In the Hidden Leaf Village, inside the Hokage's office.
An elderly man took a drag from his long pipe, exhaling a plume of white smoke.
This man, dressed in the Hokage's robe, was the current pillar of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he was also the longest-serving Hokage in the village's history.
At this moment, seated across from his desk was a friend who had grown up with him since their youth.
Under the guise of running the Anbu Training Department, this man had established the shadowy organization known as the Root: Danzo Shimura.
"Sarutobi, what's your game here?"
"You called me here just to lecture me with your grand ideals again, didn't you?"
Danzo Shimura squinted at Hiruzen Sarutobi. The two, often at odds, spoke with a constant undercurrent of tension.
This was especially true when it came to matters involving the Uchiha clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Danzo, I can turn a blind eye to what you're doing with the Root,"
"But as for Naruto Uzumaki and the Uchiha clan, there's no room for discussion right now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the ash from his pipe, his face stern.
His expression carried a tone of warning—or perhaps a command.
But all it elicited from Danzo was a cold snort.
"Naruto Uzumaki may be the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, but don't forget he's also the Fourth Hokage's orphan."
"According to the Fourth Hokage's wishes, Naruto was meant to be a hero of the Hidden Leaf Village."
"I won't hold you accountable for the rumors your subordinates have been spreading, but you need to know your limits."
Seeing Danzo remain silent, a glint of steel flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi was the warm, ever-present light of the Hokage under the sun, then Danzo Shimura was the ruthless, decisive shadow of the Root in the darkness.
The two complemented each other, making the Hidden Leaf Village the strongest ninja village since the era of the First Hokage.
Yet their philosophies often clashed.
Danzo was a radical. In his view, Naruto Uzumaki's existence was permissible, but he couldn't be allowed to develop freely. Instead, he should be controlled.
Naruto should be forged into a weapon, a true Jinchuriki, becoming the sharpest blade in the Hidden Leaf's arsenal.
To Hiruzen, however, such an approach was inhumane.
He still remembered the Fourth Hokage's final wishes and words.
Out of pity for Naruto, Hiruzen had been keeping in touch with the boy over the years.
For a child to live in a place where everyone despised and hated him, yet still harbor no resentment—such a child was inherently kind.
Hiruzen wanted to bind Naruto to the village through bonds, fostering a genuine love for the Hidden Leaf.
Only then could Naruto willingly dedicate himself to the village's growth, maximizing the power of the Jinchuriki.
But Hiruzen's use of the word "for now" was deliberate.
Over these years, while he had been observing Naruto, he was also monitoring him.
If Naruto ever showed the slightest potential to become a threat to the village, Hiruzen would not hesitate to agree with Danzo's proposals.
After all, no matter how extreme Danzo's actions were, his intentions were still for the sake of the Hidden Leaf.
"The matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki can be set aside for now."
"He's just a kid, after all."
"But have you forgotten what the Second Hokage said?"
"The Uchiha clan's inherently wicked nature is nothing short of a ticking time bomb!"
Danzo let out a soft sigh, choosing not to argue against Hiruzen's words.
But when it came to the Uchiha clan, his stance was far more resolute than on the Jinchuriki issue.
Both men had once been part of the elite guard under the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
As comrades, Danzo believed they should both heed Tobirama's warnings.
Tobirama wasn't just their superior; he was their teacher.
Having lived through the dark era of the Ninja World War, they understood the immense power the Uchiha clan wielded.
What's more, the Uchiha clan was growing increasingly uncontrollable by the Hidden Leaf Village.
Many Uchiha clansmen harbored little goodwill toward слушать the village.
Living on the outskirts of the village, they were tasked with the heavy responsibility of serving as the village's security force.
Yet, clans like the Nara and Akimichi, who joined the village around the same time, enjoyed lighter duties and even had their own thriving businesses.
The Uchiha's discontent with the Hidden Leaf had been festering for a long time.
"Shut up, Danzo!"
"The Uchiha clan is part of the Hidden Leaf, just like anyone else."
"Do you even realize what you're saying?"
"Have you forgotten the words of the First Hokage, or do you only remember the Second's?"
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk, a flash of anger crossing his face.
He knew his old friend was once again targeting the Uchiha clan.
In Hiruzen's view, the Uchiha clan might indeed harbor rebellious thoughts.
But they hadn't acted on them yet. As Hokage, if he rashly took action against the Uchiha, what would the other ninja clans think? The Hyuga, Akimichi, and Nara clans would surely grow wary.
Moreover, Hiruzen had faith in the current Uchiha clan leader.
As Hokage, he couldn't issue such orders lightly. Any move against the Uchiha would require concrete evidence of rebellion; otherwise, it would fracture the unity of the Hidden Leaf.
"One day, your soft-heartedness will be your downfall."
"And it will drag the entire Hidden Leaf down with you!"
Danzo's face darkened as he stood, glancing at his former comrade.
Without another word, he turned and hobbled out of the room, leaning on his cane.
Nearly every meeting between the two ended like this.
Their conflict stemmed from the divide between light and shadow.
Hiruzen slumped back into his chair, a trace of exhaustion in his eyes.
Sigh. "The Uchiha clan…"
"And Naruto…"
Hiruzen gazed at the crystal ball on his desk, letting out another sigh.
The crystal ball showed Naruto Uzumaki running through the village.
As Hokage, Hiruzen's days were busy, but in his spare moments, he often checked on Naruto's situation.
After all, there had been incidents in the past where a Jinchuriki lost control, and the Nine-Tails broke free of its seal.
This forced him to remain cautious. Allowing Naruto to grow freely wasn't just out of guilt toward Minato Namikaze.
More importantly, Hiruzen knew that treating a Jinchuriki solely as a weapon was a double-edged sword.
It could help the Hidden Leaf fend off powerful enemy nations, but it could also become a ticking time bomb, ready to erupt within the village at any moment.
That was why he was willing to take a gamble—a gamble that this child's kindness, forged through bonds, would forever protect the Hidden Leaf.