Was Senior Chisen Essentially Rebelling?

"Uchiha Chisen..." Uchiha Setsuna's aged face darkened as he gritted his teeth and enunciated each word. "Just like that Uchiha Itachi, he's been brainwashed by the Senju's Will of Fire!"

"The one he's loyal to isn't the Uchiha Clan. He's loyal to Konoha, loyal to the Senju Clan! He is a traitor to the Uchiha!"

To an extremely radical Hawk Elder like Uchiha Setsuna, any clansman who did not support the coup plan was a cowardly good-for-nothing.

And any Uchiha who openly stood on the Hokage's side was a clansman brainwashed by the Will of Fire, one who was practically beyond saving.

As for Uchiha Chisen...

Uchiha Setsuna maliciously guessed that he was a combination of those two types, perhaps even worse than either of them.

Because the killing intent that bastard Uchiha Chisen had just shown him was definitely not fake.

He really wanted to kill him!

"Elder Setsuna." At that moment, a Hawk Uchiha beside him said, "Uchiha Chisen may very well become the greatest obstacle to our plan, just like Uchiha Itachi."

"That fellow may never have been of one mind with us from the beginning. His position has never been on the Uchiha's side."

Uchiha Setsuna snorted coldly.

No one knew what he was plotting.

Elsewhere.

After Sarutobi Hiruzen left the Root Base, he did not return to the Hokage Building. Instead, he came to Konoha Prison and waited in silence.

Before long, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw a member of the Konoha Military Police Force arrive.

The police force member was escorting the delinquent Uzumaki Naruto to Konoha Prison—this was an order from Fugaku.

"Lord... Hokage?"

Upon seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen and the group of Anbu Ninja beside him, the police force member inevitably grew nervous.

After all, he was a ninja of the Uchiha Clan, while the child he had hold of was the rumored Demon Fox Incarnation.

"It's fine."

Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for him to calm down. Rather than pressing him, he said with a genial smile, "I have always trusted the Uchiha Clan. I believe you would not do anything out of line. Judging from the current situation, Fugaku made the right choice. You stand with Fugaku as well, don't you?"

Lowering his head, the police force member said, "Patriarch Fugaku did indeed order me to promptly transfer Uzumaki Naruto to Konoha Prison, so that certain members of the clan would not come into contact with Uzumaki Naruto."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.

He continued, "Leave Naruto to me."

However, the police force member hesitated. "If I hand him over to Lord Hokage, then Uchiha Chisen..."

Uchiha Chisen was someone even Patriarch Fugaku could not restrain.

He was still somewhat wary of Uchiha Chisen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "There is no conflict. Chisen's purpose was simply to teach Naruto a lesson by having him sent to Konoha Prison, and aren't you delivering Naruto here now?"

"As Konoha's Hokage, I have the authority to grant Naruto a special pardon and take him out of Konoha Prison. That is my right. Even if Chisen is dissatisfied, he will only come to me, not you."

"...Yes, Lord Hokage." After thinking it over, the police force member released Naruto.

"Grandpa Hokage!!!"

"Waaah..."

After spending the entire day on edge, Naruto finally being "rescued" made him rush toward Sarutobi Hiruzen with a near-crying voice.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked Naruto's little head, then his tone turned grave as he instructed the Anbu Ninja behind him, "Keep a close eye on Root lately. I suspect Danzo will not let this go. That man is not one who can swallow his grievances, especially when the one who made him suffer is a genius ninja of the Uchiha Clan."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.

Uchiha Chisen, who had inadvertently stirred up Konoha's situation, took Izumi on several leisurely rounds through the village as though nothing had happened.

It was as if the shifting winds of the situation had nothing to do with him.

Uchiha Chisen's composure allowed Izumi, who had been uneasy all along, to calm her thoughts somewhat as well.

"Rookie, report the numbers."

"Yes, Senior Chisen!" Izumi pulled herself together and said, "Including Uzumaki Naruto, today... we found a total of nine 'evil' individuals. Of them, three disrupted Konoha's order, two were involved in theft, two were fighting, and also..."

At this point, Izumi's tone became a little cautious. "Two were involved in obstructing law enforcement. Of the nine 'evil' individuals, seven were arrested and imprisoned, while two were executed on the spot."

The two evil individuals Izumi mentioned, who had been executed on the spot for obstructing law enforcement,

were the two Root Ninja who had died at Uchiha Chisen's hands.

Uchiha Chisen glanced at her. "You missed a lot."

"Huh?"

Izumi froze for a moment. She did not think she had missed anything!

She had even written down everything that had happened today in her little notebook.

But...

Faced with Senior Chisen's gaze, Izumi suddenly lost some confidence. No matter what, she could not bring herself to say the words, "I didn't miss anything."

"D-Did I miss something?"

Izumi asked weakly.

"Shimura Danzō, Sarutobi Hiruzen, that Uchiha Setsuna, and..." Uchiha Chisen calmly named one person after another, as if Yama were calling roll.

His expression was cold as he said, "All of these people stood against justice today, yet because our justice is not strong enough, they can still roam free."

"All this 'evil' that needs to be purged..."

"You overlooked every last one of them."

Izumi listened in terror. Senior Chisen had practically named all the village's high-ranking figures, hadn't he?

He had not even left out several elders from his own Uchiha Clan.

If all the people Senior Chisen had named were to be "purged,"

wouldn't that be tantamount to...

rebellion?!

"Write these people down too," Uchiha Chisen said lightly.

"O-Okay, Senior." Izumi could only take out her little notebook and jot down what Senior Chisen had just said.

But as she wrote, she realized that even her fingertips seemed to be trembling. Especially after writing down the Hokage's name, "Sarutobi Hiruzen," she felt like there was no turning back.

If the Anbu Ninja discovered this little notebook...

Gasp!

She felt that she would spend the rest of her life in Konoha Prison.

As Izumi followed Uchiha Chisen while recording things, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of a small figure turning around the street corner ahead.

Izumi's bright eyes gradually widened.

She watched helplessly as the small figure that had suddenly turned the corner collided with Senior Chisen.

Thud!

Without any suspense, the other party fell flat on his backside, and the things he was carrying scattered across the ground.

"Ugh—"

Izumi heard the sound of a child enduring pain.

"Sasuke, watch where you're going." She also heard a gentle voice farther ahead, apologetically saying, "I'm sorry. This child was too careless and caused you trouble."

"Hm? You are..."

"Chisen?"