Root.
In a dark room, Shimura Danzo, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and a masked Anbu sat around a low table. Surprisingly, these high-ranking officials of Konoha—excluding the Third Hokage—had gathered in Root's secret chamber to discuss matters unknown.
The masked Anbu, though evidently female, was familiar to the three elders: she was recently promoted as head of the Anbu and was the Third Hokage's daughter-in-law.
Shimura Danzo squinted as he sipped his tea, casting an eerie air over the meeting. Finally, Koharu Utatane narrowed her eyes and said softly, "The village is becoming more stable now."
Mitokado inclined his head. "Yes—the village's stability cannot withstand any more turbulence."
Danzo snorted disdainfully. "The Second Hokage's forbidden jutsu data has been given to Orochimaru. With Orochimaru's obsession, he won't resist studying it."
Koharu and Mitokado exchanged uneasy glances, bristling at Danzo's bluntness as wrong-headedly lowering decorum. The Anbu head spoke up, her voice solemn: "The four of you are indispensable elders of Konoha. After three wars and the Nine-Tails disaster, we cannot afford any more unrest."
Though the Fifth Hokage had not yet been named, rumors of Orochimaru ascending were rife—supported by the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, as well as the Inuzuka and others. Once he took office, Konoha's balance of power would shift dramatically.
Danzo's single eye darkened. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's rule, Danzo's authority in Root was substantial—even feared by the clans. But with Orochimaru's self-interested nature and those great-clan backers, Root's influence would be severely curtailed.
He recalled the Fourth Hokage election—White Fang's near-unanimous support, the clans unprepared to act, and Hiruzen's unexpected return—realizing that Orochimaru's rise would be far harder to manipulate.
Koharu Utatane interjected, "Orochimaru is not like White Fang—he doesn't value reputation. The clans fear his political backing."
Mitokado nodded thoughtfully. The Anbu head, aiming for the Hokage's wife's position, pressed the point: "Three elders, for Konoha's future—regardless of who leads—we need decades of lasting stability."
Koharu and Mitokado, content in their posts, eyed Danzo for his stance. Danzo, ever calm, sneered inwardly at their machinations. He knew Sarutobi succession favored hereditary rule, but a weak Hokage could be exposed—and defeated in reputation—just as he'd done to White Fang.
His plan took shape: support a weak, genteel Hokage, then manipulate him against the Uchiha's threat—seizing power for Root when the clans turned on each other.
Danzo inclined his head slowly and said in a low voice, "Indeed. Konoha needs stability—and the Uchiha are too dangerous."
The four elders exchanged grim nods. Their alliance would bind them to fight the Uchiha down the line—even at the cost of their own legacies.
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