Certain Three: "And then?"
"Meeting's over. Let's go dance."
"..."
While Ye Wudi was happily spending his evenings studying and exchanging notes with Hinata, basking in the Hyuga clan's growing acceptance of him…
In the Konoha village council chamber
Bang!
Shimura Danzo slammed his palm on the table, his face twisted in fury.
"That brat Ye Wudi has gone too far. How dare he lay hands on members of the Foundation!"
"Not only that he's just a commoner, yet he's mastered Uchiha Shisui's Body Flicker Technique. I suspect he's an undercover operative the Uchiha planted in the Hyuga clan!"
Danzo couldn't wrap his head around it. He had just dispatched seven elite operatives yet none had been intercepted by Kakashi or the ANBU.
No. They were utterly toyed with by a mere thirteen-year-old brat named Ye Wudi.
One chunin killed. Three crippled.
And the three who returned? Only made it back because the boy had let them go.
But so what?
The more talented Ye Wudi was, the more thrilled Danzo became.
Because if he could bring such a gifted individual under his control, his dream of becoming Hokage would take a massive step forward!
He had already missed the chance with Uchiha Shisui. This time, he wouldn't let the opportunity slip away.
His thoughts settled, Danzo immediately straightened up and spoke with assertive righteousness:
"Someone like him must be placed under my supervision. Entrust him to me, and I will shape him into a true shinobi!"
"Only within the Foundation can he truly understand"
"No."
Before Danzo could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off coldly.
Was this a joke?
Hand the boy over to be molded into some emotionless tool?
Did Danzo think he was an idiot?
A talent like Ye Wudi should be nurtured under the Will of Fire brought up to shine for the village, not buried in the shadows!
"Listen to me, Hiruzen! That boy must go to the Foundation. Only there can he fully realize his potential!"
Despite Hiruzen's clear opposition, Danzo remained unmoved and stubbornly pressed his case.
But the Third Hokage simply pressed the end of his pipe hard against the tabletop, his face darkening, eyes locked on Danzo with a steely glare.
"He's under my protection. Remember this well, Danzo I am the Hokage."
"You"
Danzo gritted his teeth. Hiruzen's tone left no room for argument.
Furious but helpless, Danzo averted his gaze and finally fell silent.
"Hmph. You'll regret this."
"..."
While Danzo and Hiruzen were engaged in their endless back-and-forth…
Beside them, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado calmly sipped their tea, gently blowing the steam as if nothing was happening.
How long are these two going to bicker?
It's been decades. Aren't they tired yet?
Sigh… I really hope this meeting ends soon. We still want to go home and dance Paradise Lost…
Ever since they started dancing to Paradise Lost, their backs didn't ache, their knees didn't hurt, and they felt twenty years younger.
They could even carry groceries up five flights of stairs in one breath.
The feeling honestly? It was like reliving their youth all over again.
A few moments later, as Hiruzen and Danzo continued their intense stare-down…
Koharu and Homura suddenly stood up.
Seeing this, both Hiruzen and Danzo frowned in unison.
"Where are you two going?" they both asked at the exact same time.
"..."
As soon as they finished speaking, they immediately turned their heads away, not wanting to look at each other.
Koharu and Homura, long used to this tired routine after decades of watching the same drama unfold, casually gathered their things and offered a light explanation:
"Oh, nothing important. We're just going to dance."
"That's right. Just going for a bit of dancing."
Dancing?
The word hit like a pebble in a pond.
Danzo and Hiruzen's earlier fury was instantly replaced by confusion as they turned toward the duo.
Hiruzen, especially, paused for a moment. Then a strange glint flashed in his eyes.
"What kind of dance?"
"Oh, it's nothing special. Just the one that kid performs at school sometimes."
Hiruzen's expression changed instantly. He slammed the table and stood up.
"Paradise Lost!"
"Hmm? Hiruzen, you know about that dance?"
Koharu and Homura both looked at him with puzzled faces.
Even Danzo was now staring at Hiruzen like he had grown a second head.
Feeling all their eyes on him, Hiruzen cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem, yes, yes… I've heard of it. Just… in passing…"
"Oh, since you already know, then we'll leave this Ye Wudi discussion to you. Just let us know the result."
"Yes, we'll go along with whatever's decided. We have no objections."
Danzo could barely contain his rage. They were ditching a crucial meeting to dance?!
He let out a cold snort.
"Do you two even look like village elders anymore? This is disgraceful!"
He turned toward Hiruzen, expecting backup.
"Don't you agree, Hiruzen? Wait what are you doing…?"
To his utter disbelief, Hiruzen was also tidying up his things, getting ready to leave.
"Ah, well… This Ye Wudi issue probably won't be resolved tonight. And it's already getting late. Why don't we reconvene another day?"
"..."
Hiruzen, you bastard!
You're the Hokage, for crying out loud! Show some responsibility!
And Ye Wudi, you little punk… instead of training properly, what are you doing learning how to dance?!
What the hell is that even good for?!
Ding! You've gained 666 points of negative emotion from Shimura Danzo!
Ding! You've gained additional negative emotion from Shimura Danzo…
Despite the gnashing frustration eating away at Danzo's insides, the three others had already left.
One voice of opposition meant nothing at this point.
Still, the longer he sat in the empty chamber, the more uneasy Danzo became.
"Wait a minute… What kind of dance could possibly have that kind of pull? Enough to make all three of them abandon a council meeting?"
"Damn it! They're definitely using the dancing as a cover secretly plotting how to win Ye Wudi over!"
"No… I've got to go see for myself…"
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