Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

"I think Shikashin's words make a lot of sense. In addition to Uchiha Fugaku, we must also consider Shinki's position.

After all, he's the middleman.

If the village embarrasses Uchiha or fails to keep its promises, it will put Shinki in a difficult spot, and that won't do any good for anyone."

Mitokado Homura's words leaned in favor of Uchiha.

There wasn't much choice. Shinki was someone they couldn't afford to offend. Offending him could lead to consequences for everyone, especially considering the Hokage's office also hoped to recruit personnel from the ANBU and the medical department.

Crossing Shinki while harboring such ambitions? Dreaming.

Normally, Mitokado Homura's deference to Shinki would make Koharu Utatane grit her teeth in frustration. She always found such acquiescence frustrating.

But today, Koharu remained unusually quiet, almost as if she were content to be invisible. She didn't offer any objections or input, staying completely silent.

"Shikashin, I'll leave this matter to you."

After much thought, the Third Hokage gestured to Nara Shikashin, signaling him to depart.

Nara Shikashin nodded, stood up, and left the Hokage's office.

The next topic of discussion was Uchiha's internal issues—a delicate matter better left to the core decision-makers of the F4 group. Nara Shikashin, while a trusted advisor, wasn't part of that exclusive inner circle.

If anything, even Akimichi Torifu wasn't part of the F4. Not because he lacked the qualifications, but because the rotund ninja simply didn't want to join. Otherwise, it would've been the F5 instead of the F4.

"Uchiha Fugaku had a clever idea—asking us to clean up his clan for him under the guise of stabilizing their family dynamics."

Once Shikashin was gone, Koharu couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any longer, her irritation bubbling over.

Mitokado Homura, however, responded flatly, "He knows what he's doing."

From their perspective, the best approach was to stay out of Uchiha's internal conflicts entirely, letting Fugaku handle his own family disputes. Ideally, the Hokage's office would remain uninvolved.

But circumstances rarely allowed for the ideal scenario. At this moment, the Hokage's office needed to act.

"There's a silver lining here. With Shinki acting as the middleman, resolving Uchiha's internal issues could pave the way for opportunities with the ANBU and the medical department."

The benefits were clear, but so were the risks.

If this plan led to backlash, the Hokage's office would bear the brunt of the consequences, facing accusations of overstepping or worse.

No matter how justified their actions, critics would ignore the reasoning and focus solely on the outcome: the Hokage's office eliminating a Uchiha elder. The "why" wouldn't matter.

So who would handle the dirty work?

Whoever took action would inevitably earn a bad reputation.

The Third Hokage, as the leader, couldn't afford to tarnish his position. Koharu and Homura weren't willing to risk their standings either.

That left only one option: Shimura Danzo.

The three of them exchanged glances, reaching a silent consensus.

In the end, Koharu broke the silence, her tone sharp and impatient.

"Hiruzen, Danzo has caused enough trouble for all of us. We've protected him from the consequences of his actions, granting him a peaceful retirement. If anyone should handle this, it's him. He needs to earn his keep."

Indeed, Danzo Shimura was the perfect candidate. While his actions were controversial, using him to stabilize the village's future would serve a greater purpose.

"Danzo will surely demand something in return," Homura remarked.

Shimura Danzo wasn't naive. He would undoubtedly use this opportunity to negotiate his own terms. Homura knew that if Danzo didn't get what he wanted, he'd simply refuse to cooperate.

Even if it wasn't an outright refusal, Danzo had a knack for dragging his feet, leaving others to clean up the mess.

"I'll speak to him personally," the Third Hokage decided.

Neither Koharu nor Homura objected. Koharu's temper made her unsuitable for such delicate conversations, and Homura simply wanted to avoid Danzo altogether. That left Hiruzen Sarutobi as the only viable option.

That evening, the Third Hokage arrived at Danzo Shimura's residence.

Danzo's living quarters hadn't changed; he still resided in the same compound, though under strict surveillance and without the freedom to leave.

When the Third Hokage entered, Danzo appeared calm. Before Hiruzen could speak, Danzo preempted him.

"Sarutobi, I knew you'd come. There are some things only I can do, and you can't.

"As Hokage, you have to maintain your pristine image, standing in the light. But I'm the shadow. That's my role."

Hiruzen couldn't help but marvel at Danzo's insight. Though no one outside their circle knew of their plans, Danzo had deduced everything.

The Third Hokage slowly sat down, setting his pipe aside. He took a sip of the tea Danzo offered before speaking.

"The hawk faction within Uchiha is unstable. The village needs to neutralize these radicals. This task falls to you."

"And what's in it for me?" Danzo replied bluntly.

Hiruzen expected this.

"You'll regain limited freedom. You'll remain in the village and under supervision, but you'll have more autonomy than before."

This was the most Hiruzen could offer—just enough to incentivize Danzo while keeping him in check.

"When will this happen?"

Danzo's expression remained unreadable. The promise of limited freedom was enough for now. He knew that once the Third Hokage relied on him, future opportunities would arise.

"I'll arrange it," Hiruzen said as he rose to leave.

He picked up his pipe, walking towards the door without turning back.

"When the time comes, the Hokage Guards will inform you. You'll handle your role. Leave the rest to me."