Unhappy

Outside the forest, Tenshen's single strike decided the victor, but this battle was destined to be inconclusive.

The Yellow Flash of the Leaf was defeated by the White Fang of the Leaf.

Tenshen vindicated Sakumo, proving the Yellow Flash was nothing special.

Inside the forest, Danzo's rampant behavior filled Uchiha Kei with emotion.

"To know flatness, one must suspend; to know roundness, one must use a compass; all matters under heaven require rules."

Indeed, all the chaos in Konoha stemmed from a single, despicable beginning.

Just as every dynasty began with the first person to break the rules, laying the groundwork for future decline.

However, Danzo's actions had placed Kei in an awkward position; he didn't want to be the one to lance this boil.

At least, not himself, not at this moment.

Given Sarutobi's reputation compared to his own, even if he made an issue of this matter, it would have little effect.

Not only would he gain nothing, but he would also be seen by the Third Hokage as insubordinate.

At this point in time, even if the Third Hokage's actions were exposed, as long as he adamantly denied them, people would only be skeptical, and no one would have the power to punish him.

Sarutobi, who commanded four Kage-level combatants, was certainly not Kei's target for punishing the unrighteous in the name of heavenly justice.

Therefore, watching Danzo's frenzied performance, Kei felt he couldn't let it continue.

"Oh my, isn't this Lord Danzo? What are you doing here!"

Danzo, who had been gesticulating wildly, froze as if a pause button had been pressed. Was this young man, Uchiha Kei, so mentally resilient? Such a huge secret, and he recovered so quickly.

After all, this secret had been buried in Danzo's heart for decades. To prevent its leakage, he had personally killed his childhood companion, Uchiha Kyō, and Sarutobi had used this secret to coerce Akimichi Kufeng into bringing the entire Akimichi Clan under his control.

The reason Danzo hated the Uchiha so much wasn't because they had any deep-seated grudge against him, but because once you wronged someone, guilt would slowly transform into hatred, compelling you to wrong them and their families forever.

This greatest secret, this lifelong nightmare for the six individuals involved back then, was now exposed to this young man without reservation.

Yet, the young man before him merely showed a moment of shock, didn't even ask for details, and then put on a shrewd expression, pretending he hadn't heard anything.

It was as if time had rewound to the moment Danzo spoke his second sentence.

"The young are formidable, and I am old!"

What could Danzo do? Since the other party pretended ignorance, it meant he had made his plans.

He didn't believe this young man didn't understand that a secret known by so many people was no longer a secret.

Since the young man had it figured out, the matter of keeping this secret would be left to him to consider.

Danzo felt he had shown Kei his fear of death, and now it seemed Kei had accepted it. Therefore, what he needed to do next was to find a suitable excuse for his and Kei's encounter today to appease Sarutobi.

He figured Sarutobi wouldn't dare to imagine he would publicly reveal this secret.

The rest was to stall for time; the longer the delay, the more beneficial it would be for both him and Kei.

"Oh, Kei-kun, please take care of me, as this is our first meeting!"

Danzo, dragging his heavily injured body, cooperated with Kei's act.

"Lord Danzo, did you know we were moving and came to pay your respects? You're too kind, sir. We're just moving from the Uchiha compound in Konoha back to the Uchiha shrine. It's not a proper relocation, so please don't prepare any extravagant gifts!"

Kei continued to babble with a playful grin. He couldn't stand others putting on airs in front of him. Seeing that Danzo had put on enough of an act, Kei decided to tell him the truth.

A truth that would make Danzo even more distraught.

That the cause of this massacre was, in fact, a misunderstanding.

As Kei wished, upon hearing this, Danzo almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"So you weren't planning to attack the Root's main base at all?"

Kei fanned the air in front of him, as if detecting an unpleasant odor.

"Sir, please don't joke like that. Why would I attack you when we have no enmity? We were just moving."

As Kei's words fell, Danzo's vision went black, and he fainted.

What a disaster!

Danzo believed Kei was telling the truth, but he was unwilling to believe Kei was telling the truth at this particular moment.

After more than a hundred people died, after expending all his resources, and even risking the lives of his entire clan to protect his own life, he received such a result.

Anyone would find it unacceptable.

On the other side of the forest, after Kei and Danzo reached an agreement, Tenshen also ceased his attack.

Ninjas naturally had their own ways of transmitting information. After receiving instructions from Lord Kei, Tenshen, having defeated Minato, had no need to continue entangled with him.

Kei's original plan was, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, to have the Uchiha's lower-ranking ninjas stay far away from Minato.

With Tenshen present, it was enough to stall Minato. For others to get involved would only lead to more casualties; for Minato, fighting one was no different from fighting a crowd.

