[123] The Plan of Konoha’s Four Giants

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a man of action. Once he noticed signs of improvement in the Police Force, he immediately began planning a meeting. But he'd taken on too much lately, and it wasn't until today that he finally found the time.

Sitting in his office, Hiruzen quietly looked at the two old friends before him, feeling deeply sentimental. There had once been six disciples under the Second Hokage, but after his sacrifice, Akimichi Torifu returned to his clan and didn't join the inner circle. Uchiha Kagami later died on a mission. In the end, only four remained, working together to maintain Konoha's development through thick and thin.

They'd endured the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars together and witnessed both Konoha's prosperity and its gradual decline. Their bond wasn't something anyone else could understand. But now, only three of them were left—and those who'd died didn't exactly pass away peacefully.

Hiruzen knew that a peaceful death for a ninja was rare. But still… they'd made it this far. Maybe it was age catching up, but some of his views had started to shift.

Yet one thing had never changed—their deep-rooted hatred of the Uchiha.

Especially after seeing Danzo get dismembered by Yuhara right in front of him—dying miserably, with no title of hero. That grudge was carved into his soul. Hiruzen swore to himself: he'd do what the Second Hokage couldn't—he would avenge Danzo!

"Why'd you call us over so late, and so secretly?" Koharu Utatane asked, seeing Hiruzen in a bad mood. Unlike Homura, she couldn't just sit in silence.

"I wanted to discuss the Uchiha situation," Hiruzen said with a sigh. Lighting his pipe, he continued, "The Uchiha are making major moves. I'm sure you've heard the rumors about the Police Force?"

"I've heard," Homura Mitokado said, adjusting his glasses. "They're getting ambitious."

"You never should've agreed to that kid's demands," Homura continued. "We all know how powerful the Police Force is, and now we can't touch them or the Uchiha. If their image recovers, decades of our work will go up in smoke."

They'd worked so hard to undermine the Police Force for one reason—so they could take it back. But Hiruzen's approval of Yuhara's request risked undoing all of it.

Frankly, neither Koharu nor Homura had been worried before. The Uchiha had run the Police Force for ages, and it was a wreck. Now a young, impulsive brat had taken over—how could he possibly fix it?

But somehow, that kid either saw the power buried in the department or simply wanted change—and that change was already happening. That's what they feared most.

They didn't want the Uchiha reintegrating into Konoha. They didn't want the Police Force regaining respect. An isolated Uchiha, hated and rejected by everyone—that was the ideal Uchiha.

"Hmph, what's the point of saying all this now?" Hiruzen snapped. He was clearly in a foul mood.

"We need to fix this—not argue over past decisions. You didn't object when Danzo brought up the idea, did you?"

"Didn't you already make the call, Hiruzen?" Koharu asked with a frown.

"You told Itachi to go to Danzo. Then the moment we mentioned our plan, Danzo had already acted. What were we supposed to say?" she added. "We're just as angry and heartbroken over Danzo's death. He was our classmate too."

"We told you before—Danzo was extreme. He'd sacrifice anything, including his morals, to reach his goals. It was only a matter of time before he faced the consequences. And now, that time has come. There's no use blaming anyone."

"If Yuhara were here, he might finally understand why, after Hiruzen's death, they were so adamant about bringing back Jiraiya or Tsunade instead of letting Danzo take the seat." It wasn't just about Danzo's character—it was also about fear. If he rose to power, he might ignore them entirely… or even kill them.

Hiruzen took a deep breath and nodded. He realized he'd let his emotions get the better of him—probably due to the memories that had resurfaced. But he was still the Hokage. He needed to stay calm.

Koharu silently nodded. She and Danzo had many things in common, but Hiruzen was different in key ways. For one, he had restraint—he knew when to yield, when to compromise. That trait alone made him a capable leader.

Danzo only backed off when he got burned. Hiruzen, on the other hand, listened to others. He might be arrogant, believing everything he did was for Konoha—but at least he considered different opinions and adjusted when needed. That's why they supported him, but never Danzo.

"I'm sorry. I let my emotions get to me," Hiruzen said with a bitter smile. He took a long drag from his pipe before continuing.

"Tell me your thoughts. We need to be united. Danzo's mess left us with too much to clean up."

"Don't worry, Hiruzen," Koharu said firmly. "We'll always support you."

Then she added, "I know agreeing to Yuhara's terms put us in a tough spot—but it also gave us an opportunity."

"An opportunity?" Hiruzen blinked, then caught on quickly. "You mean like we've done in other departments?"

Exactly. Hiruzen had spent years embedding loyal agents across every department in Konoha. They weren't high-ranking, but their roles were pivotal. Through them, Hiruzen gained access to vital intel and could steer department decisions.

But this web of influence had been dismantled recently. Clan-run departments had rooted out his people, leaving him powerless in many areas.

Still, he had time to rebuild. As Hokage, he always had a shot.

Except for one place—the Police Force. He'd never managed to get anyone inside. It was firmly in Uchiha hands.

Koharu's words lit a spark in him. If Yuhara wanted to expand the Police Force, that was their in.

"He asked for the right to expand the Force. Obviously, he plans to recruit more people," Koharu said. "We know he met with Hiashi too."

"Why not help him a little—make it easy for him to recruit lots of new people?"

"The Uchiha aren't that numerous. Civilian and other clan shinobi vastly outnumber them."

Once those outsiders get in, they'll push out the Uchiha. And if Yuhara tries to promote only Uchiha, resentment will grow. That tension will be hard to manage.

"And the expansion needs funding. We control the purse strings. We can cut their budget."

"Internal conflict, financial pressure… Let's see if Yuhara can handle that!"

"And if we slip in our own people, they can rally those who oppose the Uchiha at just the right time," Koharu finished.

Hiruzen smiled. He already saw where this was going.

"Yuhara will be forced to choose: suppress dissent and ruin the department's image again, or give up power to our people, making the Uchiha irrelevant. Either way, he loses."

"And Hiashi will soon realize what side he should be on," Koharu said.

They didn't need to say more—Hiruzen got it all. This plan was right up his alley.

"We'll need someone clever and loyal," Homura said. "Also, Yuhara's been living too comfortably. If there are people out there still itching for revenge and can't be reined in, let them take action."

Both Hiruzen and Koharu nodded. Yuhara was far too relaxed. If he kept peacefully reforming the Police Force, who knew what it would become?

Their mood lifted. They could already see the Uchiha's downfall unfolding in their minds.

But what they didn't know was—someone had been eavesdropping on everything from outside the window.

_______________

P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 30+ at patreon.com/Emik01.