Hearing this, Uchiha Kusabi's face turned bright red with embarrassment. He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He'd humiliated himself.
Masaki Uchiha glanced at Uchiha Kusabi. "Come on, let's go see what's going on." Then he strode toward the door.
"Yes."
The others followed behind him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, and several others had gathered in the Hokage Office.
The Lord Third had called this meeting, and the Anbu he'd sent to deliver the message hadn't returned yet.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Minato Namikaze broke the heavy silence in the room.
"Lord Third, the Uchiha are only changing their clan head. Was there really any need to call a meeting with such a fuss?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat there leisurely, puffing on his pipe. He hadn't yet said a word.
Shimura Danzō was the first to lose patience. "Fourth Hokage, you're still young. You don't know how sinister the Uchiha Clan is. If anyone else were taking over as clan head, there wouldn't be a problem."
"But Uchiha Masaki absolutely cannot become clan head. He's the most evil person in the Uchiha Clan!"
"I propose that we first strip Uchiha Masaki of his positions as clan head and Police Force chief, then lock him in an Anbu prison for interrogation."
His words fell.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both nodded in agreement, while Shikaku Nara thought for a moment before asking:
"On what grounds does Elder Danzō intend to remove Uchiha Masaki from his position? And on what grounds would he be imprisoned?"
"Remember, without proper justification, no one will accept our words. This could easily lead to trouble."
Shimura Danzō let out a cold snort. "Hmph. I received intelligence that someone reported Uchiha Masaki was planning a rebellion. That alone is enough to have him executed!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took the pipe from his lips and tapped the table with his finger. "Danzō, I believe Uchiha Masaki isn't that kind of person. He's a Konoha Ninja who possesses the Will of Fire, too. Once he arrives, we can have him explain everything."
As they say, the older, the wiser.
If he couldn't explain himself, would they throw Uchiha Masaki in prison? Then purge the Uchiha Clan?
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to be speaking up for Uchiha Masaki, but in truth, he hadn't opposed Shimura Danzō's proposal.
Minato Namikaze hurriedly spoke up as well. "I agree with Lord Third. Masaki wouldn't be the sort of person to plot a rebellion."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura chimed in, too. "Danzō, let's wait until he arrives and hear him out."
"You..." Shimura Danzō's face turned livid. He pointed a trembling finger at the people before him and gave a cold snort, then fell silent.
Uchiha Clan Compound
Looking at the masked Anbu before him, Uchiha Masaki recognized him at a glance.
"Well, if it isn't White Fang's son, Konoha's genius jōnin, Hatake Kakashi."
Beneath the Anbu mask, Kakashi's face wore a rueful smile at Uchiha Masaki's teasing.
"Big Brother Masaki, stop teasing me. Lord Hokage wants to see you."
"Oh? Which Hokage is asking for me?"
"Lord Third and Lord Fourth Hokage would like you to come in for questioning."
Looking at Kakashi, Uchiha Masaki felt a flicker of pity and couldn't help thinking of the tragic fate that had befallen him in the original story.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
He then turned to the people behind him and instructed them, "Don't forget the few things I mentioned earlier, you two elders."
The two elders immediately straightened up and bowed their heads slightly. "Yes."
Seeing this, Uchiha Masaki nodded in satisfaction. "The guard unit will come with me and secure the Hokage Building."
"Let's go, Kakashi." Without waiting for Kakashi to respond, he led the guard unit straight toward the Hokage Building.
Outside the Hokage Office
As the door opened, Uchiha Masaki looked at the six people seated inside.
A faint smile crossed his face. "Looks like you're not here with good intentions."
It sounded as though he was speaking to Hatake Kakashi standing beside him, but it also seemed meant for everyone in the Hokage Office.
Hearing this, Hatake Kakashi looked at him in surprise and quietly replied, "You're the one who came here."
Uchiha Masaki smiled faintly at Kakashi's words but said nothing. Then he turned to the guard unit behind him. "Everyone else, stay by the door. Shisui and Tetsuya, come in with me."
"Masaki, please come in and take a seat. We can talk," Minato Namikaze said, quickly rising to greet Uchiha Masaki and inviting him to sit.
If you were wondering why Minato Namikaze was being so warm, it had a lot to do with the Rasengan.
After crossing over, Uchiha Masaki had invented the jutsu.
He'd even developed its nature transformations into multiple chakra natures, building on the original.
Later, when Minato Namikaze wanted to create a jutsu that required no hand seals, he heard that Uchiha Masaki had already invented one.
So he'd gone to ask him for guidance.
Given Minato Namikaze's status as the "original creator,"
Uchiha Masaki had taught him the Rasengan without holding anything back. He hadn't asked to trade for Sealing Jutsu.
It wasn't that he didn't want to. But if he'd made that request, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others would certainly have interfered. Better to build goodwill; it might come in handy someday.
That was how they'd built a bit of a rapport. Still, there was one thing.
Hearing Minato Namikaze's words, Uchiha Masaki strode forward and dropped into a seat directly in front of everyone. Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Tetsuya stood behind him to guard him.
Every gesture he made carried an imposing air.
It was as if he were the one in charge of the meeting.
Watching Uchiha Masaki, Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly and slowed the motion of his pipe.
Shimura Danzō was even more annoyed at the sight and was just about to speak...
At that moment, Uchiha Masaki made no pretenses and looked at Minato Namikaze.
"What did the Hokage want with me?"
"It's like this, Masaki..."
"How dare you! You address the Hokage without an honorific? That's contempt for the Hokage! Guards! Seize Uchiha Masaki immediately. If he resists, kill him!" Shimura Danzō cut Minato Namikaze off and glared viciously at Uchiha Masaki.
Minato Namikaze looked at Shimura Danzō, who had interrupted him, and a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. He was just about to say something when Shimura Danzō made such an aggressive accusation. This is bad.
Two figures dressed as Anbu materialized nearby and lunged at Uchiha Masaki.
"Stop!"
"Stop!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Minato Namikaze immediately rose to their feet and shouted to stop them, only to see the guards behind Uchiha Masaki appear in front of the two Anbu in an instant and slash at them with their swords.
"Ah!" "Ah!"
After two screams, the bodies of two people dressed in Anbu uniforms lay in the Hokage Office. The office of the person who held Konoha's greatest power was now stained bright red.