c34: I Am the Hokage!
Bang!
The doors of the Hokage's office were flung open with force. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, looked up from his paperwork with furrowed brows, irritation flaring behind his sharp, experienced gaze.
"Danzo, what's the meaning of this?" he asked, voice clipped with annoyance.
Danzo Shimura stepped in, wearing his customary white kimono-style shirt beneath a black sleeveless robe with a side skirt. His right eye was wrapped in bandages, hiding the transplanted Sharingan he kept secret. He slammed the door shut behind him—bang—with the same frustration that marked his entrance.
"Hiruzen, don't tell me you're unaware that Orochimaru has taken an Uchiha as his disciple!"
"I am aware. Orochimaru informed me personally," Hiruzen replied evenly.
Danzo scoffed. "And you allowed it? Anbu surveillance confirms that Uchiha Gen has been frequently entering Orochimaru's private residence.and staying there for extended periods."
He stepped forward, gloved hand smacking the Hokage's desk, his voice rising. "With Orochimaru's pride, we both know he wouldn't take a student lightly nor would he announce it to the world. But the fact he informed you that's already alarming."
Hiruzen didn't flinch. "Orochimaru has always operated on the boundary between transparency and secrecy. You know that."
Danzo leaned in, his tone more agitated. "What about Uchiha Shisui? He's Kagami's grandson, and like Kagami, he shows signs of loyalty to the Will of Fire. He's already under surveillance in Team 7 under Minato Namikaze. That's fine."
"But Gen Uchiha? No known lineage to Kagami. No background report in the clan registry. And now he's being mentored by Orochimaru—the man you once considered as a successor!"
Danzo's voice rose to a sharp edge. "Hiruzen, are you blind to the ambition in both of them? Orochimaru still believes he should have become Hokage instead of Minato. And now he's training an Uchiha in secret. Are you waiting until it's too late?"
He began pacing, his agitation rising like a wave. "The Uchiha are wolves, biding their time. And Orochimaru… You know he's too close to you. If he becomes Hokage, your influence would swell like a wildfire."
Hiruzen was silent. He reached for his old pipe and filled it methodically with finely cut tobacco. His fingers moved with the steadiness of a seasoned shinobi. A soft glow of fire-nature chakra sparked at the pipe's tip, lighting the tobacco. The sweet, musky scent filled the office.
As smoke coiled around his face, Danzo grew more heated.
"You sit there like this doesn't matter?!" Danzo snapped, practically spitting his words.
But before he could speak further, Hiruzen exhaled a long plume of smoke and cut him off with calm finality.
"Danzo… I don't harbor a fondness for the Uchiha either. But your prejudice has turned into paranoia."
He rose slowly from his chair, setting the pipe down. His eyes met Danzo's—cool, commanding, and clear.
"The Uchiha clan, under Fugaku's command, is currently bleeding on the Kirigakure front. They've fought honorably. They've secured the southern trench lines after Kiri's surprise offensive. Don't pretend the clan hasn't contributed—Shisui alone has intercepted over twenty assassination attempts against our field commanders."
"And yes," Hiruzen continued, "Uchiha Gen may be an anomaly. But so is every genius in every era. Two Uchiha under Orochimaru and Minato—it's not a threat. It's a balance."
Danzo's lips tightened. "When the village is in crisis, every shinobi must sacrifice everything. Yet even with Hyūga and Uchiha on the front lines, Kirigakure broke through into the Land of Fire's eastern provinces. What does that tell you?"
Hiruzen shook his head, now speaking more sternly. "Danzo. Even the combined might of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Hyūga patrol units, and Uchiha reconnaissance teams couldn't halt a surprise amphibious assault from Kiri. That was war not incompetence."
"And," he added sharply, "we've already retaken three forward posts with backup from the Uzumaki sealing team and Anbu squads. The tide is turning."
"You call this treason? Treason is spreading fear among allies. Say these things outside this office, and you'll demoralize every exhausted shinobi on the battlefield."
Danzo's jaw clenched. A beat passed before he finally spoke.
"…Perhaps I overstepped."
"But the Uchiha must not be allowed to distance themselves from the Police Force. It's the only institutional link binding them to the village's authority."
"If they continue gaining strength outside that framework training under Sannin, expanding influence—then the consequences will be irreversible. You know this."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "You think putting them all under surveillance and keeping them boxed in will prevent rebellion?"
Danzo's silence was his answer.
"Scaremongering!" Hiruzen said with uncharacteristic fire, slamming his hand on the desk.
"Your fear of the Uchiha will bring about what you claim to prevent. Remember the lesson of Madara Uchiha—he turned against us because we pushed him away. If we repeat the same mistake, the blood will be on our hands."
Danzo's face twisted into a hard scowl, but he said no more.
The smoke from Hiruzen's pipe lingered between them, the air charged with unspoken conflict.
"I am here, you are here, Koharu and Homura are here, the Sannin are here, Minato is here, the major clans—Hyūga, Aburame, Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Sarutobi, Uchiha are all represented. Thousands of Konoha shinobi are within our walls."
"What ripples can one Uchiha make?"
