Early the next morning, Sarutobi Hiruzen sent for Uchiha Kei to come to the Hokage Tower.
Upon arriving, Kei greeted Hiruzen respectfully.
"Good day, Lord Hokage. May I ask why you've summoned me?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Nothing major. The Uchiha Clan has been quite busy lately."
Kei knew this was about the Uchiha Kindergarten and decided to address it directly.
"Indeed. Recently, Yato started the Uchiha Kindergarten."
"Our clan's children can be quite unruly, so having Yato discipline them works well."
Hiruzen continued, "Would it be possible to open this Uchiha Kindergarten to the entire Hidden Leaf?"
"The curriculum seems excellent, and it would help consolidate teaching resources."
This put Kei in a difficult position—but it could also be a step toward integrating the Uchiha into the village.After some thought, Uchiha Kei said, "This thing was created by Uchiha Yato after all. We could ask for his opinion."
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could reconsider, Kei pulled out a scroll.
Then, using a summoning technique, Uchiha Kei directly summoned Uchiha Yato.
This left Sarutobi Hiruzen utterly stunned—he was certain summoning techniques weren't taught this way at the academy.
Seeing Hiruzen's shock, Uchiha Kei was inwardly delighted.
Country bumpkin, never seen this before, huh? Even I was startled at first. No way you've encountered this.
Indeed, this was another one of Uchiha Yato's unconventional innovations.
He had exchanged for a summoning scroll from the system shop that could summon people, effectively making Uchiha Yato the summon.
He had given this contract scroll to the clan elders and leaders, allowing them to call upon him whenever needed.
Uchiha Yato said, "Just a little trinket passed down in the Uchiha Clan."
"Nothing special, really not worth mentioning."
Hearing Yato's blatantly humblebragging, Sarutobi Hiruzen's cheek twitched involuntarily.
They then proceeded to consult Yato about the earlier matter.
Uchiha Yato's Translation Classroom is now in session!
(Text in parentheses represents the translated subtext.)
After a moment of thought, Uchiha Yato said, "The Third Hokage might not be familiar with our clan's policies."
(Yato: Old man doesn't understand, so don't spout nonsense.)
"The ninjutsu these children learn, though provided by the clan, was earned through their own merit points."
(Yato: No free rides—they worked for it.)
"The Jonin mainly serve a protective role. You can verify this with them—no lies here."
(Yato: Go ahead and file false accusations if you want. Still not giving you anything.)
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "You're overthinking it, child. No one doubts your words."
(Hiruzen: Stop stating the obvious—save that for private talks.)
"But as part of the Hidden Leaf, could you help the academy students? Many among them are talented."
(Hiruzen: Guilt-tripping you. Want the Uchiha to gain footing in the village? Here's your chance.)
Uchiha Yato replied, "Those are the Hidden Leaf's finest. We Uchiha shouldn't overstep—must avoid suspicion."
(Yato: No morals, no leverage.)
Still smiling warmly, Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "You see, the Uchiha standing apart like this isn't ideal."
(Hiruzen: Give something, or I'll label your clan as elitist.)
"And I understand your clan's constraints. How about a 3,000-ryō tuition fee for past attendees?"
(Hiruzen: Take this compromise. Just a token gesture.)
Uchiha Yato countered, "Too troublesome. Instead, let's host a Hidden Leaf exchange. No ninjutsu teaching, but sharing insights is possible."
(Yato: Fine, here's your out. No freebies—bring something tangible.)
After a pause, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, signaling his agreement.
Watching this verbal sparring match, Uchiha Kei was thoroughly entertained.Not giving Sarutobi Hiruzen any chance to take advantage, if he wants something, he must offer something in return. After all, I haven't broken any rules.
Don't bother with any moral blackmail—it won't work.
Uchiha Yato was the kind of person who wouldn't release the hawk without seeing the rabbit, who plucked feathers from passing geese and took hides from fleeing beasts.
Sarutobi Hiruzen abruptly changed the topic, saying, "I just remembered something related to the Hidden Leaf exchange event."
