Nara Shikaku's face was solemn.
Of course he understood the current reality.
From the moment half of the Ino–Shika–Chō stepped into the Uchiha camp earlier today, their foundation of trust with the Hokage had already vanished.
The only reason Hiruzen Sarutobi was still willing to speak with him now was because he valued Shikaku's abilities — and, conveniently, could still send the remaining Ino–Shika–Chō to carry out errands.
In truth, it was pure exploitation.
If they lost even that usefulness, then their clan alliance could be discarded without hesitation.
So, since Hiruzen had laid out the problem, Shikaku had to present a solution.
Whether Hiruzen could actually carry it out was another matter — not his concern.
"My cooperation?"
"And I need to persuade Danzō as well?"
"Interesting. Go on then, let me hear it."
Hiruzen looked faintly startled.
Yes. He hadn't expected Shikaku to answer like this.
Now his interest was piqued.
"The Third Raikage A will never agree to peace." Shikaku spoke with a calm smile. "But what if he were dead?"
"From what we know, the grudge between Hidden Stone Village and Hidden Cloud Village is immense. Ōnoki has dreamed of killing the Third Raikage."
"In fact, ANBU intelligence indicated Ōnoki had already prepared to ambush him — but after his clash with Uchiha Kai cost him three thousand elite troops, that plan stalled."
"In this situation, what if Konoha were willing to support Ōnoki?"
"Of course, I realize Konoha cannot act openly. Otherwise it would ruin future Five Kage peace talks."
"That is why I said this requires Lord Danzō's cooperation. Only Root has the means to secretly contact Ōnoki — and to keep Konoha's hands clean."
Shikaku's voice was grave.
Yes. Hiruzen did control ANBU, but most of their focus was limited to the Land of Fire.
Root, however, was different.
Root had extensive spy networks spread throughout other nations.
In fact, most of Root's power lay outside Fire Country's borders.
That was precisely why Danzō was never afraid of Hiruzen.
Even if he lost the Hokage struggle, even if he were branded a missing-nin, he could still live comfortably in the wider shinobi world.
Say what you will — Danzō's hands were dirty, his heart black. But surviving and climbing this far was not thanks to Hiruzen's patronage alone.
Why did Danzō dare slam the table in Hiruzen's face?
Because he had the leverage!
Years of Root brainwashing, curse seals, and infiltration — all spread abroad.
Yes, some of it had served Konoha. But much of it had also been Danzō securing his own escape routes.
Hiruzen: "..."
He was stunned.
Yes.
He had never imagined Shikaku would propose such a thing.
If you can't solve the problem... eliminate the one who causes it?
Good heavens.
That was ruthless.
But Ōnoki...
In an instant, everything he knew of the man spun through his mind.
At length, he nodded slowly.
"Fine. Agreed. Ōnoki won't refuse. In fact, according to ANBU's reports, had he not lost those three thousand men against Uchiha Kai, he would already have gone after the Raikage without us saying a word."
"But there's still one issue. Even if Danzō persuades him, can we actually offer support? Would Ōnoki agree without it?"
Shikaku's expression stayed calm.
He had considered every angle before offering this plan.
Without hesitation, he continued.
"First of all, we don't need to send an army."
"According to ANBU intel, since the Iwa, Suna, and Kiri fronts have all wound down, Hidden Cloud no longer believes they can truly break Konoha."
"And given the Raikage's nature, his refusal to negotiate peace is most likely just to squeeze more concessions."
"So, if Root subtly tips the scales — letting the Raikage think Konoha is too difficult to break, and that raiding Iwa would be far more profitable — then he'll move."
"With Iwa and Hidden Cloud's hatred, the Raikage absolutely won't resist the urge."
"Once he strikes, we just need to pin down Hidden Cloud's forces at the border of the Land of Hot Water, keeping their main army from reinforcing him."
"In those circumstances, Ōnoki will not be able to resist."
"In fact, we could even dispatch a small elite squad to lend a hand at a critical moment."
"As long as the Third Raikage dies, Hidden Cloud will have no choice but to seek peace."
Shikaku laid it all out clearly, leaving no gaps.
After all, this was the key test: whether the Ino–Shika–Chō could prove their worth to Hiruzen.
Half their clansmen had joined Uchiha. If they produced no results, they would surely be discarded.
And Shikaku was confident: Hiruzen would agree.
Ōnoki would agree too.
Why?
Because the Third Raikage was simply too powerful.
No, not on the level of Hashirama or Madara. But for the current era, he was undoubtedly the single strongest man alive.
Hiruzen and Ōnoki — both Kage themselves.
Given the chance, neither would pass up the opportunity to kill him.
And indeed, Hiruzen felt temptation stirring.
He knew he was no match for Ōnoki. But if the Raikage could be killed, he would not miss the chance.
Convincing Ōnoki would not be difficult.
They had been rivals too long. Hiruzen understood clearly — Ōnoki wanted the Raikage dead even more than he did.
Now the only real hurdle was Danzō.
Yes. To make this work, Root's hand was indispensable.
ANBU couldn't do it. Only Root could.
After a long silence, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"Very well. I understand. Shikaku, return and see to your clan matters. Your Ino–Shika–Chō have truly suffered heavy 'losses' this time. Of course, that is an internal clan affair — I, as Hokage, will not interfere."
"Go. I won't see you out."
Hiruzen's tone was calm.
But when he spoke the word 'losses', his voice hardened significantly.
Shikaku's expression flickered slightly.
He knew exactly what Hiruzen meant — it was a veiled warning.
At the same time, it was also a signal that he would not pursue the matter further.
Clearly, Shikaku's proposal had been a test.
And he had passed.
Drawing in a quiet breath, Shikaku bowed.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. We will properly regroup our clan."
"Farewell."
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