"Ahahaha, Michiko's business is getting better and better." As usual, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared on the streets of Konoha, chatting with the young female shop owners.
"It's all thanks to the Third Hokage, sir. With such a powerful Hokage as you, the other villages wouldn't dare covet us so easily." The shop owners did not hold back their praise, showering the Third Hokage with flattery.
"Hahaha, it's all to protect everyone." Nearly floating away from the women's praise, the Third Hokage struggled to keep himself grounded and spoke modestly.
Just as he was about to continue his friendly conversation with everyone, a familiar Chakra signature appearing within his sensory range made him abandon the idea.
"I just remembered that I still have some business to take care of, so I won't keep chatting with you." After cheerfully bidding everyone farewell, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to a street corner amid their reluctant gazes, where an Anbu waited respectfully.
"What happened?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned serious. He was somewhat displeased with this subordinate's inability to read the situation, though he concealed it well.
"Yes, Third Hokage. Just now, Lord Danzo led his Anbu into a conflict with the Military Police Force." The Anbu lowered his head and recounted everything he had seen and heard.
Seeing that Hiruzen's expression remained unchanged after he finished, the Anbu asked curiously, "The matter ended with the Military Police Force backing down. Should we take any measures?"
He actually didn't use this as an excuse to make trouble...
As he calculated inwardly, Hiruzen asked, "Are you sure Danzo made no further moves?"
"Yes. Although the number of people monitoring the Uchiha has increased, Lord Danzo has not taken any extreme actions against them." The Anbu had not discovered any other movements from Danzo.
"Then what about Fugaku?" Hiruzen instinctively reached for his pipe, his gaze deep. He wanted to know what attitude Fugaku Uchiha had taken toward this matter.
Or rather, had Fugaku truly noticed the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha, caused by all sorts of factors?
The focus shifted to Fugaku.
After sending Yaomei and the others away, Fugaku rushed to Konoha Hospital without stopping. He checked Yaowan and the others' injuries, then ordered them as Clan Head to tell the truth.
Looking at Fugaku's broad face with two heavy jowls hanging beneath his chin, Yaowan and the others could no longer care about how influential their parents were within the clan, nor how much their wounds hurt. Before many clan members, they admitted that they had been the ones to lead others in attacking Obito first.
"Uncle Wada, there's nothing more to say about this matter, is there?" As Fugaku left the hospital room and prepared to return to the clan compound, Uchiha Wada stopped him.
Looking at this clansman from a generation above him, Fugaku felt somewhat helpless.
This man was an elder from Uchiha Setsuna's generation. During the Second Hokage's era, he had followed Setsuna in rebellion, but because there had been no evidence, he was later released back to the clan compound. He was a well-known hardliner.
He was also Uchiha Yaowan's grandfather.
"Fugaku, we recommended you as Clan Head because we valued your talent and ambition. And what happened? When facing Konoha, all you do is bow and scrape, wagging your tail and begging for mercy. Now that Yaowan and the others have been beaten like this, not only are you refusing to demand compensation, you even want to apologize to them first. What the hell are you thinking?" Uchiha Wada glared angrily at Fugaku. If Uchiha Yashiro had not stopped him, he would have intervened back in the hospital room.
What an idiot!
Cursing the man's stupidity inwardly, Fugaku, unwilling to tear their relationship apart just yet, could only patiently explain, "But Yaowan and the others did strike first. If we rashly demand compensation from Danzo, it may provoke unnecessary conflict."
"He's just a cripple from the Shimura Clan! Back in the Warring States period, a minor clan like that would only have been fit to become an Uchiha vassal!" Uchiha Wada waved an arm, showing no regard whatsoever for Danzo.
You know this isn't the Warring States period, damn it!
Fugaku cursed inwardly.
If Danzo had merely been a cripple from the Shimura Clan, that would have been one thing. Although he rarely acted in public, Danzo's strength was certainly not much weaker than Hiruzen Sarutobi's, despite Hiruzen being Hokage.
Moreover, the entire Konoha leadership stood behind him.
Making an enemy of Danzo rashly would only further intensify the conflict between the Uchiha and the village.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to negotiate with Danzo." Seeing that Uchiha Wada had no intention of letting the matter rest, Fugaku directly assigned him the task of speaking with Danzo.
See? Don't say I didn't give you a chance. You know where Danzo lives anyway. Why not go negotiate with that so-called "cripple" yourself?
When he heard that Fugaku intended to let him have a good talk with Danzo, Wada instantly lost all his earlier vigor.
Having spent some time in the Second Hokage's delightful little dark room, Wada knew full well how terrifying the Anbu's methods were. Of those who had gone in with him back then, perhaps only Setsuna was still barely alive.
Recalling everything from the past, Wada shuddered and began changing the subject. "We can discuss that later. Even if we don't pursue the outsiders' responsibility, Obito must still be punished. As an Uchiha, he joined forces with outsiders to harm his own clansmen. That can never be tolerated."
Originally, Wada had planned to shift the target to Kakashi, but when he thought of Konoha's White Fang's reputation, he lost his nerve once again.
Neither Shimura Danzō nor Hatake Sakumo was someone he could afford to provoke.
With no other choice, he could only vent his anger on Obito, who had no one to rely on but his grandmother.
What a despicable man.
Fugaku gained a new understanding of Wada's shamelessness, and at the same time began considering whether he should really give this old bastard so much face.
"How are Yaowan's injuries?" After thinking for a moment, Fugaku did not answer Wada directly. Instead, he looked at Uchiha Yashiro and asked about Yaowan's condition.
"The damaged areas have already been restored with Medical Ninjutsu. The doctor said there won't be any lasting effects." The moment Uchiha Yashiro heard Fugaku's question, he understood what Fugaku intended and cooperatively answered.
"Uncle Wada, you heard him. Yaowan's injuries aren't serious, so why insist on going after Obito? And Obito's parents died for the Uchiha Clan. I hope you haven't forgotten that." After hearing Yashiro's answer and weighing the gains and losses inwardly, Fugaku decided to protect Obito.
The fact that the Shimura boy was willing to stand up for Obito proved that their relationship was far from ordinary. Why should he offend a powerful figure in Konoha for the sake of a hardliner who already had one foot in the grave?
Besides, wasn't this precisely the opportunity he had dreamed of—to establish direct ties with the leadership?
Before you continue