Danzo Appears

"Yaowan and Yaowang were seriously injured. I took them to the hospital first, Captain Yao Mei." Looking at the two people lying on the ground, unable to get up, the Military Police Force ninja who had arrived first hoisted them onto his shoulders and left after receiving Yao Mei's permission.

"You should go home first, Yaosi. Someone will come ask you about what happened later." Uchiha Yao Mei looked sternly at the still-sniffling Yaosi as he gave her his instructions.

"Yeah, Uncle Yao Mei, you absolutely can't let Obito off easily!" Uchiha Yaosi did not forget to diss Obito before leaving.

As Uchiha Yaosi and the injured left, the atmosphere at the scene became exceptionally grave.

"Obito." Uchiha Yao Mei looked at Obito with an expression of bitter disappointment. "Your usual fooling around was one thing, but now you're even colluding with outsiders to hurt your own clansmen?"

"We kept tolerating you for Auntie's sake, again and again, but what you did today went far too far!" Uchiha Yao Mei slowly walked up to Obito, raising his arm to bring it down.

"Hey, stop it." Seeing that Obito was about to get slapped again, Kazashiro could not stand by any longer and immediately spoke up to stop him.

But how could Uchiha Yao Mei possibly heed a child? He continued with his movement regardless.

"I said, stop!" When Kazashiro saw that his warning had gone ignored, he picked up a pebble and threw it at him.

Smack! Smack! Two crisp sounds rang out almost simultaneously. One was the sound of a slap striking Obito's face, while the other was Uchiha Yao Mei catching the stone with his other hand.

"Hmph, outsider. I didn't come looking for you—did that give you some kind of misunderstanding? I'm disciplining Obito because he is one of my clansmen, but you..."

After sizing up Kazashiro and Kakashi, Uchiha Yao Mei fixed them with a sharp gaze. "You two are suspected of intentional assault. You'll be coming with us to the Military Police Force!"

"Hmph, what kind of bullshit Military Police Force is this? You arrest people however you like without even asking what happened. Obito was clearly being bullied by those three, yet you only believe that idiot's side of the story!" Rather than being intimidated, Kazashiro puffed out his chest, raised his head, and met the man's gaze.

"What noble Uchiha Clan? You're just a bunch of lunatics who can't tell right from wrong!"

"You little—!" Hearing his clan insulted, Uchiha Yao Mei could no longer restrain himself and charged straight at Kazashiro.

His right hand, curled into a claw, failed to seize Kazashiro's thin neck. Instead, it was Uchiha Yao Mei's arm that was caught.

"C-Captain!" Before the remaining two Military Police Force members could act, they felt sharp weapons pressed against their lower backs.

"Hmph, since when did the Anbu have time to meddle in children's games?" Uchiha Yao Mei looked at the Anbu before him, his expression turning ugly.

Whew, I knew it.

Kazashiro, who had been startled by Uchiha Yao Mei's sudden attack, also let out a long breath. The reason he had acted so arrogantly was because he had bet that someone was backing him up.

The old bastard really did send people to follow me.

"You Military Police Force members are also meddling in children's games, aren't you? I'd say that slap you just gave was pretty hard." The Anbu holding Uchiha Yao Mei's arm—no, a Root operative—spoke calmly, but his grip did not loosen.

Three Anbu... who were they here for? The white-haired one, or the black-haired one?

Wait, that white-haired kid, could he be...

"Konoha's White Fang really is quite something. He actually managed to persuade the Hokage to send three Anbu to protect his son." As a member of the Military Police Force, Uchiha Yao Mei quickly identified Kakashi and immediately linked him to the Anbu.

"Oh? What a pity. This old man doesn't recall sending Anbu to protect Hatake Kakashi." A low voice sounded, and a figure all the Uchiha present were unwilling to see slowly emerged from behind a tree.

"D-Danzo... sir..." Uchiha Yao Mei's face twisted as he uttered the newcomer's name through nearly gritted teeth.

Fuck, why did the old bastard come personally?

Kazashiro had thought his actions would at most draw out a few Root ninjas. He had never expected his bargain-bin father to come to the scene himself.

This is bad, this is bad. I've gone too far. Will the old bastard bring the Night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre forward in a fit of rage?

"Danzo? Oh, I know about him. I often heard them mention him when they were chatting in the clan compound. They say he's the most evil guy in all of Konoha." Seeing that no one paid him any attention, Obito jogged over to Kazashiro and Kakashi, muttering quietly.

"They say the old bastard's farts stink, he doesn't flush after using the toilet, and he likes peeping on women's baths when he has nothing better to do." When Kazashiro and Kakashi still ignored him, Obito grew even more enthusiastic.

Are all you Uchiha Clan members children? Seriously, how old do you think Danzo is?!

Kazashiro could not help complaining inwardly.

"Cough, cough." Kakashi coughed twice.

Hey, Kakashi, stop trying to hide it. I know you laughed. Honestly.

Kazashiro glanced at Kakashi, who had turned his head away, and sighed.

"Uchiha Yao Mei, is this how your Military Police Force handles cases? You intend to arrest innocent villagers without evidence." Ignoring Uchiha Yao Mei's ugly expression, Danzo slowly approached him, his sinister gaze seeming to pierce straight through Yao Mei.

"The Military Police Force has its own methods of law enforcement. Even as the Hokage Assistant, you have no authority to—" Uchiha Yao Mei still tried to struggle.

"Then we have our own methods of handling matters as well. Isn't that right, Fugaku?" Danzo stopped walking and looked into the distance.

Fugaku, who had appeared at some point, stepped forward after Danzo called him out. He first shot Uchiha Yao Mei a hard glare, then slightly bowed to Danzo before everyone. "I did not expect a dispute among the younger generation to disturb you. This was my failure."

No matter how Fugaku and the others spoke of Danzo within the clan, so long as the Third Hokage gave no order, Danzo's status would always stand above that of the Uchiha Clan.

Unlike Yao Mei, Fugaku Uchiha knew that Danzo commanded a Root force that obeyed only him. Making enemies of such a hawk with real power was clearly not a wise choice.

"It's nothing. Didn't you come to the scene as well?" Danzo half-closed his single eye, and the intimidating aura he had just exuded instantly vanished. At a glance, he looked like nothing more than a harmless old official.

"You jest. I only came to take a look because Yao Mei's squad had not returned for so long." Fugaku maintained his respectful posture as he excused himself and his subordinates. "Yao Mei is still too young and has not handled some matters properly. I hope you will be lenient."

Fugaku's actions made Yao Mei and the others close their eyes in shame.

Their own Clan Head had actually humbled himself so completely before Danzo. How could the proud Uchiha Clan possibly accept that?