It was clear that having Takuya as Tsunade's disciple meant he was now aligned with the Hokage's faction.

Even though he had Uchiha blood, this alignment would keep him from being fully integrated into the village's power center, but at least he wouldn't face the same prejudice as the rest of the Uchiha.

But this carefully laid plan was now being disrupted.

One Takuya was enough. Adding Uchiha Mikoto to Tsunade's tutelage might lead the Uchiha to develop certain... undesirable thoughts.

This was something the Third Hokage could not accept.

Even if he were willing to overlook it, Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado certainly wouldn't agree.

"I just remembered something," Jiraiya said, clapping his hands.

"Tsunade mentioned this kid's a great cook. She hasn't stopped talking about it."

"..."

The Third Hokage was speechless. Was the reason Tsunade favored him really just because he was a good cook?

Seeing the Hokage deep in thought, Jiraiya decided to make his exit.

"Old man, you think it over. I'm heading out. I'll be at the academy tomorrow."

Jiraiya figured it was better to get out and look for new inspiration for his writing than to sit around talking to the Hokage.

With Tsunade still in the village, he didn't dare go to the bathhouse for fear of getting caught by her. A single punch from her could leave him half-dead.

"Hm," the Third Hokage nodded, waving his hand to dismiss Jiraiya.

Jiraiya shook the papers in his hand before leaping out of the window.

Not long after Jiraiya left, someone arrived, just as the Third Hokage expected.

It was Danzo, the head of Konoha's Root.

Was Danzo's influence growing too much?

There was no hiding anything that happened in the Hokage's office from him. Within ten minutes, Danzo would surely show up.

This made the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, uncomfortable.

The Root was a power granted by him, but that didn't mean Danzo had the right to infiltrate those closest to him.

"Sarutobi, I've always said the Uchiha cannot be trusted."

"Now that the news is out, where will you and I hide our faces?"

The Third Hokage shook his head, not wanting to engage in this conversation with Danzo.

"How's the situation in the Land of Rain?"

In the past year or two, as the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo the Salamander, had risen to prominence, the village's actions had become increasingly aggressive.

According to intelligence gathered by the ANBU, Amegakure seemed to be preparing for war.

Under Hanzo's leadership, the tiny village was rapidly expanding its military power, increasing both its number of ninjas and overall strength.

The destruction of Uzushiogakure had already caused undercurrents of tension across the shinobi world, which had been peaceful for years.

Except for the isolated Land of Water, the frequency of minor conflicts between other nations had been steadily rising.

"Hanzo hasn't made any rash moves yet, but we need to stay vigilant. If the Land of Rain, under Hanzo's leadership, manages to annex the Land of Grass, it will become another formidable enemy for Konoha."

As Amegakure's strength continued to grow, Hanzo, known as a "demigod," would not be content with staying in a harsh, sparsely populated country.

War and the invasion of other nations were the only paths for the Land of Rain to grow.

And their first target would likely be Konoha's ally, the ever-unstable Land of Grass.

The great nations had a tacit agreement that the buffer zones between them should not become too powerful.

If the Land of Rain were to initiate a war, they'd be playing with fire.

"ANBU and Root are keeping a close watch on the Land of Rain. If there's any sign of trouble, our spies will bring the information back immediately."

Danzo was confident. He believed his arrangements were flawless. It was only a matter of time before Hanzo made his move.

"Let's hope Hanzo isn't blinded by the lure of war," the Third Hokage sighed.

Danzo was a hawk, while the Third Hokage leaned towards peace.

But even as a dove, if the Land of Rain were to invade the Land of Grass or Konoha's territory, he would have no choice but to go to war with them.

The conversation had drifted far off course.

Annoyed, Danzo furrowed his brow and said coldly, "Sarutobi, setting aside the Land of Rain for now, you can't just ignore the Uchiha situation."

"Those two kids even want to reject the village's arrangements! I always knew the Uchiha were inherently wicked. Why don't we just—"

"That's enough, Danzo!"

The Third Hokage couldn't take it anymore. Danzo was going too far. He sternly cut him off.

"I'll take care of these two children. If they truly wish to form a two-person squad, I'll approve it."

"We're all part of Konoha, and the Uchiha are Konoha's Uchiha."

"Now, go back and keep a close eye on Amegakure. Don't give them a chance to start a war."

"But Root is short on manpower…"

Whether it was the Uchiha or the Land of Rain, they were just excuses. Danzo's ultimate goal was to strengthen Root and expand his power.

Even though he had infiltrated ANBU, only Root was truly under his control. His power would continue to grow only by expanding Root.

He had already asked to expand Root's ranks several times, but the Third Hokage hadn't agreed.

The Third Hokage believed that in peacetime, with ANBU and Root working together, there was no need for Root to grow any larger.

But now that the Land of Rain was starting to show its fangs, with many ANBU sent out on missions, there was a shortage of manpower.

Danzo had brought this up at just the right moment, making it difficult for the Third Hokage to refuse outright.

After some consideration, the Hokage said, "I'll discuss this with Koharu and Homura. You may go now."

"I'll be waiting for your decision."

Satisfied with the response, Danzo left.

As for Takuya and Mikoto, they had already slipped from his mind. To him, they were just two Uchiha brats—not worth his attention.

"Old man, you wanted to see me?"

Tsunade arrived, still in her medical garb, fresh from the hospital.

"This is about Takuya Yagami and Uchiha Mikoto's application," the Third Hokage said, handing her the completed paperwork.

And you called me over just for this?