Although Third Hokage had no intention of granting Uchiha access to the Book of Seals, the weight of political pressure forced his hand. If he didn't make concessions, he risked losing legitimacy as Hokage entirely.
"Uchiha may read the Book of Seals," he finally announced, "but only individuals approved through formal review, and access is to be specialized—not universal."
Andrew nodded coolly in response, already expecting as much. "That's acceptable. We also request the family allowance withheld from us for years. As you know, we are a large clan. Delays have created too many internal issues."
The Book of Seals was undoubtedly a valuable asset, but Andrew knew the risks of forbidden techniques. He had no plans to recklessly distribute them among all Uchiha. Only select elite members would be given access, and even then, under strict supervision.
Despite the clan's power, Andrew was well aware of its limitations. Chakra reserves varied, and even Mangekyō Sharingan users like Shisui and Itachi struggled to maintain full-body Susano'o without collapsing. Most only used the skeletal form with a single arm.
Andrew was the rare exception. Thanks to the growth of his chakra pool and daily enhancements, he could wield a complete Susano'o with fewer restrictions. Even so, he never underestimated the cost of overextending.
Across the room, the Third Hokage gritted his teeth.
"Damn Uchiha, can't you ever just take the win and leave quietly?"
Uchiha's financial power had become legendary in Konoha. Even without village funding, they operated four luxurious hotels in the Land of Fire, raking in more profits than some clans made in a year.
On top of that, their private mercenary company — Uchiha Security — charged upwards of a million ryo per contract. The Daimyo himself had once issued a 100 million ryo protection order. That was more than Konoha's quarterly budget.
So when Andrew spoke of financial hardship, the entire room wanted to scream.
"Do you even know what 'poverty' means?"
Nevertheless, the meeting ended swiftly. Andrew made his points and didn't press the Third Hokage too hard. The discussion was resolved without confrontation.
Back in the clan compound, Andrew wasted no time. He gathered a team of trusted Uchiha shinobi and submitted their names for Sealed Book access.
"Now that we've got the green light, there's no time to delay," he explained. "If you wait, permissions tend to disappear."
Andrew knew Hiruzen might try to walk back his promises if public pressure eased. Better to exercise the rights while they were still fresh.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Tower, Third Hokage sat slumped behind his desk, poring over financial records with a heavy sigh.
Five hundred million ryo.
That's how much Konoha owed Uchiha in backlogged subsidies.
"Five. Hundred. Million..." Sarutobi muttered, rubbing his temple. "Have I gone senile?"
He had agreed to this in public, in front of every clan. There was no turning back now.
The village calculated allowances based on the number and rank of ninjas in each clan. Since Uchiha had the highest number of active Jōnin, their entitlements were massive. And after the Nine Tails' attack, Danzo had orchestrated the withholding of Uchiha's payments under the pretense of security risks.
Sarutobi knew all along. He let it happen. But now, karma had come knocking.
"Call the Sarutobi clan head," he ordered grimly. Although Sarutobi was Hokage, he wasn't the official patriarch of his clan. Now he needed the family's help.
Konoha couldn't afford to pay out 500 million ryo. The Daimyo's quarterly grants were barely enough to cover essential infrastructure and missions.
His solution? Have the Sarutobi family pay out of pocket.
The Sarutobi clan was wealthy—not Uchiha-level wealthy, but comfortable enough. Sacrificing 200 million ryo wouldn't cripple them… just force them to tighten their belts for a while.
The remaining funds could be pulled from Danzo's Root budget. Since this entire situation was Danzo's fault, it was poetic justice. Sarutobi also considered asking the Mitokado and Utatane clans, two of the advisory elders, to contribute.
Shimura clan? Forget it. They were still struggling to rebuild their compound. It had been six months, and the place still looked like a ruin. They were more likely to beg for aid than contribute any.
"I'm sorry, Danzo," Sarutobi muttered, "but you'll have to fund your own mistake."
News traveled fast.
When Danzo heard that his Root budget had been frozen and redirected to Uchiha, he exploded.
"WHAT?! You took MY money—to pay THEM?!"
He smashed a desk in fury, his chakra spiking out of control. His right arm twitched violently. The Hashirama cells began to pulse again.
His breathing grew ragged. He felt the unstable cells threaten to erupt from under his skin.
"Damn it! Without Sharingan to suppress them… these cells will tear me apart."
His remaining artificial Sharingan were nearly dead. The suppressive effect was weakening. Soon, even they would turn to ash.
"I can't keep using these decayed relics. I need a fresh one. A living one. Now."
He paced the room like a caged animal, thinking—scheming.
That's when inspiration struck.
"The Daimyo… yes. Uchiha guards his palace, don't they? They even sent a Mangekyō—Itachi, wasn't it?"
Konoha was off-limits. But the Daimyo's guards? That was a different matter.
The noble was protected by Uchiha Jōnin—strong, yes, but spread thin. Unlike the Uchiha clan compound, they didn't have Mangekyō-level protection around the clock.
And Itachi couldn't guard everyone at once.
"Perfect," Danzo whispered, a twisted smile forming. "If I can't touch the wolves in the den… I'll strike the ones who were sent away."
He gathered his most elite Root operatives—20 in all. They slipped quietly through one of the remaining barrier loopholes.
The plan was already in motion.
Back in the Uchiha compound, Shisui appeared before Andrew with a grim expression.
"Danzo's on the move. Twenty Root agents just slipped out of the village. They used a known gap in the southern perimeter."
Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"Twenty? That's not a scouting party. That's a kill squad."
He clenched his fists. "No such operation exists in the original timeline. What's Danzo trying to pull?"
Then it hit him.
"Of course. The Daimyo."
Uchiha stationed guards at the Daimyo's mansion months ago—experienced shinobi who weren't part of the core compound defense. Danzo knew they were vulnerable.
"Shisui, stay here. If Fugaku returns, brief him immediately. I'm heading to the Daimyo's residence."
"Are you sure?" Shisui asked, concerned.
Andrew nodded. "I left a Flying Thunder God marker there. I can be back instantly if anything happens. If Itachi's Mangekyō fails, those Root bastards might cause a national incident."
Shisui nodded. "Understood. Good luck, Andrew."
Within seconds, Andrew vanished in a flash of light.
In a swirl of chakra and wind, he reappeared at the edge of the Daimyo's estate.
The palace was quiet—but he could already sense dangerous chakra signatures converging near the barracks.
Andrew's expression turned cold.
"Danzo... you've crossed the line. Attacking Uchiha is one thing. But putting the Daimyo at risk?"
He moved toward the source of the chakra, his fingers already flashing through seals.
"You've just given me the perfect excuse to end you for good."