
Qianyu's expression turned grave. He nodded slowly. "Lord Danzō, I understand. And I share your anger. Had Lord Jiraiya become Hokage, I might have accepted it. But Hiruzen chose Minato. It's hard not to see a pattern."
Danzō's voice was bitter. "Orochimaru was right. Hiruzen intends to use Minato as a puppet. Master and disciple, controlling the village together."
Qianyu paused before shifting the topic. "Lord Danzō, what's done is done. We can't change the outcome. May I ask… about the plan regarding the Uchiha clan. How should I proceed?
"The war is over. I can't continue to press them as I did during the conflict. And since Fugaku Uchiha took over as clan head, their ninja seem… more restrained."
Danzō was silent for a long moment. "It's true. Things are different in peacetime. Hiruzen and I may disagree on much, but on the Uchiha… our views have always aligned. I will discuss it with him."
"Lord Danzō," Qianyu said carefully. "With all due respect, I doubt that discussion will yield any results."
Danzō's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"You know the Third's temperament better than I," Qianyu explained. "Before the Third War, the Uchiha were widely disliked. Arrogant. Unchecked. Masaki Uchiha saw the danger. He pinned his clan's hopes on the war—earning enough glory to shield them from reprisal.
"That is why Hiruzen chose me, someone with a personal grudge, to counter Masaki's plans. During the war, any suppression could be justified, blamed on the conflict. Now? It's a different story.
"Especially with Fugaku reining them in. Given Hiruzen's nature, he will likely adopt a conciliatory approach. He might even halt the plan entirely.
"He fears pushing the Uchiha to extremes. He won't risk disturbing the village's hard-won peace."
Danzō's frown deepened into a scowl.
The Uchiha problem stemmed from their shared teacher, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Tobirama had feared the clan's potential threat and stationed Anbu to monitor them constantly.
Danzō despised Hiruzen, but he'd never doubted their shared stance on the Uchiha.
Seeing his hesitation, Qianyu pressed on. "Lord Danzō, think of his actions for the sake of 'stability.' We won the war, yet Sunagakure paid only a pittance in gold dust. Kirigakure paid even less. Iwagakure and Kumogakure paid nothing at all."
Danzō's eyes sharpened.
The boy had a point. For the sake of stability, Hiruzen would halt the plan. If the Uchiha were allowed to recover their footing, it would be too late to act.
Qianyu played his final card. "There's one more thing. I've observed a certain Uchiha. Shisui Uchiha. I believe you've heard his name."
Danzō nodded slowly. "Yes. The second, after you, to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. He is the child of an old acquaintance."
"I encountered him on the battlefield," Qianyu said. "He is an anomaly among the Uchiha. Most prioritize their clan over the village. Shisui is one of the rare few free from that narrow-mindedness. He embodies the Will of Fire.
"Similarly, Fugaku Uchiha is a shrewd man. He wants to change his clan's fate. It's highly likely he will use Shisui as a bridge to establish contact with Minato and Hiruzen."
Danzō's expression shifted, dark and unsettled. Qianyu's analysis rang true. The scenario was plausible.
And if it happened, how could he stop it?
He looked up at Qianyu. "If it does happen… how would you suggest we prevent it?" Since the boy had laid out the problem so clearly, perhaps he also had a solution.
Qianyu shook his head. "I don't believe it can be prevented. Not with the Fourth's conservative nature mirroring the Third's. But… we can regain the lost ground elsewhere."
Danzō's gaze hardened. "Regain ground? Explain."
Qianyu leaned forward, his voice low and serious. "When you discuss this with Hiruzen or Minato, and they refuse… propose the establishment of a new department. A counterpart to the Konoha Military Police Force. Use this new department to continue applying pressure on the Uchiha."
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