After all, they had only shown their faces briefly yesterday before quickly disappearing. And the reason they had suddenly appeared was to stop the Uchiha Clan from joining the battle.
But as it turned out, the only thing the two elders had accomplished by showing up was helping the Nine-Tails kill a few more Konoha Ninja.
After all, the battle had been in a completely different state before and after the Uchiha Clan joined the fight!
At the thought, everyone present turned their strange, pointed gazes toward the three elders.
Their disdainful looks felt like blades stabbing into the three of them.
Danzo and the other two, their faces darkening under everyone's scrutiny, immediately rose to their feet and shouted furiously, "You insolent Uchiha brat! Don't spout nonsense and slander us by claiming we're cowards who fear trouble!
"Although we didn't personally go to the battlefield, we stayed behind to coordinate personnel and fill in any gaps. How could an ignorant brat like you understand the effort and contributions we made?
"Hmph! Our achievements simply went unnoticed. And how dare you question the elders in public? What punishment do you think you deserve?"
As they spoke, a powerful, razor-sharp aura radiated from the three of them. It was cold and oppressive, like a venomous snake, and it seethed with murderous intent as it lunged toward Uchiha Chen. They meant to force him to bow his head and apologize for questioning them.
Yet Uchiha Chen showed no fear in the face of the aura coiling around him like a snake.
He took a deep breath, and the chakra within him instantly surged like an erupting volcano, scorching and violent.
His body trembled slightly as dazzling light shimmered around him. It was as if a flood dragon had soared into the sky, coiling and circling with tremendous force.
Beneath that illusory form lay boundless power. Lightning and flames blazed together, their thunderous roar deafening.
Just as the two sides' auras were about to clash and erupt into a fierce battle, a muffled boom suddenly rang out.
A mighty tiger descended from above. It opened its enormous jaws and swept out its razor-sharp claws like lightning, striking the flood dragon and the venomous snake with pinpoint accuracy.
In an instant, the auras of the flood dragon and the snake vanished, utterly suppressed.
As the illusions faded, Hiruzen Sarutobi came into view. He had risen to his feet, and though he wasn't especially tall, his eyes were bright and imposing.
He snorted, his voice laced with displeasure and reproach. "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket in the Hokage Building?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the four people he had just subdued, and a deep sense of helplessness welled up inside him.
At that moment, he sorely missed the days before yesterday, when the Fourth Hokage was still alive and he had gradually settled into a leisurely retirement.
Now he had to deal with all this damned nonsense.
As he thought, he absentmindedly fiddled with the pipe in his hand, which had gone out because of his irritation, and couldn't help letting out another long sigh.
After a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke, trying to smooth things over. "Chen, everyone here is your senior!
"Each of them has made tremendous contributions to Konoha, especially the three elders beside me. They're my contemporaries and have repeatedly fought to protect Konoha, shedding blood on the battlefield.
"As a junior like you, you ought to show them respect. How can you be so rude? Hurry up and apologize to the three elders!"
Before Uchiha Chen could react, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly turned to the three elders beside him, his tone clearly displeased. "And the three of you—at your age, why are you still quarreling with a child?
"Uchiha Chen is young and hot-blooded. It's only natural for him to act impulsively at times. Let this go, and give him some guidance in the future."
"I've already ordered him to apologize to you. Don't keep putting on airs. Accept his apology when he offers it, and let the matter drop."
With that, he turned his gaze toward Uchiha Chen below, waiting for him to speak.
Feeling the urging gaze from above, Uchiha Chen understood that he had already achieved his goal. He stopped taunting them and merely put on an indignant expression before speaking with obvious reluctance. "I'm very sorry, three elders. I was young and hot-headed, and I shouldn't have questioned your contributions to the village like that. I hope you'll forgive this junior's rudeness."
After speaking, he gave an utterly unwilling bow. Seeing how reluctant Uchiha Chen looked, Danzo and the other two all snorted through their noses. They were about to mock him, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had anticipated this, cut them off as if he hadn't noticed their expressions. "All right. He's apologized, and you've accepted. Let's put this matter behind us."
"I've decided to accept Uchiha Chen's suggestion and become Hokage again. That's settled. Shikaku, is there anything else we need to handle? Go ahead."
As the burden was kicked back to Shikaku Nara, who had just watched the whole drama unfold, he sighed helplessly and slowly rose to his feet. "Lord Hokage, I think the first thing we need to do next is restore the village."
"After everything that's happened, many parts of the village need to be repaired and rebuilt. We need to organize the manpower and resources immediately and get the village back to normal as soon as possible.
"We also need to strengthen the village's security to prevent anything like this from happening again. That will require the combined efforts of Anbu and Root."
Shikaku paused briefly, then continued, "Next, we need to request funding from the daimyo.
"You'll need to meet with the daimyo personally to discuss and negotiate. After all, rebuilding the village requires financial support."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, agreeing with Shikaku's assessment. He knew the work was all essential and that everyone would have to work together to get it done.
The others also spoke up one after another, offering their opinions and suggestions.
Some thought they should strengthen the training and management of the ninja to improve their abilities and discipline. Others believed they should improve the villagers' living conditions so they could live in greater comfort and security.
As the discussion continued, time passed minute by minute. At last, most of the agenda items had been properly addressed. The rest, it seemed, would have to be left to time.
Exhausted, Hiruzen Sarutobi promptly announced the end of the meeting. In that strange yet peaceful atmosphere, the meeting quietly drew to a close.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Uchiha Fugaku forced himself to stay alert, exchanged a few words with the various clan heads, then hurriedly left with Uchiha Chen.
After all, the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's other clans now maintained little more than a superficial harmony.
Once everyone had left, only Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu remained.
After a brief silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi led the way, and the four of them entered a room enclosed by a barrier.
As the barrier activated, their voices gradually faded away.
Just before they vanished completely, one meaningful phrase remained.
"The Uchiha Clan..."