Now, He Was Qualified to Speak

In the vast conference room, a long, narrow, and glaring light streamed in through the only large floor-to-ceiling window, obscuring the faces of the high-ranking officials and clan leaders who sat against the light.

The dust motes floating in the air were clearly visible, and in the hazy Nikko above the long table, they drew shapes of light.

Naruto's sudden remark, "Kill me," stunned everyone for a moment.

The Uchigatana was embedded in the long table of the conference room, with half of it protruding, the blade gleaming blindingly. Danzo narrowed his eye, which was covered by bandages, and looked at Naruto with utmost composure.

Why would I kill you?

A hothead like Naruto was clearly no match for Danzo. Having spent his life lurking in the shadows and witnessed far too much carnage, Danzo seemed unconcerned about Naruto's slightly outrageous behavior.

His eyes flickered, and he could clearly see the expression on Naruto's face. Disappointment? Or anger?

It seemed there was nothing there; the Jinchuriki's face was expressionless.

"The knife is already stuck in the table. Whether Lord Danzo kills me now or not, if I die in a few days, it will be inextricably linked to Lord Danzo," Naruto continued.

"What reason would I have to kill you?" Danzo scoffed. "Jinchuriki are extremely important to the village. As a high-ranking member of the village, how could I possibly kill you?"

"Do you think you can evade questioning by making unreasonable arguments?"

"Reason?" Naruto said, "Danzo insisted that I released the Tailed Beast without asking me for my reasons or whether I really released Tailed Beast."

"The Nine-Tails was released but didn't destroy the village. Is that reasonable?"

"Reasonable?" Danzo's voice grew colder. "You released the Tailed Beast without authorization, which is an indisputable fact that cannot be distorted no matter what you say."

"Does the truth matter?" Naruto's voice rose several octaves. In the huge conference room, only he and Danzo were speaking; everyone else remained silent.

Tsunade didn't speak, and they didn't know what to say either.

"The truth is the fact, and the fact is the truth." Danzo's tone was firm. "If you don't pass your academic subjects, I don't mind sending you back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the course!"

"Danzo, you don't care about the truth at all. Everyone knows that the village was not destroyed, but you don't care. What you care about is how much power and benefit you can gain by making me admit that the Nine-Tails has emerged."

Naruto showed no weakness; even though he couldn't see Danzo's face clearly, it didn't affect his performance at all.

"If Danzo truly cares about the truth, then take a knife and stab my stomach, let the Nine-Tails come out and tell you whether it came out on August 24th or not!"

"Do you know what you're saying?" Danzo coldly, without responding to Naruto's previous statement.

"Of course I know what I'm talking about!"

"I said that Nine-Tails didn't come out at all that day. If Danzo thinks that's not right, then kill me now and make Nine-Tails come out and explain."

"This is utter nonsense!" Danzo's voice was tinged with anger. "Insubordination! Do you want to hear what you're saying?"

"Itachi Uchiha invaded the village and almost killed me. Although I was lucky enough to survive, Itachi Uchiha turned around and left. It seems that Danzo's Root and Anbu had no way to deal with Itachi Uchiha."

"The so-called truth is weak, childish, and laughable. It sounds like Danzo- sama's excuse that he has no choice but to point his sword at his own people because he can't deal with external enemies!"

"You!" Danzo's face finally showed a hint of emotion. "I've had enough of your nonsense. Do I have to explain every arrangement the village makes to you?"

"If Danzo is senile and doesn't dare to make a move against Itachi Uchiha, then he should just give up this position."

"You don't dare kill Itachi Uchiha, but I do!"

"Are you afraid of something? Or are you worried about something?"

"Enough!" The old woman Utatane Koharu, interrupted Naruto sharply and joined the match.

Tsunade tapped the long table twice with a muffled sound, propping her head up with one hand, her full red lips slightly parted, her voice carrying an unquestionable tone.

"Let him speak."

"Fifth Hokage! This is High-level Meeting; a Genin him has no right to speak."

"Whether he's just a Genin or not, whether he has the right to speak, I think everyone here knows the answer." Tsunade's threatening tone was evident as she narrowed her long, beautiful eyes and squinted her jade-like wrists as she swept them over the crowd.

"If he can't speak, then let's adjourn this High-level Meeting."

"Fifth Hokage, this is against the rules," Mitokado Homura said.

Of the four core high-ranking members, only two are advisors, Danzo, and Tsunade. Although the Anbu Captain and the heads of the other major clans are also considered high-ranking members, they mostly just sit in silence.

"Rules?" Tsunade looked up, her dark golden eyes seeming to glow. "Aren't there plenty of people who break the rules? If rules were really useful, would I be sitting here?"

"The Third Hokage and Fourth Hokage were at the mercy of others. What does Konohagakure truly need? Rules or power?"

"You have too little trust in the younger generation and have created countless rules. So what about that brat Itachi Uchiha? Naruto is not qualified to speak, so go find a qualified Jinchuriki."

"Select Jinchuriki from among the younger generation of your clan, and try them one by one."

After he finished speaking, the two advisors fell silent.

The First Hokage idea was to downplay the concept of family, to the point that members of the Senju Clan would intermarry with ordinary people, change their surnames, and abandon the Senju Clan's talents.

The Uchiha kept raising venomous insects, which resulted in a group of madmen obsessed with power.

Now, Konohagakure has lost both the Senju Clan and Uchiha. The only woman who inherited the Senju Clan's talents sits in the Hokage's position, her status unshakeable.

Outside the only floor-to-ceiling window in the conference room, the sunlight was abundant and the vegetation was lush. The Hokage Rock on the cliff was exceptionally striking, and white birds circled and soared into the sky.

Nikko streamed through the Nara Clan's deer farm, the Yamanaka Clan's flower shop roamed the village, clan ninjas wearing Ninja Headband roamed everywhere, and the Konohagakure Street remained bustling with activity.

Tsunade turned her gaze away from the window and swept her lion-like eyes over the high-ranking officials.

"Now, he has the right to speak."

The two advisors were well aware of the current situation and didn't want to confront Tsunade directly. They only wanted to eliminate potential threats to the village, not remove the Hokage. Currently, the only people qualified to be the Tsunade were Jiraiya, yet both of them had sided with the Jinchuriki.

That's why, when the two advisors tried to discuss the matter objectively, Tsunade forced them to take sides. If they wanted to stick to the facts, then they should choose Danzo for the position.

Naruto, having received a signal from Tsunade, spoke again.

"I am innocent and do not need to be judged by anyone. No one has ever asked me if I want to become Jinchuriki. But since I am in this position, I have to say something fair."