The Third's expression was the exact opposite of Orochimaru's. For a moment, his face darkened.
Shinichi Hyuga's appearance now proved that he had won the clan meeting.
All the Third's plans had fallen through. He needed to reconsider how to deal with the Hyuga Clan.
Whoosh~
A Konoha Anbu wearing an animal mask appeared and came to a stop behind the Third.
He handed the Third a mission report scroll.
Shinichi Hyuga chuckled.
That figure was Shisui Uchiha, who had been following him. By now, he had become the Third's lackey.
It wasn't hard to imagine what the scroll contained: a record of his movements.
Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze furrowed his brow as he dealt with the village's daily affairs.
The transfer of power, the shifting loyalties, and the Third's obstruction had left him exhausted.
Even those who had once been close to him now seemed ambiguous in their stance.
He still couldn't understand why these people couldn't rise above clan loyalty and devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving the village.
With his keen senses, he noticed how Shinichi Hyuga had changed. He was like a completely different person.
Crack-crack~~
The sound of a seal shattering rang out. Everyone's attention shifted from Shinichi Hyuga to the battlefield.
At that moment, the battlefield was shrouded in dust and smoke.
The Konoha Anbu were ready with a new seal, prepared to activate it at any moment.
"Elder Danzo has won!"
As the dust settled, Shimura Danzo's eye widened. He came back to his senses, still dazed.
Breathing heavily, he stood rooted to the spot, sweat dripping from his forehead.
The Root Ninja who had supported Danzo's attacks had vanished, leaving behind only several unidentifiable severed limbs.
The enemy had disappeared, leaving the battlefield in ruins.
Victory?
Even if it was a victory, it was a bitter one.
They hadn't even seen their enemy.
The Third led the Konoha High Command in using the Body Flicker Technique to reach Shimura Danzo.
At that moment, Shisui Uchiha activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, staying alert in case the enemy reappeared.
"Who was the enemy? Why did you activate the Four Violet Flames Formation?"
The Third supported Shimura Danzo by the left arm. Chakra gathered in one hand as he checked Danzo's body. Finding no injuries, he asked with concern.
The Four Violet Flames Formation was a high-level sealing array, usually used against Kage Level opponents.
Shimura Danzo was still caught up in the battle, his heart pounding with lingering fear.
An invisible enemy, like a demon lurking in the shadows, had slaughtered members of the Shimura Clan.
He had first activated the Four Violet Flames Formation to protect his clan. Later, he used it to restrict the enemy's movements.
Only inside the formation could he rely on his sensory abilities to fight the enemy.
Outside the formation, the enemy could have dodged him without a scratch and continued slaughtering the Shimura Clan's Ninja.
Even so, the enemy had been incredibly difficult to deal with.
In the end, he had resorted to a mutually destructive move, using a Vacuum Great Sphere to destroy the enemy.
The price was that the Sharingan he had transplanted from Kagami was now ruined!
He had used the Uchiha Clan's forbidden technique, Izanagi!
The only thing he could be grateful for was that he still had one usable eye.
This battle had shown him the true purpose of the Sharingan, and he was even more resolved to carry out the Second's will.
A shake pulled him from his memories. Hearing the Third's question, he replied.
"I don't know! The enemy seemed to be a Transparent Escape Ninja. During the fight, I could only determine their position by sensing the movement of the wind.
"They were at least an elite Jonin, and a master of assassination!"
Shimura Danzo fell silent for a long while before finally speaking, revealing what little information he had gleaned from the battle.
This enemy was terrifying. He even had a hunch that they might not have been killed, but had only retreated for the time being.
But Shimura Danzo wasn't sure.
After this battle,
the Shimura Clan had suffered heavy casualties. Half their Ninja had been killed.
It would take a long time to recover.
"Transparent Escape? It couldn't have been the Gekko Clan!"
The Third exclaimed in surprise. The Gekko Clan's legendary Kekkei Genkai hadn't appeared in a long time.
Besides, the Gekko Clan had secretly pledged loyalty to him not long ago. They couldn't have done this.
Then again, this was a good thing.
After everything that had happened, the rift between him and Danzo would be temporarily overlooked. Knowing Danzo, he would lick his wounds in the shadows and draw closer to him.
As if remembering something, he turned a questioning look toward Shimura Danzo.
