On the Verge of Eruption

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

He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose face was furious and utterly uncompromising.

Then he glanced at the ninja clan heads beside him, who stood like clay statues, watching their noses and contemplating their hearts. He knew that no matter what he did today, he could not achieve his goal.

Danzo clenched his cane tightly and forced out a single word through gritted teeth.

"...Fine!"

With that, he spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind him without looking back.

Bang!

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

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the Anbu captain before the desk. The latter followed Danzo out.

Then, as though all strength had left his body, he slowly sank back into his chair, his fingers trembling slightly.

He drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. His gaze returned to the clan heads. A thousand words filled his heart, yet for a moment, he could not say a single one.

The Nara Clan head sighed inwardly.

Forcibly separating Danzo, a fuse that could explode at the slightest spark, from Konohagakure, this powder keg, was indeed the wisest choice for now.

But everyone knew that the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the higher-ups had already become public and acute. Forcing Danzo to the border had not resolved the root problem.

The best course now is to temporarily shift the internal conflict through a major war. It depends on how the Third Hokage chooses.

That was what the Hyuga, Nara Clan, and others thought.

As for joining forces with the Third Hokage to wipe out the Uchiha Clan? The instant that thought emerged, they snuffed it out without hesitation.

Everyone knew the Uchiha Clan's strength. They could indeed win if they all joined forces, but how would a crippled Konohagakure deal with the other ninja villages afterward?

If things truly reached a point of no return, the ninja clans would rather watch the Uchiha Clan and Konohagakure's higher-ups tear each other apart.

If the Uchiha Clan suffered a crushing defeat afterward, everyone could sit down and negotiate. But if the Uchiha Clan withstood the pressure without suffering fundamental damage...

Then there was nothing to hesitate over. They would simply fire a salute for the rising Fourth Hokage.

At the very least, the Uchiha Clan did not scheme and beat around the bush. They were worthy of trust.

In battles great and small, whenever the Uchiha Clan was present, they truly dared to charge at the front.

The only thing the ninja clans worried about was whether the final victor could lead them to defeat their enemies. Otherwise, everything would be empty talk.

The Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho were considering whether they themselves could become Konohagakure's third party, mediators between the Hokage and the Uchiha Clan.

That would benefit them the most.

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood this as well. If he fought the Uchiha Clan at such a critical moment, victory or defeat aside, the foundation of his rule would be shaken.

More importantly—

The Sannin, Namikaze Minato, and the overwhelming majority of the ninja forces were not in Konohagakure. With only himself and Utatane Koharu, they truly could not stop the Uchiha Clan.

If Hatake Sakumo were still alive, would the Uchiha Clan dare act so recklessly? Or if Uzumaki Kushina could control Kurama...

A bitter mixture of regret and helplessness spread through his heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen lightly bit the tip of his tongue and focused on the situation before him.

Should I redeploy the ninja forces back to the village? Or call Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the others back through Minato's Flying Thunder God?

The moment the thought arose, he rejected it.

The fighting at the front was at a critical juncture.

If they withdrew now and their opponents seized the opportunity, the entire front would inevitably collapse. Neither he nor Konohagakure could bear that price.

The Uchiha Clan could act rashly because everyone believed them to be rash.

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

This had to be resolved through negotiation.

And negotiation required equality.

Use the Uchiha Clan's independent military force as leverage and transfer them away from Konohagakure...

As the Third Hokage considered this, he raised his eyes and swept his gaze over the clan heads before him, each wearing a different expression. His voice was steady.

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

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood. "I want to personally ask Fugaku exactly what the Uchiha Clan intends."

With that, he took the lead and walked out.

The Hyuga Clan head and the Ino-Shika-Cho, who understood what this represented, did not refuse. They rose with grave expressions and followed him.

If they could use the greater situation to suppress the Uchiha Clan's desire to attack and bring the matter to the negotiating table, it would undoubtedly be good for Konohagakure as a whole.

They had no reason to refuse.

Dusk deepened, and the last trace of warm light on the horizon was stained by deep blue.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen led the others out of the Hokage Building, the enormous fan clan crest atop the towering Ginza Building cast a heavy shadow through the dusk, completely swallowing the Hokage's group.

Dusk was like blood, dyeing the Uchiha Clan compound in a solemn crimson.

After Uchiha Fugaku led people to capture the Root ninja, the entire compound had fallen into a tense stillness on the verge of eruption.

The training grounds were empty, and the children's laughter had vanished as well.

Only the Uchiha Clan crest beneath the eaves silently overlooked this quiet territory in the evening wind.

On the street at the entrance to the compound, figures stood erect like spears, their killing intent surging like a tide.

The Old Clan Head, Uchiha Setsuna, and Uchiha Koh—the three pillars of the clan—had all donned armor that had been sealed away for many years.

The dark cuirasses had endured countless baptisms of blood and fire, covered in faint marks left by weapons. Time had polished the edges of their armor plates to a gentle sheen, yet they still radiated an unshakable iron-blooded air.

Fan clan crests were engraved upon their pauldrons and bracers, faintly gleaming in the dusk.

Behind them, dozens of Uchiha jonin stood motionless like sculptures.

Every cuirass had been polished until it gleamed, while the flame-patterned fans on their backs seemed to be burning.

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

No one spoke. No one moved.

Only Sharingan opened unconsciously, crimson pupils flickering through the deepening dusk like countless signal fires waiting to ignite.

The wind swept past the treetops, carrying a few fallen leaves between the armored figures.

Not a trace of noise could be heard across the entire square. Only breathing and heartbeats resonated beneath the armor.

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

A ninja from the Hyuga Branch Family activated his Byakugan. Within his vision, veins bulging around his eyes—

The Chakra within those Uchiha seemed like volcanoes on the verge of eruption, cold and violent, ready to burst forth at any moment!

He then glanced at the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, barely over a thousand meters from the Uchiha Clan compound. At full sprint, a jonin could reach it in less than ten seconds. He swallowed hard.

Everyone knew that the coming negotiations between Konohagakure's higher-ups and the Uchiha Clan would determine Konohagakure's future.

Once irreconcilable conflict emerged, civil war would erupt at any moment!

A suffocating pressure, like a storm about to break, filled Konohagakure's entire central district.

Amid heavy footsteps, at the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters, the Uchiha guards at the entrance saw the Hokage arrive. Their eyes sharpened, but they did not retreat. Instead, they straightened their backs, their Sharingan faintly glowing red in the dusk.