In the dim underground chamber of the Root Headquarters, Shimura Danzo tapped his fingers slowly on the table, each tap echoing like a countdown. His single visible eye narrowed in frustration and suspicion as he studied the operatives kneeling before him.
"The Uchiha clan," Danzo growled, "is a far greater threat than even the Nine-Tails."
The room fell silent. No one dared breathe loudly.
"The sudden rise of Uchiha Souji at such a young age…" Danzo continued, "this must be part of a long-term conspiracy crafted by Uchiha Fugaku."
A Root member quickly nodded, eager to agree. "That is possible… but perhaps it was Souji's own idea?"
Danzo slowly turned his head and gave him a dead, icy stare. The kind that made even a trained Root member's blood run cold.
"If those are his own thoughts," Danzo said, voice dropping into a dark growl, "then he is even more dangerous."
He tapped the table again—thunk, thunk, thunk—as if marking each predicted step of Souji's rise.
"Actually," Danzo continued, standing up and folding his hands behind his back, "I am more inclined to believe all of this was orchestrated by Uchiha Souji himself."
He turned toward the pitch-black wall, gazing into the darkness like a prophet staring into the future.
"First, he appears in the eyes of Konoha's higher-ups.
Second, he builds a heroic image connected to the Will of Fire.
And now, public opinion is shifting in favor of the Uchiha."
Danzo spun back around sharply.
"Did none of you notice that these rumors are subtly criticizing Konoha while praising Uchiha Souji? Do you understand what this means?"
The Root operatives froze. For a moment, the room was full of blank stares. Danzo's face twitched.
"These fools…" he thought. But then he remembered: obedient, simple-minded tools were easier to control. Smart shinobi were dangerous.
When the Root members finally showed signs of understanding, Danzo's expression softened slightly. Finally, they had caught up.
He raised his chin proudly. Only he was worthy of becoming Hokage. The fact that Hiruzen still wanted to hold onto the position disgusted him.
One senior Root member bowed. "Danzo-sama, then what do you think Uchiha Souji plans to do next?"
Danzo stroked his chin ominously.
"Hmph. This is an old strategy from the Sengoku era…
The next step is clear."
He lifted one finger.
"First, he will begin buying influence among Konoha's upper-ranking shinobi… people like Kakashi."
Another finger.
"Second, he will use Kakashi's connections to spread sympathy among the Jonin ranks."
Another finger.
"Third, he will act innocent and pitiful—telling stories about the oppression of the Uchiha clan."
Danzo's voice dropped lower, dripping with disgust.
"His goal will be to attract sympathy. To make Jonin with soft hearts stand up for the Uchiha."
Danzo's single eye scanned the room.
"If that happens… what would you do? Rebuke that Jonin? Kill him?"
The senior operative nodded seriously. Their Root training was absolute—Uchiha were enemies, and enemies deserved elimination.
Danzo slammed his cane on the ground.
"Then you have fallen right into his trap!"
The entire room stiffened.
"As soon as you reprimand or kill that Jonin, the others will feel threatened!
They will think: He was only speaking his opinion. Why retaliate?
Then they will unite."
Danzo stalked across the room, waving his cane like a general directing an invisible battlefield.
"And once they unite, the other clans will also feel unsafe.
Pressure will build.
We will be forced to retreat."
He turned sharply, pointing at the group.
"And while we retreat—Uchiha Souji will advance."
Danzo paced again.
"It will start with harmless talk. Then come official protests during clan meetings. We will deny their claims… and then they will go public! Broadcasting their grievances while reminding everyone of Uchiha contributions."
Danzo raised his arm dramatically.
"They will shout: 'Uchiha lives are lives too!' And the entire village will start feeling sympathy. Soon, under pressure from public opinion, the Uchiha clan will regain power inside Konoha."
A chill swept across the room.
Danzo shuddered.
"This Souji… he is terrifyingly cunning. A monster-level strategist. A prodigy of manipulation."
He felt the hair on his neck rise.
"If someone like him becomes Hokage…
Konoha will be finished."
Had Uchiha Souji heard this monologue, he would have fallen to his knees and screamed:
"I DID NOTHING! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"
But Danzo was lost in his own world. His own paranoia. His own imagination.
Because once a man forms a theory, and no one presents a better one… he convinces himself that his theory must be correct.
The Root members, now trembling, muttered among themselves.
"Souji is only seven years old… How can he already have such plans?"
"He really is an evil Uchiha…"
"If he grows up, who knows what will happen?"
Their training had already conditioned them to believe Uchiha were dangerous. Danzo's words simply pushed them to the extreme.
One Root specialist bowed deeply.
"Danzo-sama… what are your orders for us?"
He tapped his thumb against his neck in a gesture that clearly meant killing.
Danzo's eyebrow twitched. This was Root Headquarters—no one foolish enough to eavesdrop would survive anyway.
Still, he appreciated the man's caution.
"Not yet," Danzo said coldly. "Look at this."
He tossed the senior operative a scroll.
The moment the man unrolled it, his expression froze.
The scroll contained information about the crowds gathering around Souji's house: admirers, Uchiha clansmen, even random villagers.
Danzo sneered.
"That brat Souji anticipated this situation! So he contacted that old fox Fugaku ahead of time and arranged for elite guards to protect the area."
He jabbed a finger at the scroll.
"It's like a festival out there! You can't kill Souji in front of dozens of people. If you try, he will skip all the steps I mentioned earlier and attack us directly!"
He let out a long sigh.
"If only Root had geniuses this cunning… our work would be far easier."
Danzo continued:
"If we fail, Root will be restricted. I will lose my position as Root Leader. I may even lose my seat among the village elders."
His eye hardened.
"This is unacceptable."
The Root operatives exchanged horrified glances.
Uchiha Souji had unintentionally destroyed their entire plan… just by existing.
Sure enough, the teachings of the Second Hokage echoed in their minds—
"Uchiha are dangerous. Their hearts burn too hot."
And now, with Danzo's narrative added to it—
The conclusion was clear:
Uchiha Souji was an evil genius… a threat that must be eliminated before he grows up.
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