"Hiruzen, we cannot allow this."
In the Hokage's office, the air was stagnant. Koharu Utatane stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the Uchiha district. "Uchiha Hiko is a variable we didn't calculate. In less than a week, the Doves have collapsed, and Shisui—our only reliable bridge—has been neutralized. We are blind, Hiruzen."
Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back, the embers in his pipe glowing a dull, frustrated red. "The bridge didn't just break, Koharu. Hiko burned it and used the ashes to brand the Doves as traitors. He's smarter than we gave him credit for."
Danzo sat in the corner, his presence a dark blot in the room. His hand gripped the arm of his chair so tightly the wood groaned. "I want him monitored. Every breath, every meal. The moment he steps out of line, I will end this."
"You will do nothing, Danzo," Sarutobi snapped, his voice sharp with authority. "You already handed him a victory by going to the Police Station in person. If Hiko disappears now, the Uchiha won't just protest—they will riot. For once, stay in the shadows."
Danzo's silence was his only answer. He had been humiliated, and in the world of the "Darkness of Shinobi," humiliation was a debt that could only be paid in blood. But for now, even he knew the leash was tight.
The Unstoppable Rumor
Hiko knew that secrets in Konoha were like water in a sieve—they always found a way out. He didn't need to leak the story of Danzo's "kidnapping attempt" himself. Between the Uchiha officers who witnessed the arrest and the civilians who saw Danzo's temper tantrum at the station, the gossip spread like wildfire.
By midday, every tea house in Konoha was whispering about how the "Village Assistant" had sent fake Anbu to harass a Police Captain.
It was a masterclass in social sabotage. If the Third Hokage tried to suppress the rumor, it would only look like a cover-up. Hiko had effectively turned Danzo into a "villain" in the eyes of the public, making any future move against him look like personal petty revenge.
The Tired Patriarch
Uchiha Fugaku felt like he had aged a decade in three days. He had spent the last two hours in the Hokage Tower, bowing and apologizing for Hiko's "unrefined behavior."
When he finally returned to the Police Department, he sent for Hiko immediately. He sat in his office, his face a mask of exhaustion and irritation.
"Uchiha Hiko," Fugaku started, his voice a low growl. "Do you have any idea how much time I just spent cleaning up your mess? You insulted the Lord Assistant to his face. You called him a widow! You called him a gutter rat!"
Hiko stood by the window, watching the sunset. He didn't look like a man who had been "caught." He looked like a man who was enjoying the view. "Did it work, Patriarch?"
"Did it—what?!" Fugaku slammed his hand on the desk. "I was interrogated for two hours! I had to guarantee your 'good behavior' to the Hokage himself!"
"And yet," Hiko turned, a small, knowing smile on his face, "Danzo is quiet. The Doves are gone. And for the first time in years, the village higher-ups are afraid to touch us because they know we'll drag their laundry into the street. Tell me, Patriarch... didn't it feel a little bit good to see that old man fuming and unable to do a thing?"
Fugaku opened his mouth to bark a reprimand, but the words died in his throat. He looked at Hiko—this young man who possessed a terrifying mix of Shisui's talent and a cynical, sharp-edged wisdom that the clan had lacked for generations.
"It doesn't matter how it felt," Fugaku sighed, his shoulders finally dropping. "Danzo is a poisonous snake. You've stepped on his tail. He won't strike today, but he will wait. He will watch you. You've traded a peaceful life for a target on your back."
"I never wanted a peaceful life, Patriarch," Hiko said, walking toward the door. "I wanted a life where I didn't have to apologize for existing. If that means Danzo watches me? Good. Let him watch. I'll make sure he enjoys the show."
As Hiko left, Fugaku looked at the empty doorway. He realized that the "catfish" he had let into the pond wasn't just stirring the water. It was teaching the other fish how to bite.