I, Uchiha Kazekage, Confront the Konoha Leadership!

"Kaze, what are you laughing at?"

Fugaku turned to look at Kaze. His eyes first widened in shock, then he blinked in disbelief.

The leaders of Konoha, including the Third Hokage, were seated right in front of them.

And they intended to sacrifice Kaze's life in exchange for peace.

At a time like this, instead of lowering his head and showing weakness, Kaze had actually laughed out loud!

Did he really think the Konoha leadership would not hand him over?

Hiruzen had allowed Hizashi to die in Hiashi's place partly because Hiashi possessed the Byakugan.

The other reason was that Hiashi was the Hyuga Clan Head.

But Kaze was, at the end of the day, merely a ninja with some talent for Lightning Release. He did not even have the Sharingan.

"Hahaha, sorry. This is just too funny. I really couldn't hold it in."

Kaze's laughter did not fade. His expression remained utterly calm and composed.

He sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed directly on the Konoha F4.

Only then did Kaze stop laughing.

Everyone present turned to look at Kaze.

"The youth of the Uchiha Clan truly are arrogant, to lose their composure so badly at such an important meeting."

"The Uchiha Clan's reputation seems to exist in name only now."

A Hyuga Elder beside them began lecturing Kaze in a condescending tone.

However...

Why would Kaze fear nothing more than a Main Family Elder?

He did not even spare the man a proper glance before firing back, "What does this have to do with you, you old fossil?"

In an instant, the Hyuga family erupted into uproar.

No one had expected a fifteen-year-old Uchiha youth to be so disrespectful toward their Elder!

Though they did not quite understand what "old fossil" meant, they could tell from Kaze's tone that it was not a compliment.

"Since you claim that today's situation was caused by my mistake, then let me ask you this."

"What exactly was my mistake?"

Kaze did not continue tangling with the Hyuga family. Instead, his sharp words bore directly into the Konoha leadership.

"As a ninja of this village, do you not know that Cloud Ninja was a representative of the Land of Lightning?"

"It was precisely because you killed him that the peace agreement we signed became nothing but scrap paper. Is that not a mistake caused by your Uchiha Clan?"

Before Hiruzen could speak, Danzo countered sharply from the side.

The Hyuga Elders below raised their voices in agreement.

They insisted that this was Kaze's responsibility.

Even Fugaku, who had kept his head bowed in submission, could not help tugging at Kaze's sleeve, urging him to stop talking.

If he continued confronting the Konoha leadership like this, Fugaku might not be able to protect him even if he wanted to!

"What a joke."

Kaze sneered. "That leader took Hinata hostage first."

"As a member of the Security Force, I ordered him to surrender. Not only did he resist arrest, he even attempted to attack me."

"So I killed him."

"How was that a mistake?"

"What? Lord Danzo does not understand the full story, but has the entire Hyuga Main Family come down with amnesia too?"

"They kidnapped your eldest young lady, the future heir of your family. Yet instead of thinking about how to stand up for Hinata, you want to send Hinata's uncle out to die in her place. What a fine 'strongest dojutsu family.'"

"Meek before outsiders, fierce toward your own?"

"If someone killed your Clan Head, I suppose you would not even dare point out the murderer."

Although Kaze wanted to win over the Hyuga Clan, he had no favorable impression of these Main Family Elders.

Their arrogant, bullying manner in particular struck him as laughable.

Most importantly...

Kaze's plan was to win over the Hyuga Clan, not to win them over by acting like a bootlicker for the Hyuga family.

So there was no need for him to say anything pleasant.

The moment those words came out, they were like a thunderclap.

They completely silenced the Hyuga Main Family.

The leading Elder's face turned crimson. One hand trembled as he pointed at Kaze, his eyes bulging wider and rounder than a cow's.

He was so shocked that he could not speak for a moment!

Hizashi was dumbfounded as well. He had not expected Kaze's words to be so sharp.

And...

His logic was flawless.

That was right, Cloud Ninja had taken Hinata hostage first.

Why should they be the ones paying with their lives?

Danzo froze for a moment, not expecting Kaze to suddenly invoke the Security Force.

"And what do you mean, the peace agreement became scrap paper?"

"If Kumogakure truly wanted to end the war, why would their man take Hinata hostage?"

"In my opinion, this had been Kumogakure's scheme from the very beginning."

"Signing a peace agreement was a pretense. What they truly wanted was the Hyuga family's Byakugan."

"Am I wrong?"

Seeing the Hyuga Clan fall silent, Kaze continued with his soul-piercing questions.

Of course, this was not a spur-of-the-moment impulse on Kaze's part.

It was actually part of his plan.

The younger generation of the Uchiha Clan had long harbored resentment toward the Konoha leadership.

They simply dared not speak their anger aloud.

Now that he had openly confronted Danzo, they would surely see him in a new light.

Just as Kaze had expected.

Uchiha Setsuna and the others Within the clan watched Kaze speak with such forcefulness.

They all sat there stunned.

But immediately afterward, they felt a surge of exhilaration in their hearts!

Well said, Kaze!

Beautifully done!

Kaze understood very clearly that if he wanted to prevent the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, his strength alone was far from enough.

He needed the Uchiha Clan's full support.

He also needed recognition from the other clans.

And at this moment, there was no better opportunity to win over the younger generation Within the clan.

Kaze's first strike had already worked.

Next came his second strike.

Cloud Ninja had kidnapped Hinata first, and Kaze had enforced the law in the name of the Security Force.

By both reason and sentiment, the Konoha leadership could not do anything to him.

But how could the Konoha leadership, who had always disliked the Uchiha Clan, possibly let the matter rest?

Would they back down before a fifteen-year-old boy?

They would most likely use Kumogakure's Combat power to force him, and even the Uchiha Clan, into compromise.

Before long, Koharu, whose eyes had narrowed into slits, could not help speaking. "Perhaps you are right."

"The cause of this matter was indeed the Cloud Ninja representative kidnapping Hinata first."

"As a member of the Security Force, you also did the right thing."

"But this world has never been a world where right and wrong matter."

"Kumogakure now has experts gathered in force. The Raikage is in his prime, and the village also possesses Combat power like a Jinchuriki."

"If this disturbance cannot be settled, it may very well reignite the flames of war."

"Do you want the two villages to go to war?"

Koharu's tone was steady, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Not only did she point out to Kaze that this was not a matter of right or wrong, she even pinned the blame for starting a war directly onto him.

Seeing such a grave accusation fall upon Kaze, Fugaku's face turned pale in fright.

But before he could defend Kaze.

Kaze fired back again.

"Peace survives when sought through struggle; peace dies when sought through compromise."

"Endless compromise will not bring true peace. It will only aid the enemy and fuel their arrogance."

"This time, they want the Hyuga Clan Head's life. Next time, if they demand Lord Third Hokage's head, will you give it to them too?"

Kaze's words rang with conviction. He did not regard Utatane Koharu, that old woman, with the slightest respect.

"You!"

For a moment, faced with Kaze's arrogant attitude, Koharu felt her blood pressure shoot through the roof!