Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere had shifted from cordial politeness to something frozen in heavy amber.
Scratch—
A match flared to life.
The pipe between Hiruzen Sarutobi's fingers lit once more, releasing a thin strand of smoke that twisted lazily in the sunlight streaming through the window.
His eyes—usually warm and kindly—were now sharp as a hawk's, fixed firmly on the Uchiha Clan Head seated across from him.
He was searching.
Searching that weathered yet resolute face for even the slightest hint of hesitation or probing.
But there was none.
The Uchiha Clan Head simply returned the gaze calmly.
Those eyes, tempered through the Warring States Era and two Great Ninja Wars, were like ancient wells—deep and unfathomable, without the slightest ripple.
The demands he had just presented—
That the Uchiha be deployed to the Eastern Front.
That they serve as commanders of the ninja army.
That they possess independent command authority.
And—
That the actions of Shimura Danzō and Root against the Uchiha be investigated.
Having spoken his terms, he fell silent.
The pressure of that silence was deliberately returned to the Hokage.
This silence was not submission.
It was confrontation born of strength and resolve.
With a unified clan standing firmly behind him, the Uchiha Clan Head's back was straighter than ever before—even in front of the Hokage.
Understanding this clearly, Hiruzen inhaled deeply from his pipe.
The acrid smoke circled through his lungs before he slowly exhaled with a long sigh.
Leaning back in the Hokage's chair, he finally broke the suffocating silence.
"Commander of the Eastern ninja forces… with independent authority…"
Hiruzen spoke slowly, his voice hoarse from the tobacco.
"Uchiha Clan Head, you should understand what that means."
"Since the founding of Konoha, there has never been a case where a ninja clan operated on the battlefield completely outside the Hokage's command structure."
"Let alone leading an entire warfront."
"Hokage-sama."
The Uchiha Clan Head's voice remained steady, yet unyielding.
"The Uchiha are not an ordinary clan."
"We possess sufficient strength to face Kirigakure on our own. Unified command will allow our power to be used to its fullest."
"And besides…"
He paused slightly.
The implication behind his next words was unmistakable.
"…entrusting our backs to 'allies' who cannot be trusted is more dangerous than facing enemies head-on."
"We cannot resist the blades of Kirigakure while simultaneously guarding against kunai from behind."
"On this matter, Hokage-sama should understand better than this old man—given the many… 'incidents' of the past."
Once again, he brought up Danzō and Root.
Though he spoke no names directly, the cold implication hung between them like a drawn blade.
The corner of Hiruzen's eye twitched slightly.
Of course he knew what the man meant.
Uchiha jōnin who had vanished during missions.
Cases without answers.
Some truths were lids that could not be lifted—
At least not now.
"Danzō is a Konoha elder."
"And Root exists to protect the village."
Hiruzen chose his words carefully, deliberately avoiding the real issue.
"They would never do anything that harms Konoha."
"But during wartime, internal distrust and suspicion are more lethal than any enemy."
"Trust must be mutual, Hokage-sama," the Uchiha Clan Head replied without yielding.
"When one side is repeatedly subjected to suspicion, suppression, and even covert attacks…"
"To demand unwavering trust and loyalty from the other side alone—is that not asking too much?"
He leaned forward slightly.
For a brief moment, the aged man's gaze blazed with the sharpness of a lion surveying its territory.
"I did not come today to beg."
"I came to state the conditions under which the Uchiha will fight—on behalf of the entire clan."
"The Uchiha can bleed for Konoha."
"But every drop of blood must have value."
"It cannot be wasted as a pawn in political struggles."
"Nor spilled by blades from our own comrades."
"The strength of the Uchiha must be used to defend both our clan and the village."
"Not wasted in internal strife and suspicion."
"That is the Uchiha's bottom line."
When his words ended, the room once again fell into suffocating silence.
Hiruzen tapped his fingers against the desk.
Tap… tap… tap…
His gaze lowered toward the smoking pipe as calculations raced through his mind.
He desperately needed the Uchiha's combat power.
If the Eastern Coast fell to Kirigakure, the consequences would be catastrophic.
But the Uchiha's demands—especially independent command authority—
Were equivalent to carving out a state within a state inside Konoha's military structure.
And their relentless pursuit of Danzō's actions was a direct challenge to his authority as Hokage.
Agree—and future trouble would be endless.
Refuse—and the Eastern Front could collapse.
And who knew what those unpredictable Uchiha might do then?
Was Danzō right…?
Are the Uchiha truly pests that must be eliminated?
Or has Danzō done something behind my back again to provoke them?
After a long moment, Hiruzen finally looked up.
The sharpness in his eyes had softened slightly.
"Konoha naturally values the strength of the Uchiha."
He spoke slowly.
It was a compromise—but not acceptance.
"But the Eastern ninja army is a matter of great importance."
"Even as Hokage, I cannot decide such matters with a single word."
He deliberately avoided mentioning Danzō and Root, as if that entire part of the conversation had never occurred.
"Return for now."
"Wait for my notice."
The Uchiha Clan Head listened quietly.
Not a single expression changed on his face.
Only after Hiruzen finished speaking did he slowly rise to his feet.
His tall figure cast a long shadow across the office floor.
"In that case…"
"On behalf of the Uchiha clan, I will await good news from Hokage-sama."
He did not bow.
He only nodded slightly before turning and walking toward the door with steady steps.
When he opened the office door—
Noise and sunlight from outside flooded in, forming a sharp contrast with the heavy silence behind him.
Hiruzen watched his departing back until it disappeared beyond the doorway.
Somewhere along the way, the pipe in his hand had gone out.
Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his temples.
A shadow of unease lingered in his heart.
The Uchiha hawk had spread its wings.
And the chains meant to bind it were breaking one by one.
"…Troubled times indeed."
His faint sigh faded into the empty Hokage office.
Not long afterward, the heavy wooden door opened again.
Having already made up her mind—
Return all the money belonging to the Hokage faction, and split the Uchiha's money thirty–seventy…
Utatane Koharu stepped into the office.
But the moment she heard from Hiruzen that the Uchiha had seized command of the Eastern ninja army, it felt as though the sky had collapsed.
In her mind she could already see it—
Uchiha ninja rampaging along the eastern coastline like unleashed beasts.
All the mission rewards…
The wartime profits…
Even the resources of the entire eastern region—
Resources that should have flowed into the Hokage faction's pockets—
Would all be devoured by the Uchiha.
"Hiruzen—this absolutely cannot be allowed!"
Koharu Utatane shrieked.
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