I, Uchiha White Dove, Won't Hog This Glory!

"Root has been disbanded, and Danzo will be imprisoned. I'll also have Anbu investigate Shisui's case thoroughly and give you Uchiha an explanation!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen still wanted to protect Danzo.

After all, none of these punishments would really hurt him.

Root could always be reformed after its disbandment. It would only take a word.

As for Danzo being imprisoned, that was even more ridiculous.

Although the prison was under Uchiha control, would the Uchiha really dare defy an order from the Hokage?

"Lord Hokage, Danzo stole the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai, and we have witnesses to prove it. We hope you'll let him pay for his crimes here, with blood!"

White Dove wouldn't accept Sarutobi Hiruzen's verdict.

"How dare you!" Utatane Koharu frowned and snapped, "Are you Uchiha trying to defy even the Hokage's orders?"

She could naturally see what Sarutobi Hiruzen was trying to do, so she helped cover for him... Besides, Danzo had only transplanted your Uchiha Sharingan. Was there any need to pursue him so relentlessly?

After all, they had been the village's top officials for decades. They had long since come to see themselves as the village's masters, with status above everyone else.

They truly loved Konoha—but it was the Konoha they controlled.

That was the real Shinobi World.

The kind of character shown in anime, who devoted himself entirely to the village and had not a trace of selfishness, existed only in anime.

"So our Kekkei Genkai was stolen, and we're not even allowed to demand that blood be repaid with blood?"

White Dove wasn't afraid of Utatane Koharu, the advisory elder, so he didn't hold back.

"White Dove..." Uchiha Fugaku had just been about to advise White Dove to quit while he was ahead when he was met with a "death glare" warning.

"Address me by my title while we're working!"

One sentence from Uchiha White Dove left Uchiha Fugaku speechless... Those were his words!

After passing the two Anbu, White Dove went up to Sarutobi Hiruzen. He abruptly dropped his aggressive manner and spoke in a low voice:

"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha hope to receive a share of the missions. The surveillance outside our clan grounds must also be withdrawn, and we must receive the promised relocation funds. Finally, we need to reclaim one of the Sharingan in Kakashi or Danzo's eye socket!"

He laid out his conditions.

The goal of undermining the village leadership's authority had already been achieved by this whole commotion. Now it was time to secure tangible benefits.

If Danzo really were pushed to his death, White Dove wouldn't be happy about it.

Danzo was his "brother from different parents." How could he possibly want the man dead?

He was waiting to squeeze money out of Danzo in the future, then use him to undermine the Hokage Faction.

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha White Dove in surprise.

He hadn't expected the other man to propose these terms.

"You..." Utatane Koharu had naturally heard White Dove's demands. She was just about to call him delusional when Mitokado Homura interrupted her first.

The situation was against them!

With Danzo's Sharingan transplant and the matter of Shisui, the leadership's prestige had already suffered. Hadn't they seen the other clans move away from them?

If the Uchiha used this as an excuse to make trouble, the other clans would absolutely stand by and watch.

They certainly wouldn't allow a rebellion, but if the Uchiha fought to protect their own Kekkei Genkai, the other clans would be doing well enough by simply not helping the leadership. How could they possibly help them?

They had no choice.

Unless they were willing to abandon Danzo, agreeing to these terms was their only way out.

"...Fine!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, his voice tinged with weariness.

White Dove's demands were all within his limits. He hadn't asked Hiruzen to betray the village or anything like that.

Most importantly, Danzo was already in their hands. If Hiruzen didn't want to sacrifice him, he could only agree to the other man's terms.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo was the one he truly loved.

The two had grown up together, and they were the village's light and shadow. Neither could do without the other, so it was no wonder Hiruzen gave in.

If it had been anyone else—Utatane Koharu or Mitokado Homura—Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't have yielded so quickly.

Hearing him accept his conditions, White Dove was overjoyed.

Any one of those conditions being met would be a good thing for the Uchiha.

Under normal circumstances, the village leadership would never agree.

But today, he had used the Shisui incident to fan the flames and turn them on Danzo, forcing the leadership to give in.

He was the one who had killed Shisui!

