A Confrontation in Plain Sight

The Hokage Office Building was brightly lit under the cover of night. All combat members of the Anbu and Root had prepared for the worst, and all the Jōnin of Konoha had also received orders to be transferred. The Konoha High Command had prepared for the worst.

However, as long as there is room for maneuver, no one wants to stand by and watch a terrible incident happen. The Konoha High Command doesn't want to, and neither does the Uchiha Clan.

Those who are militant and destroy their own homes are always a minority.

Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura Utatane Koharu, having weathered many storms, waited patiently.

Meeting Room, Danzo was presiding over the meeting, with only the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans below.

"Members of Uchiha Itachi's team leaked information, as did Uchiha Neta. Although it was all for their own selfish reasons in order to maintain the peace of the village, the channel through which the information was passed was the village's Intelligence Department."

Shimura Danzō had no regrets about anything he had done. If he regretted anything, it was that he had underestimated Uchiha Yoru. He hadn't expected that this kid had the potential to awaken the Mangekyo. If he had known, he would have taken care of the two of them together, and there wouldn't have been so much trouble.

At this moment, Shimura Danzō Uchiha coldly stared at the heads of the Ino-Shika clans, his single eye exposed. "As the most Noble Houses in Konoha and even the Shinobi World, the Uchiha would never allow such humiliation. And this leaked information is the source of their anger."

Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi exchanged unpleasant glances. Shimura Danzō, however, slowly rose, left a single sentence, and walked out the door without looking back.

"I'll be waiting for your reply in the Hokage Office."

As the conference room door closed, the three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho could no longer maintain their composure.

Inoichi Yamanaka, in particular, slammed his fist hard on the floor in frustration, and said angrily, "Damn it, it was clearly Root that used the Intelligence Department's channels, but now we're the ones taking the blame."

Even the obese Choza Akimichi looked worried; this was the first time in so many years that their three clans had encountered such a thorny problem.

"Nara Shikaku, do you have any solutions?"

Shikaku Nara, known as the Hokage's strategist and advisor, looked at the two with a worried expression, shaking his head dejectedly, and said, "Once the Uchiha seized the opportunity, there was no turning back."

"The new clan leader Uchiha Yoru, has just taken office. This operation has not only united the Uchiha Clan but also given them hope under his leadership. Therefore, the Uchiha will never give up."

Shikaku Nara rubbed his temples, quite troubled by the Uchiha's methods this time. "After the Uchiha were isolated, there has always been internal controversy. Some people want a peaceful resolution, while others want to use their power to negotiate with the village's higher-ups. But this time, Fugaku's death has provided an opportunity—a chance to unify the entire clan's thinking against external forces."

"If successful, the Uchiha will see hope for a counterattack, and all internal conflicts will be shifted to external forces. The leadership of the new clan leader, Uchiha Yoru, combined with his Mangekyou Mangekyo, will be impeccable."

"More importantly, timing! Now is the best time for the Uchiha Clan." Shikaku Nara shook his head as he said this, as the Uchiha had the advantage of favorable timing, location, and popular support.

"The Border Instability has already caused widespread anxiety. The incident Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja and the Fire Temple all happened at the same time. If this had happened a month earlier, the Uchiha wouldn't have dared to be so reckless."

To put it bluntly, the Uchiha seized the opportunity. You don't want the village to become more unstable, and neither do I, but you have been oppressing the Uchiha Clan. Now that we have a chance to fight back, you have to give us an explanation.

Finally, Inoichi Yamanaka gave a disappointed and forced smile as he looked at the two of them, "As the head of the Intelligence Department, I will take full responsibility for all of this and will not let our three clans be implicated."

"Inoichi, you!" Choza Akimichi said with unbearable worry, but Shikaku Nara remained unusually silent.

It's true that the three of them are sworn brothers, but at the same time, they all bear the weight of their family's rise and fall. The pressure on them is so great that they cannot act according to their own whims when it comes to matters concerning the family's fate.

As if thinking of something, Inoichi Yamanaka deep breath, concealing all his emotions, and instead showed a carefree smile as he looked at the two of them, his golden ponytail fluttering in the wind.

"I'm leaving now. I'm going home first. Don't worry about the rest."

As the head of the Intelligence Department, Inoichi Yamanaka the primary person in charge, and they were indeed close friends who had been through thick and thin together. In their youth, they could impulsively give their lives for each other, but now it was clearly an unnecessary sacrifice.

