The Coffin Is Open

Danzo's roar shook the room. He was just about to swing his sword at Fugaku, who was surrounded by Uchiha jonin.

Fugaku's expression changed. Taken aback by Danzo's extreme actions, he was at a loss for what to do.

Talking big felt great—right up until you got sent to the funeral pyre.

"Hiss!"

Why did his leg hurt?

Uchiha Fugaku glanced down and saw Uchiha Chen sitting beside him, a tiny flame dancing on his fingertip as he jabbed Fugaku's thigh several times beside his sword.

Fugaku sprang to his feet, drew the sword at his waist, and pointed it at Danzo. Three ominous black tomoe appeared in his eyes as he declared proudly:

"Your sword may be sharp, but do you think the Uchiha's swords aren't?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense. The jonin, each renowned in the Shinobi World, were so frightened they hardly dared breathe.

The head of the Shinobi World's greatest clan and Danzo, the Hokage's right-hand man—if those two started fighting, wouldn't Konoha be blown apart?

The two men faced off with swords, looking impressive as they struck their poses, but both were in a bind:

If they didn't fight, the tension had already been built up to this point. Whoever backed down would never be able to show their face in Konoha again. But if they did fight, they would be defying the Hokage and breaking Konoha's rules.

The only person who could give the two of them a way out was the old Monkey in the white Hokage robes: Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Danzo shot a flirtatious glance at his closest old friend, hoping he'd play along as he always had: scold Danzo first, then proceed to ruthlessly settle accounts with the Uchiha under the guise of fairness.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't take the bait. He only furrowed his brow, apparently lost in thought.

Things have changed between us, Monkey!

Danzo could only turn to the Hokage Advisor, Mitokado Homura, and signal him with his eyes.

Mitokado Homura gave a slight nod, took off his glasses and put them away, then released a powerful surge of Chakra. He fixed a cold stare on Uchiha Fugaku.

"Uchiha Clan Head, stop this nonsense!"

Mitokado Homura, who was just as annoyed that the Uchiha were shifting the blame onto the Second, immediately declared that the Uchiha were "making trouble."

"I carried out the Second's orders back then. I buried Uchiha Madara's coffin among the mountains behind Kage Rock. How could anyone have stolen his eyes? Don't make things up!"

Clang!

A clear metallic ring sounded as Uchiha Chen slapped the table and stood, drawing his sword.

"Advisor Mitokado, do you expect us to take your word for it? There's an easy way to clear your name: find Uchiha Madara's coffin and open it so we can examine the body!"

"Bang!"

"Enough!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his pipe onto the table and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Through the wisps, he swept a detached gaze around the meeting room.

Danzo and Fugaku faced off at the center. The jonin wore a variety of expressions. Uchiha Chen had suddenly made his move, while Orochimaru grinned darkly and Jiraiya looked bored.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt utterly exhausted.

The Uchiha had been completely unprepared on the Night of the Nine-Tails. Danzo had been able to pin them down in the Military Police Force with just a few men. That alone proved the Uchiha hadn't released the Nine-Tails. Even if one of them had, it could only have been some ambitious individual or small group.

Besides, before the Fourth died, he'd said the person who attacked the village had a Mangekyō and possessed the Nine-Tails' Summoning Contract.

Those details inevitably brought Uchiha Madara to mind.

"Danzo, Fugaku, put your swords away! You're fellow villagers. How can you turn your blades on each other? What kind of conduct is that?"

After scolding them, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone gradually softened.

"Fugaku, I have to criticize you. Your guess may sound plausible, but it's based entirely on your own assumptions. That's not acceptable!

"Madara's body was buried without having suffered any damage. We have a complete record of the mission. I can retrieve it for you later."

As he listened, Uchiha Fugaku became a bobblehead, nodding along with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Seeing his clan head quickly soften, Uchiha Chen knew it was time to speak again.

"Lord Hokage! We Uchiha trust the village, the Second, and you!"

Without a care for Fugaku, the clan head right beside him, Uchiha Chen spoke on behalf of the entire Uchiha clan.

"But since there are mission records, there's always a chance a spy stole them. Please send someone to retrieve Madara's remains and confirm his identity!"

If Danzo had been the one Uchiha Chen interrupted, he would have flown into a rage by now. But Sarutobi Hiruzen cared about maintaining his reputation. He didn't lose his temper; he only forced a smile that looked even stiffer.

Sarutobi Hiruzen grew wary.

Why were the Uchiha so insistent? Did they have some kind of evidence?

But he'd already looked through the experimental records Teacher Tobirama had left behind. There was no record of Madara being dissected!

Still, this had happened decades ago. It would be easy to shift the blame and argue over the details.

If Teacher Tobirama had taken Madara's Sharingan, they could pin it on a rogue ninja. Hiruko was a perfect candidate. He'd stolen forbidden techniques and conducted human experiments, among other things.

Suppressing the Uchiha was certainly part of Sarutobi Hiruzen's policy, but his greatest desire now was to find a lead to the mastermind behind the Night of the Nine-Tails—

After all, his wife, Biwako, had died that night too!

"The meeting is suspended for two hours." Sarutobi Hiruzen stared coldly at Uchiha Chen for a moment, then turned to Mitokado Homura and ordered:

"Homura, go retrieve Madara's coffin."

"Lord Hokage is wise!" Uchiha Chen praised him loudly, then smoothly gave two clan members their orders:

"Advisor Homura is getting on in years!

"Madara may have been a rogue ninja, but he was still of Uchiha blood. Inabi, Marumaru, go with Advisor Homura and carry the coffin!"

After the two men agreed and left with Mitokado Homura, Uchiha Chen pretended to realize what he'd done. He looked at Uchiha Fugaku with wide, innocent eyes and whispered:

"Clan Head, did I overstep? I'm still young and don't know any better!"

Assigning the Three-Tomoe clan members tasks was the clan head's prerogative.

"It's fine! You did the right thing!"

Fugaku smiled at Uchiha Chen and put aside his slight irritation at having his authority challenged.

Chen is only sixteen. What could he possibly have in mind?

They'd said two hours, but just over an hour later, Mitokado Homura returned to the Hokage Building with a luxurious redwood coffin, his face dark.

The redwood was so dense it was almost like iron. The joints between the boards showed no trace of craftsmanship. It had clearly been grown using Wood Release, and it bore several Sealing Techniques. There was no doubt it was Uchiha Madara's coffin.

The seals were intact, and the coffin seemed no different from when it had been buried decades ago.

But Mitokado Homura's face was so pale it was practically bloodless.

After a long pause, he finally managed to speak.

"There's something wrong with this coffin! It's too light!"

"What?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer sit still. With a few swift leaps, he landed beside the coffin as lightly as a monkey, placed one hand on its lid, and began undoing the seals.

Soon, the seals were completely undone. With a creaking sound, the lid slid open.

The coffin was empty.