Confrontation

After school, Obito really did pester Uchiha Houka, insisting on showing off his Sharingan in front of him. Unfortunately, the reputation of this guy being a poor student wasn't unearned; he glared for a long time but simply couldn't manifest the Sharingan.

"Obito, let's do it next time. I still have to practice Taijutsu with Uncle Might Duy," Uchiha Houka said, patting him on the shoulder with a meaningful tone.

"Damn it, why won't it work?" Obito jumped in frustration, glaring fiercely at the wall.

Uchiha Houka shrugged, gave a wink to Guy not far away, and then the two of them snuck off together.

"Uchiha Houka, I think there's something wrong with this duel," Guy said, his expression darkening after they left the Ninja Academy. "After that Chunin appeared, I went to look for teacher Shin Kiyono, but I searched the entire Ninja Academy and couldn't find him. Even the teachers of other classes were gone, as if they had all agreed to disappear together."

Uchiha Houka narrowed his eyes: "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Guy's thick, bushy eyebrows furrowed with gravity.

Uchiha Houka was almost blinded by the glare of those brows.

"The only one who could pull this off..."

...is the Third Hokage.

The Ninja Academy was the Third Hokage's private domain; anyone trying to cause trouble here was challenging the authority of the Third Hokage!

Uchiha Houka's expression turned grave.

The Third Hokage must have known about this, so what was his goal?

Uchiha Houka's thoughts spun like lightning, and he quickly cleared his mind: he himself and the Chunin Uchiha Yeshing were likely just pawns for the big shots above. Someone wanted to use these two pawns to build a battery to attack... the Uchiha Clan!

'Danzo?!'

Uchiha Houka felt a jolt of shock, inexplicably sensing that the mastermind behind this was likely Danzo.

After all, the Third Hokage was a man of mature and steady character; it was unlikely he would move against the Uchiha Clan before they had clearly plotted a coup. But Danzo, he could do it.

In other words, he had already entered Danzo's sights, and had even been used as a pawn by him!

"Damn it!" Uchiha Houka clenched his fists. This feeling was unbearable, and his heart felt as if it were shrouded in a layer of gloom.

"What's wrong, Uchiha Houka?" Guy looked at him with concern.

"Ah? Oh, it's nothing." Uchiha Houka sighed. He couldn't tell outsiders about this; after all, the existence of Root was a secret to ordinary ninjas, let alone someone like him who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy.

Meanwhile.

In the conference room of the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat. Beside him were Danzo, as well as Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. The latter two were childhood friends of Hiruzen Sarutobi and currently served as Konoha's elder advisors, assisting the Hokage in governing Konoha.

On the other side were the current head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Chika, as well as the captain of the Konoha Police Force, Uchiha Yamano, and his assistant, Uchiha Fugaku.

Uchiha Chika and Uchiha Yamano were both middle-aged, their temples graying, their energy slightly waning.

"You are all aware of the matter, so let's discuss the follow-up handling plan," Danzo said with a dark face, looking coldly at the three people opposite him.

Uchiha Chika narrowed his eyes and smiled: "It was nothing more than a farce. Uchiha Houka and Uchiha Ronai are both children; it's understandable for them to bicker and fight. As for Uchiha Yeshing, he was just anxious to protect his child and acted foolishly, committing some discourteous acts. I hope Lord Danzo will not hold it against him."

"Clan Head Uchiha Chika, please mind your phrasing!" Utatane Koharu slammed the table and said, "Uchiha Yeshing openly attacked an undergraduate student with lethal intent at the Ninja Academy. This is no farce!"

Mitokado Homura naturally stood on the same side as Utatane Koharu: "I heard that Uchiha Yeshing is also a deputy squad leader of the Police Force. The Police Force cannot shirk responsibility for this matter."

Uchiha Yamano smiled: "Lord Mitokado, I have already revoked all of Uchiha Yeshing's positions in the Police Force."

"Hmph!" Mitokado Homura snorted and turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

The two sides went back and forth. One side made the matter sound increasingly serious, escalating it to the point of affecting the stability, prosperity, and unity of Konoha, while the other side downplayed it, reducing it to a trivial family matter of kids fighting and parents getting involved.

Finally, both sides looked simultaneously at the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting in the main seat.

"Hiruzen, this matter depends on your decision," Danzo said in a sinister tone.

The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, exhaling smoke, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.

"The purpose of establishing the Ninja Academy is to cultivate excellent ninjas for the village. I will not allow anyone to interfere with the Ninja Academy for any purpose!" The Third Hokage's voice grew stern. "The school allows students to duel, but it does not allow outsiders to interfere in fair duels. Regarding this matter, Clan Head Uchiha, you must give the Ninja Academy an explanation!"

Uchiha Chika narrowed his eyes, watching the Third Hokage silently. After a long while, a curve finally appeared at the corner of his mouth: "I will."

At the end of the table, Uchiha Fugaku looked unwilling, seemingly wanting to say something, but was stopped by Uchiha Yamano.

"Then, let this matter end here!" the Third Hokage said suddenly. "And I ask Clan Head Uchiha not to make things difficult for those two children."

"Of course, after all, they are members of my Uchiha Clan!" Uchiha Chika nodded, lost in thought.

Leaving the Hokage Building, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but say: "This is a trap! Duels at the Ninja Academy require a teacher to be present! But as far as I know, there were no teachers present when Uchiha Houka and Uchiha Ronai were dueling, and that guy Yeshing was also..."

"Enough, Fugaku!" Uchiha Yamano scolded, "Stop spouting this useless nonsense!"

"But!" Uchiha Fugaku was very unwilling!

"Fugaku, you are outstanding, but you still need to be tempered." Uchiha Chika patted him on the shoulder. "The Uchiha Clan seems to be heading toward glory, with our power and reputation gradually surpassing the Senju Clan, but... you saw it, didn't you? The Third Hokage and the three elder advisors have always held an unresolved grudge against our clan. One day, they will move against us. Fugaku, you must prepare early!"

Uchiha Fugaku showed a look of horror, not knowing what to say.

"Let's go. This place is not our territory," Uchiha Chika said, turning his head slightly. In his pupils, a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan filled with blood and ominous intent had already appeared.

Danzo stood in the Hokage Building, his eyes hidden in the dark corner, silently meeting Uchiha Chika's gaze, not losing the slightest bit of ground.

That very night, news spread from the Uchiha Clan that Uchiha Yeshing had been thrown into Konoha Prison. The charges were disrupting a fair duel at the Ninja Academy and attempting to murder a student!

Once this information spread, the reputation of the Uchiha Clan took a hit. Under Danzo's manipulation and threats, some families that were relatively close to the Uchiha Clan also gradually began to remain neutral, distancing themselves from the vortex of the struggle. (To be continued)