Chapter 16 - Hiruzen's Own Trap!
"You're absolutely absurd!!! How could I possibly do anything to harm Konoha!!!"
Danzō was on the verge of spitting blood from anger. This guy was spewing nonsense with his eyes wide open, more shameless than anyone he had ever encountered.
He had thought that by bringing up these two points, Renji would have no way to refute them.
But who could have expected that Renji would outdo him in twisting the truth?
"Haven't you done enough? How did the White Fang die? Don't you know?"
Renji smiled at Danzō, but to Danzō, that smile sent a chill down his spine.
Of course, he knew how the White Fang had died—he had been the one to push him to his death.
Back then, the White Fang's reputation in the village was too high.
At the time, Danzō had harbored some hope that after the Third Hokage stepped down, he could smoothly take over as the Fourth Hokage.
But he hadn't expected the White Fang's sudden rise to fame, which completely derailed his plans.
Fortunately, persistence paid off, and an opportunity presented itself. Initially, he had only wanted to undermine the White Fang's reputation, but he hadn't expected the White Fang to commit suicide as a result.
Later, the Sannin also became potential obstacles to his path.
Danzō began targeting them one by one, but then Namikaze Minato appeared, completely disrupting his plans.
Just as it seemed Minato's rise to Hokage was inevitable, the Nine-Tails attack happened shortly after he took office.
At that time, Danzō could hardly contain his glee.
Hoping that if Minato died, he could reap the benefits, Danzō didn't lift a finger during the chaos.
And most importantly, many people had seen the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes.
This had given Danzō a significant advantage over the years.
Because of the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha clan's reputation had plummeted. While they had been arrogant before, people had tolerated it.
But after the Nine-Tails incident, Danzō noticed that the village had begun to ostracize the Uchiha. Using his usual methods of manipulating public opinion, he pushed the Uchiha clan into opposition.
He had thought that if Fugaku remained clan leader, the Uchiha would eventually be destroyed by his hands, fulfilling the Second Hokage's "legacy."
This would prove that he was more capable than Hiruzen and more suited to be Hokage.
"Ahem, Renji, I don't think we need to go this far. We're all part of Konoha. Why be like this? Aren't we also working to improve relations between the village and the Uchiha?"
Hiruzen coughed lightly, clearly aware that this topic couldn't be discussed further.
Everyone knew the truth.
"Also, Danzō, let's not bring up the Nine-Tails incident again. The Fourth Hokage mentioned it to me once—it was a masked man..."
Hiruzen didn't want to continue this discussion. In his view, it would lead nowhere.
Was he really going to blame the Uchiha clan and incite internal conflict?
Whether it was someone from within the Uchiha clan or a rogue Uchiha, Hiruzen chose to treat it as if it weren't their fault.
"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha also want to improve relations with Konoha. But before that, shouldn't we see some sincerity from your side?"
Renji smiled at Hiruzen, clearly aware that Hiruzen was playing the good cop again.
Compared to Danzō, who was openly despicable, Hiruzen's hypocritical act was even more disgusting.
Many things couldn't have happened without Hiruzen's nod or silent approval.
Yet he pretended to be innocent.
To those who didn't know better, he seemed like a victim.
"Alright, speak your mind!"
Hiruzen's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Renji to be so reasonable. Was the earlier confrontation just a show of strength?
If so, then maybe Renji would be easier to control than he thought.
Danzō, seeing that Renji had dropped his act, couldn't help but sneer inwardly, recalling Fugaku's past demands.
Was Renji going to be just like Fugaku?
If so, why bother replacing Fugaku?
It seemed the Uchiha clan was no longer what it used to be—now it was just struggling to survive.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Setsuna, upon hearing that Renji wanted to negotiate terms with Hiruzen, suddenly felt a pang of unease. A buried memory resurfaced.
Back then, Fugaku had also started off strong, demanding concessions from Konoha.
But in the end, nothing came of it.
Would Renji end up the same way?
He had finally seen hope in Renji. Would Renji let him down like this?
"First, return the land that belonged to the Uchiha clan after the Nine-Tails attack!"
"..."
What!?
You're starting with something this big?
Hiruzen's friendly expression froze.
He had thought Renji would at most ask for better relations with the villagers.
Maybe demand money or status. But who could have expected Renji to ask for land?
Could they give it?
The Uchiha's former location was in the very heart of Konoha!
Who had taken it?
The Sarutobi and Shimura clans had taken a portion, while Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had also claimed some.
Then, parts were given to the Ino-Shika-Chō and the Hyūga clan.
Now, that land had already been distributed. How could they possibly take it back?
"Go ask the Hyūga and Ino-Shika-Chō for it!"
Danzō coldly threw out this remark, a smirk on his face.
Hiruzen was too embarrassed to say it, so Danzō did.
"Danzō, watch your words!"
Hiruzen's expression changed, and he quickly scolded Danzō.
Danzō, however, didn't care. He knew this was just Hiruzen's usual act.
"The Ino-Shika-Chō and Hyūga took at most a quarter of it. Half of it was taken by the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, and the remaining quarter was claimed by the Utatane and Mitokado families. What? Do the elders have special privileges? Also... who said I wouldn't ask them to return it?"
Renji looked up, a cold smile on his face.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan, Renji felt confident. At worst, he could lead the clan in rebellion. If he managed to sway Shisui to his side, he wouldn't fear anyone in Konoha.
If he could win over Shisui, that would be two Mangekyō users. Then, by reasoning with Fugaku and appealing to his emotions, he could potentially bring him on board, making it three.
He refused to believe that three Mangekyō users couldn't resolve the issues between the Uchiha and Konoha.
