The Village Owed the Uchiha Clan an Explanation, Didn't It?

The fighting in the village had finally died down, and reconstruction work had begun.

An emergency high-level meeting was convened at the Hokage Building.

Only four people attended!

The two Hokage advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, along with Jiraiya and Kakashi, who had been summoned in haste.

Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses. "The situation is temporarily under control, but after such a disaster, everyone in the village is on edge!"

"The village cannot go a single day without a Hokage. Our most urgent task is to choose the Fifth Hokage at once and stabilize the situation!"

Mitokado Homura looked at Jiraiya. His meaning couldn't have been clearer.

Utatane Koharu followed up. "Jiraiya, you were the Third Hokage's student and one of the Sannin. Your strength and reputation are more than enough to win everyone's support!"

"The village needs you to step up and take charge. It's your responsibility."

Jiraiya crossed his arms and shook his head like a rattle.

"No, no. Please don't do this to me, Advisors."

"I've always been a free spirit. I can't stand all those rules and mountains of paperwork. Me, Hokage?"

"I'm not suitable!"

"Really, I'm not suitable!"

Utatane Koharu's expression darkened. She slapped the table. "Jiraiya! This is no joke!"

"Hiruzen was killed in battle, and the village has suffered such devastating losses. As his student, can you really shirk your duty at a time like this, personally or for the village?"

Mitokado Homura softened his tone and continued to persuade him. "Jiraiya, we know what you're like!"

"But these are extraordinary times, and they call for an extraordinary person. Your abilities and prestige make you the best candidate right now!"

"You should take on this responsibility, if only to honor Hiruzen's legacy."

Jiraiya remained unmoved. "I'm serious. There's someone a hundred times more suitable than me!"

"Tsunade! She's the perfect candidate to become the Fifth Hokage!"

"Her medical skills could help the village recover quickly!"

"As for her pedigree, she's the First Hokage's granddaughter. And as for leadership... well, she's a lot more dependable than me."

"Tsunade..."

The two advisors exchanged a glance, clearly considering the idea.

Utatane Koharu mused, "In terms of pedigree, she is indeed a better fit."

"But she's been away from the village for years, and no one knows where she is. Besides, she may not even be interested in becoming Hokage."

Jiraiya thumped his chest. "Just agree to let her become the Fifth Hokage, and leave the rest to me! I promise I'll bring her back!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura quietly exchanged a few words.

At last, Utatane Koharu looked at Jiraiya. "If you can find Tsunade and persuade her to succeed as the Fifth Hokage, you won't have to shoulder this responsibility."

"But I'll make one thing clear: if you can't find Tsunade, you'll have to succeed as the Fifth Hokage, no matter what!"

"Then it's settled!"

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief. He was confident he could persuade Tsunade to come back.

With the matter temporarily settled, Mitokado Homura rubbed his brow and waved a hand. "If there's nothing else, then we'll—"

"Please wait!"

Kakashi suddenly spoke up, looking at the two advisors and Jiraiya.

"This is about Shimura Danzō!"

Kakashi's voice was calm. "Today, he openly attacked the Third Hokage and caused his death. What does the village intend to do about it?"

The conference room fell silent.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions both changed.

Something about Danzō's actions didn't sit right with them.

Danzō trying to assassinate the Third Hokage would have been in character.

But conspiring with Orochimaru to attack the Third Hokage in full view of the public was clearly impossible!

Danzō had become obsessed with becoming Hokage. How could he attack the Third Hokage in front of everyone?

All that would do was make him a traitor to the village and destroy any chance he had of becoming Hokage.

Utatane Koharu collected herself and turned to an Anbu standing guard by the door. "Go to Root Base and bring Elder Danzō here to answer for himself!"

The Anbu took the order and left.

Soon, the Anbu returned and knelt on one knee to report.

"Report! Root Base... is completely empty!"

"Every member is missing, and all important facilities and research materials inside have been moved!"

"What?!"

Mitokado Homura shot to his feet, eyes wide behind his reading glasses.

Utatane Koharu's expression changed drastically, and her fingers trembled.

"Th-this..."

Mitokado Homura was at a loss for words. "It seems... Danzō took Root and... evacuated all its members? Could he really have... defected?"

"Impossible!"

Utatane Koharu rejected the idea emphatically. "Danzō may be extreme in his methods, but his loyalty to Konoha is beyond question!"

"How could he possibly defect from the village?! There must be something we don't know, or Orochimaru must have set him up!"

"Impossible for him to defect?"

A cold sneer suddenly cut in.

Bang!

The conference room door was roughly pushed open from outside.

Uchiha Yao strode in, his expression icy, with Uchiha Sasuke beside him, just as furious.

All four people in the room turned to look.

Seeing that the newcomers were two kids, Utatane Koharu was overcome with anger and embarrassment. She slammed a hand on the table and shouted, "Insolence! This is the high-level conference room in the Hokage Building! Who gave you two Genin permission to barge in?"

"Have you no respect for the rules? Anbu, throw them out!"

At her words, the Anbu moved to act.

"Hmph! Advisor, you certainly know how to throw your weight around!"

Yao met Utatane Koharu's gaze without flinching and sneered.

"My brother and I had no intention of barging into a high-level meeting!"

"But—"

Yao's tone shifted. His gaze was as sharp as a blade as it swept over Mitokado Homura, then settled on Utatane Koharu.

"I, Uchiha Yao, as the current head of the Uchiha Clan, demand an explanation from the village's highest leaders today!"

"During today's Chunin Ninja Exams, Shimura Danzō ordered Root to kidnap my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Then he used Sasuke to lure me to a Root hideout!"

"After that, he personally led Root's elite in an attack on me!"

Yao stepped forward. "Doesn't the village owe the Uchiha Clan an explanation?"

The Uchiha Clan now consisted of only the two brothers.

By rights, Yao was unquestionably the current head of the Uchiha Clan.

Before the two advisors could recover, Yao raised his voice again, his questions edged with barely suppressed fury.

"And another thing!"

"Shimura Danzō had more than ten Sharingan transplanted into his right arm! Everyone saw it with their own eyes!"

"Advisors, doesn't the village owe the Uchiha Clan an explanation for that too?!"

His words rang through the silent conference room like thunder.

Sasuke clenched his fists. At some point, he had activated his Sharingan. His scarlet eyes were filled with grief and hatred as he glared at the two advisors.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were stunned into silence by the barrage of questions, unable to find a rebuttal.

Jiraiya frowned deeply. The visible eye of Kakashi's mask had also turned sharp.

The air seemed to freeze!