Danzo: The Uchiha Are Frivolous, Unfit to Be Konoha's Hokage

Sarutobi Hiruzen hurried over as fast as he could, but he still failed to make it in time. He could only watch helplessly as the Uchiha group climbed to the top of Hokage Rock.

"I am Uchiha Homura, the current head of the Uchiha clan."

With the aid of some modest sound equipment from the Land of Water, Uchiha Homura's voice rang through Konoha's busiest district.

The Uchiha clan had already drawn plenty of attention by parading through the streets. Now, Hokage Rock was packed with people beneath it, all staring upward curiously, eager to hear what the Uchiha clan head had to say.

From afar, the scene looked remarkably like a Hokage's inaugural address.

"Perhaps some of you are wondering why so many of us have gathered here today. Perhaps some of you have also heard rumors regarding the Uchiha clan and the village. Here, I formally announce that those rumors are not entirely false!"

The moment Uchiha Homura spoke, the crowd below erupted into an uproar.

As seasoned spectators of drama, everyone was excellent at picking out the key point. Not entirely false meant that part of them was true, didn't it?

Then which parts of those rumors were true? Or rather, which parts had been distorted?

Yet Uchiha Homura abruptly changed the subject, setting the matter aside for the moment and recounting, one by one, his clan's contributions since Konoha's founding. "...Since Konoha was founded, every inch of its land has been splashed with the blood of my Uchiha clan. When Konoha was established, the Uchiha clan had over a thousand members. Today, only five hundred and thirteen remain!"

Uchiha Homura swept his gaze across the surroundings, a trace of sorrow hidden beneath his calm tone.

"In thirty years, did the Uchiha clan have no new children born? Yet after all that growth and loss, why is the difference so great?"

When he heard that, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had only just arrived, fell silent as well.

Why?

Wasn't it obvious? They had died. How had they died? Naturally, they had died fighting for the village.

Especially during the First Shinobi World War. The Second Hokage had died, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had only just succeeded him, with insufficient prestige. If the Uchiha clan head at the time had been inclined to press the matter, the outcome of the First Shinobi World War might have been completely different.

At the time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had become the Third Hokage without the approval of all the Jonin in the Jonin Squad. In other words, the procedure had been completely improper. It was only because of Senju Tobirama's dying wish, the prestige of the Senju clan, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's own outstanding ability that no one had stepped forward to object.

If the Uchiha clan head back then had insisted on making an issue of it, then although the Uchiha clan's terrible popularity would have prevented it from affecting the Hokage's position, it still would have been enough to make Sarutobi Hiruzen deeply uncomfortable.

Yet the Uchiha clan head at the time had not uttered a word of objection. He had directly given up the dispute over the Hokage position and led his clansmen to face Iwagakure's army. With the strength of a single clan, they had held back the assault of an entire village until Sarutobi Hiruzen won on the other battlefields and arrived with reinforcements. Only then were they replaced.

That one battle alone had wiped out half the foundation the Uchiha clan had retained from the Warring States Period. It could be said that the Uchiha clan truly regarded Konoha as their home. They had truly given everything for Konoha.

But after receiving such support, after so many Uchiha clansmen had died in battle, how had the village repaid the Uchiha clan?

Aside from a hated Police Force, they had been given no power whatsoever.

The core leadership? Don't even think about it!

"Since Konoha was founded, not a single Uchiha clansman has held any post outside the Police Force. Not a single Uchiha clansman has ever been trusted by the Hokage with an important position. Kagami Uchiha, the only one ever to serve in the Hokage Guard, also died during the First Shinobi World War on an undisclosed mission..."

The many villagers beneath Hokage Rock fell silent one after another.

In truth, everyone knew about the Uchiha clan's situation.

After all, they lived in Konoha. Even ordinary villagers vaguely knew of the Uchiha clan's circumstances, though they did not understand the specifics because they were not part of the same circle. And that was precisely why they had been so interested in the earlier rumors.

Something that sounded plausible and extended from information they already knew was always the easiest to believe.

"Lord Hokage, can you tell me what the Uchiha clan has done all this for? And how has the village repaid us?"

Uchiha Homura turned to look in Sarutobi Hiruzen's direction. A faint but barely restrained fury seeped through his calm voice.

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, yet unable to speak.

At a time like this, whatever he said would be wrong.

The Uchiha clan's actual situation was right there before everyone, and he could not refute it. But if he admitted it now, would that not mean admitting that the village had been quietly suppressing the Uchiha clan all these years?

So his current thought was... Damn it, Danzo. Why the hell hasn't he gotten over here yet?

"How the village acts is naturally based on its own considerations. It is not your place, Uchiha, to spout such nonsense here!"

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives. Perhaps having heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's inner plea, Shimura Danzō made his grand entrance.

"Danzo, what nonsense are you talking about? The Uchiha clan is one of the founding clans of Konoha. Why would they not have the right to speak?"

"And if there is a problem, then solve it. Whatever the issue is, we can sit down and discuss it properly. Is this your attitude toward solving problems?"

Before Uchiha Homura could strike back, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō smoothly worked together to steer the topic away. Sarutobi Hiruzen even swiftly used Earth Release to create several tables and chairs, then pulled Uchiha Homura away from Hokage Rock.

No matter what happened, even if the talks broke down, they could not let them break down while standing atop Hokage Rock.

Leaving aside the possibility that a fight might break out and shatter Hokage Rock, simply letting the villagers below witness it would damage Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation.

At the same time, as Sarutobi Hiruzen led Uchiha Homura and Shimura Danzō away from Hokage Rock, a group of Anbu appeared and began dispersing the villagers below.

The drama was not even over yet. Who would want to leave?

But these Anbu shinobi did not care what the villagers thought. Once they put on their masks, they answered to no one. Thus, under the Anbu shinobi's "persuasion," the villagers "voluntarily" departed.

At the same time, another group of shinobi approached the remaining Uchiha clansmen, attempting to persuade them to return. Naturally, they failed. Without an order from their clan head—or rather, without a satisfactory outcome—how could these Uchiha members possibly be willing to leave just like that?

By then, the heads of the major shinobi clans had also arrived one after another, ready to watch the outcome of the Uchiha clan's all-out move. But before they could even settle in, they heard Shimura Danzō leap to his feet beneath a tree and slam his palm onto the table.

"Absolutely not!"

"The Uchiha are frivolous, unfit to be Konoha's Hokage!"