"What did you do to Danzo?"
Utatane Koharu stepped forward and demanded sharply.
Genkawa Uchiha ignored her.
Rather than getting angry, Hiruzen Sarutobi crouched down to inspect him. His expression soon turned grave.
"It's Natural Energy."
As the Professor of Ninjutsu, Hiruzen was indeed knowledgeable. With a slight connection to Genkawa Uchiha's peculiarities, he quickly noticed what was wrong with Shimura Danzō.
At that point, how could he not understand Genkawa Uchiha's methods?
"...Sigh."
After learning this, Hiruzen Sarutobi merely sighed before saying to Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the others, "Lead the Anbu to search for the Fourth Hokage. I'll handle things here."
"Hiruzen!"
Mitokado Homura immediately tried to say something, but Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off. "Do as I say. That is an order."
With that, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the others could say nothing further.
The situation was extraordinary. The Fourth Hokage's whereabouts were unknown, and the village had suffered such a devastating blow. As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally had the authority to handle these matters.
Utatane Koharu shot Genkawa Uchiha a look laden with warning.
"What are you looking at, old woman?" (Smiling)
"You..."
Utatane Koharu flew into a rage and wanted to say more, but ultimately held it back.
With a cold snort, she left swiftly with Mitokado Homura and their men.
Before long, only Hiruzen Sarutobi, several Anbu ninja, and Shimura Danzō, who was still lying on the ground, remained.
"Take Danzo and the Root members away for treatment."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave another order. After speaking, he looked at Genkawa Uchiha, seemingly worried that he would interfere.
But Genkawa Uchiha did not stop them, which surprised Hiruzen Sarutobi instead.
"Third Hokage, did you think I was going to kill that old dog Danzo here?"
Genkawa Uchiha asked in return.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed again. "Child, I know you resent the village, but some things are not as simple as you think."
Genkawa Uchiha smiled. "So Danzo's actions were at your instruction, Third Hokage?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
"They were not done under my orders."
Hiruzen Sarutobi still explained earnestly, "He manages Root. His duty is to preserve the village's stability."
Genkawa Uchiha raised a brow. "You mean that him harming my clansmen and targeting me were all necessary?"
"Calm down, child. With your intelligence, you should be able to see some things. The Uchiha Clan's power has always made the village uneasy. Your clan is simply too special."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen.
"Furthermore, I need not tell you about the rift between the Uchiha Clan and the village. Living within it, you can feel it yourself. Though Danzo's methods were extreme, they were also meant to protect the village."
"Protect?"
Genkawa Uchiha's laughter was filled with mockery. "By using my clansmen's blood to protect it?"
"I know you feel wronged, and I know you are angry."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was weary. "But now is not the time to settle accounts. Konoha cannot withstand internal strife, and the Uchiha Clan can withstand it even less."
He looked at Genkawa Uchiha, his eyes pleading. "Give Konoha a chance. I promise you that Danzo will pay the price, and the village will reexamine its relationship with the Uchiha Clan."
But Genkawa Uchiha raised a hand to cut him off.
"Stop. You shouldn't be saying this to me."
He shook his head with a smile, having no desire to argue with him.
After all, he was not the Uchiha Clan Head. These matters were not his to handle, and he did not want to handle them either.
The only reason for his attitude now was his personal grudge against Shimura Danzō.
Seeing his reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless for a moment.
The scene fell silent, but fortunately, the silence did not last long. Several figures soon landed, led by Fugaku Uchiha.
Fugaku Uchiha's expression was not particularly pleasant at the moment.
Such a major incident had happened tonight, throwing the entire village into chaos, yet the Uchiha ninja had been told not to act.
How could he, as the Clan Head, possibly accept such blatant targeting?
Now, brought here by Anbu members, he saw Genkawa Uchiha and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
More importantly, the atmosphere between them was clearly off. No matter how he looked at it, they seemed to be locked in a silent confrontation.
Fugaku Uchiha looked at Genkawa Uchiha and gave him a meaningful glance.
