Danzō: This Pot Is Mine, Don't You All Want It

"How's the progress? Have you figured it out?" the Third Hokage asked sternly, his brow furrowed.

The current Third Hokage, still in his prime, possessed a powerful aura that made him seem like a completely different person compared to his elder self.

"It hasn't been fully determined, but we found some ashes. Among the ashes was a small piece of cloth with a marking on it, resembling the Uchiha Clan's."

A ninja from the ANBU held up a scrap of fabric for Hiruzen Sarutobi to examine.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took it in his hand and carefully observed Uchiha Seiji, who stood nearby.

"Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan, can you confirm if it belongs to your clan?"

"Yes, I can confirm it does, but I can't tell whose clothing it was," Uchiha Seiji said, pursing his lips. He genuinely couldn't identify the owner.

"Investigate this later. See if anyone is missing, or if anyone suddenly fell ill. I don't want this to be connected to your clan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was grave.

"Hmph, our clan is renowned for our Fire Style ninjutsu, and we're not weak in other jutsu either. The scene indicates the culprit used Wind Style, likely intending to eliminate someone from our clan."

Uchiha Seiji also felt the gravity of the situation, suspecting that the person who turned to ash might have been one of their own.

"We'll wait for the results! Also, ANBU, you must quickly check for any suspects and be wary of other villages trying to take advantage of the situation," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his mind sharp.

Once the orders were given, the summoned clan heads departed, leaving only Hiruzen Sarutobi at the scene.

"Hmm... Danzo, was it you who did this?"

This thought wasn't exclusive to Hiruzen Sarutobi; anyone who knew Danzo would have considered it, but no one dared to voice it.

All the evidence at the scene pointed to the culprit using Wind Style, making Danzo the prime suspect, even though many in the village possessed such ninjutsu.

Perhaps only Danzo had the capability to reach such a high level.

Furthermore, the emblem on the fabric fragment found earlier belonged to the Uchiha Clan, and Danzo had deep ties with this clan.

Therefore, the general consensus was that Danzo had developed a grudge and harbored murderous intent.

Given Danzo's volatile personality, he was certainly capable of such an act.

However, Danzo held a high position, and without concrete proof, people wouldn't dare accuse him. Danzo was not to be trifled with.

"Bang!"

"Say that again? Uchiha Kirito is missing?" Uchiha Seiji slammed his hand on the table, veins bulging on his arm.

"Yes, we've searched everywhere. There's no trace of him."

"Danzo! It has to be that guy! That lunatic has always disliked our clan and looked for opportunities to target us. This must be their doing; the crime scene already proves it!"

Uchiha Seiji's head throbbed with anger. If the missing person had been an insignificant commoner, it wouldn't have mattered as much, but Uchiha Kirito was an indispensable and powerful figure within the clan.

"I will absolutely not let this go unaddressed, Shimura Danzo, I'll make you pay!" In his rage, Uchiha Seiji's Sharingan was about to activate.

"My Lord, that young fellow Hyuga Matsuba, along with that lackey Uchiha Mikoto, we still..."

"Leave them for now. You may withdraw. I'm going to find Hiruzen Sarutobi and demand an explanation!"

Uchiha Seiji showed no respect for Hiruzen Sarutobi, even daring to address the Third Hokage in such a manner.

He left the clan compound and, filled with rage, arrived at the Hokage Building. After much back and forth, neither side reached a resolution.

After Uchiha Seiji left, Hiruzen Sarutobi scratched his head, finding the situation rather troublesome.

"Danzo, oh Danzo, you've stirred up a hornet's nest!"

Uchiha Seiji had demanded Danzo from Hiruzen Sarutobi earlier, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had deep ties with the Danzo family and couldn't possibly agree to such a demand. The two ended up sticking to their guns.

In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to a compromise, assigning a small ANBU squad to the Uchiha Clan to somewhat appease Uchiha Seiji's anger.

Even though Uchiha Seiji was still furious, Hiruzen Sarutobi's stance was firm, and he reluctantly accepted the minor concession.

This matter was considered closed, and Danzo had successfully become Hyuga Matsuba's scapegoat.

Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi specifically instructed Danzo to behave himself, then turned away without even looking at the displeased Danzo.

"Figure it out immediately! I need to know which bastard dared to mess with me!" Danzo was so angry he felt like spitting blood.

He held a high position, second only to the Hokage in the entire village, and now he was being framed?

Danzo couldn't accept it.

Unfortunately, even if he searched everywhere, he wouldn't find any results. How could anyone suspect that this was the work of some trash from the Hyuga Clan?

Uchiha Seiji had thought for a long time but hadn't considered Hyuga Matsuba. The reason was simple: how could a child accomplish such a feat?

Based on experience, Hyuga Matsuba, being so young, couldn't possibly defeat an Elite Jonin. Even a quasi-Kage would find it difficult.

Only someone with abilities above Kage-level could achieve this. How could a mere child possess such power?

However, they never imagined that Hyuga Matsuba was a miracle. He had become a Jonin a long time ago, so defeating an Elite Jonin was naturally easy for him.

In any case, Danzo had now become the scapegoat, and the relationship between the two major clans had become strained.

Internally, within the Uchiha Clan, everyone unanimously felt that Konoha didn't value them, which greatly disappointed them.

Hyuga Matsuba didn't care. He had planned from the beginning to make Danzo take the fall. Even though he had no prior grievances with Danzo, Hyuga Matsuba simply disliked him and decided to cause trouble for him.

After a satisfying meal and a short rest outside, Hyuga Matsuba and Mikoto returned home.

It was already late by the time they got back, and Mikoto had to start cooking. As soon as Hyuga Matsuba entered the house, he went straight to his bedroom.

He took out the carefully preserved Sharingan. Upon close inspection, it was evident that the eyeballs had already reverted to their three-Tomoe form.

"I still don't understand what this thing is truly for, but even with it now, it's not of much use to me."

Anyone else would surely covet the Mangekyo, but for Hyuga Matsuba, these were merely fleeting things.

"The Tenseigan seems capable of controlling puppets. Perhaps I'll find a use for it someday."

Hyuga Matsuba recalled this particular ability of the Tenseigan. If this skill were to be used, its power would undoubtedly be immense.

These two Mangekyo eyeballs piqued Hyuga Matsuba's interest. The reason was that each Mangekyo offered different usable skills, and under certain conditions, they could unleash exceptionally powerful Ninjutsu.