When Byakuya and Amegakure were mentioned, the Third Hokage didn't want to consider the threat posed by Amegakure.
No matter how powerful the upper echelons of Amegakure might be, their growth would be constrained by the number of ninjas and geographical limitations, preventing them from developing into a village on the level of the Rock or Cloud Villages.
Even if they achieved a status comparable to one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, it could relieve some pressure from Konoha coming from the north.
However, the Uchiha clan was entirely different. Although the Uchiha were allies within the village, they were also the most unstable factor among all the clans.
Back during the time of the First Hokage, Uchiha Madara had defected from the village and even attacked Konoha with the Nine-Tails.
During the Second Hokage Tobirama's time, there were also radical Uchiha like Uchiha Shin, who, dissatisfied with his master's policies, secretly plotted a coup d'état.
Though this coup had been suppressed before it could begin, it demonstrated the Uchiha's ambition.
Now, decades later, it was impossible for the Third Hokage to believe that the Uchiha had lost such thoughts.
Moreover, many questions remained regarding the events of the Night of the Nine-Tails.
Was the identity of Masked Man truly Uchiha? Did the Uchiha collaborate with the Masked Man against Minato? Or was the Masked Man possibly just Shisui in disguise?
If Shisui had indeed awakened the Mangekyou during that time, he should have competed for the position of Fourth Hokage.
The Third Hokage shook his head. He tried hard not to think about the Uchiha's threat, yet it was undeniable that they were indeed a destabilizing factor for the village, one that could explode at any moment.
However, to act against the Uchiha without any evidence would not only go against the Will of Fire, but the other clans in the village would also feel a pressing threat and become estranged from the Hokage's office.
With these thoughts, the Third Hokage turned to Danzo and said slowly, "Danzo, I know you have always held a bias against the Uchiha, but right now they are contributors to the village. We cannot doubt them based on some baseless claims. Also, I heard that your Root division has recently been actively recruiting but hasn't achieved sufficient results…"
Upon hearing this, Danzo's expression instantly became serious, and he shifted the topic, saying, "Hiruzen, don't forget what our teacher Tobirama once said: the Uchiha are a clan born of evil."
The Third Hokage's expression changed slightly, and soon the two began to argue.
Seeing this, Koharu and Homura were no strangers to this scene. Every time the Third Hokage and Danzo got into a dispute, Hiruzen would always use his position as Hokage to overshadow Danzo.
Danzo, on the other hand, would reference their shared teacher, Tobirama, using his words to counter Hiruzen, but the deceased Hokage could not compete with the current Hokage.
Such disputes would often end in Danzo's defeat.
A few minutes later, Danzo, with a dark expression, walked toward the door. As he opened it, he said, "Hiruzen, if you continue to indulge the Uchiha, you will regret it one day!"
Without hesitation, the Third Hokage replied, "But right now, I am the Hokage!"
With a heavy slam, the door closed behind Danzo as he left the Hokage building, his expression gloomy and uncertain. He knew that every time he attended high-level meetings, the Third Hokage would surely refute his opinions.
But for the sake of Konoha, and to become Hokage, he still came to the Hokage building without hesitation.
Though it seemed like Hiruzen had rebutted him at every turn, he had definitely kept Danzo's words in mind. This was the tacit understanding they had developed over decades, as well as their original agreement.
He would bear the village's dark side, allowing Hiruzen to bask in the light.
However, it felt excessive that Hiruzen had enjoyed a life in the sunlight for decades and had already retired from the Hokage position. Now, taking advantage of the Fourth Hokage's death to continue suppressing him and maintain control over the Hokage position seemed too unfair.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were unwilling to become Hokage, which prevented him and Orochimaru from seizing that position.
Did he want to remain in the position of Hokage, waiting for his son, the Anbu Minister Sarutobi Shinji, to grow up, allowing the Sarutobi clan to become the next Hokage?
With this thought in mind, Danzo, who had been walking along the shadows of the wall, glanced toward the sliver of light just a few steps away.
He longed to become Hokage, but the power he had accumulated was still insufficient, and his aging body had significantly weakened his strength. Unless the Wood Release experiment yielded results, all his efforts would be in vain.
Half an hour later, Danzo arrived at the Root laboratory located outside the village.
As he prepared to enter the lab to inquire about the experiment from Orochimaru, he encountered him at the exit.
Orochimaru wore a gloomy expression. Upon seeing Danzo, he shook his head and said, "Danzo, the results of the Wood Release experiment deviated from our expectations. This time, the experiment failed."
Hearing this, Danzo's previously relaxed expression darkened again. "Orochimaru, what do you mean by that? We invested so much money and manpower into the Wood Release experiment. Why did it fail?"
"It's normal for experiments to fail. I can't do anything about it," Orochimaru replied, his tone flat.
Danzo locked eyes with Orochimaru and continued, "This isn't some excuse to embezzle funds, is it? The Root will not provide any more funding for the Wood Release experiment!"
Without a trace of emotion, Orochimaru said, "Then do as you please, Lord Danzo. I have no interest in the Wood Release experiment anymore. The materials regarding the experiment are all inside. If you wish to continue researching Wood Release, go ahead."
After saying this, Orochimaru left without looking back, as he had other experiments to attend to.
This large-scale experiment made him realize that the power of Wood Release was uncontrollable; unless a chosen one emerged, no one could survive the backlash from Hashirama's cells.
Watching Orochimaru walk away, Danzo felt an unwillingness well up inside him as he entered the laboratory to collect the experimental data.
Orochimaru was still young, only in his forties. He could afford to abandon the Wood Release experiment, but Danzo couldn't. He needed to obtain the First Hokage's power.
As he delved deeper into the laboratory, Danzo looked at the experimental subjects floating in glass containers.
These subjects had either lost their life force or turned into twisted Wood Release monsters, some peaceful and some grotesque, all trapped within their glass prisons.
Suddenly, Danzo heard a faint sound of crying and frowned.
Following the sound, he searched through the glass containers and in an inconspicuous corner, he discovered a subject that was still alive. Although the subject had been removed from the glass container, they were still breathing.
Danzo picked up the subject, feeling the abundant Yang Release chakra within them.
A smile crept onto Danzo's face.
Orochimaru's Wood Release plan had not failed; there was still a living subject, and this outcome was unknown to Orochimaru. This was a tremendous opportunity for Danzo.
Now, he could secretly cultivate the subject while gradually pushing Orochimaru out of the power center.