"Uchiha Shisui, huh? Shisui, I'll remember that name." Kurenai Yuhi clenched her fist as Shisui Uchiha walked away.
One day, I'll beat him for sure!
Her cheeks flushed red thinking about how she'd flailed in thin air earlier—completely humiliated. She'd remember that moment forever.
At the Uchiha compound, before the training field:
"Hana, are these your clan's ninja dogs?" Itachi Uchiha asked, brow raised at the pack.
The dogs—almond-eyed, alert, sturdy—ranged in color from gray to black-and-white to reddish-brown. They looked like husky-malamute hybrids: strong, high-spirited, and just a little arrogant.
"Siberian Huskies are nicknamed 'Huskies,' or 'Er-ha' for short," he thought. These pups certainly had that blend of strength and stubbornness.
"Yes! I heard the Uchiha Police Force handles security duties," Hana Inuzuka said, stroking one fondly. "So I personally chose dogs with power and stamina."
"These ninja dogs are the most destructive of their kind," she added proudly. "They're clean, good-looking, kid-friendly, lively, and highly loyal!"
Itachi's eyes twitched. Huskies? They'll wreck this compound if left unchecked…
"As for this line," Hana continued shyly, "think of them as a congratulatory gift for your new role as clan head."
Her mother had told her before leaving that "simps" eventually get everything they want, so don't be embarrassed; play to their preferences.
Dogs were so cute, and the old clan head Fugaku wanted them so badly, so Itachi wouldn't refuse, right?
"Ah, this?" Uchiha Itachi was stunned.
He had told Fugaku he wanted to buy ninja hounds, but what he'd imagined were Tibetan Mastiff-types—towering, fierce, and majestic.
Back then, he'd envisioned a scene: Konoha's hundred dogs, striding proudly across the shinobi world.
Add in the Uchiha's patrol corps and a few thousand temporary ANBU, and conquering the shinobi world would be a walk in the park.
But now... imagining a hundred Huskies in that formation made cold sweat bead on Itachi's forehead.
Was the Uchiha compound doomed to be chewed apart?
Seeing Hana's expectant look, Itachi hesitated. Turning her down to her face would be rude—especially since this was a gift.
If it were a trade negotiation, he could refuse easily. But a gift… made it complicated.
Wait—why did he forget?
He still had Plotmon!
Itachi formed a summoning hand seal, feigning ceremony. He slapped his palm on the ground. A faint glow pulsed from his hidden Digivice—and in a puff of smoke, a small Plotmon appeared before him.
"Wow, so cute!" Hana cooed, hearts in her eyes, lunging forward—but Plotmon dodged with ease.
Akamaru growled, glared at the newcomer. Only room for one dog here!
With a roar, Akamaru charged.
"Akamaru, no!" Hana yelled—but it was too late.
Plotmon barked: "Awooo~~ Woof!"
A shockwave froze Akamaru mid-chase.
"Ninjutsu?" Hana gasped.
Gabumon dashed in.
"Sledge Crash!"
With a heavy thud, Akamaru slammed into a tree.
"Petit Punch!"
An uppercut knocked him airborne—dust flew up.
Gabumon stood atop his fallen rival, barking triumphantly. The huskies whimpered and bowed like royal subjects.
Hana Inuzuka: "..."
Seriously, is this still a ninja dog? It knows ninjutsu and even taijutsu! This must be a summoned beast!
"Itachi…" she began, voice trembling.
"I accept your gift." Itachi nodded. "From now on, you and Gabumon can train these dogs with the newly enrolled children. As for your pay, I'll issue it at C-rank mission rates," Itachi Uchiha said.
"Okay!" Hana smiled. Payments aside, she just wanted to be near Itachi—and this dog.
"Excuse me, what's your name?" Hana Inuzuka asked, both surprised and delighted, in a careful tone.
If I can breed this beast with our dogs… They'll be unstoppable.
"Hello, I'm Plotmon, please take care of me. I'm Itachi and Izumi-nee-chan's Digimon," it said in a cute voice.
Hana Inuzuka's expression froze. Itachi and Izumi? What the hell?
I was here first!
...
Uzumaki Clan Mask Storage Temple.
Orochimaru, who was actually an Itachi Uchiha Shadow Clone:
"Lord Danzo, as the saying goes, 'Though a martyr grows old, his heart remains ambitious.' There's no need to despair. You must believe—if you're the last of the Shimura clan, then given just one woman, you can build an entire nation. And if not… well, I can always lend a hand."
"Exactly!" Danzo declared, thumping his chest. "Though a martyr grows old, his heart remains ambitious. I'm still young—relatively. I've got decades left to serve Konoha!"
He was only in his sixties. Still strong. Still vigorous. All he needed was to become Hokage, and then? With just one woman, founding a new clan—no, a new nation—would be a breeze.
"But Orochimaru, what do we do now?" Danzo frowned. "Public opinion is completely one-sided. Hiruzen's dumped all the blame on me—it's outrageous! Even if I killed him and took the Hokage seat, my reputation would be in ruins!"
"That's hardly a problem," Orochimaru said smoothly, looping an arm around Danzo's shoulder and whispering in his ear. "If Sarutobi wants to play dirty, we'll go even lower."
"We'll flip his scheme right back on him."
"Oh?" Danzo narrowed his eyes.
"We'll do this, and then that…" Orochimaru began to lay out the plan.
Danzo's eyes widened partway through the explanation. He suddenly bolted upright.
"What?! You want me to walk straight into the lion's den? Return to Konoha openly?! That's suicide! You're trying to get me killed!"
"What do you mean, 'walk into a trap'?" Orochimaru said, entirely unfazed. "You are a man of honor. A paragon of virtue and dedication to the people. You left the village with Root to uncover the truth behind Master Lu's (Grandpa Tree) murder!"
"Huh?" Danzo blinked. "Didn't we kill Master Lu?"
"Killed? Please. That was clearly a frame job by that scheming old man. A classic 'self-inflicted injury' ploy."
"The entire thing was part of his conspiracy—to manipulate you into obedience."
"But you, ever noble, stood firm against tyranny. You bravely led Root on a mission to uncover the truth. Along the way, you endured assassination attempts orchestrated by Hiruzen, faced countless hardships, and in the end… tragically fell off a cliff."
Danzo: "…"
"The ANBU saw you jump. They reported it back."
"Hiruzen, thinking you were dead, still wasn't satisfied. To ensure nothing came back to haunt him, he took the next step—he wiped out the entire Shimura clan! Erased the bloodline. Covered up the truth."
"But what he didn't expect… was that you survived. Not only that—you encountered me."
"With my expert medical skills—and your indomitable will—you pulled through. You returned from the brink, carrying the truth with you."
"And just when you arrived back in Konoha—what did you find?"
"Your clan. Gone. Erased by Sarutobi's hand."
"But instead of collapsing, you turned your grief into strength. You raised the banner of justice. One shout from you, and the people rose up. You overthrew Sarutobi's corrupt regime—and took the Hokage seat as the people's true choice."
"The greatest Hokage in history."
Orochimaru licked his lips. "So, Lord Danzo… how's that for a script?"
Danzo swallowed thickly.
"…Holy shit. We can actually do this?"
He was stunned.
"Alright. Let's do it!"