The Council of Elders' Actions Are Betraying and Striking Back at Konoha's Will of Fire!

Click, clack...

Uchiha Fugaku's footsteps echoed through the corridor, each step seeming especially heavy.

The Hokage Building...

Uchiha Fugaku had lost track of how long it had been since he last came here, and his mind was now in turmoil.

At the Uchiha Clan gathering not long ago, Shisui Uchiha, their strongest member as far as anyone knew, had not been present.

So, at Fugaku's urging, it had been postponed for the time being.

But he had never expected that, shortly after he returned to the clan,

a clansman would come to report that Kakashi Hatake had come to tell him the Third Hokage had ordered him to appear.

Kakashi Hatake had come to his door.

Hiruzen had summoned him.

Neither of those things could mean anything good for the Uchiha.

The first needed no explanation: a Sharingan from the Uchiha Clan sat in his left eye.

Although Obito Uchiha, who had died in battle, had given it to him willingly, there had been considerable dissent and dissatisfaction within the clan even when the Fourth Hokage was still around.

As for the second, a summons from the Third Hokage was almost never good news.

Had the Uchiha Clan's gathering been discovered?

Or had something happened to Itachi?

Uchiha Fugaku glanced at Kakashi, who was leading the way ahead, and narrowed his eyes.

"Uchiha Clan Head, please rest assured."

Kakashi, walking ahead of him, suddenly spoke, startling Uchiha Fugaku out of the worries that had occupied him along the way.

Just as Fugaku was about to ask what he meant, Kakashi picked up his pace and pulled ahead.

When they reached the Hokage's office, Kakashi knocked on the door.

After receiving an answer, Kakashi motioned for Uchiha Fugaku, who stood before the door, to enter.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath, his bearing growing composed as he reached out and pushed the door open.

As the head of the Uchiha Clan, he could not show the slightest sign of weakness before others.

Watching Uchiha Fugaku enter the office, Kakashi, who stood outside the door, raised a hand and paused at his left eye, which was covered by his mask.

His earlier reassurance had been about none other than the owner of that eye.

Kakashi Hatake then followed him into the Hokage's office.

Inside the office.

Uchiha Fugaku, who had entered first, stood where he was, looking at the many people crowded into the Hokage's office.

At a glance, everyone he saw was either the head of a major clan or a Jonin.

All eyes now turned to Uchiha Fugaku as he entered.

Behind the Hokage's desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him with a dignified, calm expression.

Feeling Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, Uchiha Fugaku's mind suddenly cleared.

He stepped forward unhurriedly and offered a slight greeting. "Lord Third, Uchiha Fugaku has come as summoned."

The Third Hokage nodded to him, then looked at Tenzo, who stood ready beside him. "Begin. Go through the intelligence point by point."

At those words, nearly everyone in the Hokage's office turned their eyes to Tenzo beside Hiruzen.

With so many eyes on him at once, Tenzo could not help breaking out in a cold sweat at the back of his head.

He glanced at Hagoromo, who was keeping a low profile in the corner, before he began to speak.

Hagoromo, meanwhile, stood leisurely in the corner, watching Tenzo deliver his report clearly before so many big shots.

Not bad, not bad. Very good.

He had no desire to appear before these clans on an occasion like this, mainly because he did not want to waste his breath explaining everything again.

As Tenzo spoke, the atmosphere in the Hokage's office grew increasingly heavy.

Uchiha Fugaku's heart, however, was in turmoil. Even after learning that members of his clan had been killed by Danzo over the past few years,

he felt no anger at all and merely listened calmly.

After all, the part concerning Naka Shrine had been glossed over somewhat.

Perhaps Hiruzen, standing before him, also knew of the unrest in the hearts of the Uchiha Clan.

Finally, Tenzo reached the end of the scroll, put it away, and slowly stepped back.

"All right, that is the gist of the information."

The Third Hokage spoke up at that moment, then braced both hands on his desk and stood.

Looking intently at the Konoha Jonin gathered before him, he said slowly,

"For everything the Council of Elders has done, I, as the Third Hokage, failed to notice it in time."

"For that, I must apologize to you all!"

At once, the Jonin began to speak up. "Lord Third, this was Shimura Danzō's fault. You needn't do this!"

"That's right, Lord Third, you don't have to take responsibility for someone else's mistakes!"

"Lord Third, the Council of Elders' actions are betraying and striking back at Konoha's Will of Fire! You don't need to do this!"

Whoa—

Hearing that, Hagoromo, who was hiding at the back, could not help looking over.

This guy's got some nerve!

With those words, he had put the three old geezers of the Council of Elders on the spot.

Hagoromo could not help wondering which brave soul had said it.

Hmm?

He looked at the man wearing sunglasses, his face full of indignation.

Hagoromo was a little taken aback. Wasn't that Ebisu, who would later become Konohamaru's tutor?

So... this guy's already a Special Jōnin?

Although the Jonin were all speaking up, the Third Hokage did not respond.

His gaze fell on Uchiha Fugaku, who stood before him. Fugaku was the reason he had summoned all these clan heads and Jonin.

Some of the more experienced Jonin and clan heads naturally understood Hiruzen's intentions as well, so they all waited in silence.

Among them, Shikaku Nara casually glanced toward Hagoromo.

As the first to arrive, he knew full well that everything the Third Hokage had done today was because of the young Anbu before him.

After everyone had spoken their piece, the office fell silent for a moment.

Many eyes turned to Uchiha Fugaku. After all, the Uchiha Clan seemed to be the greatest victim.

Uchiha Fugaku also knew it was time for him to state his position.

Remembering what Kakashi Hatake had said before he entered, Uchiha Fugaku felt a hope inexplicably rekindle in his heart.

Perhaps the Uchiha Clan no longer had to live as they had before.

And just how much things could change depended on how he answered the Third Hokage, who was now watching him.

Uchiha Fugaku took a deep breath and worked to calm himself before slowly bowing.

"The Uchiha Clan will respectfully follow your instructions, Lord Third, put the greater good first, and cooperate fully!"

As soon as Uchiha Fugaku said this,

the Third Hokage's gaze softened.

A faint smile appeared on his face, and he said slowly,

"Fugaku, I failed in my duties as Hokage before, but now I hope you can give me, the village, and the Uchiha Clan a chance to make things right."

"You are too hard on yourself, Lord Third. The Uchiha Clan will always be Konoha's Uchiha."

Good grief.

Hearing this, Hagoromo could not help but marvel. They truly were an old fox and the head of a clan.

One had indirectly said that he would change his attitude and make changes in the future, and that he could pretend not to know about what the Uchiha Clan had been doing behind the scenes.

The other had made it clear that, as long as he could do what he said, there was no possibility of the Uchiha Clan rebelling.