Inside the Hokage’s Office...
"Hiruzen!"
"The Uchiha are already planning to make Konoha’s Jinchūriki their own Jinchūriki! What are you waiting for?"
"Give the order!"
"My Root will take the lead!"
"We’ll cut this cancer out of Konoha!"
Just as Itachi had expected...
The rumors spreading through the Uchiha Clan had already reached Konoha’s highest authorities.
Realizing an opportunity had presented itself...
Danzō Shimura immediately requested permission to act.
Whenever the Uchiha were involved...
Danzō was always the first to advocate decisive action.
Hiruzen calmly shook his head.
"Those are merely the opinions of a small number of clan members."
"They do not represent the will of the Uchiha Clan."
The people making those remarks were mostly elderly Uchiha who had survived the Warring States Era.
Now in the twilight of their lives...
They still clung to memories of the clan’s former glory.
Such comments weren’t surprising.
Although they held influence within the clan...
What truly mattered...
Was Clan Head Fugaku Uchiha’s position.
"...Fine."
"We wait."
Danzō knew better than anyone how indecisive Hiruzen could be.
Convincing him to eliminate the Uchiha outright was nearly impossible.
"But, Hiruzen..."
"Why didn’t you stop Izumi Uchiha from approaching the Jinchūriki?"
"The Jinchūriki already has—"
Before Hiruzen could finish...
Danzō exploded.
"Hiruzen!"
"Have you forgotten?!"
"The Uchiha heir is extremely close to Izumi Uchiha!"
"Have you already forgotten what happened three years ago?"
"Are you planning to repeat the same mistake?"
"The person who leaked the previous Jinchūriki’s childbirth schedule to the Uchiha..."
"...Was very likely Mikoto Uchiha!"
"And now the Uchiha are clearly trying the same strategy again!"
"They’re placing the future wife of their clan heir beside the Jinchūriki!"
The previous generation...
The Uchiha heir’s childhood friend had, through a series of coincidences, become Kushina Uzumaki’s closest friend.
Now...
History seemed to be repeating itself.
The current Uchiha heir’s childhood friend had once again, through "coincidence," become close to the current Jinchūriki.
The identities...
The backgrounds...
Everything matched almost perfectly.
Danzō refused to believe in that many coincidences.
Back then...
Hiruzen had allowed Mikoto to remain close to Kushina because a Sharingan user near the Jinchūriki could help suppress a rampaging Nine-Tails if necessary.
Now...
Danzō couldn’t believe Hiruzen intended to repeat the exact same mistake.
"There is still no conclusive evidence linking the events of three years ago to the Uchiha."
"Besides..."
"Izumi Uchiha spent her childhood living among ordinary villagers."
"She only returned to the Uchiha Compound three years ago."
"Even now, she’s merely a fringe member of the clan."
"She’s different from the others."
"She can still be won over."
Hiruzen already had a plan of his own.
In his eyes...
Izumi’s mother had chosen to marry a civilian.
That represented a willingness to integrate into the village as a whole.
Her father had been an ordinary civilian.
Her mother was open-minded.
She had grown up outside the Uchiha Compound.
Even after returning to the clan...
She remained isolated.
Most of her relationships were with people outside the Uchiha Clan.
To Hiruzen...
She was someone worth cultivating.
"Then hand Izumi Uchiha over to Root!"
"I’ll train her into a shinobi absolutely loyal to Konoha!"
"She can guide the Jinchūriki’s growth..."
"And eventually become the future wife of the Uchiha Clan Head..."
"Providing Konoha with every piece of intelligence from within the Uchiha!"
At last...
Danzō revealed his true objective.
Watching Hiruzen fall silent in thought...
He smiled inwardly.
Destroying the Uchiha?
Impossible.
Stopping Izumi from contacting the Jinchūriki?
Also impossible.
But giving the girl to him?
Surely that was acceptable.
Izumi had been his true target all along.
Control Izumi...
And he could influence the Jinchūriki indirectly.
At the same time...
He would plant an irremovable spy within the future leadership of the Uchiha Clan.
Not only would he obtain valuable intelligence...
He could also use the Uchiha to weaken Hiruzen’s political influence.
If necessary...
He could even provoke the Uchiha into rebellion.
