During the negotiation between Minato Namikaze and the Hyūga Clan, Inoichi Yamanaka, who was invited to the Hyūga compound to perform the autopsy, remained silent throughout. After finishing his work, he stood quietly on the side, eyes closed, and mind settled, as if in meditation. He did not actively try to eavesdrop on the conversation.
However, the contents of the discussion still entered his ears, shocking him with the knowledge that Danzo had actually sent people to assassinate a member of the Hyūga Main House.
Inoichi had always been wary of Danzo and his Root organization. Danzo had once recruited some talented children from the Yamanaka Clan to join Root's training, and none of those children had ever returned to the clan.
Combined with the memory fragments of Kurama Unkai, Inoichi could imagine the brutal training those children had endured in Root.
He understood that Root's essence was to handle the matters that the village could not deal with publicly, and such an organization would inevitably have problems.
But he never expected Danzo to be so reckless as to move against the heir of an internal Ninja Clan, which clearly crossed the line for all clans. Inoichi decided to inform his close clan allies of this information when he returned, urging them to be cautious.
If Root could attack the Hyūga Clan without reason, there was no guarantee they wouldn't harbor similar intentions toward other clans.
Shinichi deliberately did not avoid Inoichi during his conversation with Minato, which was part of his plan. Despite any strained relationships between individual Ninja Clans, due to their shared status, they were natural allies in Konoha's political landscape, sharing common interests. Shinichi intended to use Inoichi to indirectly isolate Danzo.
An isolated lone wolf would be powerless, and even without the Hyūga having to act directly, the pressure from the Konoha Ninja Clans would be enough to bring down Danzo, his Root organization, and the Shimura family.
Minato Namikaze did not stay long at the Hyūga compound. After collecting Kurama Unkai's corpse, he and Inoichi left the Hyūga Clan together.
Not long after their departure, a clan member reported to Shinichi that Kurama Yukio of the Kurama Clan had arrived at the Hyūga compound with several escorts, hoping to meet with the current head of the Hyūga Clan.
Shinichi had no interest in questioning that man and left the reception entirely to Hiashi Hyūga's twin brother, Hizashi Hyūga. Hizashi, as Shinichi's uncle, was of equal standing to Kurama Yukio.
Hizashi didn't mind this work; with Hiashi and the elders absent, he wanted to look after his nephew and allow him time to focus on his training. Hizashi had witnessed Shinichi's combat firsthand and firmly believed that only Shinichi could bear the responsibility of revitalizing the Hyūga.
The Hokage's Office Confrontation
Returning to the Hokage's office, Minato felt a little exhausted as he sat behind his desk. Kurama Unkai's corpse had been given to Inoichi to take back to the Analysis Division. As for Minato, he was currently contemplating how to address the issue with Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Should he issue a strong warning? Or would a softer persuasion be better?
However, before Minato could collect his thoughts, his office door was abruptly knocked open. Without any prior notice or report, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, Danzo, and Hiruzen Sarutobi all entered the Hokage's office in quick succession.
Minato looked up at the commotion, a flash of annoyance in his eyes, but his composure and training allowed him to hide his irritation well. Seeing Danzo, Minato said pointedly, "Advisor Danzo, that's perfect; I actually have something to discuss with you."
"Advisors, and Third Hokage, what brings you all here this time?" Minato slowly rose to greet them, his tone gentle and his posture respectful.
"Fourth Hokage! We have heard about the Hyūga Clan incident!"
"It's utterly outrageous! Even the Hyūga cannot interfere with Anbu missions, can they?"
"They clearly show no regard for you as the Hokage; this is a challenge to the village's authority!"
"We absolutely cannot let this go!"
Not catching the subtle sarcasm in Minato's words, Homura Mitokado immediately pressured and attacked Minato upon entering. Even with Minato's excellent temperament, hearing such accusations caused his eyebrow to twitch. If one did not know the truth, these old men might actually deceive them.
However, Minato, already clear on Danzo's actions, understood why the Hyūga Clan insisted on personally investigating Kurama Unkai's corpse.
Looking at the people in front of him, Minato completely believed that if Kurama Unkai's body had been taken by Danzo's men, the Hyūga Clan would never have gotten to the truth. The matter would have simply been dismissed without a conclusion.
Thinking this, Minato suddenly had a moment of realization. The mastermind is Danzo, so why were members of the Hokage's direct Anbu and Root simultaneously surrounded by Hyūga ninja? It seemed that the Third Hokage might have long suspected the truth.
To cover up Danzo's crime and maintain the "harmony" among the village's clans, he ordered his subordinates to snatch the corpse for Danzo. Is this confrontation now about that corpse?