For now, Renji wouldn't touch the Ino-Shika-Chō or the Hyūga, but he had no intention of letting the Konoha elders—Hiruzen, Danzō, Koharu, and Homura—off the hook.
"Then... once you've reclaimed those lands, the Shimura clan will return all our lands to you!"
Danzō also smiled. If Renji had the guts to go after the Hyūga, he'd be in for a surprise. He didn't believe the Hyūga would ever return the land to the Uchiha.
As long as the Hyūga didn't return the land, neither would he.
"I agree. If the Hyūga and Ino-Shika-Chō are willing to return the land to the Uchiha, then an exchange wouldn't be a problem."
Koharu and Homura also nodded, equally convinced that the Hyūga would never yield to the Uchiha.
The two clans had always been at odds. Asking the Hyūga to return the land was clearly impossible.
"Renji, if you think reclaiming the land will improve things, I can exchange the Sarutobi clan's land for the Uchiha's current territory. Of course, if you want to reclaim everything after dealing with the Hyūga, that's fine too."
Hiruzen put on a show of magnanimity. The Sarutobi clan's land was in the very center of Konoha, while the Uchiha's former land was too small to accommodate the entire clan.
The area adjacent to it belonged to the Hyūga, so reclaiming it would require dealing with them. Thus, the problem circled back to the Hyūga.
This was why Hiruzen offered to give the land to Renji upfront.
"You're mistaken. This land doesn't belong to your clan—it belongs to Konoha. When Konoha was founded, this land was secured by our ancestor, Madara Uchiha. So if we're being technical, it belongs to the Uchiha, not the Sarutobi. And as you said, if I can resolve things with the Hyūga, I'll reclaim what's rightfully ours!"
Can't deal with the Hyūga?
What a joke!
Renji had initially thought reclaiming the land wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected Hiruzen and the others to dig their own graves.
"Then, let's put it in writing!"
"This!?"
"Write it! If you can't reclaim the land from the Hyūga and Ino-Shika-Chō, then you can't come back to us about this matter!"
Danzō quickly interjected.
The Hyūga had always been at odds with the Uchiha, and the Ino-Shika-Chō were loyal to the Hokage. There was no way Renji could reclaim the land.
That's why Danzō wanted it in writing—it might become a key tool against the Uchiha in the future.
And so, the agreement was drafted and signed.
"Now, Renji, is there anything else the Uchiha need to resolve?"
"No need to rush. We'll handle things one at a time. Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. Just don't go back on your word, Lord Hokage. As for the police force, we'll resume our duties after our internal reforms are complete. In the meantime, you'll have to handle the village's issues yourself. After all, you're the Hokage—you can't just dump everything on the police force, can you?"
Renji didn't want to bring up too many issues at once. They could be dealt with one by one. First, reclaim the land that rightfully belonged to the Uchiha!
"I understand. I'll take over for now. I hope you can resolve things quickly."
Hiruzen lowered his head, a glint of darkness in his eyes.
He knew that even if he refused Renji now, the Uchiha would still proceed. It was pointless to resist. Once Renji failed to reclaim the Uchiha's land and shattered the clan's hopes, he would inevitably be ousted.
Watching the four leave, Hiruzen began to formulate his plans. He glanced subtly at Danzō, who nodded in understanding.
After leaving, Uchiha Setsuna frowned at Renji. "Are you sure the Hyūga will return the land to us? We're sworn enemies!"
Renji's actions had been too rash.
Although Setsuna had always wanted to reclaim the clan's former land, it seemed impossible.
Once something was taken, would they really give it back?
"They hold the power now, so we need to gradually undermine their authority before we can act. The Uchiha need a victory. The clan has been too suppressed. I'll handle the Hyūga and Ino-Shika-Chō. I wouldn't make promises I couldn't keep."
Renji had two plans. The first was to persuade or defeat Hyūga Hiashi. If that failed, he would turn to Shisui. After their last conversation, it was clear Shisui was wavering. A little more pressure, and he might defect. But Renji kept this to himself—Danzō's arm was his trump card against the Konoha elders!
"Do you need the Uchiha's help?"
Setsuna's eyes lit up. Renji's words made perfect sense.
The Uchiha desperately needed a victory. The clan was filled with pessimism and tension. If they could reclaim their land, it would be a monumental triumph!
"Not for now. As the clan leader, I'll handle this myself. Also, spread the word to the clan—I'm going to reclaim all our land."
"Isn't that too risky?"
Uchiha Tetsu was stunned. Renji hadn't even reclaimed the land yet.
Why was he so eager to announce it to everyone?
"Even if I don't say it, Hiruzen and the others will spread the news. It's their old trick. Let's take the initiative and announce it ourselves!"
"I understand."
The three elders fell silent for a moment before agreeing. They knew Renji was right.
In Renji, they saw something they hadn't seen in Fugaku.
As the news spread, the Uchiha clan, the Hyūga, and the entire village learned that the Uchiha intended to reclaim their former territory in the heart of Konoha.
"Shisui, what do you think he's planning? If he fails, the Uchiha will become the laughingstock of Konoha!"
Itachi, despite his disdain for the Uchiha's obsession with the clan, couldn't help but feel Renji's approach was reckless. If he failed, how would Konoha view them?
"Itachi, trust Renji. As much as I hate to admit it, he sees further than we do. Look at the smiles and confidence on our clansmen's faces. It seems we were the ones who were wrong."
Shisui closed his eyes, recalling how long it had been since he'd seen such expressions on his clansmen's faces.
He had once believed he was helping the Uchiha, but the clan only misunderstood him. Renji, however, seemed to have given them hope.
The Uchiha had been suppressed for too long...
(End of Chapter)
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