The latter merely shrugged, looked away, and ignored him.
Fugaku Uchiha had long grown accustomed to Genkawa Uchiha's temperament, so he was not especially surprised.
Unable to get an answer from Genkawa Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha could only look at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Third Hokage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and forced a smile.
"Fugaku, I asked you to come under these circumstances because there is something important I need to tell you."
Fugaku Uchiha's expression turned solemn. "Please, speak."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. "You saw the Nine-Tails appear. It was a disaster for the village. After tonight, there is no telling how severe the village's losses will be."
Fugaku Uchiha fell silent.
He did not know how to respond. Much of the resentment he had felt on the way here was washed away by those words.
But what he heard next made his expression change slightly.
"The Nine-Tails' appearance was no accident. It was man-made. The Jinchuriki gave birth tonight, and someone took action during the period of weakness after the Jinchuriki's delivery. They controlled the Jinchuriki, broke the seal, and thus controlled the Nine-Tails..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused there.
Genkawa Uchiha glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, then at Fugaku Uchiha, and suddenly found it rather amusing.
Because Fugaku Uchiha was clearly beginning to feel uneasy.
Sure enough, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "The one who controlled the Nine-Tails was an Uchiha. Minato saw it with his own eyes, because he fought that person, though he did not know their true identity."
"Fugaku, as the Uchiha Clan Head, I trust you understand what this means."
Within just a few sentences, Fugaku Uchiha's expression changed drastically.
He had arrived slightly angry, then his expression had shifted after a few words, and now his face was full of alarm.
It had to be said, as expected of a Hokage who had held Konoha's power for decades, Hiruzen Sarutobi was truly skilled at seizing the initiative.
Seeing this, Genkawa Uchiha could already guess Fugaku Uchiha's response.
"Third Hokage, all the Uchiha Clan's ninja were within the clan grounds tonight. Besides, ordinary Sharingan genjutsu cannot possibly control the Nine-Tails."
Fugaku Uchiha hurriedly explained.
This matter was far too serious. One wrong move, and the Uchiha Clan would face the hostility of the entire village.
He was confident, but not arrogant enough to believe the Uchiha Clan alone could contend against the entire village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Naturally, I believe you."
At that, his tone shifted. "But earlier, Advisor Danzo had a conflict with Genkawa over the Nine-Tails matter..."
Fugaku Uchiha quickly said, "Third Hokage, that is nothing."
Genkawa Uchiha's expression turned strange. He could not help coughing twice, interrupting their conversation.
He directly tossed the bandage-wrapped eyeball to Fugaku Uchiha and said, "Clan Head, you should take a look at this first, then decide what you ought to say."
Genkawa Uchiha was not angry. Instead, he found it quite interesting.
Seeing Fugaku Uchiha's urgency from such close range gave him a new understanding of the man.
This was the Uchiha Clan Head?
He was truly hopeless.
Fugaku Uchiha caught the bandage-wrapped sphere, and a bad suspicion immediately arose in his heart.
He had seen this kind of thing before.
When recovering his clansmen's eyes on the battlefield, if conditions were crude, they would be handled this way.
Sure enough, there was fresh blood on the bandages. He knew it all too well.
As expected, upon opening it, he found a Sharingan.
Fugaku Uchiha's expression changed.
Genkawa Uchiha spoke at that moment. "I gouged this out of Shimura Danzō's eye socket."
Fugaku Uchiha suddenly looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. The nervous unease from earlier vanished, replaced by surging fury.
"Third Hokage, I require an explanation for this Sharingan."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed once more, and this sigh was especially long.
"Clan Head Fugaku, I will explain this Sharingan to you after tonight. But... regarding the Nine-Tails being controlled, I too require an explanation."
He looked directly into Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, his expression gradually becoming stern.
This left Fugaku Uchiha somewhat hesitant.
"Clan Head, you had better think carefully before you speak."
Genkawa Uchiha suddenly spoke, smiling.
Before you continue