Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Regret and Shadow/ You regret, I Shadow
Chapter 15: Regret and Shadow/ You regret, I Shadow
"Let's give it a try."
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, pondering for a moment before nodding, "You handle this matter."
"Although that child is powerful, her nature doesn't seem to be that malevolent, even more clear-headed than most of the Uchiha clan members. If we can arrange it properly, letting her build bonds with the people of Konoha, we might be able to harness this powerful force for the village... You know, the situation inside and outside the village has been unstable lately, and the Hidden Cloud is also looking for opportunities. We can't afford any mishaps at this critical moment."
"Yes."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke took his leave.
As he opened the office door, another man, his body wrapped in bandages and half of his face covered, appeared outside.
"...Lord Danzo."
Shinnosuke frowned imperceptibly and bowed slightly.
Danzo Shimura, the leader of the Root.
Although nominally, the Root is a branch of the Anbu, there is no direct hierarchical relationship between them. Moreover, Danzo also holds the position of the Hokage's advisor, ranking half a step higher than him, the Anbu director. Thus,Asuma Sarutobi had to greet and pay his respects upon meeting him.
"It's Shinnosuke."
Danzo, with his gloomy demeanor, nodded and stopped at the door, waiting forAsuma Sarutobi to leave before entering the room.
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly closed the report in his hands, crossed his arms under his chin, and looked up, "What is it, Danzo?"
"Heh."
Danzo Shimura smirked coldly, "An Uchiha from the Warring States period awakened in the village, killed a squad of Anbu on the day of breaking the seal, and even made contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki... Monkey, such a big event, and you kept it from us, not leaking a single word!"
"...You already know?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, "It seems the Root has very reliable information."
"Hmph, I've already asked Koharu and Homura, and they knew nothing about it."
"If I hadn't received a timely tip-off, you probably wouldn't have planned to tell us, right?"
Danzo snorted coldly, extremely dissatisfied, "Hiruzen, as the Hokage of Konoha, you actually allow such a dangerous person to move freely in the village, even allowing her to live with the Jinchuriki. What are you thinking? Do you want the tragedy of the Nine-Tails incident four years ago to repeat itself?!"
Listening to Danzo's aggressive questioning, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened.
"Of course, I'm aware of what you're talking about, but this time it's different. I've had contact with Miss Uchiha Hikari, and she can be considered trustworthy. If we rashly conflict with her, Konoha will truly be in danger..."
Killing or controlling Uchiha Hikari was something Sarutobi Hiruzen had considered.
But the best-case scenario would still result in the loss of more than ten elite Jonin or his own life as the Third Hokage. And that was a loss Konoha could not afford. Any mistake involving Naruto could lead to a repeat of the Nine-Tails incident four years ago, potentially with even more severe consequences.
Therefore, as long as Uchiha Hikari did not show explicit hostility, maintaining a peaceful coexistence was the best approach.
As for the Jinchuriki...
That could be addressed later.
After all, in such a short time, Uchiha Hikari couldn't possibly gain Naruto's complete trust.
That was what Sarutobi Hiruzen thought.
But Danzo's thoughts were clearly different.
"Monkey, are you listening to yourself? Do you not understand the nature of the Uchiha, daring to trust a stranger you've only met once or twice over us, your old comrades who have been through life and death together?!"
Danzo took a deep breath, changing his tone, "Fine, since you believe this Uchiha is trustworthy, then... hand her over to me. I will make her truly loyal to Konoha, a sharp sword for the village!"
"That's impossible!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was adamant.
"Monkey, you will regret this!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
With a bang, the office door was slammed shut, marking the end of the unpleasant meeting between two high-ranking officials of Konoha.
Leaving the building, Danzo's expression turned extremely grim.
The wind began to stir.
A subordinate silently approached Danzo, whispering, "Lord Danzo, there's news from the Konoha Hospital. Morino Ibiki has awakened and recounted their battle with the girl named Uchiha Hikari. According to preliminary intelligence, that girl might possess the Mangekyo Sharingan, just like Uchiha Shisui..."
"I know."
Danzo turned to glance at the direction of the Hokage building, speaking in a grave tone, "Continue monitoring that female Uchiha and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's movements. Report any changes immediately!"
"Yes!"
...
Uchiha Hikari was unaware of the undercurrents swirling unseen within Konoha.
She was busy preparing for her trip to the Dragon Ball world.
Since she wasn't sure if her Sharingan genjutsu would work on the people of the Dragon Ball world, she purchased not only essential clothing but also a variety of ninja tools and ration pills, filling her backpack to the brim.
—Of course, she used Minato Namikaze's money, having already notified the group chat.
Uchiha Hikari had also wanted to buy a batch of explosive tags, but they seemed to be regulated items, only available for sale to ninjas, and not found in regular shops.
These actions, naturally, did not escape the Anbu's notice.
That evening, Uzuki Yugao approached her, indirectly inquiring if she had encountered any trouble.
"No trouble, just that I've been planning to leave the village recently."
Uchiha Hikari had been considering whether to inform the Third Hokage, and now she simply revealed her plans, "As for the timing, it should be in the next day or two, and I'll probably return after about half a month."
"Leaving the village?"
Uzuki Yugao was taken aback, quickly adding, "Ninjas leaving the village need to apply for permission from the Third Hokage. Only with approval can they..."
"But I'm not a ninja of Konoha."
Uchiha Hikari interrupted her without hesitation, "And I don't belong to any ninja village or power. If anything, I'm... a civilian. A civilian who knows a bit of ninjutsu."
Saying this, Uchiha Hikari gestured a "little bit" with her hands.
"?"
Uzuki Yugao's expression turned somewhat strange.
Wiping out an Anbu squad on her first day awake, causing Morino Ibiki to still be hospitalized, rumored to have faced the Third Hokage in a genjutsu battle without any repercussions, and even being allowed to act as the Jinchuriki's guardian...
And you call yourself a civilian?
(End of Chapter)
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