Let's Start with the Clan Leader's Wife

Sometimes Eiji felt that saying "the Uchiha took a perfect hand and played it like garbage" was spot-on.

Tobirama handed them such an overpowered weapon, and they didn't know how to use it properly.

Not only did they fail to take down the Hokage, but they also let themselves get bullied like dogs every day.

But when he thought about the extremist clan members, Eiji figured it made perfect sense they'd ended up like this.

Eiji worked fast and soon drafted a set of revised rules.

But Eiji was just a grunt—these things still needed the department head, Fugaku, to sign off.

So Eiji handed the revised rules to Fugaku, and unsurprisingly, Fugaku flat-out rejected them.

"Eiji, I know you have the Uchiha's best interests at heart, but don't rush things."

Fugaku gestured for Eiji to sit down. "Ever since the Security Division was established, not a single word of its content has been changed. I know there are issues..."

"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?"

"Clan Leader Fugaku, it's time for my patrol. My apologies."

With that, Eiji turned and left Fugaku's house.

Fugaku was a lost cause. He'd just have to go ahead and act directly—there was no other way but to corner him.

The Security Division's silence and Naruto's patience didn't get them what they wanted.

Naruto faced even fiercer mockery every day, and the Security Division was demonized as a bomb threatening Konoha.

Danzo, the mastermind behind it all, was thrilled.

He felt it was almost time.

Just one more log on the fire, and the Uchiha madmen would draw their blades and storm the Hokage Building.

Then what awaited them would be the ninjas lying in ambush.

At Danzo's orders, Ryoma, who had narrowly escaped death, found Uchiha Clan Leader Fugaku.

"Clan Leader Fugaku, given the recent rumors in the village, Lord Danzo would like to invite you for an explanation."

Fugaku's broad face twisted into a mask of pain.

As for Danzo, every Uchiha from top to bottom hated him to the bone.

After the Nine-Tails incident, it was this bastard who shoved them into this godforsaken corner and saddled them with a brainless job even a dog wouldn't take.

And Fugaku had reason to suspect Danzo dreamed of slaughtering their entire clan.

Fugaku forced down the rage in his chest and said calmly, "Since Lord Danzo knows they're rumors, what's there to explain?"

Ryoma shook his head lightly. "Please, Lord Fugaku, come along. Some things are better settled face to face."

Fugaku hesitated.

Ryoma lowered his voice. "Clan Leader Fugaku, don't make this difficult for me. You wouldn't want to be charged with armed resistance, would you?"

So Fugaku caved.

He followed Ryoma to the Root Organization and met the man he never wanted to see in his life.

"Lord Danzo."

Danzo stepped slowly out of the shadows, his gaze dripping with contempt for everything.

"Regarding the rumors spreading through the village, do you have anything to say?"

Fugaku knew exactly what Danzo was talking about.

"Lord Danzo, the Uchiha have absolutely no other intentions. Even Eiji's contact with Naruto was approved by the Hokage..."

"As for things like murder, that's pure nonsense."

Danzo gave Fugaku a sidelong glance, expressionless. He's rattled. He's definitely rattled.

He pulled out a few forged complaint letters and flashed them in front of Fugaku.

"I suggest you come clean. If I had no evidence, I wouldn't have brought you here."

Fugaku clenched his fists. Damn you, Danzo.

You don't have a shred of evidence. I know what my clansmen do every day far better than you do.

Forget murder—even if you went and beat them black and blue, they wouldn't dare fight back now.

Wasn't Danzo just bullying the honest man?!

"Lord Danzo, I can guarantee there's absolutely nothing."

"Not a single one?"

"Not a single one!"

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Danzo suddenly squeezed out a smile uglier than a cry. "In that case, Clan Leader, please see yourself out."

Hearing this, Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief—he had passed another hurdle.

But Danzō's next words nearly made Fugaku lose his temper.

"To eliminate suspicion from the Uchiha clan, every clan member must come to me for routine questioning. You have no objections, Clan Leader Fugaku, do you?"

The red light in Fugaku's eyes flickered wildly before quickly dimming.

"I will discuss it with my clan."

Danzō nodded in satisfaction—this clan leader was still as cowardly as ever.

"In that case, why not start with your two sons and your wife?"

Fugaku's head buzzed. He looked up at Danzō in fury.

"What do they have to do with this? Two children and a woman with no combat ability?"

Danzō tapped lightly on the desk. "Children and women can still kill when they pick up a blade."

"You!"

Fugaku nearly ground his teeth to dust. "Lord Danzō, my family are not the murderers."

"Who knows?" Danzō pointed at Fugaku. "Have them come to the Root Organization before tomorrow morning."

With that, Danzō waved his hand.

"Leave. I have matters to attend to."

Fugaku's head throbbed, terrible thoughts flashing through his mind.

Call it questioning—Danzō was trying to drive them to death!

For so long, the Uchiha had endured Konoha's unreasonable demands again and again.

All for the sake of peace.

But...

In Danzō's eyes, this endurance seemed like weakness.

And indeed, it was weak.

Fugaku knew that if Senior Setsuna were still alive and heard this news, he would absolutely grab a blade and chop Danzō to pieces, just like when he tried to assassinate Tobirama back then.

He trudged slowly back to the clan grounds, where he saw his anxious clansmen.

Seeing Fugaku return, the clansmen swarmed over.

"Clan Leader, what happened? They didn't give you trouble, did they?"

"That masked guy was one of Danzō's subordinates, right? Did Danzō make another unreasonable demand?"

Everyone spoke at once, their chatter giving Fugaku a splitting headache.

He hesitated for a moment. "It's nothing. I have some matters to handle. I'll be going now."

With that, Fugaku left the crowd and walked toward his home.

Not far away, Eiji leaned against a large tree, holding Xiao Er in his arms.

From their conversation, Eiji could roughly guess what was going on.

Another mess Danzō had caused.

Whether it was or wasn't, if no one knew who did it, just blame Danzō.

Since things had come to this, he might as well go teach Naruto some ninjutsu first.

That afternoon, Naruto and Eiji met up.

"Teacher Eiji," Naruto hugged Eiji's leg, "I don't want to train today. Let me treat you to a bowl of ramen."

Eiji patted Naruto's head. "Alright."

Naruto walked ahead, constantly leading Eiji down secluded paths.

Eiji thought for a moment and found it strange.

So he secretly used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, sending a clone to check on Naruto's home.

After receiving the information from his clone, Eiji had already guessed most of it.

That inherently evil Shimura Danzō... it seems I must personally—

Just then, several fierce-looking villagers appeared from nowhere, pointing at Naruto and Eiji.

"Two murderers, get out of Konoha!"

"Konoha doesn't welcome you! Go die!"

"A life for a life! The Demon Fox must die!"