"If war breaks out, the military expenses for Konoha will be covered by our two great clans, and the pensions will be doubled," Uchiha Gen declared.
"I will personally go to the front lines. As a true shinobi, I'll follow the commander's orders and fight Kumogakure until the war ends."
He met the Hokage's eyes squarely. "Hokage-sama, are these promises enough?"
Gen didn't believe Kumogakure would dare to start a full-scale war. Doing so would abandon the military advantage they'd built up, and hand Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure the perfect chance to catch up.
The Fourth Raikage looked reckless, but in truth he was sharp and calculating. Even if he let his temper run wild, the other Cloud elders wouldn't allow him to drag the village into ruin.
Small-scale clashes? Those were perfect. They'd give Gen plenty of chances to harvest souls on the battlefield. Once Kumogakure felt enough pain, they would pull back themselves.
As for financial costs, Gen dismissed them. The wealthy were walking gold reserves to him. If the Uchiha clan's coffers weren't enough, he'd take more.
If he was ruthless, he could even use their resources directly, bypassing the clan funds entirely.
The Konoha elders and Raizo stared, stunned. This boy was bold enough to gamble everything, to make promises others wouldn't dare. He was not someone easily cornered.
"Clan Head Hiashi, what do you say?" Hiruzen asked, his voice calm though his heart was unsettled.
Hyuga Hiashi hesitated, torn. His mind was not as free as Gen's or Orochimaru's. To shoulder the cost of armies and pensions felt unbearable.
Yet now, backing down would leave the Hyuga clan isolated, abandoned by both the elders and Uchiha Gen.
That would be fatal.
Finally, Hiashi gritted his teeth. "If war breaks out, the Hyuga clan will shoulder half the military and pension expenses."
Gen shot him a look of approval. At least Hiashi had managed to hold his ground.
"Raizo-sama, you've seen the situation," Hiruzen said quietly. "It's beyond me now. How your village proceeds is up to you."
With that, the Hokage stood and walked out, face grim.
Danzo and the other two followed.
Raizo, left behind, curled his lip. "Then wait for your clans to go bankrupt and die on the battlefield."
Gen sneered immediately. "Pah. Chickens and stray dogs yapping at the strong, what are you barking for?"
Raizo froze, his fury plain, but reminded himself this was enemy territory.
Outmatched, he swallowed the insult and left.
When the Cloud delegation was gone, Hiashi exhaled and frowned. "Wasn't that… too arrogant?"
"Kumogakure doesn't respect softness. The harder we stand, the more cautious they'll be," Gen said calmly. He pulled a stack of papers from his desk and handed it over. "Read this."
Hiashi skimmed the transcript of the Cloud delegation's visit. His expression darkened with every line until, unable to hold it back, he slapped the papers down on the table.
"There's no direct evidence, but plenty of clues. It's almost certain that some of Konoha's elders worked with the Cloud to stage this mess."
"Hmph." Gen folded his arms. "Scheming with outsiders against their own village… disgusting, but not surprising. They've always suppressed opposition by any means."
He waved it off. "In any case, the matter's settled for now. The outcome depends on how Kumogakure's leadership reacts. But large-scale war? Extremely unlikely. Don't lose sleep over it."
He sat back at his desk, pulling the day's stack of documents toward him.
"Understood. I'll return to the clan and report," Hiashi said, bowing lightly before leaving.
Hokage's Office.
The atmosphere among Konoha's elders was heavy.
"Hiruzen," Danzo said, his tone sharp, "this Uchiha Gen is an ambitious scourge. He stirs trouble in the Police Force, undermines our plans… You should have crushed him earlier. Now he's a real threat. Too soft, that's your failing."
Danzo hid his glee behind a mask of severity. He'd been right all along. Now the others were seeing it too.
Hiruzen, though privately regretting his leniency, would never admit it. He puffed smoke from his pipe and said flatly, "He's a double-edged sword. It depends on how we use him. We just haven't found the way to control him yet."
Homura shook his head. "Too hard to control. Better to cut him out entirely."
"Not that simple," Hiruzen countered. "Do you have a plan?"
Danzo leaned forward, voice low and venomous. "Public opinion won't work on him. He must be removed physically. A frontal attack would fail, he's too strong, and he has Flying Thunder God. We'll need subtler methods."
His eyes glinted. "We start with those close to him."
Hiruzen frowned. "That's too vile. Too underhanded."
"This is for Konoha," Homura pressed. "With Uchiha Gen alive, there will never be peace. Only turmoil."
Koharu chimed in coldly. "One voice must lead Konoha. Unity is the only path to restored glory."
Their words weighed on Hiruzen. His impression of Gen had sunk lower and lower this past year. The boy had grown from troublesome to dangerous, threatening the elders' rule. Their patience had finally run dry.
"This is one time only," Hiruzen said at last, voice hard. "Never again."
"Danzo, what's your plan?" Homura asked eagerly.
Danzo's lips curled. "No full plan yet, just a seed of thought. Uchiha Itachi."
"He hides arrogance beneath politeness, thinks highly of himself. His bond with Gen is complicated...perfect to exploit. He's young, his mind not yet steady. He's ripe for manipulation."
"We'll test others as well," he added. "Some may yield unexpected opportunities."
Hiruzen considered, then tapped out his pipe. "Shisui too. He carries Kagami's bloodline, and Minato made him a disciple. He embodies the Will of Fire, he could be swayed."
"Understood," Danzo said.
His eyes flickered again. "Should we… eliminate the Cloud delegation? Push for war?"
"Absolutely not!" Hiruzen snapped, glaring. "Konoha must recover its strength. Gen is not worth plunging us into war. Let things run their course."
He leaned forward, his voice laced with steel. "And remember this, if you disobey and act on your own, Danzo, I will kill you myself."
The weight of that killing intent made Danzo's heart clench. He bowed his head. "Understood. I won't act rashly."
Meanwhile, in Kumogakure, Raizo penned his report of everything that had transpired in Konoha and dispatched it through the Cloud's intelligence channels.