Uchiha Kō stared expressionlessly at the scene before him, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
When Uchiha Itachi handed the list to him, the atmosphere in the room became heavy. Everyone present held their breath, as if time had frozen at that moment.
Some people could even hear their own heartbeats clearly, the sound jarring in the silence. They prayed silently that their names wouldn't appear on the list, because the consequences of being included would be unimaginable.
Uchiha Kō nodded slowly, then said, "Alright, in that case, I still believe in Mist Division's loyalty." His voice was calm and firm, seemingly without much doubt about the contents of the list.
After speaking, he didn't immediately check the list, but gently placed it on the table as if it were just an ordinary document.
Upon seeing Mist Division, Suikazan Fuguki quickly bowed and then slowly sat down. His gaze fell on his desk, and he remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Uchiha Kō scanned the reactions of everyone present. He noticed that some people had expressions of relief on their faces, while others seemed tense and uneasy.
He wondered to himself, "Is this list really that reliable? Couldn't the Mist Division selfish motives in it?"
After all, human nature is unpredictable, and no one can guarantee that the Mist Division won't use someone else to do their dirty work for their own selfish interests. If that's the case, then wouldn't I, Uchiha Kō, become their tool, used to eliminate their rivals?
Thinking of this, Uchiha Kō frowned slightly. He decided that he still couldn't easily trust this list and needed to investigate and verify it further.
Therefore, instead of opening the list as everyone expected, Uchiha Kō slowly swept his gaze over everyone present.
Some people seemed to be frightened by his gaze, involuntarily lowering their heads, their bodies trembling slightly, as if Uchiha Kō's gaze carried some kind of terrifying pressure;
Others frowned, staring directly at Uchiha Kō without flinching, seemingly filled with doubt and confusion about his next move.
In the slightly heavy atmosphere, Sasori of the Red Sands suddenly stood up. He first glanced at Suikazan Fuguki with a blank expression, his cold eyes sending chills down one's spine.
Then, he turned around, bowed respectfully to Uchiha Kō, and said slowly, "Lord Hokage, I believe there are significant problems with this list."
Sasori of the Red Sands's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
Many of the ninjas present lit up upon hearing this, secretly thinking, "That's right, if we follow this line of thought, then this list is very likely something that Suikazan Fuguki deliberately fabricated to take revenge on certain villages! In that case, even if Mist Division really did write these names randomly to save his own life, it would make sense."
Uchiha Kō raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile. He nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Sasori of the Red Sands's point of view and encouraging him to continue.
Sasori of the Red Sands raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and said softly, "Who among you present does not know of the Lord Hokage's reputation for benevolence and righteousness?"
With swift and decisive action, the Lord Hokage conquered the four villages and ultimately unified the Ninja World, ending that long period of chaos.
Most importantly, in this unification battle, the Lord Hokage inflicted negligible damage; such benevolence truly makes him a rare and exceptional figure throughout history!!!
His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet setting, as if every word could resonate deep within people's hearts.
Sasori of the Red Sands paused for a moment, then continued slowly, "We, the ninjas and villagers of the Sand Division Village, have all benefited from the Lord Hokage's grace. Both the country and the village have flourished under the Lord Hokage's leadership."
It can be said that without the Lord Hokage, we wouldn't have the peaceful life we have today. The Lord Hokage is our light, and I, Sand Division, am willing to follow the Lord Hokage forever!
At this point, Sasori of the Red Sands's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, then he said in a deep voice, "Therefore, I believe that if anyone dares to utter any arrogant words at this time, saying they want to rebel, or even harboring such thoughts, then they are simply an absolute beast!"
Sasori of the Red Sands directly characterized this matter as a rebellion, bringing the issue to the forefront, clearly indicating that the situation was about to be overturned.
He wasn't targeting Uchiha Kō, but rather the representatives of the Mist Division ninja.
Suikazan Fuguki frowned and looked at Sasori of the Red Sands. He hadn't expected that this little guy would not only be good at playing with puppets, but also have such clear speech and thinking!
Sasori of the Red Sands then spoke again, "Whether others rebel or not, I, the Sand Division, do not know, but it is common knowledge that a rebellion must have accomplices; one person cannot rebel alone."
"If you insist that my Sand Division harbors treacherous intentions and wants to rebel, then let me tell you about my Sand Division's accomplices." Sasori of the Red Sands's words stirred up a storm.
Uchiha Kō narrowed his eyes, watching all this without saying a word.
Sasori of the Red Sands looked at everyone. "My ally in the Sand Division is the Lord Hokage, and my ally in the Sand Division is Konoha!"
