Looking Down on Everyone

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked exceptionally haggard. Clearly, he had not slept well at all last night.

In the latter half of last night, Shisui had brought back news as well. The bizarre scene at the Uchiha compound today merely confirmed his report.

The slash from last night had indeed been Xuanye's, not Fugaku's.

There was an enormous difference between the two, because it meant the Uchiha did not possess one pair of Mangekyō, but two.

This was not as simple as one plus one equaling two. Sarutobi Hiruzen could not imagine how they could deal with two pairs of Mangekyō at once, even if Fugaku was somewhat weaker.

Ninja were supposed to have abundant stamina, but after a sleepless night and the flood of bad news arriving one after another like sheets of paper, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked as though he had aged more than a decade. He appeared far more worn out.

Once all the jonin had arrived, Sarutobi Hiruzen announced the start of the jonin council meeting.

"Regarding what happened last night... I assume everyone is already aware."

"The Nine-Tails broke free from its seal, the Fourth Hokage and his wife died in battle, and Konoha suffered grievous losses."

Just looking at the visible damage, countless homes and streets had been destroyed. There was also the slash Xuanye had carved through the village, along with the casualties among civilians and ninja.

By conservative estimates, the economic losses alone exceeded ten billion ryo.

Seeing that figure, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.

The Third Great Ninja War had only recently ended. Konoha had yet to recover, and now the village had suffered such a catastrophe...

Moreover, if Uchiha Genya had not stepped in, the Nine-Tails would have caused even greater destruction last night.

The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, someone impatiently opened fire on the Uchiha clan.

"Hmph! This was all a conspiracy by the Evil Uchiha!"

Sure enough, the only one who would say something like that was Danzo.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would at least give some thought to appearances, but Danzo did not need to consider such things. All he had to do was be the first to leap out like a rabid dog and start biting.

Yet this time, no one on the Uchiha side glared angrily at Danzo. They merely displayed faint calmness.

They did not even spare Danzo a glance. Their eyes were instead filled with fervor as they looked at Uchiha Genya before them, who had his legs propped atop the table and appeared to be dozing.

In a solemn setting like a jonin council meeting, such a posture was tremendously disrespectful to everyone present. It was as though he did not place anyone there in his eyes.

Uchiha Genya's attitude perfectly embodied what it meant to look down on everyone.

Yet no one, including Sarutobi Hiruzen, felt there was anything wrong with Uchiha Genya's behavior.

Because he had every right to be so arrogant.

If Konoha had sent Uchiha Madara as its representative when negotiating with the Five Great Ninja Villages back then, everyone present would probably have had to kneel while listening to him speak.

After all, you could not keep both your head and your knees, could you?

"Oi, Elder Danzo, what do you mean by that? Are you saying I betrayed Konoha?" Uchiha Genya's voice came over, carrying an ambiguous smile.

Uchiha Genya felt that he was far kinder than Uchiha Madara, the Ninja World's greatest killer.

At the very least, he had not made Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō kneel on the stage while speaking. He had not spat in their faces, nor had he held blades to their throats and forced them to sing "Conquest."

When he thought about it, Uchiha Genya was practically a saint!

The jonin seated closer to Danzo quietly shifted their positions, moving a little farther away from him to avoid getting splattered with blood later.

They had originally thought Danzo was merely somewhat overbearing and a little slow-witted.

But now, they realized they had been wrong.

Danzo had gone completely insane, so insane that he could no longer recognize reality!

Danzo ranted for quite some time, only to discover that no one around him paid any attention to him. He immediately felt humiliated.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was looking at him as though he were an idiot.

You do not really think that just because I support you, you can run wild in Konoha, do you?

If that is truly the case, then Sarutobi Hiruzen would have to seriously consider whether he had become senile, choosing a humanoid creature as Hokage Assistant.

"I do not mean that, I merely..."

Under Uchiha Genya's gaze, Danzo suddenly felt the pressure of the entire world bearing down on him.

That suffocating sensation, as though a python were coiling around him, made him unable to raise his head and meet Uchiha Genya's eyes.

After realizing his own cowardice, Danzo immediately felt both shame and rage.

He was Shimura Danzō, the Hokage Assistant and Darkness of the Shinobi!

And he was actually afraid of some Uchiha brat!

Danzo felt like a clown at that moment, one who could only shout loudly onstage to entertain the audience.

"No matter what, the shape of the Sharingan appeared in the Nine-Tails' eyes last night! Many people witnessed it. Uchiha Genya, do you have any explanation for that?"

Danzo collected his thoughts and continued directing his spearhead at the Uchiha.

But he no longer dared to target Uchiha Genya directly.

The one calling the shots for the Uchiha was no longer Fugaku, but this absurdly young Uchiha Genya.

Seeing Danzo finally get to the point, Xuanye finally raised his head.

Yet his feet remained on the table, with no intention of coming down.

"Last night, a mysterious masked man broke through the defenses around Minato and his wife under the Third Hokage's protection. As far as I know, the attacker did not trigger a single alarm."

"Danzo, are you saying that the Third Hokage, the Anbu, and the Sealing Squad are all useless?"

The moment Xuanye spoke, everyone instinctively turned to Danzo.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help glancing at Danzo.

I am begging you. No one will think you are mute if you stop talking.

Danzo's face reddened. This Evil Uchiha was still as silver-tongued as ever.

"I am questioning you right now, so do not casually change the subject!"

"You said a mysterious person controlled the Nine-Tails last night. Are you admitting that everything last night was done by your Uchiha clan?"

Xuanye looked at Danzo with an amused expression, showing none of the embarrassed fury of someone whose lies had been exposed.

That had merely been an appetizer. The main course was next.

Xuanye continued in an unhurried tone:

"As everyone knows, the Uchiha's Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai of the external-organ type. If a ninja dies on the battlefield, anyone can directly use their Sharingan through organ transplantation after removing it."

"Therefore, the blame for using the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails cannot necessarily be pinned on the Uchiha clan."

Danzo sneered. "You think that excuse can clear the Uchiha of suspicion? Your Uchiha clan is still the most suspicious!"

"Besides, who in the Ninja World does not know how your Uchiha clan treats those who dare transplant Sharingan?"

"Who would dare transplant the Sharingan of your clan?"