Naruto: The Uchiha They Should Have Killed

Hiruzen Sarutobi's move was undeniably brilliant.

Not only had he offered tangible benefits in advance, he had also ensured that Uchiha Ren couldn't simply take the reward without delivering results.

After all, the Hokage signature on the appointment letter belonged to Minato Namikaze. If Shimura Danzō were to become the Fourth Hokage, then the appointment letter would automatically become invalid.

To ensure the document took effect, Uchiha Ren would have no choice but to support Minato's rise to power. And if he wanted the appointment to be legitimate, he would also need to help Minato stabilize his position as Hokage as quickly as possible.

"And not only that," Hiruzen added, pressing his advantage, "the resources I promised before will still be provided. The conditions you proposed to me—I can agree to them as well."

A faint smile appeared on Ren's face. He placed the appointment letter down.

"Third Hokage… you're not even giving me the chance to refuse."

Hearing the change in Ren's address, Hiruzen smiled slightly as well.

"I can't think of any reason you would refuse."

"Whether for your own interests or the interests of the Uchiha Clan, cooperating with us is far better than cooperating with Shimura Danzō."

Earlier, Ren had deliberately addressed him as "Sarutobi-jōnin," clearly mocking what had happened during the Jōnin Council meeting.

Now, however, he had switched to "Third Hokage." The tone carried far more respect.

To Hiruzen, that change was obvious—Ren was willing to ease tensions and move toward cooperation.

Ren nodded.

"That's true, Third Hokage. If the conditions Danzō offered our Uchiha Clan hadn't been so tempting, we wouldn't have even considered working with him."

Hiruzen seized the opportunity to ask,

"Oh? And what exactly did Shimura Danzō offer you?"

He asked partly out of genuine curiosity, but also as a test of Ren's attitude.

In negotiations, once one side reveals the offer made by another party, the outcome of the negotiation is often already decided.

If Ren was willing to disclose Danzō's offer, it meant their cooperation was essentially settled.

Ren thought for a moment before speaking.

"There's nothing that can't be said. The most important condition Danzō offered the Uchiha Clan is probably something you can already guess."

He lifted the appointment letter slightly.

"This."

Then he added,

"Of course, his version was merely a blank promise. It's nowhere near as concrete as yours."

Hiruzen snorted dismissively.

"Shimura Danzō can only make empty promises. He doesn't have the ability to obtain a document like that."

The remark was both ridicule and a reminder: Danzō had nothing better to offer.

Ren neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he continued.

"Besides that, the conditions he offered were money and techniques."

"The money would be thirty-five percent of the subsidy funds provided by the Daimyō's court."

"As for the techniques… they are the forbidden techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals."

After a brief pause, Ren smiled meaningfully.

"In those two areas, Danzō was quite generous. He already allowed us to choose three techniques from the Scroll of Seals in advance."

"What?!"

Hiruzen's eyes widened instantly.

"Has Shimura Danzō gone mad?! The forbidden techniques in the Scroll of Seals are fundamental to cultivating elite shinobi in the village! How could he use something like that as bargaining chips?!"

His reaction wasn't exaggerated.

Many of the techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals were capable of producing Kage-level shinobi.

For example:

Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God TechniqueNaruto Uzumaki's Multi Shadow Clone Technique

These techniques formed the foundation of their combat abilities.

Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique required no explanation—it was his signature move.

As for Naruto, while he would later develop the Rasengan, the Multi Shadow Clone Technique was actually the ninjutsu he relied on from beginning to end.

Although the Multi Shadow Clone Technique might appear to be one of the least remarkable techniques in the Scroll of Seals, it greatly expanded Naruto's combat options. More importantly, it perfectly suited the Uzumaki clan's immense chakra reserves, allowing him to dramatically accelerate his training speed.

If even that technique had such significance, the other techniques within the Scroll of Seals were even more valuable.

Because of this, Hiruzen guarded the Scroll of Seals extremely tightly.

He would never distribute its contents casually. Only when encountering a truly exceptional prodigy worth cultivating would he occasionally reveal a single technique to win their loyalty.

He had never imagined that Shimura Danzō would be so reckless as to casually hand three techniques from the Scroll of Seals to the Uchiha Clan.

Wasn't he afraid of the Uchiha Clan growing too powerful to control?

Ren merely smiled.

"At a time like this, is there anything Shimura Danzō wouldn't dare to do?"

Hiruzen's brow furrowed even deeper. His expression shifted repeatedly.

Seeing this, Ren added calmly,

"But please rest assured, Third Hokage. Unless absolutely necessary, I have no desire to see Shimura Danzō become Hokage."

"Now that you've shown sincerity, the Uchiha Clan will naturally stand on your side."

Having obtained the answer he wanted, Hiruzen no longer lingered. He immediately stood and announced his departure.

Minato exchanged a subtle glance with Ren, then walked over to Hiruzen's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The Flying Thunder God Technique activated.

With a soft whoosh, the two vanished.

When they reappeared, they were already inside Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence.

"Third Hokage," Minato said after stepping back, "this went much more smoothly than we expected."

Hiruzen frowned and shook his head.

"That's exactly why we must be more cautious. I have a bad feeling about this."

Minato looked surprised.

"You mean… Uchiha Ren was only pretending to cooperate?"

"No," Hiruzen said after a moment of thought. "His attitude didn't seem insincere."

"But one thing he said just now reminded me of something."

"Right now… there is nothing Shimura Danzō wouldn't do."

"If it meant becoming the Fourth Hokage, he'd even sell his own dignity."

"A man like that is the most dangerous."

Hiruzen's eyes flickered as he muttered quietly,

"It seems we must prepare two contingency plans."

"There's no choice… we'll have to call them back."

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