"Hiruzen, the Uchiha Clan's brat should be handed over to me!"
Inside the Hokage's office, Danzo Shimura looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a gloomy expression, his words filled with dissatisfaction.
"Can we really trust Uchiha Setsuna, the man who once assassinated the previous Hokage?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a surge of emotion. When did his friend become like this? Probably after he became Hokage.
Speaking of his teacher, Senju Tobirama, Hiruzen Sarutobi's demeanor became much more serious.
"Danzo, don't forget, Teacher didn't hate the Uchiha Clan. Do you still remember our friend, Uchiha Kagami?"
Danzo Shimura's expression flickered between light and dark, and he snorted coldly: "Kagami was just one person."
"Uchiha Setsuna inherited that man's will."
There was a hint of apprehension in Danzo Shimura's tone. Only the First Hokage could contend with Uchiha Madara's power.
"What's more, he's getting so close to the future Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki. If he succeeds, will Konoha Village suffer another Nine-Tailed rampage?"
Danzo's words struck at Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, which was one of his concerns.
But recalling Uchiha Hayato's eyes, his worries eased slightly. He had already made some contributions to Konoha, and they had made a promise.
"Third Hokage, I'll lend this instant communicator to the Village for now. Give it back to me when the Village can produce the same product," Uchiha Hayato said with a grin. He didn't doubt the Village's research capabilities. With a finished product, instant communicators could be mass-produced quickly, and by then, there might even be new functions.
"This is my sincerity. Furthermore, if Lord Third Hokage agrees to my request, I will gradually introduce Pokémon to everyone."
One person's effort is never as good as an entire Village's effort. The Second Shinobi World War hasn't broken out yet, and Orochimaru is still a young man who wants to learn all Ninjutsu. Turning him from a cold-blooded scientist into a Pokémon Professor might be an interesting thing to do.
"Good, I thank you on behalf of the entire Village. As long as you don't harm Konoha, the Village will never allow you or your friends to be harmed."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious: "I've already made a promise to that child. He is definitely not the kind of person who would harm Konoha."
He took out the instant communicator from under the table: "This is what that child gave me. If we can successfully replicate it, our intelligence unit will have a great advantage."
"According to Hayato, this instant communicator can support four people's video calls simultaneously, and our teams are also in groups of four, so it fits perfectly. Once produced, it will be prioritized for Anbu use," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, crossing his hands in thought.
"Doesn't his actions prove his loyalty to Konoha?"
Danzo Shimura was somewhat tempted. If this were the case, then "Root" could grow even stronger and accomplish more.
No, it's still a hidden danger. Summoning things from another world, such immense power is actually held by an Uchiha.
He couldn't control it, and he always felt uneasy.
"Hmph, this could also be a Kumogakure item. The Uchiha Family connected with them, using this opportunity to raise their status in Konoha," Danzo Shimura put forth an absurd possibility. Although the instant communicator was technologically advanced, it wasn't an incomprehensible high-tech. The Hidden Cloud Village's strength was not weak, so they could certainly achieve this.
As he spoke, he even began to believe it himself.
"Enough, Danzo, don't you think it's ridiculous?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's beard bristled with anger, and he slammed his hand on the table, leaving a large print. "Uchiha Hayato is absolutely not that kind of person. Don't ever say such things in front of me again, and you are not allowed to lay a hand on Uchiha Hayato."
He knew that Danzo had completely inherited the dark side of his teacher. If there was a threat to the Village, he would take a series of extreme measures, and he warned him in a deep voice.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this!" Danzo Shimura did not back down.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi glared.
Every time he said this, the result was that Danzo could only leave with dissatisfaction, and the two parted on bad terms.
As expected, this time was no different. Danzo flicked his sleeve and turned to leave the office.
"Danzo, what did Hiruzen say?"
Downstairs, a middle-aged man and woman approached to ask. They were members of Konoha's Advisor team, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado.
"Hmph, what else could he say? He thinks highly of that Uchiha brat. What about your news? What was Torifu's response?"
The anger had vanished from Danzo Shimura's face, as if he hadn't been the one arguing with Hiruzen Sarutobi just moments ago.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances, and Homura Mitokado stepped forward to reply: "He said he's only responsible for the Village's defense, and asking him about brainy matters yields no results."
"Everyone says the Nara Family's minds are outstanding, but I think the Akimichi Family isn't weak either," Danzo Shimura mused.
"I'm leaving now. Since Hiruzen and the Nara Family have discussed it, I'll listen to him and see what this Uchiha brat can do."
Leaving his final words, Danzo Shimura left without looking back, his tone so calm that the two were somewhat surprised. Was this still the Danzo Shimura they knew?
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, watching the three figures, a hint of worry in his heart.
These are troubled times. Border conflicts are escalating, and now there's Uchiha Hayato in the Village. He wonders if it's a blessing or a curse.
Hayato, I hope you can truly bring peace to Konoha and the Ninja World, just as you said.
"Let this kid stay in the Village for a few years. After he graduates, it might not be safe outside the Village," Danzo Shimura smiled in a corner where no one could see him, seemingly seeing the Hokage position beckoning to him.
On the other side, Uchiha Hayato had no idea what was happening with the Third Hokage. He had simply found the Village's biggest backer, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to act as his support.
The man was indeed a good-natured person, not an excellent politician who acted one way in public and another in private, as described in conspiracy theories from his previous life.
He also learned that Uchiha Setsuna seemed to be intentionally showing him favor, but Uchiha Hayato couldn't respond to him. The current situation was in a strangely harmonious state, and if he continued to befriend the Uchiha Family, the hard-won trust from the higher-ups would disappear.
His next step should be to befriend other Konoha Families and improve his own strength.
The Hyuga Family's young lady had a conflict with him during their last training session. What puzzled him was that every time Hyuga Ruri saw him, her face would flush, and she would walk away alone, which Uchiha Hayato found quite strange.
He couldn't be bothered with it. Compared to that, his direct entry into Konoha's core circle was what made him happy. Sarutobi Hideki, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son, said that next time he would bring Nawaki to play with him.
At this moment, he was with Minato, standing in the familiar training ground, proposing new ideas.