Please, Don't Push Yourself!

"Freak!"

"This guy was simply a lunatic!"

If Sarutobi Hiruzen had still harbored the slightest doubt that Uchiha Jin's "Jade Shatter" nature was something a normal person could possess, now he was utterly convinced that this was an irredeemable lunatic.

What good could this possibly do for the Uchiha?

Danzo's hands might not be clean, but your Uchiha Clan's dirty laundry wasn't any better.

Did you really think there was still some country bumpkin in Konoha who didn't know about the Uchiha's wolfish ambitions? Everyone was simply waiting for decisive evidence and adequate preparation before taking action against one of Konoha's founding clans.

So even though everyone in Konoha knew there was something fishy going on, no one had dared to tear away that final fig leaf.

What if the Uchiha turned around and said, "You forced us into rebellion!"

Or what if the enraged Uchiha made them their main target and launched a focused assault?

Who the hell would be responsible for that?!

But even if you, Uchiha Jin, were crazy, why drag the rest of them into it?!

Shouldn't a normal person be looking for a chance to clear their own name? Why were you so eager to strip off Danzo's filthy underwear first?

What the hell was this supposed to be?!

More importantly, Sarutobi Hiruzen was absolutely certain that if he really stripped off Danzo's underwear... no, damn it, if he investigated his memories, the result would be far more explosive and shocking than some Uchiha rebellion.

The Wood Release experiments, White Fang's death, Orochimaru's defection...

The dozen or so incidents in Sarutobi Hiruzen's little notebook alone were enough to get Danzo killed a hundred times over. And that was without even considering Danzo's habit of keeping another card up his sleeve whenever he did something. Who knew how many more landmines were waiting for him?

Most importantly!

Danzo fucking knew that he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, fucking knew!

What the hell?!

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, with all his years of self-control, couldn't hold it together anymore. He subtly moved beside Danzo and kicked his old friend, who was kneeling next to him.

You good-for-nothing bastard! You were never any help, and now you've gone and ruined everything!

Sarutobi Hiruzen cursed inwardly. All those years of cultivating his composure had gone to waste. Why was he surrounded by lunatics who refused to play by the rules?

Screw it—I'm done hiding it!

"U... Uchiha, you... calm down. The village... the village naturally trusts the Uchiha! There's no need to investigate anyone's memories..."

Who the hell wanted to investigate memories? Go do whatever you want. Who wanted to die along with you?!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was seething inside, but the muscles in his face kept twitching as he forced himself to maintain the last trace of a smile.

But clearly...

That smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face looked even worse than a grimace. He looked like an old man having a fit, with a horribly twisted expression.

"The village absolutely trusts the Uchiha!"

"Oh? Are you sure?"

Seeing the forced goodwill on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, the anger gradually faded from Uchiha Jin's expression, and he once again wore that teasing smile from before.

"Of course. The Uchiha will always be an inseparable part of the village!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen delivered the words with absolute conviction. The imposing aura of the "Strongest Hokage" once again radiated from him, as though he had always viewed the Uchiha this way.

Heh~

Uchiha Jin chuckled softly, then teased him again.

"Are you sure that isn't too much of a strain? My Uchiha have always believed in winning people over with virtue. Clan Head Fugaku is even more noble and righteous—he'd gladly do anything to prove his innocence, even show everyone his memories..."

(Uchiha Fugaku: Achoo!)

Damn it!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was nearly grinding his teeth to dust, but at this point, there was only one path open to him.

Uchiha Jin's real goal wasn't to clear the Uchiha of suspicion. He wanted to drag them all down with him.

But this high-minded "political correctness" had hit Sarutobi Hiruzen right where it hurt. With no proper preparations in place, all he could do was avoid confronting him directly.

There was no other choice!

Sarutobi Hiruzen had to consider not only himself, but also the Sarutobi Clan and the entire Konoha Village.

Certainly!

Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he could fully mobilize his personal Anbu and the Sarutobi Clan's elite forces. His years of authority as Hokage would also let him call upon some of the village's elite.

But that was nowhere near enough...

Even if those forces were combined, they could suppress the Uchiha, but they were nowhere near strong enough to overwhelm them the way the Uchiha had crushed the Root ninja earlier.

If the two sides truly went to war...

Setting everything else aside, the Sarutobi Clan's elite would be nearly wiped out, and Konoha's overall strength would be weakened even further. That would invite the other four great nations to covet the village.

If he did something that foolish, Sarutobi Hiruzen would become the greatest laughingstock in the Ninja World. His name would be nailed to the pillar of shame in shinobi history.

The barefooted had nothing to lose?

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't understand Uchiha Jin's way of thinking, but at this point, he had only one option.

"Not at all... It's no strain whatsoever. The Nine-Tails Rebellion had absolutely nothing to do with the Uchiha. From now on, anyone who tries to use it against them will be disrupting Konoha's peace and stability. The shinobi clans of Konoha will kill them together!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the main street of Konoha fell into an eerie silence. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen's reluctant, ragged breathing echoed softly.

So there really were things that didn't follow political logic, things that couldn't be bought off, threatened, reasoned with, or negotiated with...

Some people just wanted to watch the world burn!

Sarutobi Hiruzen keenly sensed the flames in Uchiha Jin's eyes, as if he wanted to burn the entire world to ashes.

But...

Sometimes, rules didn't uphold justice. Instead, they became shackles.

And now, Sarutobi Hiruzen was horrified to realize that he was trapped in the very shackles he had forged himself, utterly powerless against Uchiha Jin as he wantonly broke the rules.

"Tch~"

Uchiha Jin shook his head, somewhat disappointed. He felt a trace of contempt for Sarutobi Hiruzen's decisiveness, and at the same time, a touch of boredom.

As expected!

Time made it easier than eyes to see certain things clearly.

When he'd first watched the Naruto anime in his previous life, he had once been deeply moved by the heroic sacrifice of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage.

But when he looked back, he suddenly realized it was all just because he'd always had a strange taste for that sort of thing.

The debauched died for chastity, the schemer for loyalty, the thief for generosity, the selfish for sacrifice, the sunflowers before dawn, and the weeds... in the wind, unnoticed by all.

What Sarutobi Hiruzen thought deep down didn't matter. His actions over the years had already defined him.

That was exactly why his choice to fight Orochimaru to the death for the village felt all the more ironic—and satisfying—to Uchiha Jin.

As for now?

The position determined the mindset!

Since they already had a sufficient advantage, it was only natural to kick their enemy while he was down!

"Since the Third Hokage acknowledges that the Uchiha Clan had nothing to do with the Nine-Tails Rebellion, then what should be done about that guy Shimura Danzo?"

Damn it!

Sarutobi Hiruzen had known Uchiha Jin would pull something like this, but there was nothing he could do to stop it now.

"He's still just a child..."