Both sides would destroy each other...
Leaving Root to suppress the "traitors."
And then...
The position of Hokage would naturally become his.
Just then—
A figure suddenly appeared inside the office.
"Lord Hokage."
Recognizing the ANBU responsible for monitoring Izumi...
Hiruzen asked directly,
"Have you discovered anything?"
"The Uchiha heir has completely severed ties with Izumi Uchiha."
The ANBU reported.
Danzō immediately challenged him.
"Impossible!"
"How can you be certain they’ve truly cut ties?"
"Since when did ANBU reports become this sloppy?"
To some extent...
The actions of the Uchiha heir represented the clan’s position.
If he had truly severed ties with Izumi...
Then the Uchiha were sending Konoha a clear message.
We have no intention of interfering with the Jinchūriki.
If Hiruzen accepted that gesture of goodwill...
Relations between Konoha and the Uchiha would enter another honeymoon period.
That possibility had to be destroyed.
Otherwise...
Everything Danzō had planned would fall apart.
Receiving Hiruzen’s permission...
The ANBU calmly continued.
"The Uchiha heir encountered Izumi Uchiha at the entrance to the compound."
"They argued."
"The contents of the conversation were..."
"..."
"In the end..."
"Both awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan."
Hearing that...
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
Meanwhile...
Danzō’s expression turned incredibly ugly.
Because their Sharingan had evolved...
Everyone believed the conflict had been genuine.
What bitter irony.
The Uchiha’s own Sharingan had become the strongest evidence in their favor.
Hiruzen glanced at Danzō.
The meaning was obvious.
The Uchiha had stepped back.
They were demonstrating goodwill toward Konoha.
There was no need for Root to intervene.
Understanding the message...
Danzō flicked his sleeve.
"Hiruzen."
"You’ll regret this."
Leaving behind those words...
He turned and walked away.
At that exact moment...
Kakashi opened the office door.
"Lord Danzō."
"Hmph."
Danzō snorted.
His gaze briefly lingered on the Sharingan hidden beneath Kakashi’s forehead protector.
The Uchiha can’t be touched for now.
No matter how carefully it’s done...
Suspicion will fall on me.
But Kakashi...
A Three-Tomoe Sharingan...
Better than nothing.
Once he leaves the village...
With that thought...
Danzō walked away.
Hiruzen merely sighed.
He understood his old friend’s personality all too well.
Turning to Kakashi, he asked,
"Has Naruto gone to sleep?"
"Yes."
"He’s already asleep."
"Take a look."
Hiruzen handed Kakashi the latest intelligence report.
After reading it carefully...
Kakashi looked surprised.
"She awakened the Two-Tomoe Sharingan?"
"When did she first awaken it?"
"We found no records."
"But judging from her history..."
"It was most likely when her father died three years ago."
Hiruzen replied.
Considering the conditions required to awaken the Sharingan...
Combined with her past experiences...
The conclusion wasn’t difficult to reach.
Kakashi nodded.
"The Uchiha Clan probably doesn’t even know she awakened it."
Awakening the Sharingan early didn’t guarantee extraordinary talent...
But those who awakened it at such a young age were rarely mediocre.
At only eight years old...
She already possessed the Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
Reaching the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in the future was almost certain.
At the very least...
She had the potential to become a Jōnin.
Perhaps even an elite one.
If the Uchiha had known she awakened it at five...
They would have nurtured her as one of the clan’s greatest talents.
Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
"Kakashi."
"I intend for Izumi Uchiha to take over your mission."
"Instead of protecting Naruto from the shadows..."
"She’ll care for him openly."
"No problem."
Kakashi accepted immediately.
He had already been considering the same idea.
Hiruzen continued,
"Her mother isn’t a shinobi."
"And because she isn’t valued within the Uchiha Clan..."
"No one has taught her how to properly use the Sharingan."
"Her academic foundation is solid."
"I’ll arrange for her to graduate from the Ninja Academy."
"After that..."
"Kakashi..."
"I’ll leave her in your care."
"Once she’s mastered her Sharingan..."
"Your mission will be complete."
Kakashi asked,
"So..."
"My only responsibility is teaching her how to use the Sharingan?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"That’s all."