Could this incident have something to do with Shinichi Hyuga?
At this time, Shimura Danzo should have been at the Hyuga Clan, suppressing Shinichi Hyuga.
Their pathetic act hadn't fooled Shinichi Hyuga.
Those two still hadn't given up. They needed to be taught a lesson.
Sure enough, Shimura Danzo turned on Shinichi Hyuga.
"Shinichi Hyuga, it was you!
"You colluded with outsiders to slaughter the Ninja of my Shimura Clan!"
Shimura Danzo seemed to have found an outlet for his anger. Remembering Shinichi Hyuga's behavior earlier, he came to a conclusion—and grew even more furious.
Wind stirred beneath his feet. He broke free of the Third's false support and formed a Hand Seal with one hand.
Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!
He used the Ninjutsu he knew best, conjuring a black ball of wind.
Bang~
Bang~
Two explosions rang out.
A brilliant blue light flared.
Shinichi Hyuga leaped high into the air, his body tracing a graceful arc. He kicked out, creating a shockwave that shattered the Vacuum Sphere.
The shockwave continued onward, still surging toward Shimura Danzo.
A Rasengan appeared in Minato Namikaze's hand as he stepped in front of Shimura Danzo.
Only then did he manage to cancel out Shinichi Hyuga's attack.
"You are all pillars of the same village. I hope we can discuss this calmly."
Minato Namikaze's expression was solemn. The hand he used to form the Rasengan trembled.
He carried the authority of someone in a high position, and everyone fell silent.
Now he looked like a true Hokage.
Everyone had seen the exchange just now.
They were all deeply shaken.
Shinichi Hyuga's strength was beyond their expectations. Even though the Fourth Hokage had blocked his attack in haste,
he had still been forced onto the defensive.
This also made the Third reassess Shinichi Hyuga.
The Third came to Shimura Danzo's side and pretended to restrain him, offering hypocritical comfort.
"Minato, Danzo is simply furious, but he must have his reasons for doing this. I took a look just now. The Shimura Clan has suffered heavy casualties, and some of the dead were women and children."
As he made excuses for Shimura Danzo, he also lent credibility to what would happen next.
He was taking advantage of Minato Namikaze's soft heart. By emphasizing the enemy's brutality, he covered up Shimura Danzo's wrongdoing in attacking fellow villagers.
Shimura Danzo regained his composure. After decades of working together, he understood what the Third was implying.
"Shinichi Hyuga threatened me at the Hyuga Clan Compound.
"He predicted the enemy's attack before it happened. I suspect he was in league with them!
"Otherwise, how could the enemy have penetrated Konoha's layers of defenses to target the Shimura Clan?"
Shimura Danzo calmed down, realizing he was no match for Shinichi Hyuga. He needed to find more allies.
He began making excuses for his actions, repeatedly casting suspicion on Shinichi Hyuga.
Minato Namikaze looked back at Shinichi Hyuga, doubt in his eyes.
If what Shimura Danzo said was true, then even if Shinichi hadn't betrayed the village, he could still be accused of letting the enemy act unchecked.
"Shinichi Hyuga, do you have anything to say in your defense? Is what Elder Danzo said true?"
Minato Namikaze asked sternly.
At that moment, he was no longer Minato Namikaze, but the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.
As Hokage, anyone who harmed the village was his enemy.
Now, he truly had to take this seriously.
Until now, Minato Namikaze had always called him Shinichi.
"Lord Hokage, why should I have to explain myself? Shouldn't Elder Danzo provide evidence? He can't just accuse me without proof."
Shinichi Hyuga no longer called him Minato Namikaze. People really did think differently once they sat in power.
He had no intention of proving his innocence. The trap of making someone prove their innocence was impossible to escape in any world.
Besides, it really had been his Black Ghost, Conan, who had acted.
"This..."
Minato Namikaze was at a loss for words. He had indeed treated Shinichi Hyuga as a traitor just now.
"Shinichi Hyuga, the Anbu can corroborate what Shimura Danzo said. His claims are somewhat credible. You did foresee the enemy's attack.
"And at the Hyuga Clan's meeting, you insulted Danzo."
The Third stepped forward, his pipe bobbing in his hand, and gestured for an Anbu Ninja behind him to step forward.
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