Hiruzen Sarutobi looked relaxed, deeply satisfied with the man before him—Shikaku Nara.
Yes.
Rushing back to the village late at night, not even stopping home to reassure his family, but coming straight here instead—that gesture alone warmed Hiruzen's heart.
The Ino–Shika–Cho trio might not have been part of his innermost circle, but as long as he held power, their natures guaranteed loyalty. They could be trusted completely.
And as for what would happen when he no longer held power?
Heh. That was a question he never considered. Until the great clans were crushed and the Sarutobi fully controlled Konoha, relinquishing authority was out of the question.
Failure? That thought had never crossed his mind. A lifetime of success had built unshakable confidence.
Had he not toppled the mighty Senju? What was one Uchiha—no matter how dazzling their rise under someone like Uchiha Kai? Hiruzen still believed he could handle it.
Thus, he placed full trust in Shikaku.
And if Shikaku ever strayed…?
Well, destroying the Uchiha might be hard.
But killing a single Ino–Shika–Cho clan head? That would be nothing.
Meanwhile, Shikaku was deep in thought.
After hearing Hiruzen's account, even he felt the beginnings of a headache.
In just two days, so much had happened.
Rin Nohara, forced to carry the Three-Tails on the battlefield—Hidden Blood Mist Village would inevitably demand it back. Sacrificing a single ninja for peace? That was reasonable.
But Rin wasn't just any ninja. She was Namikaze Minato's student.
And Shikaku knew Minato well.
Give her up? Impossible.
Already, this had sown discord between Minato and the Hokage. And then, before Hiruzen could even craft a solution, Danzo had staged a raid on Minato's home, nearly abducting Rin outright?
Unbelievable.
If Danzo wasn't punished, Minato's faith in Hiruzen would collapse.
Still, Hiruzen's handling so far was… just barely acceptable.
After some silence, Shikaku finally spoke.
"Minato's situation isn't hard to solve. Since we can't persuade him, and you don't want to push things to a breaking point, then we shift focus—to Rin Nohara."
"As frontline commander, I've observed his squad closely. That girl—she's simple, kind-hearted. Above all, she hates troubling others."
"With Minato fighting so hard for her, she must already feel guilty. So here's what you do: find a chance to meet Rin in private. Talk to her about the Will of Fire, the greater good of the village. Frame it around peace and sacrifice. She'll be compelled to choose death herself."
"That way, Minato has no grounds for protest. After all, if Rin chooses it, he can't blame anyone else. Minato's a man of principle—he won't defy the village's needs."
"Leave it to me—afterwards, I'll smooth things over with him again."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
Of course!
He had been trying to force the decision onto Minato all along. But if Rin herself volunteered… Minato would be cornered.
Why hadn't he thought of this?
"Brilliant, Shikaku!" Hiruzen exclaimed. "Truly brilliant. You've solved in minutes what had plagued me all night. The Uchiha, then? What's your view there?"
His admiration for Shikaku grew deeper still.
Yes. This man must never be sent to the frontlines again—not unless there was no alternative. Someone this sharp had to remain at his side. With Shikaku nearby, even the most tangled dilemmas seemed solvable.
Shikaku took a long breath, brows furrowed.
"The Uchiha… that's more complicated. They're not what they used to be. Among them now walks a true schemer."
Hiruzen gave a slight nod.
Yes.
Once, he had never even regarded the Uchiha as a threat.
But Uchiha Kai?
That man wasn't fighting like an Uchiha at all. He was playing mind games.
And Hiruzen hated to admit it—but it unsettled him.
Shikaku, meanwhile, turned the problem over carefully in his mind.
Shisui's betrayal could be explained—claiming Uchiha Kai too ruthless. That much fit.
But in a single day? To rally all of Kai's dissenters, organize a faction, and even clash violently, costing the life of an elder?
That didn't match Shisui's temperament at all. Shikaku had dealt with him long enough on the front to know—Shisui was gentle, deliberate. Not the type to draw the sword so hastily.
And then, the timing.
Shisui gathers his rebels, and immediately Kai intercepts them, striking at once?
Coincidence? Once or twice, maybe. But stacked like this—it stank of design.
Most damning of all—just days earlier, Shisui and Kai had been on good terms.
So why this sudden reversal?
Shikaku's instincts screamed conspiracy.
He sat in silence, sipping tea after tea, mulling every angle.
Finally, he looked up, eyes sharp.
"The Uchiha—it doesn't add up. Too many coincidences. One or two, I'd accept. But when they pile up like this, it reeks of a setup.
Hokage-sama, my information is insufficient. I need to ask you some things."
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