Naruto: Madara is my Daddy

"Got it, father."

After the father and son parted ways, White Zetsu carried Shiro, and Black Zetsu held a small bag as they set off towards the Land of Fire.

"Shiro, hold on tight," White Zetsu said. "I'm going to use my Mayfly technique to travel underground. We'll reach Konoha in no time."

"Alright, White Zetsu. Let's head straight for the Uchiha clan leader's residence. I wish to speak with him."

"Understood."

White Zetsu and Black Zetsu merged, enveloping Shiro in their combined form before burrowing deep into the earth, vanishing without a trace.

In Konoha Village, at the home of Minato Namikaze, Uzumaki Kushina placed a steaming breakfast on the dining table and called out, "Minato, breakfast is ready! Go wake up Naruto. The boy has been sleeping in far too much lately. It's not a good habit!"

Minato smiled, scratching the back of his head as he sat down. "Let him sleep a little longer. He's still so young. Once he starts at the Ninja Academy in a few years, he'll naturally stop sleeping in."

"You just spoil him!" Kushina rolled her eyes at Minato, then noticed her husband had only taken two bites of his breakfast before putting on his coat to leave.

"Minato! Why are you eating so little?"

"I can't help it. The paperwork is piling up, and the envoys from Kumogakure are visiting in a few days to discuss a treaty. I have to prepare in advance."

"Kumogakure again! You have to be careful of those hypocrites. You know they kidnapped me when I was a child. Who knows what treacherous schemes they'll attempt during this visit!"

"Don't worry, I will be on my guard."

"And what about the Uchiha assassination attempt? How are you going to resolve it? Minato, there's something wrong about this whole situation. We have to uncover the truth before any decisions are made!"

"Yes, I understand."

"Mikoto is my best friend, and Fugaku has always been on good terms with you. We both know their character. They would never send their clansmen to attack the Hokage! By the way, have Tekka and Yashiro been found?"

"Not yet." Minato shook his head helplessly. "To be honest, the current situation does not look good for the Uchiha. Those two seem to have vanished from the face of the earth. If we can't find them, this will become very complicated. Sigh…"

Hearing this, Kushina walked up to Minato, her expression grave. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I have a strong feeling that someone is framing the Uchiha, and there is one person who is the most suspicious."

"Who?"

"Shimura Danzō!"

"Kushina, do not say things that could disrupt the village's unity," Minato quickly stopped his wife. "Danzō would never do such a thing. While his methods are sometimes extreme and cold-blooded, he always acts for the good of the village. He would never do something that would shatter our internal stability."

"Minato, you're too naive! Who else could it be? That old hawk has been antagonizing the Uchiha for years, and sometimes he doesn't even show you the proper respect. It's only because you and Fugaku are so even-tempered. If it were me… I would have challenged Danzō to a duel long ago!"

Seeing Kushina's furious expression, Minato smiled awkwardly and tried to placate her. "Haha… calm down, Kushina, please calm down."

"I have to get going. I have other things to attend to. When I get off work tonight, I'll bring home some delicious Ichiraku ramen for you and Naruto."

With that, Minato turned and left in a hurry.

Sigh… After leaving the house, Minato let out a deep sigh, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as he walked toward the Hokage Building. His house was close to the Hokage Building, and within moments, Minato arrived at his office. Looking at the mountain of unprocessed documents from the day before, Minato couldn't help but sigh. "Ah… another difficult day."

Minato had just sat down and begun to sift through the paperwork when three elderly figures walked in without so much as a knock. He didn't need to look up. It was them again. Konoha's three senior advisors: Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.

Minato frowned. He had so much work to do, yet these elders constantly pestered him. It was incredibly frustrating.

"Minato, we have something to discuss with you. It is urgent."

The three of them sat side by side on the sofa as they always did. Koharu Utatane spoke first. "We discussed the matter last night and have decided that we can no longer afford to give the Uchiha clan any more time."

"The two assassins vanished into thin air. It must be their own clan's doing. Perhaps Fugaku has already silenced them himself. Otherwise, with the full resources of the Anbu, how could we not find them? Even if they were hiding at the ends of the earth!"

Minato's face darkened, but he responded with resolve. "This is a grave matter. It concerns the fate of an entire clan! We cannot act on mere speculation. It will not be too late to make a decision after a thorough investigation."

"Hmph. Superficial," Danzō snorted coldly. "As the leader of this village, a weak and indecisive style of governance is not desirable. If we wait for your investigation to conclude, the Uchiha will have had ample time to prepare. If they suddenly rebel, what will we do then? Minato, have you considered those consequences?"

"It is better to eliminate a thousand by mistake than to let a single threat remain! You have heard this many times. The Uchiha have harbored rebellious intentions for years. This treacherous clan must be strangled in the cradle. They sent assassins to your own home! Are you foolish enough to keep such a tiger at your throat?"

"Besides, the Kumogakure envoys will be visiting Konoha in a few days. If the Uchiha clan rebels during their visit, we will be utterly humiliated in front of our rivals!"

"I know you have a good relationship with Fugaku, but I must remind you that this is not the time for friendship. As Hokage, you cannot allow personal feelings to cloud your judgment!"

Minato said nothing, but a cold anger burned in his heart. Danzō's words, on the surface, sounded reasonable, as if he were only concerned for the village's safety. But his tone was condescending, making it clear he held no real respect for Minato as the Fourth Hokage. Minato suppressed his anger. For the sake of harmony among the village's leadership, he could not afford to have a falling out with these elders right now. They were the old guard. Minato was helpless.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Homura Mitokado, not wanting to escalate the situation, coughed a few times and began to play the mediator.

"Minato, do not mistake our position for ruthlessness. This is for the development and stability of the village. If you still refuse to take direct action against the Uchiha, we will not press the matter further. However, there are two requests that you must agree to."

"First, you will order the Uchiha clan to be confined to their compound until the truth is revealed. All clan members must submit to the investigation unconditionally."

"Second, you will deploy additional Anbu and elite jonin teams to surround the Uchiha compound, focusing on surveillance and defense. This way, if they do launch a rebellion, we can respond immediately."

These two demands were a death sentence in all but name. Once implemented, how could the Uchiha ever hold their heads high in the village again? But if he refused, and the Uchiha truly did rebel, Konoha would be caught completely off guard.

"…"

"Alright. I agree."

"I will inform the Uchiha of these two new directives."

Hearing this, a flicker of satisfaction lit up Danzō's narrowed eyes. "Good. This is all for the good of the village. I hope you understand our position."

"My Root Anbu will also lend their assistance."

Having achieved their goal, the three elders did not linger. They left one by one.

Sigh… Minato scratched his head helplessly and slumped back into his chair. He picked up a brush and began to write. He looked at the official document and muttered to himself, "Fugaku… I hope you can understand."

Minato waved his hand, and a white-haired Anbu operative appeared instantly in the office.

"Lord Hokage, what are your orders?"

"Kakashi, I've told you before, when it is just the two of us, you can simply call me sensei."

"Yes… sensei."

"You will be leaving the Anbu soon. Before you do, I have one last mission for you." Minato sealed the document he had just written into a scroll and handed it to Kakashi. "Go to the Uchiha compound. Personally deliver this scroll to Fugaku Uchiha, and convey a message from me."

"Tell him: I hope you can remain patient and calm the emotions of your clan. Do not worry about the rumors and attitudes outside your walls. The Hokages will investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Understood."

Poof! Kakashi took the scroll and vanished in a puff of smoke.