Although Danzo had obtained a Mangekyō Sharingan, White Dove had switched it out in advance for a three-Tomoe Sharingan. Danzo had lost far more than he'd gained.

"Thank you for your fairness, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha will always be Konoha's blade and shield!"

White Dove raised his voice and flattered Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He could at least give Hiruzen this much face. He couldn't squeeze him dry all at once.

The village still had plenty of good things.

"Let's go!"

After securing the promise, White Dove immediately led his clansmen away.

He wasn't afraid Sarutobi Hiruzen would go back on his word. If Hiruzen dared to, White Dove would dare to lead the clan in rebellion.

Compared to the consequences of an Uchiha rebellion, the conditions he'd agreed to were nothing.

At least, until the village was prepared, it couldn't afford the losses that driving the Uchiha to revolt would cause.

Along the way, he quietly gave Inabi an instruction.

"You and Tekka, go to the One Heart Chamber of Commerce at once and bring the money from the vault. Remember, all of the cash!"

Whatever their reasons for following him, his clansmen had been willing to stand with him. He naturally wouldn't let them make the trip for nothing.

Nothing was more direct than handing out money.

Of course, he wasn't giving the money away for nothing. When he negotiated the relocation funds with the village later, he could square the accounts.

The Uchiha had already accepted that they would never get that money. So when he got it and handed some out, it would be a wonderful surprise for the clan.

Along with their share of missions and the removal of surveillance, these benefits would be enough to show the clan that backing him was the right choice.

The group made its way slowly toward the clan grounds on the edge of the village.

The mood among them had relaxed, and they were also incredibly excited.

Most of them had been prepared to die. Even if they died, they'd make the village leadership pay in blood.

They hadn't expected no one to die, while they still got to slap the leadership in the face and vent all the grievances the Uchiha had endured.

Uchiha Fugaku could never have brought them that.

All he would do was tell them to endure, then hold clan meetings to discuss things. The meetings would go on and on, but nothing ever came of them.

Though they didn't know why Uchiha White Dove had suddenly asked them to return to the clan grounds, his performance today had earned the trust of every Uchiha. Not one of them had any doubts as they followed him back.

After venting their resentment and anger, the Uchiha looked much more relaxed.

The group returned to the plaza in the clan grounds.

The plaza!

It was also the clan's public training ground and assembly point.

By now, even the Uchiha who had stayed behind had heard what happened and rushed over. Apart from a few who couldn't move and those out on missions, every Uchiha had come.

That included the Konoha Military Police Force!

White Dove had specifically requested it.

The village leadership had to realize how important the Konoha Military Police Force was!

The Uchiha's requests for funding had been denied in the past not only because the leadership suppressed them, but also because the Uchiha had been "too diligent."

The village was so orderly that the leadership couldn't see how important the Konoha Military Police Force was. Naturally, when they wanted to suppress the Uchiha, they'd target the force.

But from now on, White Dove wasn't going to indulge these Konoha ingrates or the village leadership.

First, he'd let them experience how terrifying it was when the Uchiha went on strike.

When negotiating earlier, he'd deliberately left the Konoha Military Police Force's funding out of his demands. That was partly because he didn't want to ask for too much all at once, but also because this struggle would solidify his own authority while continuing to undermine the leadership's.

Since he didn't have any cheats, he could only take things slowly.

Only after all the Uchiha had assembled did White Dove slowly step onto a wooden platform about a meter high in the plaza.

Thump, thump!

Standing on the platform, he looked down at the faces below him, some excited, others expectant, and proclaimed loudly:

"Clansmen, from today onward, the Uchiha will no longer let the village leadership slander and suppress us. We'll take back everything we've lost, one thing at a time. This isn't to prove how remarkable we are, but to announce to the world that the Uchiha have risen again!"

"And I, Uchiha White Dove, won't hog this glory!"

As he spoke, he gave a glance toward Inabi and Tekka, who had just arrived. They carried a box onto the platform and set it beside him before opening the lid.

As everyone below watched, White Dove suddenly kicked the box beside him.

Bang!

The box toppled over, spilling its contents across the ground. Everyone below stared, their breathing nearly stopping.