Hiruzen Sarutobi inhaled sharply at the revelation.
Good heavens!
Finally, he understood why Uchiha Jin had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, why he had resolutely joined the radical faction, and why he seemed determined to clash to the death with the Konoha leadership.
"So that's how it is."
Homura Mitokado nodded slightly, though confusion quickly clouded his face. "But something's off. Shouldn't Jin have gone to the Hokage first after his parents were captured?"
"Even if not the Hokage, shouldn't he have sought help from Fugaku, the clan head?" Koharu Utatane asked, equally puzzled.
Hiruzen shook his head. "Uchiha decisions rarely surprise me. Discussing it now is pointless. Danzo's plan is his own, and I have no objection, but I will give him no support."
"Uchiha Jin is not an easy opponent, Danzo. Plan carefully before acting."
If this had been any other Uchiha, Hiruzen might have hesitated. But Jin was different.
He could not be swayed.
Danzo expected no objection. He immediately laid out his terms. "I will need several ANBU squads, and each clan must provide reinforcements."
"Absolutely not. Don't even think about it." Hiruzen shook his head firmly. "Use the bounty missions instead."
"Koharu, arrange some funds for Danzo. The ambush should take place outside Konoha. Even if it fails, don't give him an excuse to start a war."
Hiruzen knew exactly what Danzo wanted cannon fodder.
But letting the clans provide fodder? That was a risk too great.
Since the Third Great Ninja War, Hiruzen's prestige had been dwindling. After Minato Namikaze's sacrifice during the Nine-Tails incident, his authority fell further.
Coupled with tolerating Danzo's schemes, pushing Shikamaru's father to his limits, and especially the mistreatment of the Fourth Hokage's son, Naruto Uzumaki, Hiruzen's reputation among the clans had been severely weakened. He barely held the position thanks to some remaining civilian support.
If his own forces suffered heavy losses, would he still control Konoha? Could he withstand challenges from the other great nations?
Danzo shook his head at Hiruzen's refusal. "Relying only on bounty ninjas and a handful of rogue ninjas is insufficient. Jin won't even expend his Mangekyo powers unless we provide real support. If you withhold that, I will abandon this operation."
Danzo was no fool.
His survival skills were unmatched within Konoha.
If it weren't for Uchiha Sasuke interfering, he likely could have survived well into Boruto's era. Despite repeatedly targeting the Uchiha, Danzo always exploited weakness, staying in the safest position each time.
Even now, the Uchiha were timid, but they remained the top clan.
A starving camel is still bigger than a horse.
Danzo sensed Jin's decisiveness and madness. Letting him scheme against Jin was one thing, but expecting Danzo to sacrifice his own life to fuel it? Never.
While eliminating the Uchiha advanced his goals, consolidating his own power for the Hokage seat was more important.
Jin's rise posed the greatest threat to Hiruzen.
So…
He refused? Fine.
Hiruzen stared, dumbfounded.
Danzo wasn't taking the fall for him anymore?
"Don't look at me that way. And don't think I'm a fool. We're all on the same side, so don't bother with empty words. I know my standing in Konoha. If Root is destroyed in the process, even if Jin is defeated, when you step down, the clans will never forgive me."
"Hiruzen, think carefully."
With that, Danzo left the Hokage's office without hesitation.
Hiruzen watched his retreating figure, feeling a headache building. Danzo refusing to take the fall complicated everything.
What now?
He instinctively looked to Koharu and Homura but only shook his head. These two idiots could not be relied upon.
"Hiruzen, what now?" Koharu asked.
Homura furrowed his brow. "Jin is trouble. We must eliminate him quickly."
Hiruzen sighed.
Exactly as he expected. They could only point out problems they had no solutions.
Finally, he spoke after a long pause. "No need to rush. Jin has only just taken command of the radicals. He isn't yet a severe threat."
"Instead, Fugaku should be anxious. Jin's rise challenges his authority. I will ensure Shisui genuinely joins Fugaku's faction, and secretly provide Fugaku with support…"
"Let the Uchiha fight amongst themselves."
"This is the perfect opportunity. Publicly, we will imply that Fugaku remained loyal to Konoha, so the Nine-Tails incident likely had nothing to do with him. A subtle narrative connecting it to the radicals will suffice."
"For now, that is enough."
Hiruzen's strategy was cunning.
Since Danzo refused to take the fall, the Hokage would not act overtly against Jin. Supporting Fugaku to provoke an internal Uchiha conflict was the best approach.
Koharu and Homura, though displeased, had no choice but to accept.
Meanwhile,
Back at the Uchiha compound, Jin was met by the radical faction members.
"Relax. Everything's fine."
"Hiruzen stepped back. The Root and ANBU forces outside the clan have been withdrawn."
"This proves our plan is sound. We just follow it step by step."
Jin smiled faintly at their concerns.
He explained the situation briefly. The faction members were excited the Konoha leadership had, for the first time since their confrontation, shown restraint.
However, before their celebration lasted long, the reasoning offered by Konoha's elders irritated everyone.
They claimed that Fugaku's sincerity warranted the withdrawal, implying the clan now had some trust.
Bollocks!
Jin had done the work, but the credit went to Fugaku, the coward.