No, You're Just the Acting Hokage!

"I understand!"

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen had lost the opening move, his expression remained one of complete control, showing not a hint of irritation at the sharp, confrontational tone of Uchiha Jin.

The "Second Hokage's Will" was a disgusting tactic, but because Sarutobi Hiruzen had only become Hokage thanks to the final orders of Senju Tobirama, it was absolutely impossible for him to deny his teacher.

Otherwise!

What kind of Hokage would he even be?

However, while this tactic was indeed nauseating, that was all it amounted to.

The world was not merely black and white; there was a long, gray area of tension between victory and defeat.

Even if the Uchiha Clan had gained a small advantage today, to Sarutobi Hiruzen, it was merely a minor sting that could not damage the foundation of his rule over Konoha.

After all!

I am the Hokage!

Sarutobi Hiruzen completely ignored Uchiha Jin's accusations regarding Danzo, turning instead to command the Anbu ninjas behind him.

"The Anbu will take over the rest. I will certainly provide the Uchiha with a fair verdict after this!"

Immediately!

Several Anbu ninjas, dressed exactly like the corpses on the ground, stepped forward under the command of an Anbu squad leader to clear the battlefield.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Accompanied by the sound of air being pierced, three kunai embedded themselves deep into the ground in a triangular formation. The slightly vibrating metal hilts seemed to warn the Anbu before them not to act rashly.

"Uchiha, are you trying to obstruct the Anbu from carrying out their mission?"

The Anbu squad leader's eyes narrowed as he stopped and barked a stern reprimand at Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin naturally had no intention of paying attention to such a minor character; he kept his foot pressed firmly on Danzo's head, calmly staring at Sarutobi Hiruzen not far away.

"Since these spies were able to impersonate the Anbu and infiltrate Konoha, regardless of the reason, it inevitably involves the core secrets of the village. The Anbu must naturally conduct a strict investigation into them!"

With a simple sentence, Sarutobi Hiruzen defined these dead Root members, while simultaneously emphasizing that the Anbu was the official agency responsible for handling matters outside the village.

There was no helping it!

Politics was, by nature, an art of compromise. As long as he didn't want to tear his face off with the Uchiha Clan, these corpses could never be publicly linked to the village.

As for whether these were spies sent by enemy nations or an act of personal vengeance by Shimura Danzo, it was irrelevant to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The key was to seize the initiative in the conversation, which was also the price the Hokage faction had to pay today!

Without needing a command from Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, who understood her superior's intentions, stepped forward slowly and scolded Uchiha Jin like a shrew.

"How is your Police Force doing their jobs? You didn't even leave a single survivor!"

Hmph!

Although he knew in his heart that this was merely a bargaining tactic, Uchiha Jin was also extremely annoyed.

Sharingan: Suppression!

Thud... thud...

Utatane Koharu clutched her forehead with one hand, staggering back weakly until she fell right into the arms of Mitokado Homura.

"Uchiha Jin, are you trying to revolt?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a surge of joy, lamenting that his opponent was nothing more than a hotheaded youth, as he unleashed the full pressure of the "Ninja Bear," the strongest Hokage.

Uchiha Jin naturally understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's intent and had no intention of taking the bait. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Yamanaka Inoichi.

"There is no need to trouble the Anbu with the investigation. If you don't trust the evidence-gathering methods of my Police Force, you can let Clan Leader Yamanaka here try. I believe the Yamanaka Clan can provide everyone with a fair answer!"

"This..."

Yamanaka Inoichi, who had been watching the show, was stunned. He hadn't expected the matter to involve him, and not knowing what to do, he habitually looked toward Nara Shikaku.

Seeing Nara Shikaku shake his head slightly, a flustered Yamanaka Inoichi turned his gaze back to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"What... could it be that the Yamanaka Clan cannot be trusted either?"

Seeing the scene fall into the expected awkwardness, Uchiha Jin felt a sudden sense of satisfaction. Although he knew there would likely be no real result today, it was still necessary to make the other side uncomfortable.

"Sarutobi, no..."

Upon hearing that the Yamanaka Clan might intervene, Danzo, who had been lying still like a corpse, could no longer sit still and struggled violently.

Even if these Root ninjas were dead, the information in their brains was extremely difficult to probe, and these guys didn't know the true secrets, but Danzo still dared not let them be exposed before everyone.

One had to know that even just a glimpse of the truth...

...would be enough to ensure that he, Shimura Danzo, would never become Hokage in this lifetime!

Thus, Danzo began to struggle frantically, hoping that Sarutobi Hiruzen would intervene and stop this immediately.

However, with his spirit and chakra connection severed by ocular power, his frantic twitching on the ground was nothing more than another round of friendly contact with the earth.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Uchiha Jin strike the critical point so decisively, Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer afford to care about Danzo.

After all, the moment everyone arrived and witnessed Danzo's disgraceful state, he had already lost all face; suffering a little more now would just serve as a lesson learned.

The crux of the matter was Uchiha Jin—could they really afford to fight him to the death?

Recalling Uchiha Jin's so-called "Jade Shatter Faction" manifesto, Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself unable to make a decision for a moment.

However, having served as Hokage for so many years, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew exactly what to do after only a brief moment of contemplation.

"I am the Hokage!"

Accompanied by Sarutobi Hiruzen's sharp roar, the aura of the "Ninja Bear," the strongest Hokage, erupted on the scene once more. His Hokage Cloak shattered in an instant, revealing the black, tight-fitting combat suit beneath.

Politics is the art of compromise!

Firmly believing in this, Sarutobi Hiruzen was equally convinced that anyone who could make him feel like he had met his match would never violate this rule.

This "I am the Hokage" move was not just a Noble Phantasm against Danzo; its lethality was directed at every ninja belonging to Konoha.

In fact, that was exactly the case. As Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept across the crowd, everyone present—whether clan heads or ordinary ninjas—involuntarily lowered their heads.

"Sarutobi, you will..."

Danzo, in the dirt pit, shuddered out of habit as those words involuntarily surfaced in his mind, but the next moment, he felt a massive force strike his head once again.

"Finally!"

Upon hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's classic line, Uchiha Jin had finally waited for the moment he had been anticipating for so long.

These insects...

Since you have made your choice today, you cannot blame me for what happens in the future!

After mentally sentencing most of those present to death, Uchiha Jin puffed out his chest and unleashed his own aura without reservation, clashing head-on against the powerful presence of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"No, you are merely the acting Hokage!"