Tenzo Hyuga felt a little dazed.
As the head of a clan that had endured for a thousand years, how could he truly believe in the Will of Fire?
Clans survived on more than lofty ideals.
They survived on double-dealing, betrayal when necessary, ruthless resolve, and the ability to turn on an ally without hesitation.
And yet… human nature was complicated.
Even if you didn't believe in something, when something beautiful appeared in front of you, you still paused.
After food and shelter were secured, people craved emotion, respect, and the chance to realize their own worth.
"Hokage-sama, you're absolutely right."
Tenzo steadied himself. "I, Tenzo, and the Hyuga Clan will take your words to heart."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly.
He did not believe a couple of sentences would make Tenzo suddenly bow in gratitude.
That was unrealistic.
An old fox like him required time. Slow exchanges. Careful conversations. Only then could trust take root.
You offered a little sweetness.
You also applied pressure.
Neither could be missing.
"It's understandable that clans who survived the Warring States era carry certain lingering habits," Hiruzen said with an easy chuckle. "Back then, it was winner takes all. The losers were wiped out. Trust was a rare luxury."
"But this is the era of nations and villages now. Konoha belongs to all of us. Some of those old ways of thinking shouldn't be dragged into the new age, or misunderstandings will arise. It puts the village in a difficult position."
"What do you think, Tenzo?"
"Thank you for your understanding." Tenzo nodded repeatedly. "After going through war again, perhaps we slipped back into old patterns. The mindset drilled into us by our fathers ran too deep."
"I'll make sure the Hyuga Clan reflects on this thoroughly."
Hiruzen had handed him a step down.
Tenzo took it without hesitation and passed the blame onto the previous clan head, his own father.
The old man was long dead. If someone had to carry the burden, it might as well be him.
Hizashi Hyuga rolled his pale eyes, exasperated.
This old fox really had no shame.
Danzo Shimura's gaze flickered.
Why was it that even when Hiruzen was delivering a warning, it sounded more pleasant than when he did it?
"No… I need to learn this…"
Danzo replayed Hiruzen's words in his mind, silently memorizing them. Then a bright idea struck.
A good memory couldn't compare to a bad pen.
If he copied these lines down for that monkey and recited them day and night, wouldn't he master the same technique?
The corner of Danzo's mouth lifted in quiet satisfaction.
"Foolish Hiruzen… go ahead and flaunt your strengths," he thought. "I'll absorb every one of them and become the strongest Hokage…"
Hiruzen cast him a strange look.
What was he muttering about? Sounded like he was chanting a spell.
Was he planning to quit being a shinobi and become a monk instead?
"Now, let's talk about the Hidden Mist Village."
"It's certain they're about to launch a major purge. The Third Mizukage has been holding back for a long time."
Hiruzen drew on his pipe. "Let me tell you about the First, Second, and Third Mizukage. There are a few points in there we might be able to use."
Hizashi's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Young people were always fascinated by the hidden stories of the older generation.
Danzo gave a dry chuckle. He knew some of it already, though he didn't think there was much to exploit.
Tenzo, too, leaned in with interest.
Even among veterans, there were differences in experience.
"The Third Mizukage has deep roots," Hiruzen began.
"He once served as bodyguard to the First Mizukage, Byakuren. During the first Five Kage Summit, every bodyguard present went on to become the Second Hokage, Second Tsuchikage, or Second Mizukage of their respective villages."
"Except him."
"Isn't that interesting?"
Tenzo nodded unconsciously.
If he had essentially been preselected, why had he ended up as the Third instead?
Hiruzen smiled inwardly.
Why did he know all this?
Because his own succession had once looked suspicious from the outside. Though he knew there had been no conspiracy, others might not see it that way.
The Hokage Guard Platoon had survived.
The Hokage had not.
Even now, many shinobi struggled to understand Tobirama Senju's mindset in that moment.
Back then, Hiruzen's legitimacy had been… ambiguous.
He had relied on his reputation to steady the storm.
That was why he had studied similar cases over the years, if only to reassure himself.
"The Hidden Mist Village's succession system is quite interesting," Hiruzen continued.
"They believe the strongest ninja in the village should be Mizukage. There are rules to match."
"When a new Mizukage takes office, others have the right to challenge him. If the challenger wins, the title changes hands."
"It was meant to promote martial spirit. Normally, no one would actually do it."
"But Gengetsu Hozuki was not normal."
Danzo and Tenzo both nodded.
Gengetsu Hozuki was infamous as one of the shinobi world's battle fanatics.
During the First Great Ninja War, over trivial spoils, he had crossed seas and mountains to fight Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, to the death. The two had perished together.
When the blood rushed to his head, nothing else mattered.
"If there's a massive gap in strength, letting the strongest take the title isn't unreasonable," Hiruzen said calmly.
"But if the difference is slight, then leadership, organization, and other dimensions of ability must be considered."
The Hyuga father and son nodded without much thought. The Hokage's seat had little to do with them.
Danzo, however, listened carefully.
Who was that aimed at?
His strength compared to Orochimaru's… was about even.
Even if he had been pushing himself hard in Wind Style training lately, youth was still youth.
Outclassing Orochimaru by an entire tier was unrealistic.
"Is he hinting at the standards for choosing the next Hokage?" Danzo wondered, already planning to copy that line into his little notebook as well.
"Gengetsu Hozuki has been dead for over twenty years," Hiruzen went on. "The Third Mizukage has ruled for more than two decades, and yet he's still initiating the Blood Mist Village purge."
"That tells us one thing."
"The opposition within the Hidden Mist Village has grown too large."
"So large that he can no longer balance it. His only option is to use the Mizukage title as bait, draw out the ambitious clans one by one, and eliminate them."
Danzo fell into thought. "If that's the case, wouldn't the Hidden Mist Village fall into immediate civil war? The forces opposing him could overturn his rule."
"Not necessarily. It depends on his skill," Hiruzen replied with a mild smile.
"If he knows how to pull some in while suppressing others, he may succeed."
"First, incite the Kaguya Clan to resent the Hozuki Clan, who covet the Mizukage position."
"Let them tear each other apart."
"Then move on to the next ambitious clan. Repeat the cycle."
"That's the Hidden Mist Village's logic. Strength decides right and wrong. In the short term, few will object."
"Once those bloodline clans are exhausted and still refuse to submit, the resentment built from constant fighting will need an outlet. At that point, the ordinary shinobi without bloodline limits can be encouraged to vent their anger on them."
"After all that, the population may shrink considerably. But overall, the village will become obedient."
As he spoke, Hiruzen's gaze met Tenzo's.
A chill ran up the Hyuga Clan head's spine.
For a brief moment, he felt as though the Hokage wasn't talking about the Hidden Mist Village at all.
"Just my imagination," Tenzo told himself. "This is Konoha. Konoha follows the Will of Fire."
"Of course, I'm merely speculating," Hiruzen added lightly, waving a hand.
"If one were truly to carry this out, the details would require careful refinement. And I've always disliked resolving matters through such methods."
"It's backward thinking. It doesn't align with the Will of Fire at all… wouldn't you agree, Commissioner Tenzo?"
Tenzo's heart skipped.
"You're absolutely right!" he replied quickly and respectfully.
Watching this exchange, Danzo sighed inwardly.
"This monkey really does have a bit of Tobirama Senju's bearing…"
"Fortunately, I inherited our teacher's true teachings. I won't be dazzled so easily. Most people wouldn't stand a chance against him."