NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Typical Danzo
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At this moment, Uchiha Ken couldn't help but recall all the little moments over the past half year when Mikoto interacted with his youngest son.
Add to that, his son had prepared special medicinal bath formulas twice and specifically told him to make sure Mikoto got some too.
When you put it all together, it really did seem like there was a hint of something... different.
The First Elder didn't know what was running through Ken's mind. He chuckled and countered, "A kid barely over one year old creating such powerful medicinal formulas? And with all the signs he's shown since birth, do you really think your son is just an ordinary one-year-old?"
This boy was a monster—a genius of unimaginable potential.
As long as nothing happened to him, he was bound to reach heights never seen before, and he could very well lead the Uchiha clan to those same unprecedented heights.
In Uchiha Kira, the Great (First) Elder even saw shadows of someone who might surpass Uchiha Madara himself.
That was precisely why he hesitated to agree to the marriage alliance between Mikoto and Fugaku.
Compared to the average Fugaku, the Great Elder now placed his bets on Uchiha Kira.
And when it came to Mikoto and Kira's relationship? He saw great potential there.
The idea that Kira might not grow into his potential? That thought never even crossed his mind.
With a father like Uchiha Ken, plus the support of himself and the Third Elder, how could they not ensure that Kira grew up safe and sound?
"Uh... You're right about that! That kid really can't be viewed like a normal one-year-old. Haha!"
Ken laughed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
Still, he felt that talking about Kira and Mikoto's marriage at this point was a bit absurd.
"I mean, the age gap was pretty big."
But then again, maybe this wasn't his decision to make.
What if Kira himself didn't mind?
"This kind of thing should probably be left for Kira and Mikoto to figure out on their own," Ken said to the Great Elder. "It's not really our place to decide for them.
"Of course, in principle, I don't oppose it. I don't think my wife, Mika, would either. She's really fond of Mikoto."
The Great Elder nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then we'll let the kids handle it themselves. No need for us to interfere.
"As for Fugaku, I'll hold off for now. Let's see what Kira and Mikoto decide for themselves.
"I'm sure within the next three to five years, they'll figure it out."
In the meantime, the Great Elder also wanted to use this time to see what kind of future Kira had.
Was he just a flash in the pan, or would he continue being the monstrous genius he seemed to be?
"I've got no objections. Haha!" Ken said with a knowing smile.
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At Uchiha Kira's house:
"What? The Great Elder wants to set up Kira and Mikoto?"
When Uchiha Mika heard this from her husband, she was utterly stunned.
"Pretty much," Ken said with a sigh. "He didn't outright say it, but that's basically what he's getting at. Looks like he's taken notice of Kira's talent and is trying to place his bet early."
"What do you think? Isn't the age gap between them a bit much?"
Mika just laughed and shook her head. "Why does that matter? Mikoto's a great girl.
"She's got the looks, the figure, the personality, and the talent. Honestly, she'd be a perfect match for our little Kira."
"Of course, it's all up to him in the end. We're just his parents; it's not our decision to make."
Not like Kira would listen to them, anyway.
"True," Ken nodded.
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In the Hokage's office:
Danzo had come to see the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. The first thing he said was, "Hiruzen, you've probably heard about what's happening with the Uchiha, haven't you?"
"Hm?"
Hiruzen, puffing on his pipe, glanced at Danzo and nodded. "Yeah, I've heard. The Uchiha sure live up to their name—always producing geniuses."
"Hmph!"
Danzo snorted coldly. "No matter how many geniuses they have, it doesn't change the fact that the Uchiha are inherently evil.
"Hiruzen, don't forget what our teacher said about the Uchiha, and the policies he set in place. I want to take Uchiha Kira into Root for training. What do you think?"
"Absolutely not!"
Hiruzen rolled his eyes. "That's Uchiha Ken's son, and he's only one year old. Do you seriously think they'd agree to that?"
What was Danzo even thinking?
Suggesting something so ridiculous was just a waste of time.
If the Uchiha actually agreed to it, they wouldn't even be the Uchiha anymore, and Hiruzen wouldn't have to worry about them being a threat.
But Danzo wasn't giving up. He argued, "We can't just sit by and watch another Uchiha genius rise to power. This kid might grow to surpass even Madara at his peak. Who knows how dangerous he'll become?
"The only way to ensure our safety is to snuff out this threat while it's still in the cradle."
Of course, Danzo wouldn't admit that he also coveted Kira's talent. He wanted to mold Kira into a weapon he could control.
Did he truly hate the Uchiha?
Yes but he was also jealous—jealous of their natural-born talent.
If he'd been born with that kind of talent, he'd have taken the Hokage seat long ago.
Hell, he could've surpassed the First Hokage and Madara, united the ninja world, and become its supreme ruler.
"Enough!"
Hiruzen's face darkened, and he sternly warned Danzo, "A child is just a child. We can't target him just because he's an Uchiha.
"I won't allow you to lay a finger on him."
If Danzo went off the rails, it could lead to chaos for both the Uchiha and the entire village.
Hiruzen also wasn't blind to his old friend's true intentions, which only made him more determined to block Danzo's schemes.
"Hiruzen... You'll regret this!"
"The Uchiha are evil—they don't deserve sympathy!" Danzo shouted, visibly furious.
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk. "That's enough!"
"Don't forget—I'm the Hokage."
"I know what I'm doing!"
"The Uchiha are part of Konoha, and I won't let you act recklessly. I'll handle this."
Danzo clenched his teeth in frustration.
His thoughts were out of jealousy and envy. If I hadn't been just one step too late, the teacher would've chosen me as Hokage. Hiruzen, you're no better than me. In fact, I'd make a better Hokage than you ever could.
But he kept those words to himself.
With a huff, Danzo turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Left alone, Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe and thought to himself, 'Danzo's hostility toward the Uchiha is far too extreme. This isn't how a Hokage should handle things.'
The Uchiha were still an essential part of the village. He couldn't allow Danzo to mess things up.
"I need to speed up efforts to train and recruit talented ninja from smaller clans and civilian families. '
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