Ah, Well... Watching the Show

Izuna paused for a moment. "Huh?"

Wakako's gaze darted back and forth between Takashi and Izuna, her brows furrowing slightly. "What... does this mean?"

The Elders present all understood.

This means he has found evidence that proves the person in front of him is Izuna.

The Elder's gaze swept quickly across Wakako's profile before settling back on Long. His tone was steady, and his words were noticeably more restrained. "Long, explain yourself clearly. Why would you say that?"

Without batting an eye, Takashi said, "Lord Izuna's left eye just detached from its socket and fell out."

There was a moment of silence in the Reception Room.

The Elder's half-closed eyelids snapped open, and the Third Elder Emiko, sat bolt upright, a crack appearing on his usually composed face for the first time.

The Fifth Elder, Naoaki, reacted most directly; he stood up abruptly.

"Say it again." Naoaki's voice was taut.

"Lord Izuna's left eye was knocked out of its socket," Takashi said clearly. "He put it back in on the spot, quickly and casually. But there were more than just our people present; there were also spies from other countries. The news has already spread."

Everyone was stunned. The Elder stood frozen in place, not moving an inch. After he had processed what had just been said, he disregarded whether Wakako was present or not and asked directly, "So what did you mean by saying just now, 'Lord Izuna is Lord Izuna'?"

"Literally," Takashi said. "I know this is terrible, but Lord Izuna is not some monster. I hope you will not distance yourselves from Lord Izuna because of this. And I request that you take measures to protect Lord Izuna."

Everyone fell silent again.

Izuna opened his mouth, as if to say something.

The logic between the first and second halves of Long's statement was so abrupt that even he didn't know where to begin.

At first, he thought that his identity as Izuna had been exposed, but then he started reporting on my eye falling out in his next sentence, and then characterized the first sentence as a warning.

The whole conversation sounded like the person was trying to clarify beforehand that I was still me so they wouldn't think I was a monster if they heard my eyes pop out.

But why does what you said sound so awkward?!

Is the logic behind this really correct?!

Or did you initially intend to say something else, but changed your mind midway, which is why it sounded so thunderous?

The Elder knew why Long spoke so awkwardly, but this wasn't how you guard against Wakako! If even your own people almost didn't understand, you might as well not say anything at all!

His expression twisted as if he'd eaten a lemon. He barely managed to follow Ryu's train of thought and replied, "Um, um, of course, we don't think it's scary that Lord Izuna's... eyes... pop out..."

Everyone's faces were contorted—it's terrifying, okay?! Just hearing it is utterly absurd; how could this guy say it without batting an eye?!

"... Ahem, anyway, we will take measures."

Izuna raised his hand in a gesture, "After I went to the Hyuga Clan to persuade them..."

"Hmm... wait, Lord Izuna!" The Elder finally grasped a crucial point, "How did your eye pop out! Please explain!"

Izuna choked up, and he couldn't help but look at Lady Wakako beside him.

Lady Wakako had already unfolded her small fan and was holding it in front of her face. Izuna, sitting to the side, could clearly see the curve of her lips.

No? Sister! Can you please stop watching this commotion?! I can't take it anymore! Can't you just say something and rescue me from this dangerous situation?!

Wakako noticed his gaze and seemed to understand his request, but she still looked at him with a half-smile.

Fine! I'll be left alone to face this turbulent world!

Izuna took a deep breath and gave a standard smile. "Ah, it's nothing. I was just bumped into by the kids, and my eyeball accidentally fell out because of my short-range attack."

It really did fall out!! And it fell out after being bumped by the children?! Your eyesight must be really bad!

Ryu added expressionlessly, "Oh right, when Lord Izuna went up, I saw him unintentionally activate his Mitsudomoe."

Izuna:?

Does it open its eyes when it's installed?

The others exclaimed, "What fell out was a genuine Sharingan?!"

Okay, let's summarize the current situation.

First of all, Ryu said that Lord Izuna is indeed Lord Izuna, and why? Because Lord Izuna has the Sharingan.

Secondly.

There is NOT a second one!

Lord Izuna, why didn't you say you had Sharingan?! And it even fell out because of a child's impact... You... aren't you?!

