365. On How to Tame the Uchiha

Having witnessed all the recent changes within the Uchiha clan, Danzō soon revealed a satisfied smile.

To him, the Uchiha were like a pack of wild and arrogant wolves.

Only when you demonstrated sufficient strength would they transform into your most loyal hounds.

This analogy might seem a bit inappropriate, but it was indeed quite fitting.

"As expected of Lord Danzō. Perhaps you are the only one who could bring about such a significant change in the Uchiha," said Aburame Ryoma, standing beside Danzō, with genuine sincerity.

This wasn't mere flattery; it was the truth.

The Uchiha's arrogance was world-renowned; they bowed to no one.

Aside from Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage who founded Konoha, only Danzō could make them yield in such a manner.

Danzō, however, showed no sign of arrogance.

He simply smiled faintly and said, "Taming a pack of wolves is no simple task. Besides conquering them with strength, you also need to throw them a few bones."

As Ryoma pondered the meaning of these words, Danzō slowly rose, leaning on his cane, and headed straight for the Uchiha clan's territory.

Indeed, while the Uchiha clan was united in their rigorous training, striving to one day avenge their grievances, Danzō, their greatest "enemy," took the initiative to visit, arriving at the doorstep of Fugaku Uchiha, the clan leader.

"Dammit, is Danzō here to cause trouble for the clan leader again?"

"We've already given up our positions in the Konoha Military Police Force. Is this old fiend still not satisfied?"

"We can't let him harm Clan Leader Fugaku!"

Though the streets were empty, many Uchiha shinobi were secretly following, trying to figure out what this old man was up to.

Danzō, however, merely glanced at them indifferently.

An inexplicable fear began to grow in the hearts of these onlookers, as if that single glance had reignited the terror they felt the night Danzō dominated them.

In an instant, the courage they had mustered vanished.

Fortunately, Fugaku, having received advance notice, came out to greet Danzō before he could knock.

"Elder Danzō, I apologize for not welcoming you sooner."

Though Fugaku's attitude remained respectful, Danzō could clearly sense a hint of... wariness in him.

Danzō smiled faintly and said bluntly, "Fugaku, are you worried that I might cause trouble in your clan again?"

Hearing such a direct question, Fugaku's face momentarily showed panic.

However, years of experience as clan leader allowed him to quickly regain his composure.

"Elder Danzō, you overthink it. I'm just a bit tired from my duties in the Military Police Force."

After offering this casual explanation, Fugaku quickly changed the subject.

"The wind is strong outside. Please, Elder Danzō, come inside."

Seeing this, Danzō chuckled lightly and didn't press further, following Fugaku into the residence.

This allowed Fugaku to quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

It seemed Elder Danzō had no intention of causing another scene.

While the last conflict had brought about positive changes for the Uchiha clan, another incident would be difficult to manage.

As soon as Danzō entered the residence, he felt two curious gazes upon him.

Following the looks, he saw Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha.

The three-year-old Sasuke was sitting on the floor, playing with his toys—wooden kunai and shuriken crafted by Itachi.

It was clear that the Uchiha were indeed a clan born for battle.

Noticing Danzō's arrival, Itachi quickly pulled his younger brother to his feet and bowed politely.

"Greetings, Lord Danzō!"

However, Sasuke, unlike his brother, was not as courteous.

Influenced by the clan's atmosphere, Sasuke had already begun to display the Uchiha's characteristic pride.

Upon learning that this old man was the one who had defeated all the Uchiha shinobi, his little face puffed up in anger.

"Are you the old man who defeated all the Uchiha's strongest?"

Hearing Sasuke's question, Fugaku and Itachi's expressions changed dramatically.

Fugaku was about to scold him, but Danzō raised his hand to stop him.

He crouched down, ruffled Sasuke's hair, and said with a smile, "I heard the Uchiha have another little genius. That must be you, Sasuke, right?"

Sasuke's cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish as he ignored his father's warning glare and retorted angrily, "That's right! One day, I'll defeat you and avenge the Uchiha clan!"


This declaration made Danzō burst into laughter, but Fugaku and Mikoto, who had just arrived, turned pale.

Everyone in Konoha knew that Danzō was a ruthless figure. What if he held a grudge against their youngest son?

Fortunately, Danzō didn't seem to mind Sasuke's insolence.

Instead, he pinched the boy's cheek with appreciation and said, "Good, very spirited! I'll be waiting for your challenge, Sasuke!"

Hearing this, Sasuke proudly lifted his chin, seemingly ready to say more.

But Fugaku didn't dare let him continue and quickly said, "Itachi, take your brother away at once!"

Hearing Fugaku's order, Itachi snapped out of his observation of Danzō.

He quickly picked up Sasuke and carried him back to their room.


Watching the two children disappear, Fugaku apologized profusely, "I'm truly sorry, Elder Danzō. It's my fault for not disciplining him properly..."

Danzō raised his hand, smiling as he interrupted Fugaku's apology.

"No matter. Children should be full of vitality! That's how the new generation of Konoha should be."

Seeing that Danzō wasn't truly angry, Fugaku and Mikoto finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, they had high hopes for Itachi and Sasuke. If Danzō held a grudge over this, it would be disastrous.

Seeing their concern, Danzō chuckled helplessly.

"Alright, don't worry. I'm not that petty."

Not giving them a chance to continue their formalities, Danzō tapped his cane on the ground, straightened up, and said solemnly, "Let me get straight to the point. I've come here today for a very important matter."

A very important matter... Fugaku's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became serious.

But the next moment, Danzō's words left him utterly stunned, as they were truly shocking—

"I want you to become one of Konoha's advisory elders."