On another day, a highly important meeting took place in the expansive Hokage Building, which towers at the heart of Konoha.
This building, the largest in the village, not only connected to the secretive chambers within the Hokage Rock but also served as the central hub for administrative activities.
In one of its more ornate rooms, which offered a panoramic view of the village below and was bathed in bright, natural light, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in discussion with his advisors.
Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utanane, and Homura Mitokado, all key figures in Konoha's governance, joined him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi carried the dignified presence of a leader seasoned by experience yet untouched by age. His dark hair, peppered with early hints of gray, framed a face marked by wisdom.
Danzo Shimura bore a sterner countenance, with sharp features and an intense gaze that hinted at the depth of his strategic mind. His hair was short and disciplined, as was his demeanor.
Koharu Utatane's appearance was characterized by her elegant yet authoritative aura. Homura Mitokado, who was the same age as his three friends, meanwhile presented a scholarly appearance with his glasses and neatly combed hair, conveying confidence.
After jointly, carefully reviewing the internal documents provided by the Anbu once again, which now lay spread out on the table before them, Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh and broke the silence first,
"What's your take on this? It seems there's little in the way of new intelligence. Sakumo Hatake's interactions have been minimal, with the only notable, 'suspicious' contact that could be of interest being Hikari Hyuga throughout this period and even before then.",
"Furthermore, our intelligence from the Hyuga clan has dwindled significantly and now nearly entirely gone dry, suggesting that we've also been probably receiving possibly misleading information from them for quite some time.",
"It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction regarding this clan. Yet, it's evident from what transpired recently that the Hyuga clan plays a central role in all these developments...", Hiruzen shared his thoughts, analyzing the situation with a critical eye.
Danzo, ever the proponent of a more stringent approach, seized the moment to voice his longstanding viewpoint, "The Hyuga clan's maneuvers are clearly at the heart of these recent events. I've mentioned before, Hiruzen, that allowing my Root division to oversee surveillance of these clans might have prevented this situation. The Anbu you control, this time around, has unfortunately not met the challenge objectively...", He stated, his tone reflecting both criticism and a veiled assertion of his belief in the superiority of his methods.
"While Anbu's performance might have been lacking his time around, it's unfair to lay the blame solely at Hiruzen's feet, Danzo. The truth is, the Hyuga clan has likely been deceiving not just us but generations before us, including our teacher, possibly even since the village's foundation.",
"It's becoming clear that they hold far more secrets and ambitions than they've let on on the outside. Their potential for danger could very well rival that of the Uchiha clan, and they are clearly much more shrewd than them, so that's what worries me the most about this new development...", Koharu stated, her expression marked by a mix of resolve and concern.
"Indeed, Danzo, it's not as though you had any forewarning about the Hyuga clan's unusual activities to suggest you could've handled it better than Hiruzen yourself. Over the past couple of days, I've been poring over every piece of historical record on the Hyuga I could find. My gut tells me there's something significant we've all missed about their clan's history—a piece of the puzzle that's eluded not just Konoha but even the other major clans of the Warring States period. Now's the time for us to stand united and address this situation with everything we've got, not argue...", Homura added, lending his voice to the conversation.
Danzo, however, still expressed his dissatisfaction with a sharp click of his tongue, "The Anbu's conclusions and actions are still flawed; in my view, the mistakes didn't stop...",
"Just look at this so-called ' intelligence'. How can they place so much emphasis on that 11-year-old boy called Hikari Hyuga? What significant role could he possibly play at his age?",
"It's far more likely that he's merely being used by those cunning and duplicitous elders of the Hyuga clan rather than being a key player himself. I firmly believe that the Hyuga clan's recent actions aren't a sudden shift prompted by Hikari's emergence as a so-called prodigy.",
"This is part of a deeper, long-standing strategy they've been quietly nurturing—staying under the radar to blindside us or for some other ulterior motive we've yet to uncover or to catch us off-guard like a few days ago once they deem it is the right time. It's a classic clan grand strategy, not the oversimplified narrative that an 11-year-old boy is behind it all.",
"They're likely using the boy as a diversion, to sow confusion among us and to covertly forge a connection with Sakumo through him. That's the real extent of his involvement in my opinion and judging by common sense...", Danzo asserted, his frustration evident as he gestured dismissively at the documents on the table that highlighted Hikari's movements.
Upon hearing Danzo's sharp critique, Koharu and Homura opted for silence, their quiet possibly indicating a partial agreement with his analysis.
Hiruzen, however, found himself caught in a familiar cycle of contemplation and concern as he observed the exchange among his advisors.
He understood the function of Danzo's Root organization, founded not long ago as a counterpart to the Anbu but with a focus skewed towards espionage, sabotage, and operations that often skirted moral boundaries, especially beyond the village's borders.
Danzo's eagerness to critique Anbu's shortcomings seemed to Hiruzen like an opportune moment for him to vie for more influence, resources, and power for Root and himself.
Yet, Hiruzen's attention returned to the documents sprawled before him, particularly the analysis emphasizing Hikari Hyuga's involvement.
The Hokage harbored doubts about the young Hyuga's exaggerated role, as presented by the Anbu. He knew that the real machinations came from within the Hyuga clan's senior ranks.
They had orchestrated the rallying and 'bewitching' of Sakumo Hatake and various smaller clans, reaching out to the Uchiha, who were naturally inclined to oppose the current village hierarchy as well.
Hiruzen recognized the elder Hyuga figures, like the clan's current old Patriarch—a man of considerable wisdom and experience—as the true architects behind these developments.
"Whatever has happened is in the past; there's no point in dwelling on it, Danzo. And as Koharu and Homura have implied, I'm skeptical that anyone could have handled this situation much better under the circumstances.",
"Let's not forget that it was largely upon your advice and under your guidance that we initiated those rumors about Sakumo and sought to isolate him. And what did it lead to? Can you see now that assigning blame is futile? We are all in this together. It's time to put aside the question of fault and focus on our next steps...", Hiruzen said, his tone firm and his gaze sharpening as he addressed Danzo at this time.
Despite their longstanding friendship and the complex dynamics of their relationship, Hiruzen maintained a significant advantage over Danzo. Physically and mentally still relatively near the peak of his abilities, Hiruzen wielded considerable influence, ensuring that, despite Danzo's ambitions and maneuvers for greater power, the balance of control remained firmly in his hands.
While Danzo's current power is not insignificant, it is ultimately circumscribed by his utility to Hiruzen and the broader interests of the village. Hiruzen valued Danzo's contributions and recognized the importance of having someone with Danzo's particular skills and perspective.
However, he was careful to ensure that Danzo's reach did not extend beyond what was beneficial for Konoha's stability and prosperity and beyond his own position and power.