Trapped

Inside the meeting room!

In an instant, the situation changed dramatically. Just moments ago, everyone was all smiles, though their smiles were full of insincerity, but now the scene has become tense and hostile.

The two groups faced off, and Yemo and his group were naturally at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. The four clan leaders, along with the many ninjas who had entered, surrounded Yemo and his companions.

Faced with Minato's questioning, the elder of the clan threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Friends, how laughable! We, the Uzumaki Clan, consider you friends, but do you consider us friends? Not only do you distrust us, but you also secretly sent people to break into our Uzumaki Clan's altar in the dead of night, causing what happened last night. Is this how you, Konoha, treat your friends?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding Uzumaki Clan ninjas showed anger. The altar was the sacred ground of the Uzumaki Clan, and no one was allowed to go up there except for sacrificial rites. Even clan elders were not allowed to go up there, otherwise they would be punished.

Yemo and his group's intrusion into the altar was considered unforgivable by many Uzumaki Clan, an insult to the Uzumaki Clan.

Minato and the others felt a chill in their hearts. Yemo and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both of them looking puzzled. They had been so careful, how could they have been discovered? Moreover, the fact that the four clan elders had come to question them this morning showed that they were only guessing and had no evidence. Why did they suddenly take action?

With a slight shift in his eyes, Minato stepped forward and said, "I think there's some misunderstanding between us. We stayed in our rooms all night and didn't step outside at all. How could we have intruded into your altar? Besides, we don't even know where the noble altar is."

Snort...

The four elders sneered and said disdainfully, "You Konoha may not know where our clan's altar is, but one of you is a traitor of my Uzumaki Clan, namely you, Yemo Uzumaki. You know where the altar is, and last night, some clansmen saw you, this traitor, and that brat appear outside after the red light disappeared. Also, something happened as soon as you arrived yesterday. What a coincidence!"

Hearing the elders of the four clans say that, all the ninjas of the Uzumaki Clan on the side looked at Yemo angrily. No matter where you are, traitors are hated by everyone, especially someone like Yemo who betrayed the interests of his clan.

Feeling the intense gazes directed at him, Yemo knew he couldn't remain silent any longer and had to step forward and say something.

Taking two steps forward, Yemo uttered words that shocked everyone. "Yes, that's right, I did indeed break into the altar last night."

Yemo's words were like a thunderclap. Minato looked at Yemo in front of him, completely bewildered. Why did he have to say it? If he hadn't said it, they could have tried to explain. But now that he had, they couldn't explain it anymore.

"Damn it, what nonsense is Yemo spouting!" Kakashi was furious at Yemo's idiotic behavior.

Behind him, Kosuke reached out and pressed Kakashi down, whispering, "Don't speak. Watch what Yemo does. After causing so much trouble, those four old guys have already dealt with us today. No matter how we explain, it's useless. Yemo must have his reasons for admitting it."

Yemo's admission naturally drew countless insults.

"Traitor! Despicable traitor! How dare you, a member of the Uzumaki Clan, betray your own people!"

"Yemo Uzumaki, you dog, you've only been in Konoha for a year, and you think you're one of Konoha's people?"

"A person who betrays his tribe for his own benefit deserves to die; he must not be let go."

Faced with these insults, Yemo neither retaliated nor got angry, but simply smiled and let it go. This composure made the elder tremble with fear, and strengthened his resolve to send Yemo away.

Only after the insults subsided did Yemo finally speak, "Have you finished cursing? Now it's my turn to say something. To be honest, in our eyes you're just a bunch of idiots being manipulated at will."

Yemo's words were utterly disrespectful, immediately enraging the surrounding Uzumaki Clan ninjas. However, before they could speak, Yemo had already finished.

"Didn't you ever think about why I sneaked off to the altar at night? Was it just for those few unremarkable pillars, or for the altar itself?"

Yemo's words prompted some of the more astute individuals to ponder. He continued, "Since the four elders issued the order three years ago to perform a monthly blood sacrifice, I believe many have sensed the changes in the village. Over these three years, numerous people have questioned the four elders about their reasons for doing so, but they have offered no answer, only the excuse of following ancestral decrees. Some villagers, including myself, are unwilling to leave the village, while others do not wish to leave and thus have no choice but to endure the monthly blood sacrifice."

At this point, Yemo paused, his sharp gaze quickly sweeping over the clansmen who were lost in thought after his words, and said, "Haven't you all thought about why the four elders did this, their reasons, and what they've been hiding from the clansmen?"

Yemo's words grew louder and louder, his voice echoing throughout the room. The four elders' faces grew increasingly pale upon hearing this, wishing they could sew Yemo's mouth shut right then and there.

As for the surrounding clansmen, they weren't stupid. After Yemo said that, everyone's eyes turned to the four clan elders.

Such doubts had existed before, but the four elders had managed to suppress them. However, they had not disappeared and remained in the hearts of the Uzumaki Clan. Yemo's words simply brought out the pent-up feelings that had accumulated over the years.

"All I did was try to unravel the secrets here, and do you know who I went up to the altar with yesterday? It was him... the Fourth Elder!" Yemo pointed to the Fourth Elder in the corner.

Seeing his clansmen being stirred up, Yemo added fuel to the fire, and immediately all eyes were on the four clan elders. Despite being stared at by so many people, the four clan elders appeared calm, but their hands under their sleeves were trembling uncontrollably.

He already hated Yemo to the core, wishing he could tear this brat to pieces. He was using him as a shield to divert the attention of the other clansmen, but now it was too late. Even if he killed Yemo, the news would spread, and the four clan elders could imagine the scene of him being questioned by all the clansmen.

Feeling the suspicious gazes from the surrounding clansmen, the elder's face turned ashen. He couldn't let Yemo continue speaking, lest something unexpected happen.

Then, displaying the authority of a clan elder, he shouted, "What are you all doing? You've been swayed by a traitor's few words and are actually doubting the four clan elders! What can a traitor's words possibly mean? He's lying now, carrying out his counter-espionage plan. Don't fall for it! Arrest this traitor and all these Konoha people first!"

"That's right," the Fourth Elder wasn't stupid, and quickly chimed in, "I, the Fourth Elder, have made the Uzumaki Clan proud and influential for decades. Everyone has witnessed what I've done. How could I do something against the clan for my own selfish reasons? Yemo is talking complete nonsense."

Compared to Yemo, who readily admitted to being a traitor, many clansmen still chose to believe the elders. However, the doubts in their hearts did not dissipate, and Yemo's words made many people think.

With a swift movement, Kosuke drew his sword from his waist, held it horizontally in front of him, and shouted domineeringly, "Four clan elders, are you sure you want to attack us? We are Konoha Ninja. Coming here is equivalent to being envoys sent by Konoha. If you attack us, you are declaring war on Konoha. The consequences are not something you can bear."

As the most powerful force in the Shinobi World, Konoha has the backing of Konoha, so he doesn't flinch even when facing so many Kosuke.

As expected, many Uzumaki Clan ninjas stopped what they were doing after Kosuke said this. Konoha was renowned, and if they really angered Konoha, the small Uzumaki Clan would not be able to withstand Konoha's wrath.

At this moment, the elder of the clan stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, everyone from Konoha, we won't do anything to you. We're just imprisoning you. We'll naturally send you back to Konoha when the time comes. Go!"

The clan elders gave the order, and the whirlpool ninjas who had been standing still rushed forward.