After arriving at the Hokage's office, Danzo directly proposed to Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi that Chinya be removed from his position as captain of the Konoha Defense Unit and officially dismissed from the unit.
At the same time, Danzo was confident Minato and Hiruzen would agree.
Minato and Hiruzen exchanged glances once again. Now they finally understood what was going on.
So it turned out Danzo and Chinya had completely broken ties.
And now Danzo wanted to expel Chinya from the Konoha Defense Unit, replacing him with someone loyal to himself as the new captain.
The Konoha Defense Unit was a department originally proposed by Danzo, including thirty elite ninja from Root Division under its ranks.
In truth, the Konoha Defense Unit was effectively under Root's control.
If Danzo had made this proposal before Chinya's arrival, perhaps they would have agreed.
Their hope was that Chinya stepping down might help ease the tensions within the Uchiha Clan slightly.
With Chinya in charge, life for the Uchiha Clan wouldn't be easy. Although Fugaku Uchiha stood by Minato's side, many Uchiha clan ninja still held strong resentment toward him.
They were convinced that Minato was the one who created this department that took over two important responsibilities previously managed by the Konoha Military Police Force, and appointed Chinya—who hated the Uchiha Clan the most—as its leader, never suspecting Danzo.
Therefore, Minato had his own difficulties too. If there were an opportunity for Chinya to step down from leadership of the Defense Unit, maybe even Hiruzen would consider it, but Minato would definitely agree.
Now Minato and Hiruzen also understood exactly what Chinya had meant when he said he helped them out.
Had Danzo approached them first and they accepted his suggestion, then the next captain of the Konoha Defense Unit would still be someone chosen by Danzo.
But now, Chinya acted one step ahead of Danzo by voluntarily resigning—making all the difference.
It meant power shifted into their hands, giving them the authority to choose the next captain of the Konoha Defense Unit themselves.
Minato suddenly felt as if a pie had just hit him in the face from the sky.
Seeing the confidence on Danzo's face, Minato said, "Advisor Danzo, your suggestion is now meaningless."
Danzo's eyebrows immediately furrowed, "What do you mean? Why is it meaningless?"
Minato explained, "Chinya came earlier and has already voluntarily resigned and left the Konoha Defense Unit. Moreover, myself and the Third have already discussed and decided upon the next captain of the Konoha Defense Unit."
Danzo's expression darkened instantly.
He hadn't expected Chinya to act so decisively—immediately after breaking ties with him, Chinya went straight to the Hokage Tower and resigned.
Since Chinya had directly resigned to Minato, Minato could now bypass Danzo entirely and personally select the next captain for the Defense Unit.
Since the Defense Unit officially answered to Minato, Chinya's resignation gave him full authority to choose the next leader.
He had been outmaneuvered by Chinya!
Still, Danzo wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Fourth Hokage," he pressed, "the position of captain of the Konoha Defense Unit is extremely important. I believe we should avoid rushing into a decision. Perhaps it would be better to discuss this further before making a final choice!"
Danzo was planning to pull the same old trick again—he'd successfully maneuvered Chinya into power before, and now he was set on pushing another ally into the role.
But things weren't the same as before—not anymore.
Minato Namikaze had finally taken the reins—and he had no intention of letting go.
With his usual gentle smile, Minato said, "Of course, Third Hokage and I won't make such a decision lightly. We've already given this careful thought. We have decided to appoint Nara Shinei as the next captain of the Konoha Defense Unit."
Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly stood behind Minato. Moreover, Nara Shinei was truly an excellent choice.
Hiruzen added, "That's right, Danzo. The Fourth and I thoroughly discussed the matter and settled on Shinei. He earned quite a reputation during the Third Great Ninja War. Cautious by nature and meticulous in his actions, we firmly believe he'll perform admirably as captain."
Danzo shot back angrily, "Have you forgotten the entire point of creating the Konoha Defense Unit in the first place? It was established specifically to dilute the power of the Konoha Military Police Force and prevent another Uchiha Clan incident!
Do you really think Shinei can manage the current deputy captain Shisui? If Shinei becomes captain, he'll just be a puppet. Then the Konoha Defense Unit would once again fall under the control of the Uchiha Clan. What's the point of that?"
Minato remained calmly smiling as he gently replied, "I understand your concerns, Advisor Danzo. That's why I've decided to abolish the deputy captain position within the Konoha Defense Unit. Furthermore, no Uchiha ninja will be allowed to join the unit from now on."
After taking a puff from his pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Now you should feel reassured, Danzo. As for matters concerning the Uchiha Clan, Minato knows how to handle them properly, and I will assist him as well."
Danzo was furious beyond words.
Once the deputy captain position was eliminated and Uchiha ninja were banned from joining the unit, naturally Shisui Uchiha would also leave the Konoha Defense Unit.
Now Danzo had completely lost all leverage—it had been Chinya who had orchestrated the perfect countermove against him.
"You'll regret this! Trust me!"
Danzo could only throw out these harsh words before storming off.
After Danzo departed, Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and remarked, "This time, Chinya has done us a huge favor. Now Minato won't have to constantly find himself stuck in the middle anymore."
Nodding in agreement, Minato replied, "Indeed. Next, we must focus on resolving the matter regarding the Konoha Defense Unit."
Shortly afterward, Hiruzen left as well. Minato then summoned Shisui Uchiha.
When Shisui arrived, Minato told him, "Shisui, Chinya has stepped down from his position as captain."
"Eh?"
Shisui was stunned. How come the captaincy ended so suddenly?
No wonder Chinya had acted so strangely earlier—he must have told him everything would be fine from now on.
Minato Namikaze gave a quick explanation to Shisui Uchiha, then said, "To make sure Danzo has no complaints, I've decided to eliminate the position of deputy captain of the Konoha Defense Unit. Also, Uchiha ninja will no longer be permitted to join. Therefore, I hope Shisui can understand."
Shisui Uchiha shook his head slightly: "I naturally understand. I'm truly grateful to the Fourth Hokage. With this decision, my clansmen won't have to live in constant fear anymore. That was actually the original purpose of my joining the Konoha Defense Unit, so I'm more than willing to leave to make this happen."
Minato smiled and said, "That's good. I believe the Uchiha Clan will only grow stronger from now on."
A warm feeling rose in Shisui's chest as hope grew within him. So long as Minato remained, the Uchiha Clan would surely flourish.
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