You Questioned Me to My Face and Still Claim You Meant Nothing Else?

Besides Jonin, there were also quite a number of Chunin and Genin.

And that was only one Uchiha Clan.

If the other clans were added in, one could imagine just how much influence these clans held in Konoha.

From this, it was clear that the Third Hokage and Danzo's attempts to weaken the clans were utterly brain-dead.

If they were afraid the clans would grow too powerful and affect their authority, they should just say so. There was no need to hide behind excuses about cultivating civilian shinobi.

What was most laughable was that while they shouted about weakening clan power and cultivating civilian shinobi, the other clans were continually weakened.

Yet the Shimura Clan, Sarutobi Clan, and several others only grew stronger and stronger.

That was what led to the famous scene in the Fourth Shinobi War.

When the Sarutobi Clan's shinobi were mobilized, there were several thousand of them.

Several thousand shinobi—what kind of concept was that?

Konoha was bustling with activity, but none of it had much to do with the three of them.

After resting, the three continued their return to Konoha.

As for the few burdens from the Land of Fire's Daimyo Residence, people from the Daimyo Residence would come to take them back.

Although their escort mission had failed, they had earned military merit by passing on the intelligence. The three of them had made quite a profit.

"Chiyue Squad, report to the Hokage's Office immediately to see the Hokage."

The moment they returned to the village, they could clearly feel that the atmosphere had become tense, with an even stronger air of war than before.

As soon as the three entered the village, Anbu personnel came to notify them to report to the Hokage's Office Building and meet the Third Hokage.

Dragging their exhausted bodies, the three arrived at the Hokage's Office Building.

The Hokage's Office Building was still bustling. With another war approaching, it was impossible for the place to be quiet.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Outside the Hokage's Office, Little Sun knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The Third Hokage's voice came from inside, and the three opened the door and entered the Hokage's Office.

The office was packed with people. Among them, a white-haired man carrying a short blade on his back stood out especially.

Hatake Sakumo—the future Konoha White Fang, a powerhouse even the Three Sannin would respectfully address as senior.

At this time, Hatake Sakumo had yet to receive the title of Konoha White Fang, but he was already an elite Jonin, far stronger than the Three Sannin.

Seeing Chiyue stare at him the moment he entered, Hatake Sakumo raised a hand and scratched his hair, which was the same color as Chiyue's, then smiled at him.

Chiyue froze for a moment before nodding in response.

"Hokage-sama, Chiyue Squad has come to report."

As the captain, Chiyue stepped forward two paces.

"You children did well."

The Third Hokage's perpetually tense face relaxed, and a gentle smile appeared. He raised a hand and beckoned, signaling for Chiyue to come closer.

Me?

Chiyue glanced around him. Only after confirming that the Third Hokage was asking him to step forward did he do so.

So these three were the ones who had discovered the enemy's trail?

It was said that the child named Yagami Chiyue had even wiped out a Jonin squad.

Chiyue looked far too young. A child barely ten years old still had a youthful face, making it hard to imagine how he had destroyed a Jonin squad.

Even if that Jonin squad had consisted of only one Jonin leading three Chunin.

Many of the Jonin present could not have eliminated such a squad alone, let alone when Sunagakure's Puppet Masters were notoriously difficult to deal with.

Jonin-level Puppet Masters were even more impossible to guard against.

Their poisons, poison needles, and endless attack methods could leave one overwhelmed. One careless mistake and they could easily be defeated.

Yet a Puppet Master who gave them all headaches had fallen so easily at Chiyue's hands.

It was hard to believe.

"Child, can you tell me what happened when you encountered the enemy?"

Although the intelligence scroll had described everything clearly, the Third Hokage still wanted to hear it from Chiyue himself.

What a pain.

I'm exhausted. All I want now is a good meal, then a hot bath or a soak in a hot spring, and a good night's sleep.

Chiyue grumbled inwardly.

Under the gazes of the many Jonin and the Third Hokage, Chiyue said, "Chiyue Squad was escorting clients from the Land of Fire's Daimyo Residence to the Land of Rivers. We set up camp to rest near the border, and I was responsible for the second half of the night watch."

"While checking the traps, I discovered a large number of unknown shinobi approaching. Left with no choice, I woke my teammates and took the three important clients away from the camp."

"After we left, chaos broke out in the camp, and a Jonin squad tracked us down."

"I had my teammates leave first and stayed behind to cover their retreat."