Who knew that Tenshen would fight more fiercely, even activating his Mangekyo Sharingan during his battle with Minato? He had gone from being suppressed by Minato to suppressing Minato.

The main reason why Kei had obtained twenty purple cards from twenty-four "twenty consecutive draws" was that certain individuals occupied two purple card slots by themselves.

Tenshen was one of them.

Therefore, no matter how much Kei claimed Tenshen was merely a match for his opponents, he still valued Tenshen's potential.

Now was the moment to reap the rewards; Tenshen had actually awakened the Mangekyo during his battle with Minato.

Having just knocked away Minato's forehead protector, Tenshen stood tall to the side, showing no intention of continuing the fight.

"Minato Namikaze, Lord Kei wishes to see you!"

A slightly disheveled Minato looked at Tenshen, his eyes filled with conflict.

Once high-spirited and brimming with confidence, Minato was feeling increasingly unsure of himself. This young man, who had crushed his way through with an invincible posture, was learning for the first time what a bitter struggle truly meant.

A specialist ninja would always be countered by another specialist. He had already struggled to handle Tenshen, and now, with the added power of the Mangekyo and the White Fang Sword Technique, Minato was even more helpless.

He had expected a protracted battle, but to his surprise, Tenshen stopped just as the fight was reaching its peak.

Minato seized the opportunity, and hearing Tenshen's words, he was more than happy to comply.

"What is your name, Uchiha!"

Minato was deeply interested in this ninja with the peculiar eyes and divine swordsmanship.

Unfortunately, his question went unanswered; the silence seemed to imply that Minato was not worthy of knowing his name.

Feeling slighted, Minato warned himself.

"It is time to develop a high-power ninjutsu."

Without further entanglement, he headed toward the forest.

Upon reaching Kei, Minato kept a wary eye on Tenshen, who stood behind him like a guard escorting a prisoner, and called out loudly.

"Kei Uchiha, I have been entrusted by Clan Leader Uchiha Fugaku to notify you to return to the village."

Flexibly utilizing one's title was a specialty of every Hokage.

Regrettably, Minato received no response, only a human body tossed his way.

It was the unconscious Danzo.

Minato caught him in a hurry, only to see a field of Konoha ninja who had died in agony.

Although they wore masks and he did not know their names, Minato knew they were Root ninja—comrades of Konoha. The gruesome sight left him burning with rage.

How could anyone inflict such cruelty upon their own companions?

Even in battles between hostile villages, if one side possessed the power to slaughter the other, it meant they held absolute superiority; there was no need for such a massacre when prisoners would suffice.

If even hostile villages operated this way, how could an Uchiha, a fellow comrade, kill without a shred of restraint?

Minato could not stand for this.

Whether the Uchiha were truly trustworthy was a question he would have to take up with Fugaku in the future.

"Kei Uchiha, did you do all of this?"

The sunny Minato was uncharacteristically serious, his tone even carrying a note of accusation. Even when in danger, he was still willing to speak up against injustice.

It is said that when the strong are angry, they draw their blades against the stronger; when the weak are angry, they draw their blades against the weaker. Some people, for the sake of justice, do not care about the strength of their opponent.

Minato was such a person.

Kei hated Minato—hated him for no reason, starting from the moment he had been overlooked by him. He hated him because Minato always managed to do the things Kei could not.

Minato was like the "other kid" in everyone's stories, highlighting Kei's own inadequacy at every turn.

If not for these subordinates who supported him at critical moments, Kei felt that facing Minato alone would leave him feeling like a stray dog on the street: filthy and incompetent.

"Minato-san, in what capacity are you questioning me?"

At Kei's words, Tenshen and the other ninja drew their blades once more.

Minato, who had been suppressed by Tenshen the entire way, showed no fear.

"As a Konoha ninja, of course."

Minato spoke as if it were a matter of course; he firmly believed that this identity was enough to question Kei.

"Damn it, who isn't a Konoha ninja here!"

Kei loathed such hypocritical, empty titles, even resorting to profanity because of it.

Minato, in turn, showed his disdain for Kei's dismissal.

"Then, as a Konoha ninja, is this how you slaughter your own comrades?"

He was tired. Another moral interrogation—how tiresome.

Kei turned and walked away, speaking as he moved.

"As if Konoha ninja haven't slaughtered their own comrades enough already. One more or one less makes no difference! Get lost, Minato, and stop bothering me. This isn't your concern."

No matter how much Kei smiled, he knew his own irritation.

He hadn't provoked anyone today, yet he had been entangled by Danzo for no reason. After finally gaining an advantage, he had been played by Danzo, only to be subjected to Minato's moralizing.

Kei's patience had long since run dry.