"Uchiha Hikaru."
Hiruzen Sarutobi followed up with a question:
"What exactly happened there? Can you tell me?"
Since Hiruzen wasn't fully aware of Uchiha Hikaru's performance, he naturally didn't want to make things difficult for a child.
That's why his tone softened—but this only annoyed Danzo, who stood beside him.
Danzo hadn't inherited any of the Second Hokage's better qualities, but in one respect, he had surpassed him: his hatred for the Uchiha.
He snorted coldly, his expression dark as he barked:
"Brat, you'd better tell us the truth honestly. Otherwise, you're betraying Konoha!"
Uchiha Hikaru scoffed at that.
No wonder Danzo never became Hokage—the difference between him and Hiruzen in how they treated others was vast. Their emotional intelligence wasn't even on the same scale.
Besides, just looking at Danzo's perpetually displeased face would make anyone choose Hiruzen over him.
Danzo's weaknesses were laughably easy to exploit. There was no need for a confrontation—just a nudge could cut him to the bone.
So, Uchiha Hikaru pointed to Hiruzen Sarutobi with an innocent face and asked:
"Isn't this uncle the Hokage? Isn't this the Hokage's office? Doesn't that mean it's up to the Hokage to decide?"
"You...!"
"That's enough, Danzo. This is the Hokage's office!"
Danzo was about to explode when Hiruzen cut him off sternly.
Even if he was still fuming, Danzo could only obey the Hokage's words.
He glared at Uchiha Hikaru, trying to use intimidation to assert control.
Hiruzen then stood up and walked over, raising a hand to pat Hikaru's head.
Naturally, Hikaru didn't let him. He lightly dodged and said:
"Lord Hokage, let's get back to the issue at hand."
Seeing the boy avoid his touch, Hiruzen awkwardly withdrew his hand, then casually picked up his pipe, took a puff, and said:
"Very well. Go ahead."
Hikaru paused for a moment, glancing at the two nearby Anbu.
'My Three-Tomoe Sharingan has already been exposed. I might as well lay it all out—so long as I still have other trump cards.'
With that thought, Hikaru spoke:
"Earlier today, while I was training in my room, I was attacked by enemy spies. After I repelled them, the Anbu arrived at the scene."
"The ruins left behind were from my battle with those spies. It used to be where I lived."
Hiruzen was genuinely surprised. Hikaru didn't look that old, yet he claimed to have fended off enemy assassins?
You had to know—even if those spies weren't Jōnin, they were at least skilled enough to escape from one unharmed.
If Hikaru could defeat them, that meant he already possessed strength at least on par with an elite Chūnin.
Hiruzen was just about to ask how Hikaru did it when Danzo could no longer hold himself back.
"Brat, who do you think you're fooling? Enemy spies are at least Chūnin level. How could you have defeated them?!"
Danzo slammed the table and immediately passed judgment:
"I bet they spared you because you're their mole! You've betrayed the village!"
Hikaru was already fed up with Danzo's rabid barking. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated instantly.
Danzo, who had been staring him down, caught the sight of all three tomoe clearly.
Even if Hikaru didn't yet know how to cast genjutsu, the illusory effect inherent to the Sharingan was potent enough under Mangekyō-like pressure.
Danzo suddenly felt like those blood-red Sharingan were death itself staring into his soul. The pressure was so overwhelming it felt like his heart had stopped—he couldn't even breathe.
Though it all happened in an instant, Hiruzen still sensed the Chakra disturbance.
Seeing his old friend's condition, he immediately realized Danzo had fallen under genjutsu.
While it startled him that a genjutsu could take hold so fast, now wasn't the time to question it.
But before Hiruzen could say anything, Hikaru deactivated his Sharingan and calmly said:
"I believe Elder Danzo now understands how I repelled the spies. But if he's still doubtful, I'm happy to demonstrate again."
It had lasted only a second, but when the three tomoe disappeared, Danzo felt like he'd just been saved.
Shame followed.
Overwhelming, humiliating shame.
"You little brat! You dare attack a high-ranking official of Konoha?!"
"You've betrayed Konoha! Hiruzen, what are you waiting for? Let's take him down together!"
Hiruzen now found himself hesitating. A child with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan—one who was about Tsunade's age.
To have that level of potential, and to be an Uchiha… If left unchecked, he might truly become the next Madara Uchiha.
Just as Hiruzen was caught in indecision, the office door was kicked open.
BANG!
The sudden crash drew everyone's attention. A woman with her hair in a bun strolled in nonchalantly.
"That's enough! He's just a child."
"Monkey, I'm very disappointed in you today."
The newcomer was none other than Mito Uzumaki. In truth, she had arrived the moment Hikaru activated his Sharingan and had heard every word Danzo said.
She had been about to step in, but then grew curious—how would Hiruzen handle it?
As Hokage, no matter what the villagers said about the Uchiha, you couldn't show bias.
Otherwise, it would only fuel division and lead to full-blown conflict.
Yet Hiruzen had failed to immediately stop Danzo and even hesitated afterward. That deeply disappointed her.
Whether it was hesitation or tacit approval of Danzo's accusations, it showed a lack of trust in the Uchiha.
And that said a lot about Hiruzen's character as Hokage.
Even the Second Hokage, despite calling the Uchiha "evil," wouldn't target a Uchiha child like this—otherwise, how would Uchiha Kagami have become his student?
Tobirama Senju may have disliked the Uchiha, but he still worked to integrate them into Konoha, not drive them out.
Danzo's remarks that Hikaru might become the next Madara were nothing more than fear of losing his own power.
The disappointment on Mito Uzumaki's face made Hiruzen feel a pang of guilt.
It was Danzo who said all those things. I didn't even do anything… Is that still wrong? Hiruzen couldn't wrap his head around it.
Like a child craving approval from a parent, Hiruzen had always wanted Mito's acknowledgment.
But now, that recognition was gone. And in every possible sense, that was a terrible sign.
So, Hiruzen made what he thought was the right move to fix it.