"Da... Da..."
Minato Namikaze's gaze deepened. Instead of rising respectfully as usual to greet the advisors, he remained seated behind his desk, quietly observing everyone. The clock on the wall ticked softly, making the atmosphere in the quiet office feel somewhat oppressive.
"Minato..." Hiruzen opened his mouth, about to say something, but suddenly saw Minato raise his hand, stopping him from speaking further.
"I am the Fourth Hokage of Konoha."
"I will protect everyone in this village."
Minato spoke slowly, his two seemingly unconnected sentences causing the advisors and the Third Hokage to look at each other in confusion.
"Advisor Danzo, you and your Root must immediately prepare for war. In three days, you will head to the Cloud Ninja front line."
Minato crossed his hands over his chest and looked at Danzo with a grave expression. Instead of addressing the advisors' previous accusations about the Hyūga Clan's actions, he directly issued a wartime operational order to Danzo.
This sudden command caused Danzo's pupils to contract sharply. After several hours of rest, Danzo had recovered from his previous battle with Shinichi. Although his momentum was slightly weaker than at his peak, his rage made him a force to be reckoned with.
"Fourth Hokage! What are you saying?!"
"Do you know what Root does? Without Root, if the enemy attacks Konoha..."
However, before Danzo could finish his self-righteous words, Minato directly interrupted him:
"That is not your concern. Even if an enemy attacks Konoha, the village has the Uchiha Police Force for defense."
"I am in the village. No matter who the enemy is, they will not succeed!"
"Moreover... you and your Root have already proven you cannot protect Konoha when the Nine-Tails attacked the village!"
Minato Namikaze shed his usual humility and kindness at that moment, leaving Danzo no room for deference. His strong stance immediately left everyone present stunned. The previously aggressive Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane both held their breath, their assertive manner instantly weakening considerably.
Before Danzo could speak, Minato continued:
"Kurama Unkai's corpse has already been sent to the Analysis Division."
"The true culprit who directed Kurama Unkai has also been found."
These two brief sentences caused Shimura Danzo's pupils to constrict. As he looked up at Minato, their gazes met. Perhaps because of his guilty conscience, Danzo instinctively wanted to avoid Minato's eyes for a second, slightly turning his head.
"I have already appeased the Hyūga. They have promised not to pursue the matter further."
"Advisor Danzo, can you understand this arrangement?"
"Do you know why I was still hesitating? It's not because of your seniority, nor your strength, but because, as a fellow Konoha ninja, I believed your heart had not fully corrupted."
"Do not use 'Protecting Konoha' as an empty slogan. Now, it is time for you to act!"
Minato Namikaze's original intention was not to escalate the situation. He wanted to leave some room for negotiation with Danzo, not wanting to speak or act too definitively. But seeing Danzo clinging to the notion of getting away with it, and now even "uniting" the other advisors to challenge him, even Minato's temper had worn thin.
Minato's words made both Hiruzen and Danzo's faces change color. It was only when he said he had appeased the Hyūga that their expressions slightly relaxed. However, Danzo immediately lowered his head and fell into contemplation.
"Minato, did the Hyūga Clan find out about Danzo's actions?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a moment, but finally could not restrain himself and asked for confirmation again. The impact of this matter was simply too great; mishandling it could lead to civil unrest within Konoha.
"They know."
"They want to withdraw the Hyūga clan members from the Cloud Ninja front line."
"I cannot stop them, nor do I have a reason to stop them."
"In their eyes, Advisor Danzo's Root is too powerful; it seems they don't need the Hyūga to exert effort on the front line."
"My opinion aligns with theirs. If Root cannot make sacrifices to protect Konoha, then Root has no value and no reason to exist!"
As Minato spoke, his gaze was fixed on Danzo. In that instant, the young Hokage exuded a terrifying surge of killing intent, which seemed to solidify and tightly envelop Shimura Danzo. Having emerged from the battlefield, despite the backing of the Third Hokage and Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze's own strength was the foundation of his position as Hokage.
In the current Konoha, no one was a match for Minato Namikaze, not even his teacher, Jiraiya, who had long been proven in war. Danzo was a seasoned veteran, but he knew he stood no chance against Minato.
It was precisely because he couldn't face Minato alone that Danzo needed to ally with Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, to form a political alliance. However, that ally could not help him at this moment.
"Fourth Hokage, do not insult me and Root."
"Everything I do is to protect Konoha!"
"We are willing to make sacrifices for Konoha!"
"I will go to the Cloud Ninja front line."
Feeling Minato Namikaze's killing intent, Danzo gathered his courage and made his decision.
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