While Hiruzen Sarutobi was contemplating how to isolate the Uchiha clan and remove them completely from Konoha's power structure, the office door suddenly swung open.
He frowned in displeasure.
"Don't you know how to knock?"
"You've grown quite the temper, haven't you, Hiruzen? Having trouble with the Uchiha, I see."
Danzo walked in from outside.
"Danzo? What are you doing here?"
Hiruzen's brows furrowed deeper. Although Danzo was technically his advisor, he usually stayed hidden within the Root organization and rarely appeared in public.
"I'm here about Ichiro. That brat is a cancer. The Uchiha clan should not exist in Konoha at all. Let's eliminate them."
Danzo's eyes were filled with cold intent.
The elite Root ninja he'd sent to summon Ichiro had vanished. Danzo knew his subordinates would never betray him, which could only mean one thing—something had happened.
Someone had dared to kill a member of his Root.
Danzo, who already harbored deep hatred toward the Uchiha, flew into a rage.
If the Uchiha weren't so strong, he would have already led Root to wipe them out.
But to take them down with Root alone would come at a high cost. That's why Danzo had come to Hiruzen—he wanted him to join the operation.
With the combined strength of the ANBU and Root, erasing the Uchiha was possible.
"You've gone too far, Danzo. I won't allow it," Hiruzen refused without hesitation.
It wasn't that he was soft-hearted—he simply couldn't risk it. To destroy the Uchiha would also mean Konoha would suffer heavy losses.
Other villages would immediately pounce upon hearing the news.
Moreover, such an act would spark suspicion from other clans—if the Uchiha could be wiped out, what was stopping the same from happening to them?
"You fool, Hiruzen. If you don't destroy the Uchiha, they will eventually bring disaster to Konoha." Danzo glared at him, his voice filled with contempt.
To him, Hiruzen was no longer the resolute man he'd been during the Second Great War. He wasn't fit to be Hokage anymore. Danzo believed that position rightfully belonged to him.
Everyone familiar with Naruto lore knew how obsessed Danzo was with the Hokage title.
As a fellow disciple of the Second Hokage, Danzo had never believed he was inferior to Hiruzen.
"You don't understand the consequences of moving against the Uchiha. I won't agree to it. And I advise you not to act on your own—otherwise, I won't hesitate to disband Root."
Hiruzen issued a stern warning.
Danzo left with a dark expression, but not before tossing back a chilling parting shot: "You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
Meanwhile, all the ninja clans in Konoha were still reeling from the news that Ichiro had so swiftly taken control of the Uchiha. Perhaps only Nara Shikaku wasn't surprised.
Many disliked Ichiro, but none could deny that he had now officially become the Uchiha clan leader.
"Clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku has disappeared—he was likely taken away."
Goro reported this to Ichiro with a serious expression.
After expelling Fugaku from the clan, Goro had been monitoring him, even preparing to eliminate him at the right moment.
Though expelled, Fugaku was still dangerous. Goro felt it was safest if he were dead.
"I see. Understood."
Ichiro nodded.
Fugaku was not someone he completely ignored. After all, he had once been the canonical clan leader and was rumored to have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Start keeping an eye on Rin. Try recruiting him."
Uchiha Rin was an elite jōnin, almost at Kage level. If they could sway him, it would be a great asset.
"He was personally groomed by Uchiha Gen to support Fugaku. I doubt he'll betray him. Recruiting him will be tough," Goro said, clearly hesitant.
He was one of Fugaku's most trusted followers—turning him wouldn't be easy.
"Try anyway. If he refuses… then he's unnecessary."
Though Ichiro couldn't kill him openly, there were plenty of ways to make sure Rin didn't live long.
After giving the order, Ichiro dismissed Goro. Only he and Mikoto were left.
"You did well earlier," he said with satisfaction as he looked at her.
Mikoto didn't know whether to feel happy about the praise. It was obvious she'd been used as a pawn to oust Fugaku.
"Stay here tonight. Don't go."
As Mikoto prepared to leave, Ichiro grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
Having learned to submit, Mikoto didn't resist. Perhaps she was simply getting used to it.
"I wonder who took Fugaku," Ichiro murmured.
He had two suspects—Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzo.
Both had strong motives, though Hiruzen seemed the more likely.
"Not that it matters. A beaten dog poses no threat."
He didn't care who had taken Fugaku—he was no longer a danger.
Even if Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Ichiro didn't fear him in the slightest.
"You have a friend… Kushina, right?"
Ichiro sat down and pulled Mikoto into his lap.
Her expression shifted with panic as he mentioned Kushina's name. She knew exactly what kind of man Ichiro was.
If he was asking about Kushina… it meant he had set his sights on her.
And she was right.
Ichiro had indeed taken an interest in Kushina. Setting aside the evil points he could earn from her, Kushina was a goldmine.
She was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, the last survivor of the Uzumaki clan, and the heir to their powerful sealing techniques.
Many of the world's most famous sealing jutsu came from the Uzumaki.
They possessed both Sage physiques and sealing prowess—descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, specifically of Asura Ōtsutsuki.
Ichiro coveted the sealing arts of the Uzumaki dearly.