(Hiruzen: I've thought of another way to mess with you.)
Uchiha Yato replied, "The Uchiha Clan's strength is limited. We may not meet your expectations. If it's too difficult, I'd rather not take it on."
(Yato: Don't just think about making things hard for me. If it's beyond my capacity, I won't do it.)
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Your clan leader is here as well. It's just as well for him to decide this matter."
"It's simple—Sand ninja are coming to the Hidden Leaf for training. How about your Uchiha Clan provides their lodging?"
(Hiruzen: You don't have a say in this. This is the clan leader's responsibility. The Sand Village issue is now yours to handle. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable.)
Uchiha Yato thought for a moment but didn't speak.
As Hiruzen had said from the start, this was a matter for the clan leader to decide. Yato couldn't overstep his authority.
Uchiha Kei, standing nearby, had already grasped the situation.
Uchiha Kei said, "Fine. Since this involves diplomacy, I'll have the Police Force increase their vigilance."
Uchiha Yato immediately added, "Hokage-sama, since this is official business, and the Uchiha Clan is financially strained, could the Hidden Leaf Treasury provide some support?"
(Yato: Pay me, and I'll work. No money, no effort—if something goes wrong, it's not my problem.)
Sarutobi Hiruzen's cheek twitched.
He thought to himself, "Look at the Hyūga—they're practically begging to help the Hokage, hoping to gain some benefits."
"But you? You demand rewards just to do your job. What's the meaning of this?"
"The Uchiha Clan is wealthy and powerful. I don't believe they're short on petty change!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Understood. I'll have Elder Koharu arrange the funds for you."
"This concerns the exchange between two nations. Make sure everything is handled flawlessly, understood?"
(Hiruzen: I'll give you the money, but the job must be done perfectly—after all, this involves the Hidden Leaf's reputation.)
Uchiha Kei replied, "Rest assured, Hokage-sama. The Uchiha Clan will do its best."
With that, the three concluded their discussion.
After Uchiha Yato and Uchiha Kei left, Sarutobi Hiruzen called out to Hatake Sakumo.
"Sakumo, quickly fetch me that small bottle from the hidden compartment in the third row of the bookshelf behind you."
Hatake Sakumo immediately obeyed, retrieving a small gourd-shaped bottle.
Sarutobi Hiruzen then said, "Sakumo, give me the Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill."
This pill had originally been given to Hiruzen by Uchiha Yato.
Back then, Hiruzen had complained about the lack of medical resources, and Yato had offered a life-saving medicine—the Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill.
After being tested by Tsunade, it was confirmed to be effective for emergency treatment, though she had never seen such a drug before.As a result, Uchiha Yato said right in front of them, "Country bumpkins, this is the Uchiha Clan's secret medicine. Why would we let all of you know about it?"
Whenever Uchiha Yato had something valuable on him, he would claim it was a secret product related to the Uchiha Clan. This further reinforced the perception of the clan's strength in the eyes of outsiders.
After several attempts of being provoked by Uchiha Yato, Sarutobi Hiruzen now regarded the Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill as a life-saving treasure, which was why he kept it hidden in the Hokage's secret compartment.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yato, who had already left, was completely unaware that he had driven Sarutobi Hiruzen to take the Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill.
On the way back, Uchiha Kei asked,
"Yato, is it really okay to oppose the Third Hokage like this? Aren't you afraid he'll come after you?"
Uchiha Yato replied, "What, do you want to go back and tell him we're willing to offer it for free now?"
"If you don't act tough and make them feel the pain, they'll keep cutting into our flesh forever."
Uchiha Kei said, "Alright, I get it."
"But what about the Sand Ninja?"
Uchiha Yato answered, "Simple—we get paid to do the job."
"If something comes up later, we'll deal with it then."
The news quickly spread, and soon many people became aware of it.
When Shimura Danzo received the information, his mind was entirely occupied with how to eliminate both the Sand Ninja and the Uchiha Clan in one fell swoop.
A different kind of bloody conflict was about to unfold.