Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 27
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 15:51:24 +0000 UTCThe negotiations between Konoha and Kiri had dragged on for a full month, with both sides wracking their brains to secure maximum benefits for themselves.
However, from the second round of talks onward, the Uchiha clan was excluded entirely.
Masashi didn't care about this exclusion. The fact that they were even allowed to participate initially was entirely due to Shikaku's influence. And even that was probably just for show.
The Hokage's office was determined to prevent the Uchiha from having any involvement in Konoha's major decision-making processes.
The principle of 'exchange' established by Tobirama, further reinforced during the era of the Third Hokage, had created a powerful inertia.
The practice had become so deeply rooted that even the Uchiha themselves, alongside the rest of the village, had come to accept this status quo as normal.
This only reinforced Masashi's perspective: the Uchiha clan couldn't change their political situation in Konoha by relying on the Fourth Hokage's 'closeness' alone.
Closeness was merely a gesture.
Minato was inherently aligned with the Third Hokage's faction, which was composed of the same old faces. The fundamental policies were not going to change.
It wasn't about personal views on the Uchiha but rather a matter of ingrained habits.
Minato was used to it. The Uchiha were used to it too.
After the first round of negotiations, a few high-ranking individuals sought out Masashi to inquire about the meeting's contents.
For the Uchiha, this was far from satisfying.
They had been the main force on the front lines in the war against Kiri, yet they weren't even granted the right to listen in on the official negotiations.
They had only managed to attend the first round thanks to Shikaku's last-minute decision. Being upset about this was perfectly natural.
Not attending meant being kept in the dark about the real outcomes of the negotiations. Consequently, they couldn't advocate for their interests and could at best protect what they were already entitled to.
The Uchiha had extensive resources, and no one in the clan would object to expanding them. Greater wealth meant supporting a larger population and nurturing more shinobi.
In the past, among the ninja clans of Konoha, the Senju and the Uchiha had the largest populations and the most shinobi.
Now, however, the Sarutobi clan was number one, followed by the Hyūga clan, with the Uchiha only in third place.
The Hyūga were one thing, but how the Sarutobi clan had expanded so much in recent years was no secret to those in the know.
That said, the Uchiha had matured a bit in recent times. Even upon hearing that Kiri's reparations might total around 2 billion, they refrained from making a fuss.
Otherwise, the Hokage's office would only have to say, "There are needs all over the village, and it's not just the Uchiha who have lost people," to slap the Uchiha with the label of greedy.
This kind of scenario had played out countless times in the past.
Masashi was pleased to see that the clan's leadership was finally growing. Otherwise, as a teenager, it would have been awkward for him to keep lecturing a bunch of middle-aged men and elders about staying calm and composed.
Back to his daily routine, he continued his training regimen, unbroken for over a decade. The key to surpassing Indra lay in consistency, not just raw power.
By employing new methods, he had overcome many of his previous challenges, proving that his deductions based on Indra and Asura's chakra were correct, with minimal deviation.
From a genetic standpoint, the Sage of Six Paths had given Indra the best of everything. Unfortunately, Indra hadn't persevered.
His descendants, the Uchiha, had only amplified his gifts.
Thanks to the 2nd reincarnation, Masashi had the chance to walk the correct path once more.
However, his good mood lasted only until the clan leader summoned him for another meeting.
After a month without seeing him, Fugaku, now the father of another child, seemed to be in an unusually good mood.
His expression was much less stiff than usual.
But the moment he spoke, Masashi's face darkened.
"Have you met with Danzō? He's asked the clan for permission to have you join Root."
"He must be out of his mind." Masashi was baffled. "Why would I leave a stable job at the Police Force to work for Root?"
While Root's salary might be the highest among Konoha's official positions, no amount of money could make him want to take on a job that involved endless dangerous missions in the wilderness.
There was no way he'd leave the bustling, prosperous streets of Konoha.
He was a man of spiritual pursuits, and no amount of money could fill a void in his soul.
"Are you sure he hasn't approached you, Masashi? Think carefully."
"Of course not. That former advisor is a textbook anti-Uchiha figure. Why would he come looking for me?"
Masashi thought for a moment.
"Besides, wouldn't it make more sense for him to approach you, as the clan leader?"
"I'd prefer he didn't." Fugaku sighed. "Danzō is formidable. In intelligence analysis, he's the best in the entire shinobi world. Even a brief conversation with him can easily lead to you spilling something."
"Fugaku-sama, are you speaking from experience?" Masashi's eyes narrowed slightly. What the fuck did I miss?
