The Hokage's office was silent, Hiruzen Sarutobi deep in thought as he gazed at the village through the window.
The calm was abruptly broken when the doors swung open, revealing Danzo, his face filled with barely contained fury.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo growled, without preamble. "We need to talk about Chen Hyuga."
Hiruzen turned, looking at his old friend with a weary expression. "What is it, Danzo?" he asked, already anticipating his intentions.
"That young Hyuga has bad intentions," Danzo snapped. "We need to deal with him before he causes any trouble."
Hiruzen remained impassive. "Chen is a member of the Hyuga Clan. Any move against him could trigger internal conflicts in Konoha. You know how important it is to maintain peace."
Danzo frowned, undeterred. "But he doesn't even possess the Byakugan. Why would the Hyuga Clan care about him?"
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, calmly observing Danzo. "Enough, I've made a decision, Danzo. Tomo Uzumaki will be the new Jinchūriki of the Kyubi."
The news shocked Danzo, leaving him momentarily speechless. His eyes widened in disbelief at Hiruzen's decision.
"Tomo Uzumaki?!" Danzo couldn't hide his bewilderment. "But Kushina would be a much more powerful option."
Hiruzen nodded. "I know, but Tomo is more docile and easier to control. With Kushina, there would always be the risk of her challenging authority."
Unable to convince Hiruzen, Danzo clenched his fists in frustration. With nothing more to say, he turned and left the office, his disappointment and resentment palpable.
Once alone, Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his temples.
He knew his decision would not be well received by Danzo, but Konoha's stability was his primary concern.
Tomo, with his more submissive personality, offered him greater control over the Kyubi's power.
However, Hiruzen couldn't completely ignore Chen and his close circle. So, he ordered several Anbu to keep a close watch on them.
Meanwhile, in the Root office, Danzo let his anger consume him. With a roar of frustration, he overturned his desk, allowing his emotions to surface.
"Sarutobi, I won't give up!" he roared.
_____
The atmosphere at the Ninja Academy was tense. All eyes were on Chen as he walked through the hallways, accompanied by Mikoto and Kushina.
After all, Kushina had moved into Chen's house, a fact that was public knowledge.
Although there was no law prohibiting multiple relationships in the world of Naruto, the situation of Chen, who at the tender age of less than six years had two girlfriends, was viewed with envy and seen as a position of superiority among his peers.
Once they entered the classroom, many of their male classmates looked at him with all kinds of emotions.
Among them, Nawaki looked at him with a mix of irritation and jealousy.
Chen gladly accepted those envious and jealous gazes, looking at these children with the attitude of a winner in life.
Nawaki clenched his fist, his gaze fixed on Chen. "You... your gaze annoys me, you damn bastard! I feel like beating you until that stupid smug expression is gone."
Chen smiled arrogantly. "Is that the best you can do? A howl from a lonely dog like you can't understand what it means to be a winner in life like me."
Crossing his arms, he looked down at Nawaki. "While you can barely crawl, I'm already standing above you, looking down at the mere mortals from on high."
Nawaki grew even more furious. "You're more annoying than Jian, damn it!" His eyes sparkled with resentment.
"Ignorant? Superficial?" Chen let out a mocking laugh. "I'm just stating a fact. Do you think I'm arrogant?"
"That you have two girlfriends?" Nawaki spat the words, saliva escaping the corner of his mouth. "You're an arrogant bastard, but you'll see, in the future, my girlfriend will be a hundred times prettier than yours, and then you'll be the one envying me."
Chen looked at Nawaki with an expression of feigned astonishment and patted him on the shoulder. "Do you think you can handle something like that with that little body of yours?"
"Nawaki, Chen, return to your seats immediately!" Kuri entered the classroom and, seeing the two boys in the middle of a heated exchange, roared.
During the history class of Konoha, Chen remained distracted and bored. While the teacher, Kuri, narrated the official version of events, omitting important details about Madara Uchiha and presenting him as a villain, Chen knew the truth was more complicated than that.
"Lies and manipulation," Chen thought, frustrated by the distorted narrative being taught. Around him, other students like Shikaku listened attentively, unaware of the true story that had likely been altered by figures like Tobirama or Danzo due to their hatred for the Uchiha.
The class ended, and Chen, Mikoto, and Kushina began walking back home. However, Chen's expression grew serious as he deliberately led them down a dark and quiet path, away from the crowd.
Mikoto and Kushina exchanged nervous glances, not fully understanding Chen's actions.
After walking down the dark path, where barely anyone passed by, Chen stopped, his expression turning cold.
"Come out!" he ordered, his voice firm.
Surprised, the girls heard footsteps approaching behind them. A ninja with a dog mask approached, only his eyes visible through the holes.
Mikoto and Kushina moved closer to Chen, a flash of nervousness in their eyes.
"Chen Hyuga, Lord Danzo requests your presence. Please come with me," said the ninja in a monotone voice.
Upon hearing Danzo's name, Chen's expression hardened even more.
He had no good feelings toward that man, whose actions were always justified in the name of Konoha, placing himself on a morally superior position.
"I don't think Danzo has anything good in mind for me," Chen thought. But if it was going to be inevitable, he preferred to handle the situation himself.
Chen turned to Mikoto and Kushina and spoke softly: "What comes next might be a little... bloody. If you're not used to it, close your eyes."
"It seems you've refused," the Root ninja intervened, his eyes turning a deep red. "Then I'll have to take you by force."
Chen was surprised to see the Sharingan. "An Uchiha member in Root?" Then, a slight smile appeared on his face. "Well, this is just what I wanted."
Before the ninja could react, Chen appeared in front of him and, with a quick movement, inserted a violet chakra sphere into his body.
The ninja was immediately paralyzed, his body under Chen's control.
"Pluck out your eyes," Chen ordered coldly.
The Uchiha, now turned into an obedient puppet, ripped out his own eyes without hesitation.
Chen nodded and took out two Sharingan he had obtained from Kaiden. "Put on these eyes and attack the Hokage. Then blame Danzo or the Uchiha for your actions."
"Yes," the ninja responded, placing the eyes in his sockets.
Chen sighed, knowing he would have to perform an eye transplant.
Thanks to Tsunade, he had learned medical ninjutsu, so it wouldn't be a problem.
However, seeing the level of chakra of the ninja, he realized that the plan was not as simple as it seemed.
"If this guy explodes with the strength of a Kage, it will only last a few moments. Then Konoha would capture him and keep the Mangekyō Sharingan," Chen thought, realizing that he had gotten himself into a more complicated situation than he expected.
________
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