A Familiar Feeling
After the Ino-Shika-Cho trio left together, only the three members of the welcoming team remained in the Hokage Office.
Actually, it was mainly Hatake Kakashi who pulled Lin Ke along; otherwise, he would have followed his teacher out.
"Hiashi, I'll leave Kakashi and Lin Ke in your care."
The Third Hokage's tone was quite amiable when addressing the head of the Hyuga clan.
"Please rest assured, Third Hokage," Hyuga Hiashi bowed.
After the three of them left, he turned back and said, "The Land of Wind's delegation is expected to arrive at the border the day after tomorrow..."
"If you two are available, please be sure to visit my clan's residence tomorrow."
This person spoke in a refined manner, using extremely precise wording. After speaking, he bowed very politely, "Well then, you two, please excuse my departure."
His words were filled with phrases like "if you are available" and "please," and he even added a "be sure," but he didn't even wait for a response before leaving directly.
It should be known that when the war ended, Konoha held a celebration, and everyone came to participate, but the entire Hyuga clan stayed at home to celebrate the third birthday of their heir.
The arrogance of this clan towards outsiders is evident.
Hatake Kakashi patted Lin Ke's shoulder and said, "See you tomorrow." Then he took out the latest edition of Make-Out Paradise, revisiting it while heading straight for the Jonin waiting room.
Representing Konoha to welcome a delegation from another country?
Lin Ke didn't want to return to the Jonin waiting room to chat idly. He'd rather use that time to return to the Training Grounds to train; Sasuke was waiting for him there.
The only bad thing was that after Naruto left, Haruno Sakura also started hanging around the Seventh Training Ground...
Should he find another place to train? "?!" He noticed someone staring at him, and suddenly turned around. At the corner of the wall, the bandaged old man who had been smiling at him in the Hokage Office was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for him.
"I am Shimura Danzo," the old man introduced himself as soon as he spoke, then straightened up and lowered his arms.
As expected, it was him...
Lin Ke's expression didn't change. He simply asked, "Is there something you need?"
"There is something I want to clarify," Shimura Danzo didn't waste words. "My subordinates didn't intend to attack Uchiha Sasuke, but believed that he would be willing to dedicate himself to the village like us, so they were thinking of inviting him to join us."
These words about the village, spoken so readily, really had the air of a scapegoat.
But the way you're waiting for me to have a heart-to-heart is completely unacceptable, Mr. Scapegoat. You need to be more ruthless.
"..."
Lin Ke didn't speak. He couldn't exactly say that doing things for the village was wrong; the other party was already standing on the moral high ground.
"To express my apology," Shimura Danzo rustled as he pulled out a scroll from his long sleeves, his face full of sincerity. "These are some techniques and experiences from the Uchiha clan's development of the Sharingan..."
The man whose famous saying was: Emotion brings hatred, and hatred leads to war, was actually saying these words.
Apologizing and giving benefits, he definitely had ulterior motives, right?
However, I don't care about this or that.
Lin Ke readily accepted the scroll. If it were just some ordinary conflict or struggle, refusing the other party's kindness would be understandable.
Now that he was determined to kill the other party, he would accept any benefits they offered. He'd be a fool to hesitate even for a moment.
"..."
This completely threw Shimura Danzo off. How could you so easily accept benefits from other factions? Aren't you the new generation that the Hokage values?
You should at least decline a few times, then accept politely, or I'll find another opportunity to send it.
"Thank you, Lord Shimura Danzo," Lin Ke said sweetly after receiving the benefits, completely unlike the way he called Danzo an old thief while chatting with Sasuke yesterday.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Watching his departing figure, Shimura Danzo suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
That idiot Mizuki seemed to have been treated to several free meals by this kid in the same way...
He wasn't angry; on the contrary, he smiled. To him, Lin Ke posed no threat at all, because they weren't even from the same generation. Even if he were to be selected as Hokage, the other party wouldn't be a competitor.
What Hokage candidate would consider a ten-year-old child as a rival?
This wasn't the war-torn era where it was easy to rise to the top. A Special Jonin would need at least ten years to mature before reaching the level of a Hokage candidate.
By then, either he would have already ascended to the Hokage position, or he would have died of old age. How could there be any competition? He even hoped the other party would be as talented as possible. Once he sat on the Hokage's seat, having such a talented subordinate would save him a lot of worry and effort.
What's more, when choosing the next Hokage, the other party's identity, status, and connections could all influence his rise to power.
Under such circumstances, he was even less worried about the other party being greedy. The more greedy, the better, as greedy people are easier to win over.
The reason he went to Uchiha Sasuke in the first place was because he saw the other party's avenger mentality, thinking he could win him over and indirectly influence Lin Ke. He didn't expect the other party to react so strongly.
But that didn't matter. A little misunderstanding could still bring them closer.
And then there was that Rejuvenation Technique...
Shimura Danzo walked out of the Hokage Building with a relaxed expression. Using the Konoha Crush Plan to return to the Hokage Office was only the first step, but it was also the most important one. He had waited so many years to have the opportunity to climb out, and he wouldn't allow himself to return to the gutter again.
In the time to come, he still had plenty of ways to play with Hiruzen.
[I am protecting...]
[My Konoha]
...
Land of Fire, eastern border, in a forest.
"Flap flap~"
A Crow landed on Uchiha Itachi's arm, preening its feathers with its beak.
[That kid's influence on Sasuke is getting bigger and bigger...]
His expression was calm, but the emotions in his heart were fluctuating. The feeling of seeing the father he had killed with his own eyes instantly shattered the mental defenses he had built up over the years.
His younger brother, whose growth path he had planned, was deviating from the trajectory day by day, which made him feel somewhat anxious.
His physical condition and eyesight were deteriorating day by day. He would eventually not be able to hold on. If Sasuke was unable to obtain enough power by then...
Tomoe appeared in Uchiha Itachi's eyes. He had already made a decision in his heart. The village was very important, but some people were irrelevant.
In order to make his younger brother Sasuke walk on the established path and grow into the strong person he imagined...
[I will get rid of that kid.]
He calmly made the decision. Even if the leader favored the other party's abilities and the village valued the other party, it was all a necessary sacrifice.
Just like the Uchiha clan back then.
[Sasuke...]
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