The Weakness of Konoha's Leadership

Genkawa Uchiha stopped in his tracks.

Bright yellow chakra erupted from his body once more, rapidly condensing around him. Within moments, the skeletal upper body of Susanoo Armor had formed, enveloping him entirely.

Everyone present felt an unusual pressure.

Some felt weighed down, some uneasy, and some wore ugly expressions.

Naturally, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were the ones whose expressions looked the ugliest.

"The fact that you can say something like that is enough to show how poorly you usually treat the Uchiha Clan."

Genkawa Uchiha's voice came from within Susanoo Armor.

"Whether you like the Uchiha or not, I don't care. But you've wronged me..."

He paused.

"You'd better give me a satisfactory explanation. I'm not Fugaku Uchiha—I won't indulge you old fools for the sake of the clan. So think carefully before you speak."

Utatane Koharu's face went pale in an instant.

She subconsciously took half a step back, but quickly forced herself to stand firm.

As a Hokage Advisor, she could not show weakness in front of so many people.

Mitokado Homura's expression was equally unpleasant.

He knew better than anyone just how foolish Utatane Koharu's words had been.

At a time like this, accusing Genkawa Uchiha of deliberately letting Obito go was practically handing him ammunition.

How was Konoha supposed to prosper with vermin like this as colleagues?

But it was too late to say anything now.

Utatane Koharu gritted her teeth and forced herself to speak. "I was merely voicing a reasonable suspicion. Why are you so agitated? If you're upright, you needn't fear a crooked shadow..."

"Shut your filthy mouth."

Genkawa Uchiha cut her off. His voice carried a smile, yet it was cold enough to chill the bones.

"When I was about to make my move, you told me to stop. I stopped, and now you say I deliberately let him go. So you get to say whatever you want, and I'm supposed to take the blame?"

Genkawa Uchiha sneered repeatedly. "Trash like you are actually Konoha's higher-ups? Actually advisors? I now have every reason to suspect that what's on your face isn't a mouth, but an asshole."

Someone finally failed to hold back and snickered quietly, only to hastily stop.

Yet many people in the area were already wearing extremely strange expressions.

"You!"

Utatane Koharu's face turned dark purple with rage. The fury in her eyes as she looked at Genkawa Uchiha seemed ready to burn him to ashes.

"What's wrong? I'm only expressing a suspicion. Doesn't that sound perfectly reasonable?"

Genkawa Uchiha did not care in the slightest. Then he added, "Only you can suspect me, but I can't suspect you? That logic... doesn't hold up, does it? Of course, perhaps you think I'm easy to bully. In that case, I should make sure you understand reality. I happen to know a little martial arts myself."

As he spoke, Susanoo Armor's arm rose slightly. With that single movement, the surrounding air seemed to grow heavier.

Mitokado Homura took a deep breath and stepped in front of Utatane Koharu.

He knew that he absolutely could not retreat at a time like this.

"Genkawa Uchiha, Koharu's words were indeed inappropriate. But you must understand that this is a serious matter, so everyone is bound to have their doubts. Put Susanoo away first. Whatever you have to say, let's discuss it properly."

"Put it away?"

Genkawa Uchiha laughed.

"Just now, I put it away and you pinned a charge on me. If I put it away again now, are you going to attack me directly next?"

The atmosphere instantly plunged to freezing point.

Fugaku Uchiha finally moved.

He took a step forward and stood beside Genkawa Uchiha. Several Uchiha Clan members behind him followed suit, their Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly spinning in their eyes.

They said nothing, but their stance could not have been clearer.

Utatane Koharu's expression worsened.

Looking into the eyes of those Uchiha Clan members, she felt a chill crawl up her spine.

The ninja and Anbu behind Mitokado Homura also unconsciously gathered together.

Some gripped their Kunai tightly, while others had already assumed fighting stances.

They might not truly want to stand up for the two advisors, but orders were orders. Before the authority of the village's higher-ups, obedience had become instinct.

However, some people did not move.

Those ninja born into shinobi clans remained where they were, neither moving closer to the advisors nor approaching the Uchiha.

Some were expressionless, some lowered their heads to stare at the ground, while others simply backed away a few steps and watched from afar.

To them, this was a matter between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha. Whoever was right or wrong had nothing to do with them, and they had no desire to get involved.

Thus, the standoff in the area took shape.

On one side stood Genkawa Uchiha and the Uchiha Clan.

On the other stood the two Hokage Advisors, along with the ninja and Anbu behind them.

Between them lay a neutral zone where no one took either side.

The atmosphere was so tense it seemed ready to drip water.

Sweat had already appeared on Mitokado Homura's forehead.

He stared at the bright yellow upper body of Susanoo Armor, his throat dry.

At this distance, in this situation, if Genkawa Uchiha truly made a move...

He did not dare think any further.

Utatane Koharu had finally realized the seriousness of the situation as well.

Her lips trembled slightly, but she still forced herself not to take back her words.

She knew that what she had said earlier had indeed been wrong, but in front of so many people, she could not admit it.

If she did, it would mean admitting that the village's leadership had acted unfairly. Their authority would be shaken, and who would still take the advisors' orders seriously afterward?

So she could not admit it.

Even if everyone knew she was wrong, she could not admit it.

Genkawa Uchiha watched the two of them, the curve of his lips growing wider and wider.

"Have you thought it through?"

His voice was slow and unhurried.

"Give me an explanation, and we can let this matter pass. Otherwise..."

Susanoo Armor's arm rose a little higher.

"I can't say what might happen next."

Mitokado Homura gritted his teeth, his voice already carrying a hint of bluffing. "Genkawa Uchiha, are you planning to betray the village?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding air grew several degrees colder.

Genkawa Uchiha fell silent for a moment, then laughed.

The laughter came from within Susanoo Armor, carrying undisguised contempt.

"You represent the village?"

His gaze swept from Mitokado Homura to Utatane Koharu, then back again.

"Then this village is far too small."

Mitokado Homura's face flushed bright red.

Utatane Koharu's lips trembled even more violently.

The ninja standing behind the advisors exchanged glances, and a flicker of barely perceptible hesitation appeared in some of their eyes.

Among the neutral observers from shinobi clans, some gently shook their heads while others sighed soundlessly.

No one spoke.

No one dared to speak.

The air was so heavy it seemed ready to solidify.

Just then—

"Everyone, stop!"

A loud shout came from afar, old but powerful.

Everyone turned their heads at once.

Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared at the edge of the ruins. He was still wearing the Hokage Haori from when he had gone out to report for duty, while his Hokage Hat had apparently been lost somewhere.

He had clearly sprinted back the entire way, and even his breathing was somewhat unsteady.

At his side, a young man followed closely. With white hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face, he was none other than Kakashi Hatake.

The visible eye above his mask swept across both sides of the confrontation, then over Susanoo Armor in the center. His pupil contracted slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi strode into the area. His gaze passed over Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, then swept past Fugaku Uchiha before finally landing on Genkawa Uchiha's Susanoo Armor.

His expression was grim.

Yet he said nothing. He merely took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice.

"Can someone tell me what exactly is going on here?"