The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, nodding slightly. "That kid is only ten, right? He's got talent. He's worth focusing on and nurturing."
"There's no issue with the mission report. You're dismissed, Shinku."
Once Yuhi Shinku left the Hokage's office, Hiruzen walked over to the window. From there, he could see Renzo, Kurenai, and Asuma standing together below.
Watching them interact harmoniously and seeing Renzo's calm, clean smile, the Third Hokage also smiled slightly. "A genius, huh? Not bad. Looks like it's time to have Fugaku come over for a chat."
This Uchiha prodigy was someone he wanted under his wing.
He couldn't let the Uchiha clan have him entirely.
Before long, ANBU arrived at Uchiha Fugaku's residence with a summons from the Hokage.
"The Hokage wants to see me? Do you know why?" Fugaku asked curiously, trying to extract some information, but the ANBU remained silent.
With no other choice, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's go."
Soon after, Fugaku stepped into the Hokage's office.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage. May I ask what this is about?" Fugaku said respectfully, giving a slight bow.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, welcome! Have a seat."
The Third Hokage stood up with a friendly smile, gesturing for Fugaku to sit on the nearby couch.
Once they were seated, Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe before speaking. "It's nothing serious, really. I just wanted to talk about Uchiha Renzo."
Fugaku was taken aback.
He knew Renzo—after all, the boy was quite well-known within the Uchiha clan.
He had been the top student in his class, with excellent grades and solid strength. Fugaku had even met him a couple of times and provided some clan resources to support him.
The fire-style and lightning-style jutsu Renzo knew, along with the Uchiha shuriken techniques, had all come from those resources.
Furthermore, Fugaku was aware that Renzo was in the same squad as the Hokage's son, Asuma.
The boy had good character, lacked the typical Uchiha arrogance, and was someone Fugaku had a favorable impression of.
But now, for the Hokage to mention him and personally summon him for a discussion? That was suspicious.
"Did something happen to Renzo that I don't know about? Looks like I'll need to have a talk with him later," Fugaku thought to himself.
Facing the Hokage, he asked directly, "Did Renzo cause some trouble? If so, please be forgiving, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha clan is willing to take responsibility."
Fugaku's tone was cautious. He immediately considered the possibility of past instances where the Hokage and Danzo had targeted Uchiha geniuses.
"Don't tell me this is another attempt to steal talent?"
He wasn't being paranoid—Hiruzen had a history of this behavior.
So, before anything else, he made it clear that the Uchiha clan was standing behind Renzo. They couldn't afford to lose ground in this negotiation.
Fugaku had mixed feelings about the Hokage recruiting Uchiha geniuses into the ANBU.
At first, he had been pleased, thinking it was a sign that the Hokage was willing to integrate the Uchiha into other departments—perhaps even a step toward ending their isolation.
But after witnessing what happened to those recruited geniuses, he realized how naive he had been.
Many of them were either brainwashed into serving the village's leadership, even turning against their own clan, or they mysteriously disappeared under questionable circumstances, with no evidence left behind.
And this was just what Fugaku could sense. He hadn't even mentioned it to the rest of the clan.
The Third Hokage chuckled inwardly at Fugaku's sharp instincts but kept a warm smile on his face. "No, no, he hasn't done anything wrong. On the contrary, I see great potential in him and would like to invite him to join my ANBU. I hope you'll agree."
"Damn it! He really is trying to steal him!"
Fugaku cursed in his mind. At this point, how could he not see the pattern?
This was far too familiar.
Of course, he wasn't about to agree.
He immediately responded, "Well, Renzo is still very young, and his strength isn't quite there yet. Perhaps it would be best to wait a few more years. Also, shouldn't we ask for his opinion on the matter?"
Fugaku had already made up his mind—he would delay the decision for a few years while ensuring that Renzo received as much clan support as possible. By strengthening the boy's ties to the Uchiha, they could make it harder for the Hokage to take him away.
If, in a few years, the Hokage still insisted, then perhaps Renzo could be sent in as an insider—a spy within ANBU.
Hiruzen wasn't entirely sure what Fugaku was thinking, but he acknowledged that his argument was reasonable. He wasn't in a hurry, so he nodded in agreement. "Very well. We'll leave it at that for now. Thank you for coming, Clan Leader Fugaku."
Seeing that the Hokage was dismissing him, Fugaku didn't linger. He bid farewell and left.
The Third Hokage smirked as he watched Fugaku leave with a tense expression. "I'll continue giving Renzo resources and make sure he grows closer to Asuma. Maybe in the future, he'll be to Asuma what Kagami was to me."
As he puffed on his pipe, he reflected on Fugaku's reaction. As a seasoned schemer, he knew exactly what the Uchiha leader was trying to do.
But he wasn't worried.
Summoning Fugaku had simply been a way to establish dominance and set the stage.
Now, it was time to lure Renzo further in.
Additionally, he had high hopes for Asuma—he envisioned his son as the Hokage, even if he couldn't be the Fourth. He just needed to find Asuma the right allies for the right time.
"Bring Uchiha Renzo to me immediately," he ordered.
A hidden ANBU agent obeyed instantly and disappeared in a flash.
Before long, the ANBU arrived at the barbecue restaurant where Renzo was.
"Uchiha Renzo, the Third Hokage has summoned you."
"Huh? The Hokage wants to see me?"
Renzo feigned surprise, though he already had a good guess about why. "It's probably about my Sharingan and my talent. He wants to place more bets on me."
It was clear he was still just a piece on the board in their eyes, but Renzo didn't mind.
Weakness was a sin. The weak were destined to be pawns.
One day, when he surpassed them all, he would no longer be a piece—he would be the player moving the pieces.
The ANBU nodded. "Come with me."
Yuhi Shinku grinned. "It's probably good news. Go quickly—don't keep the Hokage waiting."
"Got it. You guys keep eating. I'll be back soon."
Renzo waved to his team before leaving.
"Come back soon!" Kurenai called out.
Watching him leave, she muttered, "I wonder what the Hokage wants with him. Father, do you know?"
Asuma also turned to his teacher curiously.
"Not sure, but it should be something good. Let's eat while we wait."