"The intelligence says you used Genjutsu to control them?"

A Jonin with the Shimura Clan emblem embroidered on his clothes questioned, "Sorry, I only want to confirm whether the intelligence that came back is accurate. I don't mean anything else by it."

You stepped forward to question me, and you still claim you don't mean anything else?

Why are all the people associated with Danzo so disgusting?

You're from the Shimura Clan, right?

"How do you want to verify it?"

Chiyue looked up at him coldly.

This was a little too much. Was there really a need to make things so difficult for a child?

Although it was hard to believe that this child named Yagami Chiyue had wiped out a Jonin squad,

questioning him in front of everyone like this was excessive.

Hatake Sakumo glanced at the man, intending to speak up for Chiyue.

But the Third Hokage remained silent, so he could only swallow the words that had reached his lips.

You're not going to do anything?

At a time like this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, simply sat in his chair without saying a word.

Chiyue understood. Even if this Shimura Clan bastard had not acted on the Third Hokage's instructions, the Third Hokage at least doubted the accuracy of the intelligence.

How disgusting!

He actually doubted Chiyue!

Minato glared furiously at the man. Uchiha Mikoto puffed out her cheeks, wishing she could slap him several times.

Chiyue had guessed correctly. The Third Hokage did have doubts.

After all, Chiyue was too young. Even if he was a genius, such a record was enough to astonish anyone.

Moreover, the intelligence stated that his Sharingan had already evolved into the Three-tomoe Sharingan. What kind of absurd pace was that?

So when the Shimura Clan Jonin stepped forward to question him, he chose silence and did not stop the man.

Because he wanted to know whether all of this was true.

Was Chiyue truly a heaven-defying genius, or had he falsified his report?

"What? Is this Genjutsu difficult to use?"

Seeing Chiyue stare at him coldly, the Shimura Jonin continued questioning him. "Brat, in front of me, you'd better not—"

Just as he was about to mock Chiyue further, a red light flashed in Chiyue's eyes. His Three-tomoe Sharingan activated, and the man's consciousness was dragged directly into an illusionary space.

"Hiss... It really is the Three-tomoe Sharingan. This kid is only nine, isn't he?"

"What kind of little monster did the Uchiha Clan produce?"

"He isn't from the Uchiha Clan. He's the Yagami Clan's only son. Apparently, he once wanted to return to the Uchiha Clan, but they rejected him."

"..."

Seeing Chiyue's Three-tomoe Sharingan and the vacant-eyed Shimura Jonin, the gathered Jonin began whispering among themselves.

When someone mentioned that the Uchiha Clan had rejected Chiyue's return, the expressions on everyone's faces became rather colorful.

Are the Uchiha Clan's people idiots?

They pushed a genius like this away?

In a corner of the office, Uchiha Feng, the Jonin representing the Uchiha Clan, had a face darker than the bottom of a pot.

Internally, he cursed certain clan elders from top to bottom.

As expected, by tomorrow, the Uchiha Clan would definitely become the laughingstock of the other clans.

This kid was a little excessive.

At such a young age, he already had the Three-tomoe Sharingan, and his Genjutsu was terrifyingly powerful.

See? Shimura Shūitsu had already fallen for it without even understanding how.

Wait!

What was he doing?

It was all real!

The Third Hokage's heart trembled. He was somewhat delighted, yet also somewhat helpless.

He was delighted that the village had gained a genuine genius.

But he was helpless because this genius carried the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan.

Even if he had not returned to the Uchiha Clan.

"Has Shimura Shūitsu gone mad?"

Controlled by the Genjutsu, Shimura Shūitsu looked like a dull puppet. With a flick of his arm, he spun around on the spot and began dancing wildly. No, not wildly—awkwardly.

His body was so stiff that anyone could tell he was the type who could not dance.

Yet under the Genjutsu's control, he danced in a way that looked awkward no matter how one looked at it.

A truly cringeworthy dance.

"..."

"Pfft—"

Quite a few Jonin in the Hokage's Office began to laugh quietly.

Shimura Shūitsu's dancing was truly painful to watch.

This kid named Yagami Chiyue was quite vicious. The moment he was questioned, he made the other man dance himself to social death.

One could imagine that after this awkward dance in the Hokage's Office, Shimura Shūitsu would definitely become famous throughout Konoha. It might even spread across the entire shinobi world.

"Hahaha..."

The first to burst out laughing was Hatake Sakumo.