My Clan Leader Dares to Eat Shit!

"The Uchiha have betrayed the village!"

Shimura Danzō was still sprawled at Sarutobi Hiruzen's feet, his head spinning. But the moment he regained control of his chakra, he decisively latched onto the warm leg beside him, then pointed at Uchiha Jin and roared like a madman.

"Hiruzen, what are you waiting for? Kill every last one of these evil Uchiha!"

What an idiot of an ally!

Sarutobi Hiruzen genuinely wanted to kill Danzō right then. How could he be so utterly clueless...

He'd just been chewed out for standing on the wrong side of justice, and now he was turning around and calling on everyone to wipe out the Uchiha Clan?

How many people would follow his orders?

How many casualties would another battle cause?

After this incident, would Sarutobi Hiruzen still be able to live in Konoha?

One question after another surfaced in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind. Then, as he happened to catch the smug look in Danzō's eyes...

Damn!

That bastard!

Even now, he was still trying to manipulate me!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly exhausted. He'd always felt both fondness and frustration toward this useful fall guy, but even his patience was wearing thin.

"Take him into custody!"

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's wave, two Anbu Ninjas helped the weakened Danzō to his feet.

But knowing the relationship between their superior and Danzō, they didn't restrain him roughly like a criminal. Instead, they supported him with the care one might show an old man.

"If only Danzō's temperament were balanced out by Koharu and Homura!" Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

The Shimura Clan had grown somewhat thanks to Danzō, but it had once been nothing more than a rundown, third-rate clan.

Though Danzō had risen to where he was through his formidable talent and willingness to fight, his humble, rough-hewn background left him with nowhere further to go.

His simple, unsophisticated nature and lack of political sense meant Shimura Danzō could never threaten Sarutobi Hiruzen's rule. As long as Hiruzen kept enough military force to suppress him and political constraints to bind him, he could toy with Danzō as he pleased.

What?

Danzō had tried to assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen before?

Give me a break!

It had just been a little game to tease Danzō. It wasn't as if he'd ever had a real chance of succeeding. If anything, it had been the perfect opportunity to put him in his place.

Politics was the art of compromise!

As long as Danzō failed to grasp that truth, Sarutobi Hiruzen could keep him in the palm of his hand and deal with him whenever he pleased. That was why he was especially lenient with this useful fall guy.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu might not have been as capable when it came to making a name for themselves, but they came from major ninja clans and had excellent administrative skills.

If only Danzō could be balanced out by them... Never mind. It was probably better not to balance him out!

Danzō was a sharp blade when wielded properly, but once he slipped his leash, he could easily cut the hand holding him.

Hiruzen would have to put him in his place afterward.

But for now...

Danzō had just acted like a cornered dog, but Sarutobi Hiruzen trusted that he'd quickly understand what Hiruzen wanted him to do.

"Don't listen to that Uchiha brat's nonsense. You all saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes back then, didn't you?"

As expected!

Though Danzō had lost his temper moments earlier, his years of experience going after the Uchiha let him quickly seize on the point that could unite Konoha's shinobi against them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was pleased. The mad dog was indeed best let off the leash at times like this. He was about to speak again and steer public opinion.

"Silence!"

But before Sarutobi Hiruzen could say a word, Uchiha Jin, who had prepared for this, gave a signal to the Uchiha Ninja behind him.

Sharingan: Suppression!

The ocular power of a hundred Sharingan bore down on them. Danzō and the two Anbu Ninjas supporting him were all forced to their knees.

"Uchiha, you..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to reprimand him, but Uchiha Jin reacted even faster. Empowered by the collective ocular prowess of the Uchiha, his presence now overwhelmed Hiruzen's.

"The matter was settled long ago. The Nine-Tails Rebellion had nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan. We even moved our clan compound to prove our loyalty to the village!"

"If we really had been secretly controlling the Nine-Tails, I'd like to ask how a piece of trash like Danzō could have stopped us!"

"Could it be that someone wanted to seize power and deliberately had people stop the Uchiha from rescuing the Fourth Hokage? And the Uchiha's kekkei genkai hasn't been kept entirely within the clan. I seem to recall that the Anbu had one such person!"

Uchiha Jin had studied the art of overthrowing dragons. He remained utterly unfazed by such low-level slander, and effortlessly dragged Kakashi and the Hokage's faction into it.

"You're talking nonsense! What proof do you have?"

Now it wasn't just Shimura Danzō who panicked. Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, the two Hokage Assistants, were alarmed as well.

The Nine-Tails Rebellion was one of the cornerstones of their moral high ground. If the Uchiha undermined even that, it would be very difficult for them to rally the village against the clan in the future.

"Kakashi only had a transplanted Sharingan from a loser. What right did he have to control a Tailed Beast as powerful as the Nine-Tails?"

Utatane Koharu spoke at once, stubbornly trying to define the matter. Her eyes were no longer kind; she glared fiercely at Uchiha Jin in the distance.

But Uchiha Jin wasn't about to let her off so easily. He chuckled, ignored the threat in her eyes, and continued.

"Then what proof do you have that the Uchiha controlled the Nine-Tails? Back then, our entire clan was stopped by that piece of trash, Danzō. Who could have controlled the Nine-Tails?"

Danzō could tell things had taken a bad turn. This was supposed to be his unbeatable killer move. How had it been dismantled so easily? The accusation had been dragged out into the open and turned against them.

"No proof is needed. Who knows what you Uchiha have been hiding!"

But since things had reached this point, Danzō didn't mind taking his shameless bluster to the limit.

Uchiha Jin still wore a smile. He paid no heed to the few grasshoppers jumping around and making trouble. With complete confidence, he said:

"I really do know!"

"You're lying!"

Danzō was now completely panicked. He didn't believe Uchiha Jin could say anything meaningful, and whatever it was, he would deny it all anyway.

Uchiha Jin ignored Danzō and swept his gaze over the clan leaders present before finally settling on Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"The Uchiha Clan has nothing to hide. Getting to the truth is simple!"

"There are several ninja clans in Konoha capable of examining memories. If Shimura Danzō is willing to let us search his memories today—"

Uchiha Jin pointed at Shimura Danzō, but before he could finish, Danzō flatly refused.

"Don't even think about it. My memories are the village's highest secrets!"

"Hmph!"

Uchiha Jin snorted in disdain. He ignored Danzō and continued as if speaking to himself.

"The Uchiha have nothing to hide. If that piece of trash, Danzō, is willing to prove his innocence, then our Clan Leader Fugaku and Elder Setsuna won't object to having their memories examined, either!"

Uchiha Jin's emphatic words rang across the scene. His proud, piercing gaze swept over everyone present, as if to say:

My Clan Leader dares to eat shit... No, wait... My great elder dares to eat shit... No, that's not right...

I mean, my Clan Leader and great elder dare to have their memories searched!

The Uchiha Clan feared nothing and no one, not even the darkest schemes...

What about you?

(Far away in the Uchiha Clan Compound, the Clan Leader and great elder were happily sipping tea and imagining the clan's bright future: Achoo!)

(Why did I suddenly smell something foul? Could this high-grade tea have gone bad?)

(Damn, there's always some troublemaker out there trying to get me!)