And then, to add injury to insult, the man afforded barely a page to speculating on the potential aims of such a third party, the intelligence gathering capabilities – or insider knowledge – needed to know when and how to strike, and the likely abilities required to overcome the Yellow Flash – including space-time manipulation that, notably, none of the Uchiha still in the village actually possessed at the time. Instead, the man moved on with a brief 'but this is beyond the competence of this researcher to speculate and beyond the scope of this thesis besides'.
Ibiki had smiled.
Hiruzen hadn't.
That at least half the Konoha leadership needed a mere civilian to spell that out to them was absolutely galling.
"To be quite honest," Nara Shikaku suddenly said amidst the tension. "The fact that Masanari expects Konoha to punish good service instead of rewarding it has me wondering where we failed.
"
Fugaku pounced immediately on that oblique shot against Danzo, starting a whole new rush of arguments. Hiruzen left them to it and looked grimly at Tobirama's portrait.
Did you know this would happen? He looked to the Fourth's frame next. What didn't you have time to tell me, Minato?
"Lord Hokage," Koharu called just as the tension was about to snap into shouting like they'd barely managed to avoid since that first, disastrous afternoon at the start of this mess. "What have you decided?"
I want this man on my staff, Hiruzen groused internally. He might actually know what peace looks like.
A vain hope, but it was nice to dream. "There is hardly anything to say that has not been said and re-said.
What remains is to determine how the relevant parties act on this information. "
Hiruzen looked at Fugaku then.
Fugaku tossed Danzo one last glare, frowned and pursed his lips as he looked down at his copy of the Masanari Treatise. Glancing at the page, Hiruzen saw it to be the much debated and controversial 'Predictions' section.
Hiruzen turned the pages on his own version and skimmed the words for the dozenth time. The scenarios most likely to occur according to current projections.
Alienation. Defection.
Exodus. Aggressive action.
Bloody counter action. Internal schism.
Violent schism. Coup d'etat.
Failed coup d'etat. Pre-emptive decapitation strike.
Failed decapitation strike. Consequences the same in all cases, different only in the degree of severity.
Moral failure for Konoha, moral Failure for Uchiha, diplomatic failure for both sides, loss of life, collateral damage, unrelated casualties even if the Konoha Military Police does not take advantage of its position to hold Konoha's general populace hostage, all scenarios will foment worry among other clans about being similarly suppressed and purged. Total war unlikely to conclude without survivors that will harbour resentment and betray Konoha to other factions, will eliminate the Sharingan as an asset and/or let hundreds of sharingan eyes to fall in the hands of bad actors, loss of major strategic deterrent will invite overstep by independent actors and any clandestine organisations seeking to fill the vacuum.
Total war will lead to either Konoha's destruction or a complete Uchiha Massacre, butchery of countless men and women and children, worst case scenario, avoid at all costs.
Study limitations: the thesis perspective may be influenced by the researcher's personal bias that 'all costs' does not include 'moral costs,' as there are no moral costs, only losses. Disclaimer: this researcher does not presume to dictate Konoha ninja policy or culture.
Hiruzen looked from the binder to Fugaku. He wondered what the man was thinking.
He wondered what it said about himself that he didn't instantly dismiss the possibility that he would ever order such a thing. He wondered what it meant that he was nonetheless determined not to push things to that point but a random civilian still believed it might happen.
Just a year into the future.
Finally, Fugaku lifted his eyes from the binder. "I want to talk to him face-to-face.
"
Hiruzen barely suppressed his relief and carefully did not look down at the 'Recommendations. ' That was not a refusal.
"Then it's a good thing I took the liberty of summoning him for an appointment today. In fact, I believe he has been waiting for over ten minutes already.
" Hiruzen pulled the crystal ball out of his drawer and activated it, focusing his intent on the public half of his office.
The image and sound cleared just in time to show Masanari Hanzo not even trying to hide his disgruntlement as Naruto talked his ear off while crawling up and down the Hokage's office looking for magic scrolls. "-gotta be some around here, there's no way there aren't, the Old Man never leaves me in here on my own, that's gotta mean he left something for me, believe it!"
"On my own, he says, what am I, a ghost?" Hanzo deadpanned, slumping in his chair. "What did I do to deserve this? I get the waiting, it's a standard power play, but why did he have to drop you on me too?"
"Hey! What's your problem!?"
"You're my problem, weren't you listening?"
"But I didn't do anything!"
The man lifted his head from his hand to stare at Naruto incredulously.
"Oh come on, that was last week and I said I was sorry!"
"Kid, you apologise and hope that maybe the other guy will forgive a harmless mistake. Destroying my only cart, desecrating my family's remains and breaking into my own home to almost kill me isn't an honest mistake, it's at least four cardinal sins piled on top of each other.
"
Naruto opened his mouth, closed it, crossed his arms, turned his back on the man and sullenly dropped on his behind on top of Hiruzen's desk.
Far from being moved, Hanzo quietly sighed and leaned back to enjoy his moment of peace.
Hiruzen frowned, unable to suppress his disappointment. He'd hoped that putting them in a room together would… Ah, but he was starting to understand that Masanari Hanzo had a fundamentally different perspective than the rest of them.
"I wasn't trying to kill you," Naruto muttered, notably not disputing the rest.
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