"This isn't the time for jokes." Fugaku waved his hand dismissively. "Root is incredibly secretive. For years, they've recruited talent from ninja clans through the Hokage's office. The clan has always refused, given Danzō's ruthless methods and lack of mercy. No one wants their family members serving under him."
"How do the other clans agree to it?" Masashi was puzzled.
Shinobi were never in surplus, and Root specifically targeted elites. Even with the decline of ninja clans, it was entirely reasonable to refuse Danzō's requests.
Though the Uchiha clan was officially employed by Konoha, their control of the Police Force gave them enough authority to push back. After all, Root was merely a subordinate division of the ANBU and not on par with the Police Force.
"That's where Danzō's skill lies. He personally approaches the people he wants and often convinces them with his ideology. Once they're persuaded, the clans can't do much."
"Persuasion? You mean physical force?"
"Not exactly. Although Danzō isn't one to play by the rules, he's confident in his ability to win people over. His ideology appeals to many young shinobi with a strong sense of loyalty to the village." Fugaku sighed again. "That's why I'm asking if he's reached out to you."
"He hasn't. I've been at the training grounds every day."
"Stay alert. If he's formally requested you, he'll definitely approach you."
"Wait a minute…" Masashi was annoyed. "Why would he target me? If anyone, he should go after Shisui."
"He already tried. The Third Hokage wouldn't allow it, so now he's set his sights on you."
So I'm the consolation prize? How flattering.
"Fugaku-sama, how has the family handled this in the past?"
"Previously? With our strained relationship, we simply refused outright. But now the situation is different. You know he's approaching us through the Fourth Hokage."
Fugaku gave Masashi a teasing look. "Didn't you always say not to burn bridges? So the clan is holding back this time."
"Don't joke with me, Fugaku-sama. Seriously, I'm not letting anyone put a mark on me. I've got my limits. If he tries, I might just beat him to a pulp."
"As long as you're unwilling, no one can force you." Fugaku nodded. "Not even the Hokage can force the Uchiha to surrender one of our own."
"Not while I am clan leader."
What the hell? Getting a second child gave Fugaku balls of steel?
With that thought, Masashi left Fugaku's house.
He wasn't afraid of Root resorting to force either.
Konoha's military strength was divided into three parts: the ANBU, the Police Force, and the regular army. Among these, the weakest wasn't the Police Force—it was the ANBU.
The so-called special missions were essentially non-conventional military operations. These actions didn't require strong frontal combat capabilities.
As a result, there weren't many jonin in the ANBU; their elite combat strength was made up of special jonin.
Even though the ANBU has more people than the Police Force, if it came down to a head-to-head battle, the Police Force wouldn't lose.
The jonin of Konoha, aside from the Uchiha clan, were mostly concentrated in the regular army, which was managed by a special unit called the Jonin Unit.
The previous captain of this unit was Minato.
In the original timeline, the annihilation of the Uchiha clan in one night was a twist of fate. No matter how bad the Uchiha clan's reputation was, it wouldn't have led to the Konoha regular army seeing them as enemies.
If the Hokage's office wanted to carry out such a thing, they could only rely on the ANBU—but the ANBU simply didn't have the strength to eliminate the Uchiha.
Root cause was internal strife.
Back home, already in a bad mood, Masashi grew angrier the more he thought about it, so much so that he almost couldn't sleep.
Just before falling asleep, he decided that if anyone from Root came to bother him, he'd give them a beating.
With that, Masashi fell asleep.
He even had a dream where he beat up some Root members until they were half-dead, hung them at the entrance of the Hokage Tower, and stuffed bananas in their mouths with a banner that read, "A banana a day keeps Root away!"
"What a strange dream..." Masashi muttered, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed. His stomach growled softly. "Maybe I am craving some bananas?"
After getting up and washing himself, Masashi walked into the kitchen.
Remembering his dream, he grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and ate it with a smirk. Delicious, he thought. Hard to believe some people hate these.
Then he headed out.
Perhaps Fugaku also knew he was in a terrible mood and was worried he'd actually go pick a fight with Root members.
As a result, he gave Masashi special permission to take some time off work.
So, he headed straight to the training grounds as usual.
The fact that Root had taken an interest in him hadn't spread among the clan yet; otherwise, there'd have been a huge uproar.
Danzō had never said anything good about the Uchiha clan in public. Similarly, his reputation among the Uchiha was terrible.
So much so that Danzō had long stopped trying to recruit from the Uchiha. As a Hokage's advisor and the second-in-command of Konoha's ninja forces, he still cared about his reputation.
Who knew what came over him to suddenly try again now?
