What if...
What if Rinjin Sokuhō replaced Hanzo the Salamander as the leader of Amegakure?
What if Rinjin and Konoha had a falling-out in the future?
Would Konoha's attack on Amegakure proceed as planned?
At this moment, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, already had his answer.
No.
The Third Raikage would never stand idly by.
Not out of friendship, but out of interest.
Kumogakure had always coveted Konoha's kekkei genkai, as well as the Land of Fire's fertile lands and mild climate.
So, if war broke out and Konoha became entangled with Amegakure, the Land of Lightning to the north would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to attack Konoha.
Has that guy already thought this far ahead?
Hiruzen didn't want to admit it, but the cold, hard facts were staring him in the face.
Currently, Rinjin and Konoha were in a honeymoon phase—relations were warm, and there were no apparent conflicts.
But what about the future?
With a deep drag on his pipe, Hiruzen began meticulously reviewing everything Rinjin had done since arriving in Konoha.
The more he analyzed, the deeper his frown became.
At first, Rinjin was just a small, scrappy kid struggling to survive with his little sister.
Later, he infiltrated the Land of Lightning, using an unthinkable tactic—bullying tailed beasts—to gain a position where he could negotiate with Konoha.
Then, he secretly manipulated the iron trade, elevating himself to a more independent and influential status while gifting Konoha a staggering 800 million ryō.
From a child seeking shelter to a useful asset.
From a highly valuable spy to a strong figure capable of negotiating on equal terms.
From a Konoha Jonin doing business to someone who had risen to a level comparable to Hiruzen himself.
Becoming Hokage... is it really that hard?
Yes, it's hard.
First, you need to be born into the right family.
Second, you must train diligently.
Finally, you need to be likable enough to be chosen as Hokage.
But at the same time, becoming Hokage isn't all that difficult.
Hiruzen let out a weary sigh.
Rinjin was thinking far too ahead.
Though there was no concrete evidence, Hiruzen was certain that Rinjin had been planning everything from the very beginning.
Every action he took was highly purposeful.
Protecting Kumogakure's economy wasn't just about making money; it was also about ensuring that Kumogakure could act as a counterbalance to Konoha.
Still, Hiruzen couldn't help but sense a hint of goodwill in Rinjin's actions.
What if Rinjin hadn't helped Kumogakure mitigate their losses?
In that case, the hot-tempered Raikage would undoubtedly have been the first to declare war!
After spiraling deeper into his overthinking, Hiruzen finally concluded his mental exercise and issued a directive.
"Forget the situation in the Land of Rain for now. We must seize this period of relative peace to strengthen our own power."
Additionally, the proposal for Konoha's outer wall construction plan was brought up.
After giving a few brief instructions, Hiruzen's thoughts shifted to the recent report from the clan heads about how Rinjin had outmaneuvered the Uchiha clan leader.
Hiruzen's mind worked quickly.
He didn't want to fall out with Rinjin, but he also couldn't allow the man to act unchecked.
The best course of action now was to unite the various clans firmly around himself.
After all, this was a carefully considered strategy.
With newfound resolve, Hiruzen spoke decisively:
"The Land of Lightning to the north remains a looming threat. We cannot afford to meddle in the Land of Rain's affairs for now.
But I have another announcement to make.
I plan to add two more positions for senior advisors and one position for Hokage counselor.
As for the senior advisor roles: one will go to the Uchiha clan, and the other to the Hyuga clan.
For the Hokage counselor position, I intend to appoint Shikazuna Nara."
What?! Three new high-level positions at once?!
Danzo's inner monologue immediately exploded:
Damn you, Hiruzen! After all my hard work advising you, you're just going to dilute our power?
Fine, I can live with that. It doesn't really concern me anyway.
But giving the Uchiha clan access to power? Are you insane?! Don't you know how dangerous they are?!
Despite his internal rant, Danzo knew better than to speak up.
Intervening now would only earn him a reputation as someone greedy for power.
And if word got out, he'd openly antagonize both the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.
Everyone in the room—Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado—understood this.
No one here was foolish enough to act rashly.
For a moment, the three old comrades exchanged glances.
None of them agreed with Hiruzen's proposal, but none dared to be the first to object.
Eventually, Koharu and Homura reached a silent consensus and turned their gazes toward Danzo.
In the past, Danzo might have impulsively stood up to oppose the idea.
But now, after years of being burned by Hiruzen's schemes, Danzo had become far more cautious.
He looked at his two old friends across the table and smirked, a sly, enigmatic grin spreading across his face.
You want me to speak up? Dream on!
What do I care about more advisors or counselors? It has nothing to do with my Root Training Center anyway.
By the way, when does this meeting end? I don't want to miss my appointment with the renovation team!
Seeing Danzo's silent smirk, Koharu and Homura's faces darkened.
This old fox... When did he become so slippery?!
They had no idea that Danzo had simply been burned too many times to take the bait anymore.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Danzo, the hardliner, sat there smiling, waiting for the meeting to end.
Koharu and Homura, the fence-sitters, cursed internally but didn't dare to speak.
Hiruzen, observing the scene, was delighted.
Oh, my dear comrades are so supportive this time! Wonderful!
Feeling pleased, he quickly declared, "Since no one has objected, I'll take your silence as agreement. The proposal is approved! Meeting adjourned!"
With that, he swiftly lit his pipe and took a satisfied puff.
Hearing this, Danzo immediately stood and left the Hokage's office without looking back.
The Next Day
News reached Kagami Uchiha as he sat drinking alone at Rinjin's house.
An ANBU operative informed him that he had been chosen as one of Konoha's senior advisors.
Startled, Kagami sobered up instantly, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he quickly calculated the implications.
It was clear this decision hadn't come from the Uchiha clan itself.
If it had, they would never have chosen him.
This had to be Hiruzen's decision.
After a moment's thought, Kagami nodded and accepted the appointment.
Being summoned to serve as a senior advisor was entirely different from lobbying for the position.
Though Kagami had inherited the Will of Fire, the pride of the Uchiha clan was deeply ingrained in his bones.
Watching Kagami sober up and accept the role, Rinjin's face slowly broke into a meaningful smile.
It seems that Uncle Hiruzen is starting to evolve into a true schemer.
And that's great news for me.
After all, truly cunning people put everything on the table for negotiation.
But those who value bonds always have a few non-negotiable treasures.
In simpler terms, the more someone relies on schemes, the fewer boundaries they have.
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