On the Verge of Breaking Out

Shimura Danzō's chest heaved violently, his single eye filled with unwillingness, resentment, and fury.

He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who wore an expression of anger and left no room for negotiation.

He then glanced at the clan heads standing to the side, who remained as still as wooden statues, eyes fixed on their own noses, and realized that there was no way to achieve his goal today.

Danzō gripped his cane tightly and squeezed a single word through his teeth.

"...Fine!"

Having said that, he turned abruptly and stormed out, slamming the door behind him without looking back.

"Bang!"

The thunderous sound of the door closing echoed through the office once more.

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the Anbu captain before the desk, who immediately followed Danzō out.

Then, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from his body, he slowly sank back into his chair, his fingers trembling slightly.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and turned his gaze back to the clan heads; though he had a thousand words in his heart, he could not utter a single one for the moment.

The Nara Clan head sighed inwardly.

Forcibly removing Danzō—that fuse ready to ignite at any moment—from the powder keg that was Konohagakure was indeed the wisest choice for now.

But everyone knew that the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the upper echelons had become public and acute; sending Danzō to the border by force did not solve the fundamental problem.

The best way right now is to use a major war to temporarily divert internal conflicts; it all depends on how the Third Hokage chooses.

The Hyuga, Nara, and others thought to themselves.

As for joining the Third Hokage to annihilate the Uchiha Clan? The moment this thought surfaced, they extinguished it without hesitation.

Everyone knew the strength of the Uchiha Clan; they could certainly win if they all attacked together, but what would a crippled Konohagakure have left to deal with the other ninja villages?

If it truly came to a life-or-death situation, the ninja clans would rather watch the Uchiha Clan and the Konohagakure leadership tear each other apart.

If the Uchiha Clan were crushed, they would sit down and negotiate; if the Uchiha Clan could withstand the pressure without suffering fundamental damage...

Then there would be nothing to hesitate about; they would simply offer their salutes to the rising Fourth Hokage.

At the very least, the Uchiha Clan did not play games and were worthy of trust.

Whether in large or small battles, whenever the Uchiha Clan was present, they were the ones who truly dared to lead the charge.

The only thing that worried the ninja clans was whether the final victor could lead them to defeat their enemies; otherwise, everything else was just empty talk.

The Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho were contemplating whether they could become a third party in Konohagakure, acting as mediators between the Hokage and the Uchiha Clan.

This would be most advantageous for them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood this as well; engaging in a major war with the Uchiha Clan at such a critical moment, regardless of victory or defeat, would shake the very foundation of his rule.

More importantly.

The Sannin, Namikaze Minato, and the vast majority of the ninja army were not in Konohagakure; relying only on himself and Utatane Koharu, he truly could not stop the Uchiha Clan.

If Hatake Sakumo were still here, would the Uchiha Clan dare to be so insolent? Or if Uzumaki Kushina could control Kurama...

Bitterness, mixed with regret and helplessness, spread in his heart, but he forced it down.

Sarutobi Hiruzen bit the tip of his tongue, focusing his attention on the current situation.

Should I recall the ninja army to the village? Or perhaps call back Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the others using Minato's Flying Raijin?

The thought was dismissed as soon as it arose.

The war on the front lines was at a critical juncture.

Withdrawing troops now would inevitably lead to a total collapse if the opponents seized the opportunity; neither he nor Konohagakure could afford that price.

The Uchiha Clan could afford to be impulsive because everyone expected them to be.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had inherited the vast Konohagakure, did not want to gamble, nor was he willing to.

The situation had to be resolved through negotiation.

And negotiation required equality.

Using the Uchiha Clan's independent military status as a bargaining chip to move them away from Konohagakure...

The Third Hokage thought as he raised his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the clan heads with their varying expressions, his voice steady.

"Everyone, come with me to the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up. "I want to ask Fugaku personally: what exactly does the Uchiha Clan intend to do?"

With that, he stepped out first.

Knowing what this signified, the Hyuga clan head, the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the others did not refuse; they rose with solemn expressions and followed.

Being able to use the weight of the situation to suppress the Uchiha Clan's desire for conflict and bring matters to the table for discussion was undoubtedly a good thing for Konohagakure as a whole.

They had no reason to refuse.

Twilight deepened, and the last warm glow on the horizon was swallowed by deep blue.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen led his group out of the Hokage Building, the massive Uchiha fan crest atop the towering Ginza building cast a heavy shadow in the twilight, completely swallowing the figures of the Hokage and his entourage.

The twilight was like blood, staining the Uchiha compound in a somber, crimson hue.

Ever since Uchiha Fugaku led his men to apprehend the Root ninjas, the entire compound had fallen into a state of suppressed tension.

The training grounds were empty, and the sounds of children playing had vanished.

Only the Uchiha crest under the eaves looked down silently at this quiet territory in the evening breeze.

On the street at the entrance of the compound, figures stood as straight as spears, with killing intent surging like a tide.

The old clan head, Uchiha Setsuna, and Uchiha Koh—the three pillars of the clan—were all clad in battle armor that had been sealed away for years.

The dark chest plates had been baptized by countless fires of war; they were covered in fine scratches from weapons, and the edges of the plates had been polished to a warm luster by time, yet they still exuded an indelible aura of iron and blood.

The fan crest was engraved on the pauldrons and vambraces, glowing faintly in the twilight.

Behind them, dozens of Uchiha jonin stood as still as statues.

Every piece of armor was polished to a shine, and the fan crests on their backs seemed to be burning.

Their ninja swords remained sheathed, but the hilts had been warmed by the heat of their palms.

No one spoke, and no one moved.

Only their Sharingan activated involuntarily, the scarlet pupils flickering in the deepening twilight like countless unlit signal fires.

The wind swept through the treetops, swirling a few fallen leaves as it wove between the iron armor.

Not a single sound could be heard in the entire plaza, only the resonance of breathing and heartbeats beneath the armor.

The Anbu and other ninja clans observing from afar watched this scene with grave expressions.

A ninja from the Hyuga branch family activated his Byakugan, and in his vision, where the veins were bulging—

The chakra within those Uchiha was like a volcano on the verge of eruption, cold and violent, ready to burst forth at any moment!

He glanced again at the Konoha Military Police Force building, which was just over a thousand meters away—a distance that would take less than ten seconds to cover at full speed for a jonin—and swallowed hard.

Everyone knew that the upcoming negotiations between the Konohagakure leadership and the Uchiha would determine the future of the village.

Once an irreconcilable conflict arose, civil war would be imminent!

The entire core area of Konohagakure was permeated with the oppressive atmosphere of a storm about to break.

Amidst the dull sound of footsteps, the Uchiha guards stationed at the entrance of the Konoha Military Police Force building saw the Hokage arrive in person; their eyes sharpened, but they did not retreat. Instead, they straightened their backs, their Sharingan glowing faintly red in the twilight.