"I absolutely refuse to use such a method to humiliate them!"
Danzo knew.
If the Yamanaka clan truly obtained Root's intelligence, then all the shady things he had done, including Orochimaru's various forbidden experiments, would become known to the village.
Even if Danzo was one of Konoha's senior advisers, Hiruzen would not be able to protect him then.
Everyone present turned their eyes.
Toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen was the Hokage of the village.
Only he could decide how this matter would proceed!
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, then slowly exhaled.
"The Yamanaka clan's mind-reading technique can only be used on enemies to obtain intelligence. It cannot be used to treat Root's heroes this way. However, Captain Fugaku's suspicions are not without reason."
"How about this? I propose that this Root ninja be handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Force. What do you all think?"
"I agree!" Danzo was the first to answer.
To prevent intelligence from leaking.
Danzo had placed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on every Root ninja's tongue.
This cursed seal prevented Root members from speaking Danzo's secrets. Even Konoha's renowned interrogation ninjas would be unable to extract any intelligence.
"We agree as well!" The other two senior advisers echoed their approval.
Hiruzen turned his gaze toward Fugaku and asked, "Captain Fugaku, what do you think of my proposal?"
Fugaku's Fury
Since some of Root's unspeakable deeds had been ordered by Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, he opposed Inoichi Yamanaka's involvement and, surprisingly, stood on the same side as Danzo.
Fugaku slowly raised his head and stared at Hiruzen in disbelief, his lips trembling.
He wanted to speak.
Yet he did not know where to begin.
Fugaku had known that Danzo and the two advisers, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, would share the same opinion.
But what he had not expected.
Was that Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha's Hokage, would actually join them in confusing right and wrong.
Unbelievable!
Without saying a word, Fugaku left and headed for the door.
To Konoha's higher-ups, this was an extremely disrespectful act, but Fugaku did not feel there was anything improper about it.
Such Konoha higher-ups.
Why should he respect them?
They were unworthy!
At that moment, the gentle Fugaku's thoughts changed completely.
In the past, he had been one of the Uchiha's moderates. Faced with the village's relentless pressure, he had chosen patience and compromise.
When faced with requests from the clan's Radical Faction, he had given vague replies and handled matters ambiguously, all in order to ease the conflict between the village and the Uchiha.
But it seemed.
Nothing he did was ever acknowledged.
Everything he had done had been futile.
Such a Konoha was not worthy of his respect or reliance.
Only strength could make everyone respect the Uchiha!
"Fugaku Uchiha, how dare you show such contempt for the Hokage! You are outrageous!" Utatane Koharu, who had the fiercest temper, rebuked him on the spot.
With his hands behind his back, Fugaku spoke calmly, his words carrying a trace of mockery.
"The Hokage's proposal is excellent. Fugaku agrees."
"If there is nothing else, Fugaku will take his leave."
There was no point in staying here any longer.
Fugaku walked straight toward the door.
Kakashi suddenly blocked his path and said coldly, "Captain Fugaku, please show respect to the Hokage!"
Fugaku suddenly laughed as he stared at Kakashi. His scarlet eyes met Kakashi's gaze, making Kakashi shudder.
"Kakashi, think about who gave you that Sharingan."
After saying that, Fugaku ignored the stunned Kakashi and pushed open the door before leaving.
The sunlight outside was brilliantly dazzling.
Inside, there was only dimness.
At that moment, Kakashi felt as if a massive hammer had struck his heart, and long-sealed memories surged up like raging waves.
Fugaku's words reminded him of Obito, who had died saving him after being crushed by an Iwagakure Ninja's Earth Style.
"That Fugaku Uchiha has gone too far! Hiruzen, you must strip him of his position as Captain of the Military Police!"
The other three remained surprisingly silent.
They knew.
If someone from the Yamanaka clan truly came to interrogate the prisoner.
The final conclusion would certainly be that Root had attacked the Uchiha clan without cause.
If such a matter spread, the consequences would be far too severe.
That was why Konoha's higher-ups had rejected the proposal.
Otherwise.
Fugaku would absolutely have been punished according to village rules for killing a Root Jonin.
This was also a form of compromise.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura left, leaving only Hiruzen and Danzo in the room.
"Now that it is just the two of us, tell me. Why did you try to seize those two Uchiha children?"
Danzo was Hiruzen's bond.
Though the two sometimes disagreed.
Such as over the matter of the Jinchuriki.
Their friendship remained deeply rooted.
After Hiruzen's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, passed away a year ago.
The only person Hiruzen could truly trust was this old friend.
Danzo did not explain much. He merely said.
"The Uchiha are a menace in the end. Studying them in depth can yield valuable intelligence."
"Everything I do is always for the village."
Danzo admitted it outright.
His answer took the moral high ground.
By framing it from the village's perspective, he left Hiruzen unable to condemn him. After hearing this, Hiruzen merely sighed in silence.
Inside the meeting room.
Only smoke lingered in the air...
After leaving the Hokage Building.
Fugaku felt stifled.
And furious.
Root had clearly tried to abduct Uchiha members without cause. The facts were already laid bare, yet the final verdict was "insufficient evidence"?
Hiruzen's tolerance toward Danzo had reached an extreme.
What Konoha's higher-ups were doing would eventually harm the entire village.
Fugaku returned home.
He found that both Genya and Itachi were there.
He let out a deep sigh, almost unable to meet their eyes.
After all, he had still failed to obtain justice for them.
Fugaku forced a strained smile and asked, "Are you two all right?"
Genya frowned. Rather than answering, he asked, "Clan Head, what was the outcome?"
Though he had already made his own guess, Genya still wanted to know whether the truth was as he expected.
Fugaku gave a bitter smile. "Insufficient evidence. It has been handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Force."
"So it was just as expected." Genya pressed his lips together, expressionless.
If it was handed over to the Torture and Interrogation Force, would the outcome not still be decided by Konoha's higher-ups?
"Why!?" Neither of them had expected Itachi's reaction to be even more intense.
His fists clenched tightly, and his eyes brimmed with unwillingness.
Itachi could clearly sense it.
Those Root ninjas had truly been prepared to kill him and Genya.
If Fugaku had not suddenly appeared, they would have already been taken back to Root.
Then whether they lived or died.
Would have been entirely in Root's hands.
At that thought.
An intense rage rose from the depths of Itachi's heart.
Wasn't the Will of Fire meant to protect children?
Then why had Root targeted him and Genya?
What kind of Will of Fire was that?
Fugaku stroked Itachi's head and spoke with guilt and resolve.
"Since Konoha refuses to give our Uchiha justice, then I will seek justice for you."
"I will make Root pay the price soon!"
The sun was setting.
Kakashi got off work early today.
Since it was still early.
Kakashi went to Ino's flower shop and bought two bouquets.
A short while later.
He arrived at Konoha Cemetery, then came before the graves of Uchiha Obito and Rin Nohara and laid down the flowers.
This afternoon.
Before you continue