No More Pretending, The Farce is Over

After finishing off the Anbu, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Tetsuya returned to stand behind Masaki Uchiha as if nothing had happened, keeping a silent watch.

Seeing his subordinates cut down on the spot, Shimura Danzō's eyes filled with malice. He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Is your Uchiha clan planning a rebellion?! How dare you murder Anbu! Anbu, take orders—"

"Shut up!" Sarutobi Hiruzen barked, thinking to himself: You don't even look at Masaki Uchiha's strength; do you really think you can take him down? You're just causing me trouble. Besides, looking at the Fourth's attitude, I can't let him stay here any longer.

At this moment, Minato Namikaze's expression was grim, his fingers clenched tight.

"Hiruzen, you..." Shimura Danzō looked at him in disbelief.

"Danzō, the current Hokage is the Fourth. You've overstepped your authority!"

"Do you still have the Hokage in your eyes?! How dare you mobilize the Anbu to arrest a hero of Konoha without authorization? Do you think you are the Hokage?!"

Watching Sarutobi Hiruzen's righteous display, Shimura Danzō understood immediately, thinking: Hiruzen, you are still as hypocritical as ever. We clearly agreed to let the Uchiha clan suffer a heavy blow today, yet you've backed out at the last minute.

Minato Namikaze spoke up then: "Elder Shimura Danzō is overworked; go home and rest for three months. The position of Root leader will be handed over to Shikaku Nara. Third, what do you think?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was noncommittal, replying, "Everything is decided by the Fourth."

After all, the Nara clan was a staunch supporter of the Hokage faction, so there was no harm in temporarily handing Root over to Shikaku Nara. It was just that there were some matters within Root that couldn't be revealed to him; he would have to give him some instructions once this was over.

"Hiruzen, Root cannot function without me!" Seeing Shimura Danzō still struggling in vain, Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze flickered, and he refused to look at him.

Minato Namikaze could no longer hold back: "Shimura Danzō, I am the Hokage!"

Hearing Minato Namikaze say this, Shimura Danzō's face twisted, his heart burning with rage: Just because I am not the Hokage, I have to listen to you? If I were the Hokage...

Seeing Shimura Danzō fall silent, Minato Namikaze turned to Masaki Uchiha with an apologetic expression:

"Masaki-kun, I am truly sorry. I never expected such a thing to happen today. I offer the sealing jutsu [Eight Trigrams Sealing Style] as compensation; I hope you will accept this gesture." With that, he took a scroll from behind him and handed it to Masaki Uchiha.

Having watched the drama for so long without seeing the "famous scene" he expected, Masaki Uchiha felt a bit of regret.

He hadn't expected Minato Namikaze to provide such a surprise.

"I have no reason to refuse the Hokage's gesture, so I will accept it."

Masaki Uchiha laughed heartily, took the scroll without hesitation, and stuffed it into his ninja tool pouch.

Seeing the other party accept the scroll, Minato Namikaze smiled slightly, feeling a certain burden lift from his heart.

"The reason I invited you here today was mainly at the request of the Third and the other elders. They will be the ones questioning you next."

Watching Minato Namikaze distance himself with his words, Masaki Uchiha sighed; power truly does temper a person. Even the 'Little Sun' had grown up.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a strange sense of lamentation as well; it would be difficult to hoodwink the Fourth in the future.

He then turned his gaze to Masaki Uchiha: "Danzō received reports that you were planning a rebellion and claimed to have evidence. Neither I nor the other elders believe you would do such a thing. Bringing you here today is to give you a chance to explain yourself, lest any misunderstandings arise."

"Accusing me of rebellion?" Masaki Uchiha pointed at his own nose, looking puzzled. "What is my motive for rebelling?"

"During the Third Great Ninja War, I went south to fight the Hidden Mist and north to repel the Hidden Rock. By the end of the war, I went wherever I was needed."

"I earned a prestigious reputation for Konoha throughout the ninja world, and now you tell me I want to rebel? And that you have evidence of it?"

"After all these years of service to Konoha, you want to frame me for treason in the end? Just because I am of the Uchiha clan?"

"Besides, if I were truly rebelling, could all of you combined even stop me?!"

As he spoke the final sentence, Masaki Uchiha smiled with absolute confidence.

Inside the Hokage's office, there was dead silence.

"Hmph, stop trying to change the subject! You want evidence? I will give you evidence!"

In Shimura Danzō's eyes, everything Masaki Uchiha said was just a facade. In the entire ninja world, the person who understood the Uchiha best right now was Shimura Danzō.

As the saying goes, the person who understands you best is not your friend, but your enemy!

"Someone, bring in Uchiha Daiku."

"Yes," an Anbu replied.

Before long, the Anbu returned with an Uchiha clansman in tow.

"Elder Danzō, the person has been brought."

Shimura Danzō nodded slightly. "Uchiha Daiku, I ask you: is Masaki Uchiha planning a rebellion? Do you have evidence?"

The Uchiha Daiku who had been brought in was trembling. He opened his mouth, then looked up to steal a glance at Masaki Uchiha. Seeing the man staring at him with an expressionless face, his fear deepened, and he found himself unable to make a sound.

Seeing this, Shimura Danzō spoke in a tone filled with thinly veiled threats: "Uchiha Daiku, think carefully. Everyone living in Konoha is family. One should not fill their dealings with family with lies and schemes. If you have evidence, bring it out for everyone to see. If you don't have evidence, you know the consequences."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Daiku's body stiffened. His mind filled with thoughts of his wife, children, and parents.

He also remembered the promises made by Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others.

Hardening his heart, he squeezed his eyes shut and blurted out:

"Masaki Uchiha wants to win over the small and medium ninja clans in Konoha to compete for the position of Hokage!"

Hearing this, Masaki Uchiha scoffed and said to Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, "Winning over small and medium clans is rebellion? Wanting to be Hokage is rebellion?"

"Third, if this counts as rebellion, then many people in Konoha would have to be put on trial, such as Orochimaru-senpai, Hyuga Hiashi, and others."

"Besides, does this even count as evidence?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face twitched upon hearing this. Why was Danzō being so reckless this time? He hadn't produced a single piece of solid evidence. How was he supposed to handle this? He took a puff from his pipe and said:

"It seems this was all a misunderstanding. I told you, Masaki Uchiha is a ninja who possesses the Will of Fire; how could he possibly plot a rebellion?"

"As for Elder Shimura Danzō, his intentions were good, he simply didn't understand the situation clearly. Since it was a misunderstanding, then..."

"Hold on. Since it was a misunderstanding, and to prevent such situations from arising in the future, I must ask Elder Shimura Danzō to apologize to me."

"Otherwise, people will be popping up to report me for treason at every turn."

Watching the calm and collected expression on Masaki Uchiha, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew clearly that this was an attempt to break Shimura Danzō's spirit.

Asking Shimura Danzō to apologize to an Uchiha was harder than killing him.

But things had reached this point, and it was not wise to escalate further. For the sake of Konoha, he would have to wrong Shimura Danzō for a moment.

Thinking of this, he looked toward Shimura Danzō and said indifferently, "Shimura Danzō, you were in the wrong regarding this matter. Apologize to Masaki Uchiha, and let's call it even."

"What?! You want this old man to apologize to an Uchiha?" Shimura Danzō, who had been suppressing his emotions until now, turned deathly pale, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen in disbelief.