More importantly, they not only have their own families but also their own relatives. Shikaku Nara has his own young son, and so does Choza Akimichi. People will have their own selfish thoughts at the last moment.

Inside the Hokage Building, four pairs of eyes looked through the windows and saw the blond figure leaving in a daze. The four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

They knew that the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans— had made their own choice.

Would the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans blame them? They had never considered that. Political alliances are essentially alliances of interests. If the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans were truly so naive, there would be another option.

The three clans were willing to bleed heavily to appease the Uchiha Clan, but the price was undoubtedly enormous. By doing so, they would lose the trust of their superiors. Furthermore, given the immense losses, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, who had worked so hard to catch up over the years, were now being asked to give up?

How could that be!

Faced with the choice between family interests and personal interests, they, as clan leaders, resolutely shouldered their responsibilities.

Uchiha Compound.

This was an eventful night. Driven to the outskirts of Konoha, the Uchiha, who had endured for so many years, revealed their true colors, causing Konoha to have a sleepless night.

Previously, the Uchiha Clan, led by Fugaku, was plagued by internal discord and frequent external oppression. They displayed an aura of forbearance and a desire to prove their innocence, which gradually diminished the fear many people had of the Uchiha.

As soon as Uchiha Yoru took office, he revealed his fangs, seizing the opportunity and biting relentlessly, showing his fearless courage and the powerful confidence of his Mangekyo Sharingan, instantly making everyone wary of him.

This is the difference between the two, not a huge difference in their leadership abilities, but rather their differences in understanding information gaps and timing.

If Uchiha Fugaku had known from the beginning that he was doomed, he certainly wouldn't have acted so gently. Since he was going to die anyway, it would be strange if he hadn't been more ruthless.

Moreover, Fugaku's timing was also unfavorable. On the contrary, Konoha was extremely weak at that time, and there was turmoil on the border and in the Land of Fire, which led to this situation.

Uchiha Yoru had the advantage of timing, location, and popular support, while Uchiha Fugaku had none of these advantages.

"Clan leader, the Aburame Clan has moved here overnight, Hyuga Branch Family has also joined the defense force."

The Uchiha Clan elites inside the room had never been so excited. They had been suppressed for too long, and today's sudden release filled them with fervor for their new, shrewd young clan leader.

However, Uchiha Yoru, seated in the superior position, held a red book in one hand and sipped his tea calmly in the other, nodding slightly in response to his subordinate's report.

"Continue to strengthen security, and at the same time notify the entire village that we must not let the affairs of our Uchiha Clan affect the entire village."

After such casual words came out of his mouth, all the Uchiha in the room looked at each other Jōnin strange expressions.

If this gets out, will anyone believe it?

Some people were completely baffled, but a glint of light flashed in the cloudy eyes of Elder Setsuna Shana, who sat calmly to the side. He coughed hoarsely and glanced at everyone.

"The clan leader has given the order, why isn't anyone carrying it out yet?"

Upon hearing this, some people scratched the back of their heads, confused, and went to carry it out. The others, however, wore relaxed smiles.

Having witnessed Uchiha Yoru's methods, Elder Setsuna has calmed down and has even begun to decide to hand over all power.

As Uchiha Yoru said, special circumstances call for special treatment. The Uchiha Clan can no longer withstand turmoil. At the same time, this incident also showed him the terrifying power that a united clan can unleash, a power that even Konoha would have to take seriously.

"Clan leader, the Third Hokage has arrived."

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out, and dark shadows flickered within the Uchiha Compound.

A light, gloomy rain began to fall from the sky, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere of the village.

Inside the Uchiha Compound, the short and thin figure of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, walked to the front. His Hokage Hat was pulled low, obscuring his expression, but his imposing aura commanded respect from everyone.

Following behind were the Jōnin of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, numbering only a dozen or so. However, there was a stretcher covered with a white cloth in the crowd, and the outline of the figure on the stretcher could be vaguely seen.

A strand of golden hair was revealed, and with one of the three clan leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans missing, even the Uchiha Clan ninjas were shocked by what they saw.

The cold winter had just passed, and the light drizzle added to the chill. The figure stopped in the courtyard of the mansion.

Uchiha Yoru and the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, reunited in the courtyard of Fugaku's mansion. This time, under the light drizzle, the two calmly gazed at each other.

