The Hokage's Office
Elder Koharu's sharp voice echoed in the Hokage's office. "Hiruzen, you cannot seriously let an Uchiha anywhere near the Jinchūriki!"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke before refuting her. "He is a six-year-old child, Koharu. Furthermore, taking the boy as a student was Tsunade's own decision. There will be no further discussion regarding that matter."
He leaned forward, his voice taking on the calculated weight of a politician. "It also sends a clear message to the Uchiha clan: we trust them. We trust them so much that we are willing to let the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki personally train one of their prodigies. Tsunade taking Shisui as her disciple will serve to repair the fractured relationship between the Uchiha and the village."
What Hiruzen didn't say out loud—though both elders fully understood it—was that placing the Uchiha's brightest future in the hands of the Sannin was the ultimate indoctrination. He intended to heavily influence their development, ensuring Itachi and Shisui grew up loyal to Konoha rather than their clan.
Homura Mitokado frowned, adjusting his glasses. "This strategy is only viable if the Uchiha clan actually agrees to the proposal. While it is highly likely they will not stop Itachi and Shisui from becoming the students of the Sannin, if only to repair their tarnished reputation in the village, it is certainly impossible that they will surrender Obito to the ANBU. Even though we made it explicitly clear that Obito joining ANBU is the premise for the Sannin taking Itachi and Shisui as their students."
"I know." Hiruzen didn't look up. "Which is why I've already sent Kushina to speak to Obito directly. If the boy agrees on his own, there's nothing left for the clan to bargain over; the choice will already be his, not theirs. The Uchiha clan will not be able to interfere without appearing actively hostile to the boy's own ambitions and the village's military structure."
He had accounted for the clan's caution. He had accounted for their ambition, and their grief. What Hiruzen had not accounted for was Uchiha's pride.
A Yakiniku Restaurant, Konoha
In a private room, the three Sannin sat around a low grill, smoke curling toward a vent in the ceiling. The door slid open, and Nawaki ducked in with Minato a step behind him.
Tsunade looked past them, a bottle of sake already in her hand. "Where is Kushina?"
"She had something urgent come up," Nawaki explained, taking a seat beside his sister. "She couldn't join us tonight."
Jiraiya laughed, crossing his newly engineered left arm over his chest. "Well, that's a shame. It was supposed to be her treat tonight, considering how spectacularly her students performed at the Academy today!"
Jiraiya flexed the fingers of his arm and grinned. "But since she's not here, let this meal be a treat from my side, in celebration of my new arm!"
Once everyone had settled, Minato said, "Both of Kushina's students did well today, for what it's worth. Kakashi and Obito both."
"Kakashi could have graduated years ago," Orochimaru hissed softly, swirling a cup of tea in his pale hands. "But Sakumo-senpai refused to let him. He wanted the boy to graduate alongside his peers; otherwise, he'd hold the record for youngest graduate this village has ever had."
"Which made the record is go to the Uchiha instead." Orochimaru's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Itachi and Shisui. Two of the youngest graduates in Konoha's history."
No one argued the point.
"Obito's the one who actually surprised me, though." He let the words settle. "I expected him to beat Shisui. I didn't expect it to look effortless."
"He wasn't even trying," Minato said quietly. "what he showed today already puts him on par with a Jōnin in a straight fight."
"A mediocre Uchiha waking up one day with a three-tomoe Sharingan and turning into a prodigy overnight." Orochimaru said it lightly, reaching for his cup. "It isn't as though we haven't seen that before."
Suddenly, the entire table went dead silent.
The grilling meat hissed, but no one spoke. Everyone in the room understood exactly who Orochimaru was comparing Obito to.
Ren Uchiha.
Sensing the suffocating tension, Jiraiya loudly cleared his throat to defuse the atmosphere.
"Leaving all that aside!" Jiraiya said brightly, turning to Tsunade. "I never would have thought you would volunteer to take Shisui as your student. When Sensei called us into the office and asked us to take those two Uchiha as our disciples, he originally meant for me and Orochimaru to do it. You stepping up and demanding an Uchiha disciple genuinely astonished both of us."
Tsunade set her sake cup down with a sharp clack. "Shisui has exceptional chakra control. More importantly, he is a direct descendant of Kagami Uchiha, and he is also my grandfather's student. But none of that matters if the Uchiha clan refuses the arrangement."
Minato looked confused. "They will surely agree, Tsunade-sama. Given the Uchiha clan's current isolated image in the village, this is an incredible opportunity for them. Having the Sannin teach their heirs will drastically improve their political standing."
"It might even make it possible for one of those two boys to become the Fifth or Sixth Hokage," Jiraiya mused aloud.
Nawaki, who had been quietly eating, suddenly spoke up from the side. "If the root of all this conflict is the position of Hokage... why not just make an Uchiha the Fourth Hokage right now and end the tension?"
Minato shook his head, offering a gentle but realistic refutation. "To become the Hokage, one needs the recognition and trust of the village's people. Right now, after everything that has happened, there is no one in the Uchiha clan whom the village would ever accept as their leader."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth, reaching for something venomous.
Before the snake Sannin could speak, Jiraiya beat him to it, rising and stretching.
"Well, Orochimaru and I are quite tired," Jiraiya declared loudly. "And Tsunade is already drunk. We should call it a night." Jiraiya clapped Nawaki on the shoulder. "Make sure you get your sister home safe."
Without waiting for an argument, Jiraiya grabbed Orochimaru by the sleeve and dragged him out of the restaurant.
Ichiraku Ramen
The small ramen stand was quiet, illuminated only by the warm glow of the hanging lanterns.
Kushina Uzumaki sat on a wooden stool, her bowl of ramen completely untouched. Beside her sat Obito, staring blankly at the steaming broth in front of him.
"Obito," Kushina pleaded softly, her voice strained. "Are you really sure about this? I really think you should take time to think it over. You shouldn't join the ANBU."
It was a complete contradiction of her orders. Hiruzen had sent Kushina here specifically to convince Obito to join the ANBU. But looking at the hollow shell that had replaced her student, Kushina couldn't do it. She knew the darkness of the ANBU. She knew it would entirely consume whatever innocence of his was left. She was actively trying to talk him out of it.
Obito didn't look at her. His dark eyes remained fixed on the wooden counter.
"It's fine, Sensei," Obito said, his voice completely flat. "I will join the ANBU."
Obito then got up and left, while Kushina continued watching his retreating figure.
As Obito entered his room, Black Zetsu emerged from the floor.