The Old Fox and the Little Fox Clash

Uchiha Ao stared into Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, and after a long silence, he suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

"Your decision, Lord Hokage... is a fair enough reckoning."

His goal was never to kill Danzo; he was merely using him as a catalyst.

After all, a living Danzo was far more useful than a dead one.

The title of Konoha's "scapegoat" was not earned for nothing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he tucked his pipe back between his calloused lips.

It seemed this new clan head possessed a temperament much like Fugaku's.

As for Danzo, he had only himself to blame; had it been Fugaku, he would have demanded an explanation just the same.

But thinking of the massive changes that had recently occurred within the Uchiha clan—about which he had received absolutely no intelligence—the old man's hand tightened around his pipe. Amidst the swirling smoke, his gaze swept over the silent streets of Konoha outside the window, and he made a firm resolution: he must summon Itachi Uchiha as soon as possible.

Elsewhere.

The Root base.

"Inabi, come look at this!" Uchiha Tekka held a scroll, his expression one of utter disbelief as he beckoned to his companion.

Several bound Root ninja began to struggle violently, and seeing this, Uchiha Inabi walked over and slapped each of them across the face.

"Keep it down, all of you."

The Root ninja were stunned into silence.

They were the ones who usually slapped others; aside from Danzo, who had ever dared to strike them?

"Hmph, if it weren't for the Clan Head's orders to keep you alive, I would have killed you all already!"

Uchiha Inabi kicked one of the slumped Root ninja viciously and spat on the ground. "Pathetic."

"Alright, Inabi, leave them be and look at this first." Although Uchiha Tekka was pleased to see the miserable state of the Root ninja, the scroll was the more pressing priority.

Uchiha Inabi, feeling much more at ease, shook out his aching wrist and strode over to Tekka's side.

Uchiha Tekka carefully unfurled the scroll, the yellowed parchment densely packed with tiny, cramped characters that made his eyes ache.

"What!? Root was actually using the First Hokage's bodily tissues to research Wood Release, and they actually succeeded!?" Uchiha Inabi's pupils contracted sharply, his fingers trembling as he traced the text on the scroll.

Tucked between the yellowed pages were several crumpled reports of the experimental results.

"How could they dare..." His voice trembled.

Although Hashirama Senju had been an enemy of the Uchiha clan during the Warring States period, as the God of Shinobi, whose name stood alongside Madara, even the proud Uchiha clan admired him from the bottom of their hearts.

"Shh!" Uchiha Tekka suddenly pressed a hand to his shoulder, glancing warily toward the corner.

"This scroll must not be damaged. Take this to the Clan Head immediately," Uchiha Tekka said, his expression grave.

"Understood!" Uchiha Inabi nodded heavily.

He carefully took the scroll from Tekka, tucked it securely against his body, and sprinted toward the Hokage Building.

"Clan Head Ao, since the matter is resolved, if there is nothing else, this old man should go and rest." Hiruzen Sarutobi only wanted these Uchiha to leave as soon as possible.

"Lord Hokage, there's no need to be in such a rush," Uchiha Ao said with a chuckle, then signaled with his eyes for Shisui to stand guard outside the door.

Shisui, who had not said a word the entire time, walked silently to the door to keep watch.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank slightly at the sight.

There was not a trace of dissatisfaction on Shisui's face.

He had been a genius in his own youth, and thus he understood the pride of a genius all too well. It seemed he had underestimated this new clan head.

"If Clan Head Ao has other matters, we can leave them for tomorrow. I am old and cannot keep up with you young people," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, squinting his eyes.

Although he didn't know what this Uchiha brat was planning, as long as he could push this to tomorrow, he could convene a meeting and summon everyone in the village. That way, he would have the advantage of numbers, and even if the Uchiha clan had any designs, they would never dare to act.

Uchiha Ao laughed, silently cursing the old fox!

You say you're old?

I didn't see you looking the least bit decrepit when you fought Orochimaru in the future. You clearly had the strength to perform the Reaper Death Seal, yet here you are, feigning weakness.

Uchiha Ao understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions; he was merely trying to stall for time.

"Your words are mistaken, Lord Hokage. I am only nine years old, still in the midst of my physical development; I can hardly be called a young man yet." Uchiha Ao tilted his head, his innocent smile forming an eerie contrast to the coldness in his eyes. "It is still quite early, Lord Hokage."

The wicked Uchiha clan truly has no respect for their elders!

Hiruzen Sarutobi cursed under his breath.

He then sighed, tapping his pipe against the desk. The falling ash and embers left charred marks on the wood grain.

Fine, fine. It seems there is no avoiding this today.

"Speak, then. What else do you want this old man to do?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his expression calm.

"Lord Hokage, there is no rush." Uchiha Ao calculated the time, guessing that Inabi and the others should be arriving soon, and said with a chuckle.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door.

Uchiha Inabi walked in, carrying a scroll.

"Clan Leader!"

He knelt on one knee before Uchiha Ao and presented the scroll.

"Mm, well done." Uchiha Ao offered a casual word of praise and took the scroll.

He then displayed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Lord Hokage, why don't you take a look at what this is?"

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze touched the scroll, his pipe clattered to the floor.

The words "First Hokage Cells" felt like a searing branding iron, instantly burning through his mask of feigned composure.

Danzo, oh Danzo, didn't I tell you to destroy all the data back then? Why did you keep it!

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sense of helplessness.

Even if he wanted to save Danzo, he was powerless to do so now.

Not to mention using the First Hokage's tissues to research Wood Release, the mere act of secretly digging up the First Hokage's grave was enough to have him executed a hundred times over.

"Lord Hokage, the scroll says that Root ninjas used the First Hokage's cells to create a Wood Release user," Uchiha Ao said, picking up the scroll and reading aloud.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his expression turning grave. "The First Hokage is the founder of our Konoha. Such acts of desecration could never have received my approval!"

He slammed his hands on the desk and stood up, causing the scroll to rustle. His aged face flushed red with agitation. "Danzo has always acted behind my back! I explicitly forbade 'Root' from operating independently of the Anbu!"

Uchiha Ao nodded. "Lord Hokage, we naturally do not suspect you of being involved in this matter."

"However, don't you think the current punishment for Danzo is a bit light?"

He traced the edge of the scroll with his fingertips, his tone languid. "Privately excavating the First Hokage's remains and conducting forbidden human experiments... with such crimes, how can a mere dismissal and investigation satisfy the public?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, thinking only of distancing himself from Danzo, naturally followed Uchiha Ao's lead. "Clan Leader Ao is absolutely right. This matter must not be tolerated!"

He gripped the edge of the desk and slowly rose, his aged knuckles turning white from the pressure. "I will convene a high-level meeting immediately to re-evaluate Danzo's punishment. Treason, desecration of our ancestors, violation of Konoha law..."

He spat out every word through gritted teeth, as if trying to nail every crime firmly onto Danzo. "He must pay the price for his actions!"

Uchiha Ao watched the old man's performance with a faint, enigmatic smile, then said, "Lord Hokage, our Uchiha clan supports holding a village-wide assembly."

Hiruzen Sarutobi replied, "Very well. I will convene the village-wide assembly tomorrow morning to execute Danzo. Now..."

"Lord Hokage, in order to let everyone know that Konoha has such a cancer in its midst, I propose that we allow the civilians to participate in this village-wide assembly as well."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to say, "You may leave now," Uchiha Ao's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

Damn it, what a little fox!

Hiruzen Sarutobi cursed silently.