The Uchiha clan's compound sat far from Konoha's bustling center, tucked away in a quiet corner near the village prison.
Takuya didn't rush there. As they walked, he pondered what type of jars he should recommend to Sasuke.
Meanwhile—
Shimura Danzo, bandages wrapped around his head and arm, stood outside the Hokage's office, expression dark.
He'd been standing there for several minutes.
But hadn't gone in.
He was still waiting on intel.
Finally, a pale, panting ninja stumbled over.
"Ippei," Danzo called the man's name.
His voice was soft—but it hit like a scorpion sting. Ippei's whole body twitched involuntarily.
He dropped to his knees.
"Lord Danzo, I..."
Creeaak—
The door to the Hokage's office swung open.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his back to them, wearing his Hokage robe, facing the window.
"Come in."
That old but firm voice.
Danzo said nothing, striding in. But Ippei's face went even whiter.
Officially, he was a member of the ANBU under the Hokage.
But in reality, he still took orders from Danzo—his former commander, the founder of ROOT.
"Why'd you call me here at this hour, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked, acting like he didn't know.
"Danzo, you should address me as Hokage-sama." Hiruzen turned around, his previously clouded eyes now sharp as blades. "Why did you give Ippei that order?"
Ippei's body shook again.
He lowered his head even deeper.
Tonight—
The Hokage's order had been simple: invite the mysterious man dining with Tsunade to come meet with him.
But just before he left—
Danzo had added another directive: test that man's strength. If he was weak... bring him to Danzo instead.
The result of that test was already obvious.
"Why?" Danzo's mouth twitched into a mocking smirk before flattening. "Let's stop playing dumb, Hiruzen. You sent Ippei knowing—no, expecting—me to issue that kind of command, didn't you?"
ROOT had been officially disbanded after the Uchiha Massacre.
But many of its members still served in the ANBU—and still obeyed Danzo.
Hiruzen knew that full well.
Sending a former ROOT operative like Ippei to approach the man with Tsunade? The intention couldn't have been clearer.
He wanted Danzo to interfere.
Ippei's cold sweat wouldn't stop.
He'd just realized the Hokage sent him on purpose, as bait.
Now that the mission failed...
Was Danzo going to take the blame?
"Forget it. What's done is done." Hiruzen didn't argue. He took a long drag on his pipe, his tone softening. "You didn't see it, but... Ippei did. That merchant's power."
"Yes, sir..." Ippei shivered again.
Partly because he was now caught in a political deathmatch—
But mostly...
Because he remembered that terror.
"S-Sir, I just... I just felt like..." He swallowed hard, voice cracking. "That thing... wasn't human. Not even the Nine Tails twelve years ago scared me like that. He didn't do anything. Just stood there—and my mind just went blank..."
He couldn't describe it.
But the feeling was clear—
This guy wasn't someone you could fight. There was no hope of resisting.
"Genjutsu? Dojutsu?" Danzo narrowed his uncovered eye.
Ippei hadn't suffered any physical injury. The damage was purely mental—like waking from a nightmare.
Only genjutsu or an overpowered visual jutsu could do that.
"If I'm not completely senile yet," Hiruzen muttered, looking at his desk, "then I think... it was just raw pressure. The kind that comes from pure power. The First Hokage had it—but this man... has it even stronger."
Danzo followed Hiruzen's gaze.
He saw the shattered crystal ball.
And the deep wariness in the Hokage's eyes.
That look—Danzo had never seen it on Hiruzen before.
You really are getting old, Hiruzen.
"If you're so concerned, let me handle this." Danzo offered, voice low.
It wasn't arrogance. He just felt a spark—
A drive to surpass Hiruzen.
What you can't do...
I can.
After the Uchiha Massacre, Hiruzen stripped Danzo of his advisory role and disbanded ROOT. Since then, the rift between them had only grown.
And Danzo's desire to become Hokage—stronger than ever.
"No." Hiruzen shook his head slowly, then looked at Danzo. "I want you to take the fall for tonight."
"..."
Even Danzo's face twitched at that.
From rage.
He'd come here thinking they'd plan a strategy—
Instead, he was being told to eat the blame?
"That merchant is even more dangerous than I thought," Hiruzen said, ignoring Danzo's fury. "At least until we know more, Konoha shouldn't provoke him again." His voice dropped lower. "Most importantly... Tsunade's back."
That last line—that was the point.
Tsunade had returned.
Hiruzen knew—there was only one serious candidate for the Fifth Hokage right now.
Her reputation, her ability, her strength...
If she still had her hemophobia, maybe not. But now that it was cured—whether Hiruzen supported her or not, if Tsunade wanted it, she could take the seat.
That's what worried him.
If she got tricked or manipulated...
So they'd tested the merchant—through Danzo.
And instead of easing his mind, the result only made Hiruzen more cautious.
Calling Danzo here tonight wasn't just to warn him.
It was to make him stop—no more secret moves, no escalation.
And explain tonight's mess.
Danzo stared at Hiruzen with his lone eye, then finally looked away.
"I'm not even a Hokage Advisor anymore. What could I possibly do?"
He turned his back and walked out.
His figure, retreating into the night, looked lonely.
Hiruzen watched his old friend leave, a trace of guilt in his heart.
But what he didn't see—
Was the fury in Danzo's eyes the moment he turned away.
Hiruzen thought he was being cautious.
But to Danzo—
It was cowardice.
Since when did Konoha's Hokage cower before anyone?
Ideas swirled in his mind.
And then... he thought of someone.
Uchiha Itachi.
If Hiruzen wanted to avoid conflict with the so-called merchant...
Maybe the Akatsuki would be interested.