"The Intelligence Department leaked secrets and was even used by enemy countries. I am deeply saddened by what happened to Uchiha Fugaku. But this is not just a pain for the Uchiha. I also lost my eldest son, Shinnosuke, and I am equally heartbroken."

"This is also a pain for Konoha. The head of the Intelligence Department, Inoichi Yamanaka, committed seppuku at home out of shame."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm tone made it impossible to discern the old man's emotions or thoughts. As his words slowly echoed around him, everyone's gaze instantly turned to the white stretcher.

Even the Uchiha Clan who had initially been so Jōnin were now stunned, a chill running down their spines. The fact that they had driven a Great Clans leader to his death made them realize that things had spiraled out of control.

If this gets out, the Uchiha's reputation will suffer even more.

Uchiha Yoru maintained a calm expression, but his heart was in turmoil. What a Third Hokage! With such ruthless counterattacks, the Uchiha Clan will have to bear a bad reputation from this day forward.

"This child is Torune Aburame, and he is currently the only ninja in the Aburame Clan of the village who can control Nano-Poisonous Insects."

Then a seven or eight-year-old boy stepped forward, looking bewildered. The boy, wearing close-fitting leather goggles, was now being pushed forward.

At this moment, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans all glared angrily at Uchiha Yoru, while the rest of the Uchiha Clan blushed with embarrassment.

If word gets out that the Uchiha Clan forced the Yamanaka Clan chief to his death and then bullied the child, it will be seen as a result of their actions.

As for information leaks? Who in the Shinobi World dares to say that information is completely foolproof? Even the information of the Five Great Ninja Villages is constantly being stolen from each other.

Just because your Uchiha is powerful? You insist on pursuing this to the very end?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's counterattack directly shook Uchiha Yoru's newly established prestige, making him appear as if he were an evil person.

Looking at the thin old man in front of him, Uchiha Yoru took a deep breath and coldly stared at the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans with a disdainful expression.

"If you make a mistake, admit it; if you know you're wrong, correct it; if you get hit, stand up straight; be brave and take responsibility. If you disregard the rules and regulations of Konoha Village, then what's the point of having these Ninja Regulations and regulations? The so-called Konoha Six Departments should just be disbanded."

Things had come to this point, and whoever backed down would lose. Uchiha Yoru refused to yield an inch, coldly watching everyone before finally fixing his gaze on the Third Hokage. His veiled warnings were not spared from anyone.

"Third Hokage, don't you agree? Wasn't White Fang's contribution significant enough? Wasn't Orochimaru's contribution significant enough? Wasn't Madara Uchiha's contribution in founding Konoha significant enough?"

With three consecutive soul-searching questions, Uchiha Yoru's expression grew even colder, causing the Jōnin of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans to look him in the eye with a reluctance.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep look at the young man. He had really misjudged him. Orochimaru had actually raised such a scourge for the village; he was truly causing them great harm.

"That's right, the Uchiha Clan Head is right. If you make a mistake, you must admit it and correct it! No one can violate Konoha's rules, not even Madara Uchiha, the founder of Konoha!"

The confrontation between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Uchiha Yoru was open and blatant, made no attempt to conceal it, and was laid bare in front of everyone.

At this point, Madara Uchiha's secrets will inevitably be exposed sooner or later, so it's better to let Uchiha Yoru use them to reveal them himself, which would also give him the moral high ground.

Uchiha Yoru's three soul-searching questions completely reduced the death of a mere Yamanaka chief to a trivial matter. If you still want to argue about it, then tell me, can your Yamanaka Clan compare to the top three?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a warning to everyone that within Konoha, rules must be followed, and anyone who dared to break them would be severely punished.

At that moment, the Uchiha's morale, which had been somewhat low, instantly stabilized, and even the surrounding Uchiha Clan showed more determined looks after hearing this.

Yeah, did they force them to their deaths? If you really want to know, what do you say about White Fang and Orochimaru? You've even dragged out their own ancestors to whip their corpses. What are you Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, still complaining about? If you dare to glare at me again, I'll kill you all.

Everyone's following the rules, so who's afraid of whom?

As for his bad reputation? Let's talk about White Fang first.

To put it bluntly, this is a clash between Uchiha Yoru and the Third Hokage. If you continue to smear the Uchiha on this issue, then the Uchiha is not to be trifled with either. We're evenly matched, so neither of us should laugh at the other. The White Fang and Orochimaru incidents haven't been that long ago.

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