"Why is the future of Konoha something to be feared by us?"
"And besides, do you think power beyond the Police Force is something easily attained?"
"Even if someone from the Uchiha is qualified, they would still have to compete against ninjas who have proven themselves repeatedly in roles tied directly to village administration and military operations. Is that easily won?"
"Yes, the Uchiha have straddled the line—divided between clan loyalty and village duty but from another perspective, doesn't that show they are testing how far they can align with the Hokage's vision?"
"If they are stepping forward willingly, why treat them like enemies from afar?"
"Isn't that just inviting conflict?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen finished his thoughts in a single breath, his calm but pointed tone leaving Danzo with no immediate rebuttal. The elder of Root stood still, his eye twitching faintly behind the bandages, his lips pressed in dissatisfaction.
At this point in Konoha's history during the Third Shinobi World War Hiruzen still extended cautious trust to the Uchiha clan. He held no fondness for them, but he also would not allow paranoia to erode their place within the village's fragile unity.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen," Danzo muttered bitterly, stepping back with anger smoldering in his voice.
"Danzo…" Hiruzen's tone sharpened, "...I am the Hokage."
The title rang heavy with finality.
Danzo let out a cold snort, knowing there was no more to be said. The door thudded shut behind him as he exited the room with a slam that echoed down the corridor.
The Third Hokage exhaled and placed his pipe back between his lips. With a slow drag, he reached for his brush once again, resuming his paperwork calm on the surface, storm beneath.
As Danzo left the Hokage's Tower, he deliberated whether to assign a few Root operatives to shadow Uchiha Gen. But after a moment's pause, he clenched his teeth and abandoned the thought.
Gen was under Orochimaru's personal tutelage. Risking exposure of surveillance might offend Orochimaru a relationship too valuable, and too delicate, to jeopardize.
---
Time flowed like a current through the Hidden Leaf, and in the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
That morning, Uchiha Gen was engaged in a solo taijutsu routine at the training grounds. His strikes were precise, fast, and measured—refining form, building endurance. Then suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched screech echoed through the sky.
Gen froze and looked upward. A messenger hawk circled overhead—its cry unmistakable. This was not a personal dispatch; this was a village-wide emergency summon.
All across the skies above Konoha, hawks let out coordinated cries cutting across the sky like kunai. From the streets of the village to the edges of the surrounding forests, all shinobi knew what that call meant: a high-level emergency had occurred.
Genin and chūnin whispered nervously. The more seasoned among them sharpened their awareness, recognizing the gravity. Jōnin without active field duties immediately leapt into motion, racing across rooftops and trees toward the Hokage Tower.
Gen immediately changed into his battle-ready gear. Though he no longer served in the Uchiha Police Force, he had been reassigned to the village's administrative division a position still within the Jōnin corps. He, too, was summoned.
Only the Police Force's Captain and Vice-Captain were obligated to report to the Hokage directly. The rest remained behind to enforce stability throughout the village—standard protocol during wartime emergencies.
In times like these, the skies above Konoha became roadways. Ninjas dashed across rooftops, darted between tree lines flashes of movement visible only to the highly trained. To the average citizen, they were but fleeting blurs.
Gen reached the Hokage Tower quickly, but did not immediately enter. Standing to one side of the front courtyard, he waited—preferring to walk in behind someone of greater status.
If Orochimaru arrived, he would accompany him. If Fugaku came first, he would follow him. Despite his rapidly rising strength, Gen understood the optics of status and seniority.
He did not lack confidence, but neither did he enjoy standing in the back rows. His true strength and training under Orochimaru qualified him to be standing closer to the village's decision-makers.
Moments later, Orochimaru arrived serpentine, poised, wearing his pale jōnin garb and purple rope sash. Gen greeted him respectfully.
"Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru gave a faint nod, his golden eyes narrowing slightly in approval.
The two entered together.
The corridors of the Hokage Tower were abuzz, but protocol kept everyone moving with purpose. When they arrived at the assembly hall a large chamber used for high-priority village councils many of Konoha's elite jōnin had already arrived.
Gen followed Orochimaru and was placed near the front. Second row just behind his master.
This proximity was reserved for those holding real operational authority: team captains, clan heads, tactical advisors. In other words, the future of Konoha's military force.
Namikaze Minato had arrived even earlier. The Fourth Hokage candidate stood in composed silence, his eyes scanning the room. He nodded respectfully as Orochimaru and Gen approached.
Orochimaru nodded back. Gen bowed slightly, then turned to spot Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shisui in the third row behind Minato.
He exchanged greetings with both; they acknowledged him with subtle nods.
Shortly thereafter, Uchiha Fugaku entered with several other jōnin. Each moved to their respective places, standing by rank, clan, or function.
At last, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped into the chamber, flanked by Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. The elder advisors sat beside the Hokage on raised stone seats carved into the wall.
The room fell silent.
Hiruzen's expression was solemn. His robes shifted slightly as he approached the center dais.
"This emergency assembly is to inform you of dire news," the Third Hokage began gravely. "There has been a major development on the Kirigakure front..."
The air in the room turned cold. Every heart skipped a beat.
---