Negotiation
Chi Yu now presented Hiruzen Sarutobi with only two choices: negotiate with him, or end discussions entirely.
The truth was simple—without strength, he could not protect Naruto.
If Naruto were handed to Root, then even as the Child of Prophecy, destined to inherit the fate of Indra and Asura, his future would be twisted. He would still be crucial to the shinobi world, but what kind of person he would become was uncertain.
After all, the world's crisis wasn't limited to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya sealed with the moon. Naruto's destiny extended beyond that, and Danzo's "tool of war" philosophy would smother it.
All of Chi Yu's confidence stemmed from his knowledge of the broad outlines of the future.
Originally, he had planned to alter Kushina Uzumaki's fate, remain a bystander, grow quietly stronger, and wait until truly overwhelming enemies appeared before stepping in.
But that plan had crumbled the more he lived among people. Each time, Chi Yu found he could not remain detached.
Because people have emotions. Once bonds are formed, no one can stay an impartial spectator.
And then there was the system's Witness Point rewards—intervening and altering fate yielded far greater gains than passive observation.
When the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, merely witnessing that catastrophe earned him 20,000 points. But saving Minato Namikaze and altering Miyuki Uzumaki's path granted an additional 50,000 each. Changing Naruto's trajectory gave another 50,000.
The system encouraged him to interfere.
But each change carried a price—rippling consequences that demanded immense effort to stabilize later.
Just like now. To stop Naruto from being swallowed by Root, Chi Yu had no choice but to pressure Hiruzen Sarutobi directly.
Miyuki Uzumaki's precedent loomed large. Hiruzen had to fear that her son might someday follow her example and turn his back on the village.
Chi Yu had already told Miyuki that after her defection, Konoha would have to prioritize Naruto—Hiruzen would suppress rumors of him being a "Child of Calamity" and conceal his parentage. Though the boy would still face prejudice and loneliness, his place in the village would be preserved.
It wasn't a complete lie. Konoha did need to protect Naruto, but without Chi Yu's intervention, Danzo might well succeed in taking him.
Chi Yu once thought Hiruzen would refuse Root's request, out of respect for Minato as the Fourth Hokage. Hiruzen had hesitated—but hesitation wasn't refusal.
So Chi Yu acted. If Hiruzen gave Naruto to Root, then Chi Yu would crush Root outright, ensuring Danzo never got his hands on him.
Danzo couldn't die yet—he was too entangled in the Uchiha Clan's fate, and Uchiha Sasuke's destiny was still essential. But his influence had to be cut back.
Now Hiruzen sat staring at Chi Yu with a heavy expression.
In Chi Yu's fury, the old Hokage saw a shadow of Uchiha Madara.
He remembered—when Konoha was founded, he was only six. He had witnessed Madara's strength firsthand on the battlefield. And though he had not seen the battle at the Valley of the End with his own eyes, he had seen its aftermath: a landscape torn apart beyond recognition.
Madara and Hashirama's clash had dwarfed even battles with Tailed Beasts.
And now, Chi Yu's casual strike had collapsed half the Hokage Residence. His Mangekyō Sharingan and Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode radiated terrifying power—and a ruthlessness reminiscent of Madara himself.
Mad. Extreme. Merciless.
Konoha was weakened after the war. Hiruzen knew that if he provoked Chi Yu recklessly, the consequences could be ruinous.
Finally, he spoke in a low voice:
"Then tell me—how do you want to negotiate?"
Chi Yu stepped over Danzo, who lay crumpled on the ground like discarded clay, and sat down.
"First," Chi Yu said coldly, "Naruto will never be given to Danzo. That is my bottom line. If you insist, then Danzo dies here and now."
He raised his chin slightly, a scornful smile tugging at his lips.
"But you won't do it, will you? No matter how many crimes he commits, you always shield him."
Hiruzen slowly sat across from him, eyes deep and guarded.
"And Naruto will not be entrusted to you either. With your current actions, you are no more trustworthy than Danzo."
Chi Yu sneered.
"Don't pretend you ever trusted me. From the day I returned, you watched as the Uchiha clan and the fools of this village bullied me. You let it happen.
If I hadn't forced my way into your good graces by handing over the Lightning Breathing method, I'd have died forgotten in some alley years ago."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
Could it be… from that young age, Chi Yu had already been plotting to gain his trust?
He had been only nine then. A child. Yet already calculating, already harboring schemes.
After a long silence, Hiruzen finally asked:
"Have you always hated Konoha?"
Chi Yu clutched his forehead and broke into wild laughter. It echoed through the ruined office before he finally spoke:
"Lord Third… tell me, how could I not hate Konoha? Give me one reason not to! My parents were driven out, branded rogues, hunted down by your ANBU. All of it—your orders."
Hiruzen's face tightened.
"At the time, I was pressured by the Uchiha Clan. I had no choice. And yet, the village still protected you for years!"
Chi Yu smiled bitterly.
"And that is why you still live, sitting across from me now. My name as the Blood-Eyed Shura is enough of a return.
The so-called kindness of Konoha? Already repaid.
The roof over my head was the only thing the village ever gave me. Everything else, I clawed out myself. None of it came from you."
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