Ah?!

"Wow..." Wakako looked at the quiet but extremely chaotic scene before her with amusement.

As Ninjas, none of them actually changed much in expression. Apart from showing obvious surprise when they heard that the eyeball had fallen out, they outwardly maintained the composure and dignity befitting Elders.

But Wakako could tell that their hearts were in turmoil at that moment.

The reason? It was because the Minister of the Foreign Affairs Department of Konoha Uchiha Izuna, was sitting next to him.

She didn't consider the possibility that "Izuna might be a fake."

From her perspective, although Long's words were incoherent and nonsensical, one thing was undeniable.

He was genuinely worried about Izuna.

I guess she's so worried that she can't even speak clearly, that's normal.

But there are also abnormal things.

Izuna's eye wasn't the "Artificial Eye" he claimed to have.

That's the real Sharingan. Ryu's exact words were. "When Lord Izuna reattached it, I saw him unintentionally activate the Mitsudomoe."

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan, one of the highest forms of the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, actually fell out of its eye socket after being bumped by a child.

This was clearly not a normal situation. What concerned her even more was the reaction of the Elders present.

They were shocked, confused, and looked at each other in disbelief; none of them had known beforehand.

But they are Elders of the Uchiha Clan, the decision-making body. Izuna is Madara Uchiha's younger brother, the Minister of the Foreign Affairs Department of Konoha, and the second most powerful figure in the entire Uchiha Clan after Madara.

The Elders were completely unaware that his eyes had such a serious problem.

Is this possible?

Izuna was not the kind of person who was deep in thought or meticulous in his work.

This young man may be smart, but he can't keep secrets.

When his eye popped out during Training Ground, his flustered and forced composure was so convincing that it couldn't fool even the children, let alone these eight hundred cunning Elders in front of him.

If he had been hiding this all along, it's impossible for him to have kept it a secret so thoroughly.

Unless... it's not him hiding it, but someone else hiding it for him.

Just as Wakako was deep in thought, footsteps came from the Outer Corridor.

Madara strode in, followed by Hashirama and Tobirama.

The moment Wakako saw Madara, she understood everything.

It was Izuna's older brother who kept it a secret for him, right? He's the only one in the entire Uchiha Clan who could keep the whole council of Elders in the dark.

How wonderful to have such a loving older brother, Wakako, gently fanning herself with her fan. What a pity, I wanted to continue watching the excitement, but it seems it's time to leave.

She stood up, smoothed out non-existent wrinkles on her hem, and smiled slightly at Ban.

"It seems Lord Madara has some family matters to attend to. There's no rush with the Hyuga Clan. I'll have a servant deliver a message first, and you can come find me after you've finished your business here."

After saying this, she nodded slightly to the Elders present and Earth Flow of the Reception Room with a dignified demeanor.

Madara stepped aside and bowed respectfully to Wakako's retreating figure. "Respectfully seeing off Daimyo's Wife."

"Um, I have something to discuss with Madam, I'll go first—" Izuna had just taken half a step, preparing to slip out under the pretext of sending Wakako away.

Ban's hand rested on his shoulder. The pressure wasn't heavy, but it was undeniable.

"Izuna."

Izuna froze. He slowly turned his head to meet Madara's expressionless face. After a two-second silence, he retracted the foot he had stepped out with.

"... All right."

The Elder's gaze swept back and forth between Madara and Hashirama, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

"What exactly is going on?" His tone was low, filled with anger and confusion. "And why are the Senju Clan Head and second-in-command here with you?"

Ban did not answer immediately.

He glanced at Hashirama nodded slightly, then walked to Izuna's side, put his arm around Izuna, and led him away. Before leaving, Izuna looked back at Madara, who waved to him. The paper door closed gently.

Ban turned around to face the Elders present. He stood in the center of the Reception Room without sitting down.

"Elders," he said, "Please remain calm as I prepare to speak."

The Elder's eye twitched.

The Third Elder Emiko, frowned as he looked at him.

The Fifth Elder, Naoaki, slowly sat down, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.

Madara spoke up. "This Izuna isn't the Second-in-Command you know. He comes from another world."