Maybe it was because he was no longer an advisor? So, he didn't care about reputation?
Masashi didn't know and didn't want to know.
He only wanted certain people to understand that he didn't lose his temper because it wasn't worth it. But once he thought it was worth it, he wouldn't stop until he felt satisfied.
A few days passed peacefully, and the negotiations between Konoha and Kiri finally drew to a close.
Masashi also started stepping out of the clan's territory.
Busy with training during the day, he went out at night, with a clear goal in mind: Konoha's commercial street.
He'd already made plans with his friends for a night of drinking—no one could back out. Anyone who did would be ridiculed mercilessly.
At night, the commercial street became its busiest and most lively. Bright lights and bustling crowds filled the area, the air alive with the sounds of laughter and conversation.
Young people moved in groups, laughing and chatting.
Street food stalls were set up with pots and stoves, cooking up all kinds of dishes. The rising steam was filled with enticing aromas.
Customers chose their favorite spots, ordered a mix of dishes, and enjoyed their food while chatting loudly.
"You seem tense," Tetsuka observed as they walked. "Root still bothering you?"
"Let's not spoil the evening with politics," Masashi replied, his eyes scanning the crowd.
"Too late for that..." Inoka muttered.
For Masashi, the beauty of life lay in these nights in the city. Anyone trying to take this from him—he'd make sure to scatter their ashes.
But people's joys and sorrows were never truly connected. There were always those whose natural talent lay in spoiling others' happiness.
Masashi had imagined many ways Danzō might bother him, but he never expected this...
In front of a bar, Tanaka was visibly trembling. His friends wore expressions of discomfort.
Danzō, dressed in casual clothes, didn't seem to think he was out of place at all. He seriously inspected the shop's signboard.
"These are… passable."
"Thank you for your praise!"
"How long have you been in Konoha?"
"Not long, just this year."
"Hmm, not bad. Doing business in Konoha shows you have good judgment."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I thought."
"Hmm, am I that frightening?"
"No, no, it's an honor for our humble shop to have you, Danzō-sama."
"Don't call me Danzō-sama anymore. Just call me Danzō."
Watching this scene, Masashi's face was expressionless. Seeing his friends' faces turning awkward, he decided to intervene.
"Boss," he said, "is this how you run your business? Letting Danzō-sama stand out here in the cold?"
Before Tanaka could respond, Masashi waved his hand.
"Didn't I book a private room? Hurry up and show us the way. Bring out your best—Danzō-sama isn't someone you can treat casually."
Danzō, I bet you won't drink with the ladies.
"Hm, I'd also like to experience it," Danzō replied calmly. "It's been a while since I drank. Getting drunk for once doesn't sound bad."
With that, he walked in without hesitation.
Tanaka was stunned but didn't dare dawdle, quickly following him inside.
Tetsuka stared at Danzō's back, mumbling, "What's there to even play now…"
"Enough complaints," Masashi said. "You guys head to another place and use my name. I'll entertain him properly tonight." He paused, then added, "Not in a sexual way, obviously."
"Why would you even—" Tetsuka's face scrunched up in confusion.
"Look, I just wanted to avoid any weird misunderstandings, alright?" Masashi crossed his arms defensively.
"Sometimes I forget how strange you can be, Masashi-nii." Tetsuka shook his head, then his expression turned serious. "But really, why is Danzō after you?"
"He wants me to work for Root."
"Is he crazy?" Tetsuka's eyes went wide. He grabbed Masashi's sleeve, pulling him closer.
"That hellhole? Even the regular ANBU avoid talking about that place. I heard they do more than just work you to death—they brand your tongue like cattle and mess with your head until you forget your own name."
"Show some culture, will you?" Inoka retorted. "It's called the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal."
"Big deal! Is this about the name? When have any of us joined Root? Doesn't everyone know our relationship with them?"
"Alright, lower your voices," Masashi said, patting both of them. "He's on the same level as the Hokage; don't gossip behind his back."
After sending them off, he walked into the shop. Tanaka was waiting nervously, wringing his hands.
"He really went in?"
"Yes, he really went in…" Tanaka looked distressed. "Masashi-sama, nothing bad will happen, right?"
"No need to worry. He won't trouble a business owner like you." Masashi casually reassured him. "Who knows? Maybe he will get lucky tonight."
Tanaka nearly tripped over his own feet, his face turning pale. "Masashi-sama! Please don't even joke about such things!"
Masashi chuckled at his reaction. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Let's go. Lead the way."
"Of course..." Tanaka hurried forward, trying not to think about what Masashi had just suggested.
