Presumptuous

In front of the Hokage Building.

The night wind was cold.

Dozens of Uchiha Police Force members stood in the square.

Pair after pair of scarlet Sharingan lit up.

On the ground, the captured Root contact lay like a dead dog, blood at the corner of his mouth, the Root mark below his collarbone clearly visible.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the steps in his Hokage robe, his expression extremely grim.

Behind him were more than a dozen Anbu.

On both sides, more and more Konoha ninja were alerted and arrived one after another.

Everyone was watching.

Fugaku stood at the very front, his voice icy.

"Lord Hokage."

"This person met with a member of my clan late at night, instigating division within the Uchiha."

"He has the Root mark on him."

"He was carrying a duplicate Hokage document for deployment orders."

"He even attempted to self-destruct."

"May I ask, were you aware of this matter?"

He went straight for the kill.

No pleasantries.

No preamble.

He directly put a knife to the Hokage Building's throat.

The Third Hokage remained silent.

He couldn't say he was aware.

To admit knowledge would be to acknowledge the Hokage Building's involvement in instigating Uchiha internal strife.

He also couldn't immediately deny it.

Because that would mean the duplicate Hokage document was out of control, and Root was acting independently of the Hokage.

Either way, it would be a scandal.

The scene was deathly silent.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu arrived in a hurry.

Seeing the person on the ground, their expressions changed.

Utatane Koharu immediately spoke:

"Fugaku, this matter still requires investigation."

"Investigation?"

Uchiha Tekka sneered, stepped forward, and stomped on the Root contact's chest.

Bang!

The man grunted from the impact and woke up.

Tekka ripped open his collar.

The Root mark was exposed to everyone's eyes.

"The person is here."

"The mark is here."

"The duplicate Hokage document for deployment orders is also here."

"What else needs to be investigated?"

"Are we investigating whether he tattooed the Root mark on himself?"

The surrounding ninja erupted in an uproar.

"Root?"

"Is he really from Root?"

"Why was he meeting with an Uchiha late at night?"

"What's going on with the duplicate Hokage document?"

"Could the recent troubles with the Uchiha really be related to Root?"

The murmurs grew louder.

The Third Hokage's expression darkened further.

The thing he worried about most had happened.

The Uchiha had directly brought this matter into the open.

It couldn't be suppressed anymore.

Just then, Shingetsu walked out from behind Fugaku.

He was young.

Still injured.

But at this moment, everyone's gaze involuntarily fell on him.

Because the most exciting events happening in Konoha's shadows these past two days were all related to him.

Uchiha Shingetsu.

Nine years old, Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Attacked twice in a row.

Discovered a secret tunnel.

Lured and captured a Root operative.

Shingetsu walked up to the operative and looked down at him.

"Speak," he said.

"Who sent you to contact Uchiha Shinsuke?"

The operative gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Shingetsu smiled.

"Quite tough, aren't you."

He looked up at the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, he won't talk."

The Third Hokage said gravely, "Hand him over to the Anbu for interrogation."

"No."

Shingetsu refused outright.

The entire place fell silent.

A nine-year-old Uchiha had publicly refused the Hokage?

Mitokado Homura's face darkened.

"Uchiha Shingetsu, do you know who you are speaking to?"

Shingetsu didn't even look at him, his eyes fixed on the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, it's not that I don't trust the Anbu."

"But if this person is handed over, he'll likely be dead by tomorrow."

"The cause of death will most probably be suicide due to guilt."

"Then Root will disavow him."

"The Hokage Building will announce a thorough investigation."

"And in the end, it will be swept under the rug."

"Am I correct?"

The scene instantly fell silent.

These words were too blunt.

So blunt they felt like a slap to the face of the Hokage Building.

Many of the surrounding ninjas' expressions changed.

Because they suddenly realized that what this nine-year-old Uchiha said might actually be true.

The Third Hokage's expression was complex.

Utatane Koharu angrily said:

"Insolent!"

Shingetsu suddenly turned his head, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan instantly activating.

His scarlet gaze fixed on her.

"Insolent?"

"When I was apprehended in the dead of night, where were you, esteemed advisor?"

"When my residence was probed by Root, where were you, esteemed advisor?"

"When the Uchiha compound's perimeter was being tunneled under, where were you, esteemed advisor?"

"We have a live captive in our hands now, and you dare call me insolent?"

Shin-getsu's voice turned abruptly cold.

"Who is the one being truly insolent here?"

Utatane Koharu's face turned livid at the retort.

The surrounding ninjas gasped in unison.

This brat—he was far too bold!

Tekka felt his blood boiling with excitement.

Satisfying!

This was truly satisfying!

The Uchiha had been suppressed for far too long these past years.

Today, someone had finally dared to throw those words directly into the faces of the high-ranking officials.

Fugaku did not stop him.

Shisui did not stop him.

Itachi stood not far away, his eyes fluctuating violently.

It was the first time he had ever seen anyone dare to speak to the Konoha high-ups in such a manner.

Moreover, every word he spoke was impossible to refute.

Shin-getsu turned his gaze back to the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage."

"If you truly wish to get to the bottom of this, have him speak right here."

"In front of the Uchiha, in front of the Anbu, in front of everyone."

"Otherwise, we will not believe it."

The Third Hokage looked deeply at Shin-getsu.

This child was sharper than he had imagined.

More troublesome.

And much harder to suppress.

After a long silence, the Third Hokage spoke.

"How do you intend to interrogate him?"

Shin-getsu replied:

"It's simple."

"Release the seal on his tongue."

The Third Hokage's pupils constricted.

The members of Danzo's Root had a curse seal placed upon their tongues.

This was not a fact known to everyone.

Shin-getsu continued:

"I have heard that in order to prevent leaks, Root places a curse seal on the tongues of its members."

"As long as they speak of things they shouldn't, their entire body will be paralyzed, rendering them unable to speak."

"Lord Hokage."

"Is this true?"