Chapter 113: Do You Still Remember Your Classmate?

"Third Hokage-sama, these are some immature thoughts and suggestions of mine."

Inside a small meeting room in the Hokage Tower, Minato Namikaze handed over a report to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others.

The room wasn't large, and the number of attendees wasn't high—yet every person present held serious weight in Konoha.

Besides Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura, there were also Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Shikaku Nara, and several key department heads.

On paper, meetings like this looked like "collective wisdom"—a way to help the Fourth Hokage avoid wrong turns, or pull him back quickly if he made one.

But after attending many times, Minato had learned the real pattern:

People like Shikaku often sat quietly—eyes down, speaking little to nothing.

The ones who did speak were always the same few.

And what frustrated Minato most was that their arguments… were often persuasive.

For example, Minato had suggested improving relations between the Uchiha and the village by moving more Uchiha into other departments—so they could gradually reintegrate into Konoha's mainstream.

The counterargument he received was:

The Uchiha issue couldn't be solved by a few appointments; it was a long-term, difficult problem.

Uchiha temperament made them ineffective—or even destabilizing—in many departments.

The Police Force already gave them major power; adding more influence would disrupt internal balance.

Minato wanted to argue back—how do you know they can't if you never try?

But the political reality was brutal:

If the Uchiha kept the Police Force and also gained new authority elsewhere, balance could crack.

Best case: everyone tolerates it.

Worst case: factions become resentful, while the Uchiha grow more arrogant with sudden power.

A paradox with no clean answer—unless the Uchiha willingly loosened their grip on the Police Force.

And all signs pointed to the opposite: the clan's internal struggle over police control never stopped. Any outsider meddling would only make it worse.

Minato was still thinking when Danzo suddenly let out a cold snort.

"Hmph. What kind of proposal is this, Hokage-sama?"

His tone was sharp—bordering on insubordination.

But it made sense: Minato's report had touched Danzo's interests.

This time, Minato's target was the Root.

Maybe Hikaru's intel had planted doubt.

Maybe Minato simply couldn't stomach Root's logic of "if you resist, you deserve death; if you don't resist, you consent to death."

Either way, he wasn't foolish enough to think he could seize Root overnight.

If he wanted to infiltrate it, gain detailed insight, and avoid alerting Danzo, he had to move carefully—quietly—testing boundaries first.

So his proposal was framed as "procedure":

Before Root acted, it must investigate properly.

And if the target was a Konoha citizen, Root should provide a reasonable explanation afterward.

Danzo hated that.

"If we don't maintain strict surveillance and decisive measures," he snapped, "how would Konoha have peace today?"

Minato frowned. "Your methods are excessive."

"If you were killing outsiders, I wouldn't say a word. But those are people inside the village. They're our own."

Danzo looked him straight in the eye, utterly refusing to acknowledge Minato's authority.

"I have no doubt. No hesitation. Everything I do is for Konoha."

"This is how you protect Konoha?" Minato pressed. "Aren't those people also residents of Konoha? Is this your protection?"

"Don't twist my words," Danzo replied coldly. "When I say 'Konoha,' I mean the village itself. A great tree can have rot. The village can have poison and tumors. Is it strange that I remove them to protect Konoha?"

Then Danzo stood, scanning the room before fixing his gaze on Minato.

"Hokage-sama, your report is worthless. You don't understand how much danger Konoha faces."

"And I'll say it clearly: I will not stop."

"Whether individual or clan—if they betray Konoha, violate Konoha, I will remove them and reduce the burden."

"Your thinking is naïve. Evidence is easy to hide. The moment you investigate, you alert them."

"If you follow your idea and tell them what they did wrong, they will retreat like turtles—then find other ways to harm Konoha."

"That causes greater damage, and worse, puts innocents at risk."

"Root has existed this long because it works. It has prevented threat after threat."

"Even if its name is filthy, Hokage-sama—Root exists to do the dirty work."

"And you… you don't want your own hands soaked in blood, do you?"

The speech was smooth, structured, and—worst of all—contained enough truth to trap Minato.

Root's existence did have purpose.

But its methods were something Minato couldn't accept.

Was every ninja supposed to live under Root's shadow, never knowing when the blade might fall?

Before Minato could answer, Hiruzen finally spoke.

"Enough, Fourth Hokage."

