"Come, come, drink up!"
Jiraiya had one foot propped on a stool, his face flushed red from alcohol.
The Sannin might have been a legendary ninja, but he was also a notorious pervert. When he drank too much, his behavior could become unhinged—especially around women.
Nearby, Inuzuka Tsume, Akimichi Chōza, and Nara Shikaku sat at another table, eating and drinking freely. Chōza in particular had a pig's trotter in one hand and a chicken leg in the other. Best to keep a respectful distance.
At a quieter table, Namikaze Minato was seated beside Kushina Uzumaki. Though he was smiling politely and eating, his ears were attuned to his surroundings—especially the nearby clamor from where Uchiha Fugaku and his new bride, Mikoto, were accepting toasts. Their crowd was so boisterous that Minato could barely hear the conversation occurring just a few tables away.
"Then, Lord Danzo, I'll leave the rest to you," said Uchiha Chinatsu, raising a cup of sake in formal toast.
Danzo accepted it, drained the cup in one motion, and stood.
"Patriarch Chinatsu, since our discussion is concluded, I'll take my leave. No need to see me off."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and departed.
As he passed, Danzo's eyes flicked toward Minato. Kushina, startled, instinctively raised her head—and met his gaze directly.
For a split second, Danzo's lone visible eye locked with hers. Then he closed it and walked on, as if nothing had happened.
But Kushina felt a chill run down her spine.
"What's wrong?" Minato leaned closer, noticing the shift in her expression.
"Hmph, that Danzo… he gives me bad vibes!" Kushina said sharply.
"Huh?" Minato blinked, puzzled by her intensity.
"You really don't believe me at all, do you?" she huffed, clearly annoyed. Then, without warning, she reached for the soft skin at his waist and gave it a furious twist.
Minato winced, his handsome face contorting awkwardly.
"Minato! What are you doing just standing there? Come drink!" Jiraiya called out, poking his head over with a drunken grin.
"A-Ah, yes—coming!" Minato stammered, trying to escape Kushina's wrath.
Danzo left the Uchiha compound and made his way straight to the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen," he said, stepping inside with a sharp tone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up from behind a cloud of smoke. "Danzo. Didn't you attend Uchiha Fugaku's wedding? Is it over already?"
Danzo narrowed his eyes. It had been a last-minute decision to attend, but of course, Hiruzen had already been informed. He always had eyes and ears everywhere.
"Heh. It was lively. I had a brief conversation with Uchiha Chinatsu and left."
"What are you really trying to say?" Hiruzen's smile faded as he squinted back. The two of them had played this game for decades.
"Uchiha Chinatsu wants Uchiha Fenghuo to be assigned to the Konoha Military Police. He considers him a clan prodigy," Danzo said with a deceptively calm expression.
"The Military Police are responsible for village security. Fenghuo's field experience is lacking. That position is not appropriate yet," Hiruzen replied, his voice firm. "And it's not your place to decide."
Danzo continued smoothly, "After Uchiha Tenizumi made Chūnin, he completed two B-rank missions and a C-rank. Kakashi, who's even younger than Fenghuo, completed a B-rank as well. But Fenghuo? He hasn't completed even one mission since his promotion."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed.
It was true—by regulation, even Chūnin had minimum mission quotas. Slackers weren't tolerated.
Even someone like Maito Dai was constantly running D-rank retrieval tasks just to meet standards.
And while B-rank and higher missions were typically counted on a yearly scale, Danzo had cleverly chosen to highlight the timing.
"You're making this political," Hiruzen said coldly.
Danzo smirked faintly. "I only hope Uchiha Fenghuo survives his first B-rank. They can be… dangerous."
A threat, barely veiled.
"I'm aware of that," Hiruzen said darkly.
Danzo offered a shallow bow. "Then I'll take my leave."
Once the door closed, Hiruzen immediately summoned an ANBU.
"Bring Yuhi Kurenai's father—Yuhi Mako."
Moments later, the serious-looking jōnin appeared before him.
"Hokage-sama."
"How is Fenghuo progressing?" Hiruzen asked, setting aside his pipe.
"Remarkably. He's shown a deep intuitive grasp of Genjutsu, beyond even what I expected. With your approval, I'd like to begin training him in advanced Uchiha-style illusions."
Mako spoke with pride, not exaggeration. Fenghuo's progress was real—likely due to a sharp mind and unique perspective.
Hiruzen nodded. "Even without your suggestion, I would have permitted it… but something's come up."
Mako looked concerned. "What happened?"
"Danzo attended Uchiha Fugaku's wedding."
Mako's eyes widened. "Danzo? At an Uchiha wedding?"
"It seems they struck a deal," Hiruzen said gravely. "I suspect Fenghuo is the bargaining chip."
Understanding dawned quickly. "Because he hasn't completed a B-rank mission yet… Damn it!" Mako cursed softly.
As Fenghuo's jōnin-sensei, this failure was on him.
"This was inevitable," Hiruzen said. "Danzo wants to push him into a mission... or into the grave."
"I'll take responsibility!" Mako's face was hard. "I'll ensure Fenghuo survives."
Hiruzen nodded. "I'm assigning ANBU to watch your backs—but stay alert."
Leaving the office, Yuhi Mako's eyes sharpened.
If Danzo's Root was involved... and the Uchiha elders were complicit... then this mission was going to be anything but routine.
Back at the Uchiha wedding banquet, several clan elders huddled in a private corner.
"Danzo's support might improve our chances, but the cost is steep."
"Will we really hand Fenghuo's Sharingan over to him?"
"Heh. Of course not. If Fenghuo dies… we'll say it was an accident. His eyes will be 'damaged in battle.' Danzo won't get anything."
"I feel better already."
The elders raised their cups in a quiet toast. Their smiles hid sharp intent.
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