After hearing Uchiha Inabi's secret, Uchiha Ran sent him off under the pretense of continuing to promote the card game, instructing him to keep making the rounds throughout Konoha.
Ran himself headed for Training Ground No. 7.
This was the place where he could request a meeting with Danzō.
After all, Ran had come specifically to report to his dear Lord Danzō—about the Uchiha clan, and about himself.
It didn't take long.
As expected, Danzō's subordinates noticed the mark Ran had left behind at Training Ground No. 10. Soon enough, a Root operative appeared before him and silently led him toward the Root headquarters.
This time, the Root member didn't drag things out. Before long, the two arrived at the entrance to the underground base.
Even Ran hadn't expected that he would be returning to Root so soon.
Likewise, the Root operative was surprised. Lord Danzō clearly despised the Uchiha—yet he had responded to Uchiha Ran's request with unusual speed.
"Lord Danzō, please forgive the intrusion," Ran said politely as he faced the elderly man shrouded in darkness. "I've been swamped with official duties and didn't have the chance to properly communicate with you earlier. This visit is mainly to seek your guidance."
Danzō studied him in silence.
It hasn't been that long… yet his demeanor has completely changed.
Ran no longer looked like a mere student. He carried himself like a seasoned administrator.
So this is the influence of a great clan…
A thirteen-year-old boy, yet he already feels like an old politician.
"Of course," Danzō replied mildly. "Director Ran, please—have a seat."
He personally guided Ran to the desk and even poured tea for both of them.
Before Danzō could speak, Ran took the initiative.
"Lord Danzō—aren't you curious about the recent movements of the Uchiha clan… and of me?"
Ran rested his fingers against the teacup but made no move to drink.
Danzō, on the other hand, picked up his own cup and drained it in one go.
"You already explained things in your earlier message," he said calmly. "There's really no need to come here in person. The village and the Uchiha have no inherent conflict. As one of Konoha's advisors, I'm quite pleased to see an Uchiha like you—someone who understands the bigger picture."
To Danzō, "understanding the bigger picture" meant one thing:
someone willing to sacrifice their clan's interests for the village's demands.
Unfortunately for him—
Ran only did that halfway.
"Lord Danzō flatters me," Ran said with a gentle smile. "In my view, only through cooperation between the village and the Uchiha can both sides develop properly. Mutual benefit—that's what we should be striving for."
The village needed the Uchiha's combat strength. It needed the Uchiha to safeguard Konoha's security.
At the same time, the Uchiha yearned for peace and stability—for the sake of their younger clansmen and their civilian families.
Ran spoke at length about the difficulties of restoring the Uchiha's reputation as head of the Public Relations Department, and the effort he had invested to do so.
Danzō, suppressing his instinctive disgust toward the Uchiha, offered words of encouragement from time to time.
In his mind, both Uchiha Ran and the Uchiha clan were still useful.
He had already begun brewing a plan.
A plan that required both Orochimaru and the Uchiha.
If everything went smoothly—
Hiruzen Sarutobi would die.
The other four great nations would be severely weakened.
Orochimaru and Uchiha Ran would be expelled from Konoha.
And the Uchiha clan would be completely wiped out.
The only thing missing was the right spark to ignite it all.
Lost in his thoughts, Danzō fell silent.
"Lord Danzō…?"
"Lord Danzō, are you listening to me?"
Hearing Ran's voice, Danzō snapped back to reality.
"My apologies, Ran-kun. I was lost in thought for a moment. I didn't quite catch what you just said."
Ran had no choice but to repeat himself.
"I see," Danzō said after listening. His tone turned firm. "But your proposal is far too extreme. This is blatant whitewashing, Director Ran. I cannot approve it."
Ran had suggested a new plan.
Now that the Uchiha's reputation was improving, he proposed producing a feature-length film for the entire village—based on Uchiha historical records. The film would depict Konoha's founding, focusing on the intertwined bond and conflict between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
Through a joint production and village-wide promotion, Ran hoped to ease the villagers' prejudice against the Uchiha and cultivate a few Uchiha "star figures."
The moment Danzō heard the idea, he rejected it outright.
He—Shimura Danzō—was a key pillar of Konoha, the strongest village in the shinobi world. For years, he had devoted himself to smearing the Uchiha to protect his own interests.
And now—
Uchiha Ran was proposing a plan like this.
A film about Konoha's founding.
A project that would require cooperation between the village, the Uchiha… and him.
The goal was obvious:
use Konoha's early history to rehabilitate the Uchiha's image and elevate their standing.
Danzō knew very well—if he allowed this plan to proceed, it would undo decades of his work.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
He understood better than anyone how powerful propaganda could be.
After all, the White Fang of the Leaf had been destroyed by public opinion alone.
If he didn't occupy the propaganda front, the Uchiha would.
Thus, Danzō resolved to stop this plan at all costs.
Still, he knew better than to openly oppose unity. So he redirected the conversation toward Uchiha Madara, declaring that such a heinous traitor could never be rehabilitated in any form.
Ran readily agreed, proposing to remove Madara entirely and instead shift the focus toward the Uchiha as a collective.
"Lord Danzō," Ran said calmly, studying his expression, "as Konoha's advisor, I'm sure you'd be happy to see a true reconciliation between the village and the Uchiha."
He paused, then added softly:
"I doubt you'd want to see open conflict between them."
Ran's request was reasonable—almost textbook-perfect.
Danzō fell into silence, but in the end, he still did not agree.
Seeing that Danzō had made up his mind, Ran rose to take his leave. He stated that he would present the proposal to the Third Hokage instead, trusting that under the Third's guidance, mutual trust between the village and the Uchiha could eventually be achieved.
After Ran departed—
The sound of a teacup shattering echoed through the depths of Root.
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