Chapter 31 – Shisui, Kaze… I, Danzō, Will Have You! Not Even the Hokage Can Stop Me!

The moment Danzō received word from the Root ninja he'd dispatched—confirming that Shisui had clashed with Kaze—he immediately sought out Hiruzen.

As soon as he pushed open the door and noticed the crystal ball on Hiruzen's desk, even his usually sluggish mind pieced things together in an instant.

"So… you're not planning to hand over Kaze's corpse, then?" Danzō asked bluntly.

"Mhm." Hiruzen nodded as he dispelled the Telescope Jutsu.

"Kaze's taijutsu truly exceeded my expectations."

"For a moment… I felt like I was watching the Raikage."

The implication was clear: a shinobi as powerful as Kaze would be a massive loss to Konoha if they simply turned him over.

"The Raikage, huh."

Danzō narrowed his one visible eye slightly and continued, "That technique Shisui used against Kaze…"

"That had to be the Uchiha's exclusive technique—Susanoo."

"And the last person to use that jutsu… was Uchiha Madara."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and deliberate.

He was clearly directing his accusation at Shisui.

Though Shisui had always been a staunch supporter of the Will of Fire, Danzō had never dropped his guard around him.

"Shisui isn't the second Uchiha Madara," Hiruzen quickly refuted, noticing Danzō's implication. "He's an outstanding ninja who inherited Kagami's ideals."

But then Hiruzen's tone darkened slightly. "The rift between Konoha and the Uchiha still needs Shisui to help mediate."

Though Uchiha Itachi was also a brilliant shinobi with a Hokage-like mindset, he lacked Shisui's maturity and strength at this point.

If something were to happen to Shisui now, it would only deepen the Uchiha clan's resentment toward the village.

"To possess such power and yet limit his ambitions to the harmony between clan and village…" Danzō scoffed. "It's hard to say whether that makes him an outstanding shinobi—or a fool."

Danzō clearly disagreed with Hiruzen.

To a man like him, a power like Susanoo should be used to help Konoha dominate the entire ninja world.

"Enough about Shisui," Danzō said, shaking his head slightly. "We'll put that matter aside for now."

"What are you planning to do about that brat, Kaze?"

Though Danzō didn't completely trust Shisui, he at least had the role of a double agent—someone working to reform the Uchiha through the Will of Fire.

At the very least, he was a valuable pawn for the higher-ups in their game against the Uchiha.

But Kaze… was a whole different problem.

At the Konoha council meeting, he'd been bold and aggressive.

And now his taijutsu—

Had grown so powerful even under the surveillance of the ANBU and Root.

He could even stand against a half-complete Susanoo.

And if his potential continued to evolve…

If he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan…

And fully mastered Susanoo…

Coupled with his Lightning Release-based taijutsu—he would become a disastrous threat!

"What are you trying to say?" Hiruzen looked up at his old comrade, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

But truthfully, Hiruzen knew exactly what Danzō was getting at.

Still, as the light of Konoha, there were some thoughts… and some words… that simply couldn't come from his mouth.

"Aburame Torune is already dead, so he is a murderer"

"And since the police force values order, then we'll use that order against them."

"And Kaze's corpse—will serve to calm the storm."

"Two birds, one stone. Simple as that."

Greed flickered in Danzō's eyes.

"Honestly, as long as they don't awaken the Sharingan, we can tolerate the Uchiha."

"No matter how powerful their taijutsu or ninjutsu becomes, they aren't truly dangerous to us."

"The real threat…"

"Is the Sharingan."

"That eye doesn't just represent evil—its power…"

…isn't something normal ninjutsu or taijutsu can compare to."

Danzō's tone was final—his judgment clear. For Kaze, it was all but a death sentence.

But Hiruzen didn't flinch.

"No, Danzō. I am the Hokage."

His voice was calm, but the authority in it left no room for argument.

Danzō's eyes narrowed. His hand clenched tighter around his cane, knuckles pale with restraint.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."

With that, he turned on his heel, the door slamming shut behind him with a sharp bang.

Silence settled over the room like a fog.

Hiruzen stood still for a moment, then slowly reached for the old tobacco pipe resting on his desk. He took a measured puff, exhaled, and let the smoke drift through the office, his gaze distant.

Suppress the Uchiha clan…?

He mulled over Danzō's words, voice low and thoughtful in the solitude.

The issue with the Uchiha wasn't so simple. For now, it would be best to leave the matter in Shisui's hands—let him be the bridge. Shisui had both the strength and the temperament to de-escalate tensions without bloodshed.

But Danzō…

Hiruzen frowned slightly.

He was useful, no denying that. As the shadow of Konoha, Danzō handled the grim, unspeakable tasks—the dirty work Hiruzen couldn't be seen doing. That role was necessary.

And yet, a shadow should remain in the dark.

Let someone like Danzō stand in the light, and all he'd do is spread that darkness.

In the end, he simply lacked the vision of a true Hokage. He couldn't see the bigger picture, couldn't read the shifting currents of the times.

He only knew how to control. How to silence. How to dominate.

But the Hokage's path wasn't one of domination—it was one of unity.

With a quiet sigh, Hiruzen looked back to the matter at hand.

Kaze.

Danzō's push for punishment had been little more than a thinly veiled execution order. But the facts were clear: it was Torune who'd struck first, and Kaze had responded in self-defense. Both the Uchiha and the Hyūga had confirmed as much.

Trying to make Kaze a scapegoat would only stir more unrest—and worse, alienate Shisui.

And Shisui was far too valuable for the village to lose.

"…I'll promote Kaze to jōnin," Hiruzen decided aloud.

"Have him partner with Shisui on missions. Let their perspectives balance each other."

He tapped the end of his pipe lightly on the ashtray.

"If Shisui can reach him… perhaps Kaze will grow beyond the Uchiha's narrow clan loyalty."

He paused.

That thought—loyalty to one's own clan—pulled forth another face in his mind: Asuma.

"Asuma has been a jōnin for quite some time now."

"He even handled security for the Fire Daimyō."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, proud and wistful all at once.

"…Maybe it's time he stepped into the ranks of the elite jōnin."

(T/N: Had to rework a few parts due to to the changes I made, especially the last few lines I created the canon event which the OG failed to do, anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter)