Half a month after the Fourth Hokage officially took office, emissaries from Sunagakure and Iwagakure—villages that had signed peace treaties—arrived in Konoha to offer their congratulations. However, their true intent was likely to gauge Konoha's current strength.
Danzo had already assumed a visible role in the Hokage's administration as a senior advisor. Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two elders had objected when Minato proposed this arrangement, they couldn't stop the Fourth Hokage, who was at the height of his authority.
In Konoha's meeting hall, the Fourth Hokage and the Elder Council met with the emissaries from the two villages.
"As the protector state of the Land of Rivers, Konoha will do its best to maintain the trade routes between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, ensuring that essential supplies reach the Land of Wind's civilians..."
"Konoha also expects Iwagakure to restrain its shinobi and prevent them from crossing into the Land of Grass and disrupting its order. Such actions harm the commercial interests of both the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. If Iwagakure continues its reckless behavior, Konoha will accept a commission from the Daimyo of the Land of Grass to send shinobi to safeguard the Land of Grass's stability..."
Minato Namikaze displayed no hesitation in handling the emissaries. He offered friendship to the relatively weaker Sunagakure but stood firm against Iwagakure's probing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated nearby, opened his mouth several times to intervene as Minato clashed with the Iwagakure emissary, but he ultimately stayed silent.
After the emissaries had been seen off, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"Konoha is still recovering and can't afford a war... And the Land of Grass..."
Seeing Minato's troubled expression, Danzo stepped in.
"Enough, Sarutobi. Minato is the Hokage now. He has his own judgment, and our role is to support him."
Interrupted by Danzo, Hiruzen sighed, his expression weary. "Ah, I still can't shake this habit of worrying. Danzo is right—Minato, do what you must. We old-timers will support you from the background."
Minato's tone was humble but respectful. "I'm still inexperienced with administration. I'll need guidance from you and the other elders..."
His attitude clearly pleased the elders, and they dropped the earlier discussion about the Land of Grass. After discussing Konoha's upcoming financial allocations and receiving satisfactory answers, the elders left the meeting room.
However, Danzo was asked to stay behind under the pretext of discussing intelligence on the Land of Grass. Minato's eyes held a trace of fatigue as he watched them leave.
The current Elder Council...
Homura Mitokado handled communication with the Fire Daimyo and financial allocations, acting as the bridge between Konoha and the Land of Fire.
Koharu Utatane had many small clans under her influence and effectively represented them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with control over the Sarutobi Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance, and the ANBU, wielded the most influence of any single faction.
And then there was Danzo, who commanded the entire Root organization and maintained an intelligence network spanning the Five Great Nations.
Though Minato held significant public prestige as the Fourth Hokage, he had few loyal forces of his own. Even the ANBU required Hiruzen's approval to be mobilized, making Minato's situation difficult.
"Are you feeling that the Elder Council has too much power?" Danzo asked pointedly.
Minato smiled. "I'm still young and need the elders' help."
Danzo saw through Minato's fatigue to his underlying confidence.
He really is still the same Little Sun.
"If you want to be a great Hokage and earn everyone's trust, it won't be easy," Danzo said. "The Hokage guards like Genma Shiranui and Raidō Namiashi are strong, but they're not quite enough. I'll have Kakashi lead five squads under your command.
"If you don't mind Uchiha Shisui's background, I can arrange for him to join your side as well. This will help build goodwill with the Uchiha and offer some support to Fugaku—his position has been difficult since he supported your nomination. The Uchiha are not without their uses."
"Elder Danzo...?" Minato was surprised by how thoroughly Danzo laid out the current challenges and weaknesses.
Minato's decision to make Danzo a public figure had been partly out of acknowledgment for Root's merits and partly to use Danzo as a counterweight against the other elders. Yet Danzo's actions now strengthened the Hokage's authority—at the Elder Council's expense, including his own.
"I told you before, if your ninja way is just, I will stand behind you always," Danzo said sincerely.
Minato's smile grew, but his eyes burned with determination.
"I won't let you down, Elder Danzo."
Meanwhile, in the Uchiha district, Fugaku Uchiha sat with a lifeless expression. At a recent clan meeting, he had been publicly criticized by the Great Elder, greatly damaging his prestige. Some clansmen now viewed him as weak, and there were even whispers of selecting a new clan head.
"Father..." Itachi stood by with concern but didn't know how to comfort him, despite understanding the situation.
Seeing Itachi's worried expression, Fugaku forced a small smile.
"It's nothing, Itachi. Even if the clan doesn't understand us, we must still do what we believe is right."
But his words felt more like self-consolation than reassurance.
A figure appeared before them.
"Shisui..."
"Clan Head, Danzo-sama asked me to inform you that I'll be assigned to the ANBU under the Hokage soon. Also, the Hokage has promised to return the Uchiha's original territory within the year."
"Excellent!" Fugaku couldn't hide his excitement.
Allowing Uchiha shinobi to enter the ANBU and returning the original district were both significant gestures.
Though the old territory was no longer large enough for the entire Uchiha clan, it remained a symbol of the Uchiha's pride. This made their recent retreat worth it many times over.
Fugaku pondered how to maximize the benefits of this news. The recent events had made him more aware of how constrained he was as clan head.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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