Danzo Explodes! Hiashi, What Are You Doing?

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A knock sounded at the door.

Namikaze Mirai smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"The food's in the kitchen. Heat it up yourself. Uncle has to step out for a bit."

"Mm."

Naruto nodded obediently.

Pushing open the door, an Anbu wearing a mask leaped down from a tree and stood before Namikaze Mirai.

His voice carried no emotion.

"Mirai, the Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage Tower."

"Lead the way."

Namikaze Mirai's expression was calm, as if he had expected this.

Following the Anbu, he arrived at the Hokage Tower and pushed open the door to the third-floor meeting room.

Silence reigned inside.

The long conference table was lined with seated shinobi on both ends—almost all of them village higher-ups or clan heads of major families.

Every gaze instantly fixed on him.

Those eyes held many emotions.

Scrutiny, disgust, surprise...

Namikaze Mirai's expression didn't change. So Sarutobi Hiruzen had already prepared, specially inviting so many of the village's elite here.

Using their collective influence to put him on trial.

"Mirai, perfect timing. Find a seat and sit down."

"Find a seat" was the phrase, but only one seat remained empty.

Namikaze Mirai didn't care. He sat down directly, his posture utterly relaxed, leaning back against the chair.

This natural demeanor made Sarutobi Hiruzen at the head of the table stir slightly.

He gave him a deep look.

Then, with a thoughtful hum, he composed his expression and said.

"Three days ago, the envoy delegation Kumogakure sent to Konoha was brutally murdered at night."

"I believe all of you have already heard of this matter?"

The moment his words fell, the entire meeting room erupted.

"Is that so?"

"Who has such nerve? Killing a Kumogakure messenger—are they trying to force Konoha into war?"

Some shinobi hearing this for the first time had their expressions shift instantly.

Killing a messenger from a major village, especially one coming to sign a peace treaty, carried a completely different weight.

This was a major diplomatic incident!

But most shinobi remained calm. The incident had happened days ago, and most of them already knew.

Scanning the room, seeing that his words had achieved the desired effect, Sarutobi Hiruzen fixed his gaze on Namikaze Mirai.

"Mirai, is there anything you'd like to say about this matter?"

A hint of coldness seemed to lurk in his eyes.

"After all, this is something you stirred up yourself."

The meeting room erupted in another wave of commotion.

"Namikaze Mirai? Isn't he Minato's younger brother? Why would he do something like this?"

"Killing a Kumogakure messenger—doesn't he understand the consequences?"

Numerous gazes filled with anger and confusion all converged on Namikaze Mirai.

A cold smirk flickered in Sarutobi Hiruzen's gray-brown eyes.

Namikaze Mirai held a special status—he was the Fourth Hokage's younger brother.

With that identity backing him, plus his unruly and defiant nature.

Under normal circumstances, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't dare to harshly reprimand him.

But now, with so many of Konoha's higher-ups and clan heads at the table.

Leveraging this immense collective influence, what was there to fear from Namikaze Mirai stirring up trouble? This subtle shift in expression didn't escape Namikaze Mirai's notice.

"It was indeed me."

He admitted it openly and frankly.

This stirred up another commotion.

"Why! Mirai! Why would you do something like this?"

"If the Raikage takes this as a pretext, is the village ready to go back to war?"

Even Danzo, seated beside Sarutobi Hiruzen, froze for a moment when Namikaze Mirai so openly admitted it.

This guy—did he have any grasp of the situation? Just confessing that easily? "The Raikage is furious about this. If his anger can't be appeased, war could break out again at any moment."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared straight at Namikaze Mirai.

The atmosphere in the meeting room hit rock bottom.

Many Konoha higher-ups looked at Namikaze Mirai with anger in their eyes.

The wounds from the Third Great Ninja War had only just begun to fade. They'd finally clawed their way to peace, and now, because of this, war might reignite.

And the culprit behind it all sat here so calmly?

"Mirai! You murdered the Kumogakure Messenger without restraint. Do you even have the village in your eyes?"

Seizing his chance at last, Danzo angrily slapped a label on Namikaze Mirai.

"Danzo, those Kumogakure Messengers—why were they there in the first place? Care to explain that to everyone?"

Leaning back in his chair with ease, Namikaze Mirai looked calmly at Danzo, as if his accusation were nothing more than a fart.

"Mirai, don't change the subject. The issue we're discussing now is how to calm the Raikage's anger."

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly, trying to steer the conversation back.

"It's because of my daughter."

Hyuga Hiashi, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

At this, the higher-ups around the table exchanged glances.

What did the Hyuga have to do with this?

From what they'd heard, it was just that Namikaze Mirai had killed Cloud Ninja. The specifics were unclear.

That was also the result of Sarutobi Hiruzen's deliberate steering.

"Enough, Hiashi. The Hyuga matter is already settled, isn't it? We're discussing Namikaze Mirai's issue now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression showed slight displeasure. Why did Hiashi have to speak up now?

Hyuga Hiashi took a deep breath.

"Please, let me finish."

"That night, the Kumogakure Messenger took advantage of my daughter's birthday banquet and the clan's lax defenses to kidnap my daughter, Hinata. Namikaze Mirai killed those Cloud Ninja only because he had to save her."

As he spoke, the rigid expressions of the ninjas around the table gradually softened.

"So that's it. In that case, Namikaze Mirai only acted to save Hinata."

"But why would the Kumogakure Messenger kidnap Hinata? What was their goal?"

Danzo frantically signaled Hyuga Hiashi with his eyes.

What the hell was Hiashi doing? Spilling the whole story so easily—how were they supposed to pressure Namikaze Mirai now? Wasn't the Hyuga matter already settled?

But Hyuga Hiashi's next words made his face stiffen, leaving him stunned.

"Knowing the severe consequences of this incident, to appease the Raikage's anger, my younger brother Hizashi had no choice but to offer his own life in exchange for their satisfaction."

Hyuga Hiashi's voice carried a hint of grief, and his pure white eyes held a sorrow unlike their usual calm.

The ninjas at the table erupted in uproar.

Just for killing the Kumogakure Messenger, one of Konoha's two great clans, the Hyuga, had to sacrifice the clan head's younger brother to calm the Raikage's fury.

Kumogakure was far too overbearing.

And besides, wasn't this their fault to begin with?

Danzo couldn't hold back any longer.

"Enough! Hiashi!"