"I understand your meaning. And I will urge Root to adjust. We are in peacetime now."

Then Hiruzen's voice lowered.

"But there is something you must remember."

"Sometimes, everyone knows something—but as long as you don't pierce it, everyone pretends not to know."

"The moment you pierce it, investigation becomes necessary… and results may be forced into the open."

"Then many departments, many people—maybe even you—will be dragged in."

"That will make people lose trust in the Hokage. It will make them hesitate to come close."

"Remember this: a ninja has the right to know the truth—even after the fact."

"But they also have the right not to know—even after the fact."

Leaving the tower, Minato exhaled in quiet frustration.

The meeting had gone exactly as he feared—almost a failure.

Yet even so, he had learned something.

Danzo and Hiruzen both accepted Root's existence and behavior—at least by default.

That alone was enough to spark uncomfortable conclusions.

What pained Minato most was that he couldn't truly refute Danzo's core argument—just like he had struggled to find a decisive answer for the Uchiha problem.

"And I underestimated Danzo's ability to argue," Minato thought grimly.

In Minato's mind, Danzo had always been a silent man—one who did the cruelest things with the fewest words.

Today proved otherwise.

Danzo could speak—and he could trap you with logic sharp enough to cut.

Minato returned to his office, stared at the mountain of paperwork, and for one bleak moment felt like he wasn't a leader at all—

Just a signature tool, validating "correct policies" written by others.

He shook his head, forcing himself back to work.

But a worry lingered:

"Hikaru and Kakashi… heading to Sunagakure."

"It should be fine."

"…Right?"

"And why did Hikaru pick such a dangerous mission?"

Back in the meeting room, after Minato and the department heads left, Danzo remained seated.

"It seems the kid has backed off—for now," Danzo said bluntly.

Hiruzen shook his head. "Only temporarily. Luckily, he has the habit of working in his office… otherwise we would never have noticed such important intelligence."

Hiruzen stood and looked down at Danzo.

"I've never approved of your extremity."

"But as your teammate, I trust your character. As your colleague, I understand your judgment."

"I won't say more. Just… watch yourself, Danzo."

Danzo stood too, staring at Hiruzen with a hoarse, amused edge.

"Don't make yourself sound noble."

"Step one: scare the report writer."

"Step two: attack the report as 'one-sided.'"

"Step three: agree with just enough of it to look reasonable."

"And step four—though I didn't use it today—smearing the report writer is a very useful trick."

"Daylight… everything I said today? I learned it from you."

"You handle these things… like breathing."

Hiruzen paused, then glanced back—saying nothing.

Danzo wasn't wrong.

In the early days, Hiruzen had been weak and constrained. He'd been forced to learn methods like this to survive politics.

And later, when he truly held power, he had to keep using them—because you can't execute every inconvenient voice without destroying the very legitimacy that keeps you Hokage.

But there was a difference between understanding it… and speaking it aloud.

Danzo, satisfied, changed the subject.

"Enough of that. I heard you let the Senju brat leave the village."

"So fast—already planning to dispose of him?"

"It was his chosen mission," Hiruzen replied calmly, warming his pipe over the candle. "He's smart. He knows how dangerous it is."

"But he wants to test himself—so let him."

"Besides… I want to see what he can do."

Elsewhere, inside the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Sora returned home to find someone already sitting in her room, calmly drinking tea.

"Grandfather? When did you get here?" Sora smiled, sitting down. "You could've told me—I would've come back earlier."

"No need," her grandfather said lightly. "I was waiting anyway."

"Now… how did your application go?"

"My medical department application?" Sora poured him another cup, then sighed. "Grandfather, you know it won't pass. Not right now."

She understood perfectly.

Her report wasn't truly a request—it was a signal.

A kind of pledge from her grandfather's faction: a declaration of intent toward the village.

She knew what he wanted.

She also knew how hard it would be.

No response at all was already an answer.

"I know," her grandfather sighed. "It's difficult. Especially difficult."

"But it's about attitude. We must do it. We have to."

"I understand," Sora said quietly, nodding.

Then her grandfather's tone shifted, as if deliberately stepping away from the frustration.

"By the way… I have a question."

"What is it, Grandfather?"

He looked at her steadily.

"You had a classmate back then…"

"Hatake Kakashi."

"Do you… still know him?"

Sora's smile froze.

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