"As Konoha's neighbor, Sand Division has lived in harmony and worked diligently for decades, receiving much kindness from the Lord Hokage."
"Let's not even talk about the technology! The Lord Hokage knew that Sand Division had always been barren and lacked water. He not only sold drinking water to Sand Division at a low price, but also had Lord Hashirama plant trees in Sand Division."
"Sand Division will never forget this life-saving grace. Therefore, I said that if I rebel, and if I have accomplices, my accomplices will be the Lord Hokage Konoha!" Sasori of the Red Sands's sophistry left the other ninjas speechless!
Holy crap, buddy, are you really that eager to lick Konoha's boots? And your trick of shifting the blame and using a feigned retreat is pretty impressive!
"Therefore, Lord Hokage, I, Sand Division, have always been loyal to Lord Hokage and to Konoha. Lord Hokage believe in my Sand Division!"
After speaking, Sasori of the Red Sands stepped out of his seat and bowed 90 degrees to Uchiha Kō.
Uchiha Kō smiled and nodded, "I naturally believe in Sand Division's loyalty. Sasori, what are you doing!"
Sasori of the Red Sands slowly rose to his feet. "Lord Hokage, if Sasori doesn't defend the integrity of my Sand Division, I fear we will be harmed by treacherous people!"
After saying that, Sasori of the Red Sands subconsciously looked at Mist Division, Suikazan Fuguki, remained expressionless and even closed his eyes, refusing to look at Sasori of the Red Sands!
The remaining Mist Division Ninjas flushed red, glaring at Sasori of the Red Sands with hatred.
Sasori of the Red Sands remained expressionless, inwardly delighted. "Serves you right for reporting a bunch of people! You think you're so great, huh!"
Uchiha Kō nodded. "Sand Division Tadashi, I understand. Sasori, go back and sit down."
Upon hearing this, Sasori of the Red Sands walked towards his seat.
Uchiha Kō looked at the remaining two groups present, the Rock District and the Cloud Division.
How will they defend themselves?
The very next second, while Cloud Division was still pondering, Rock District Deidara charged in.
"Lord Hokage, my name is Deidara. I won't do Mist Division the Kirigakure did, nor will I be as good at arguing as Sasori. I'll just state my purpose here directly. Do with me as you please!" Deidara said irritably.
Such behavior usually puts Uchiha Kō at ease. He chuckled and said, "Little Deidara, just say what you want to say. Don't worry, I, Uchiha Kō, am not a bloodthirsty person."
Deidara nodded. "My old man said that things are a bit unsettled in the Ninja World, and through information from the Anbu, he learned that all the ninja branches, including the Konoha headquarters, have come to the Land of Rain."
"So tell me to be flexible and not to talk nonsense. See how things go. But remember one thing: Konoha is the headquarters, and we, the Rock District, are the branch. Everything must be done according to the Konoha representative. That's all." Deidara, although an adult, was still very naive.
After listening, Uchiha Kō smiled and said, "Deidara, that old... cough cough, did the Lord Tsuchikage really say that?"
Deidara nodded. "That's right, that's exactly what I said. If the Lord Hokage is worried that I'm lying, then let me never understand what art is for the rest of my life!"
Uchiha Kō waved his hand. "I believe you." Deidara's willingness to use art as a swearing oath proves that his words are absolutely true.
Don't forget that Deidara's pursuit of art is almost fanatical. If he could make a vow to pursue art to the very end, then it means that Deidara and Rock District were definitely not lying.
Deidara nodded upon hearing this, then returned to his seat and began to observe the reactions of everyone present.
Darui of the Cloud Division sat on the stool, feeling somewhat embarrassed, because he noticed that Uchiha Kō's eyes were glancing over. All three divisions had already pledged their loyalty, except for you.
What's wrong, little brother? You don't actually have any ulterior motives, do you?
Darui felt a chill run down his spine. Finally, he scratched his head, trying to think of a reply that was both pleasant and elegant. Uchiha Kō took another sip of water, looked at Darui, and remained silent.
After that, more attention turned to Darui; whether the Cloud Division could survive this ordeal depended entirely on Darui.
Samui clenched his pale hands tightly, looking at Darui with urgency in his eyes, silently praying, "Brother, you have to hold on to the pressure!"
A quarter of an hour later, people from other villages were already looking at Cloud Division with gloating expressions, as if they had guessed Cloud Division's fate.
Just then, Darui took a deep breath and looked at Uchiha Kō. Uchiha Kō's eyes lit up. Was he finally going to speak?
Darui slowly said, "Me too!" After saying that, he bowed and did not look up.
Everyone fell silent. Suddenly, a soft "pfft" was heard, followed by a chain reaction, and everyone burst into wild laughter.