---
"By the way, Ms. Might Guy asked you to go to his place and train for a few days. Why is that?"
Hyuga Hanabi was sharp-minded and unusually observant for her age.
She had keenly sensed that something in the village's atmosphere had shifted recently—subtle, but undeniable.
Some time ago, her father, Hiashi, had warned her and her sister to avoid going out unnecessarily and to always bring guards when leaving the compound.
And now, even Might Guy—her teacher—had invited Ye Dou to stay at his house for several days. This wasn't normal. A sense of unease settled over her.
Of course, she couldn't imagine that this unrest stemmed from an impending civil conflict within the village. At most, she thought perhaps an envoy or troublemaker from the Land of Fire was arriving.
"He wants to teach me a special taijutsu technique that involves controlling the Eight Inner Gates," Ye Dou said casually. After a short pause, he added, "…You should stay home during this time—especially at night."
"Ye Dou, do you know something?"
Hanabi's white eyes narrowed slightly, the Byakugan subtly active. She could feel the tension rising.
First her father, and now Ye Dou. Both were urging caution. Was something really going to happen?
"It was just something Might Guy told me," Ye Dou replied, shaking his head. He didn't elaborate further, and went back to his sword training with quiet focus.
---
Another day — inside the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat with a grave expression behind his desk. In front of him, kneeling on one knee, was an ANBU operative in a weasel-like animal mask.
It was Uchiha Shisui, one of the most talented shinobi of his clan, second only to Uchiha Itachi.
"The council passed on an intelligence report. Shisui… regarding rumors of the Uchiha clan planning a coup, I want your opinion."
Hiruzen didn't want another conflict to erupt within the village—not now, not after all they had endured.
The scars of the Third Great Ninja War were still healing. The disappearance of the Third Kazekage, the suicide of Sakumo Hatake (the White Fang of Konoha), and the absence of the Sannin—each for their own reasons—had all contributed to Konoha's weakening.
Now, a decade later, while Konoha had gradually recovered its strength, another war—especially internal—could break everything again.
And with the death of the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, the village had no one left who could act as an overwhelming deterrent.
Among the Sannin:
Orochimaru had defected, obsessed with his dark experiments;
Tsunade, the granddaughter of Hashirama, had succumbed to gambling and vanished;
and Jiraiya, the self-proclaimed pervy sage, was wandering the world, far removed from politics.
Konoha was in no state to endure another war.
"Lord Hokage," Shisui said solemnly, "there are indeed voices within the clan that feel increasingly alienated from the village. But Itachi and I are doing our best to mediate. We need to rebuild trust between the Uchiha and the village leadership. I still believe peace is possible."
Hiruzen nodded slowly, but he wasn't convinced.
The truth was, the Uchiha clan had already held internal meetings, and some elders were pushing for action—perhaps even to ally with other great clans from outside Konoha.
Shisui, caught between loyalty to the village and his clan, had never felt such crushing pressure. He didn't want either side to bleed.
"I understand. Please keep me updated on any movements or changes within the clan. Immediately."
"…Yes, Hokage-sama."
"You may go."
Hiruzen's weathered eyes lingered as Shisui vanished into a puff of smoke.
The silence in the room deepened.
"It's time to make a decision, Sarutobi," a voice muttered from the shadows. "Ever since Tobirama's era, the Uchiha have been a thorn in Konoha's side."
"…Give it time," Hiruzen murmured, not turning around.
He didn't need to see the speaker to know it was Shimura Danzo, the head of Root.
"We don't have time," Danzo said coldly. "The Uchiha are wolves at our gate. We must strike preemptively. Swiftly. Decisively. Only then can we protect the village."
Danzo's bitterness went deeper than the present conflict. Decades ago, during a mission under the Second Hokage, when the team was surrounded by the enemy, Tobirama had declared he would stay behind as a decoy. He asked who among them was brave enough to become the next Hokage.
Danzo had hesitated. Hiruzen had stepped forward without flinching.
That moment changed everything.
Danzo had always believed he too had the resolve—but he was just a second too late.
Since then, though he remained Hiruzen's shadow and ally, he always acted through his own twisted logic: one based not on ideals, but results.
"Even if you're hesitant, I've already taken steps," Danzo continued. "I've made contact with Akatsuki—that mercenary group. If Itachi joins them, we'll ensure no blood is shed on our side."
"Akatsuki? You think we can trust them? How much do you really know about their goals?" Hiruzen asked, alarmed.
Danzo remained silent.
In his eyes, diplomacy was weakness. Sacrifice was necessary. The Uchiha had to be eliminated—for the greater good.
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