The Dagger Revealed

Zhengye's words hit like a magnitude-ten earthquake, terrifying everyone present.

Uchiha Kagami had been Shimura Danzo's teammate. Along with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, he had once been a disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama!

He had dug out the eyes of his teammate and fellow disciple and implanted them into himself!?

Everyone's faces twisted in disgust. They had never imagined Danzo could go this far!

Zhengye took in everyone's expressions.

This was his true plan.

Orochimaru had indeed made Danzo's arm for him.

When the Fourth Hokage took office, Danzo and Orochimaru had indeed been working together.

As for whether the Sharingan on Danzo's arm had belonged to Uchiha Kagami—

Uchiha Kagami had been dead for so many years. Whether they were or not was whatever the Uchiha said they were.

Danzo, you professional scapegoat, you'd better carry this burden properly!

To secure more political capital for the Uchiha, he had to clear the Uchiha Clan of suspicion in the Nine-Tails incident!

By now, Zhengye could already see doubt and hesitation in Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's eyes.

After all, there was absolutely no flaw in his logic.

He abruptly shifted the subject and continued.

"Besides, even if the plan failed, he could have simply pinned the blame on us Uchiha!"

"If I'm not mistaken, it was Shimura Danzo who proposed moving us Uchiha away from the center of Konoha, wasn't it?"

Utatane Koharu shuddered. She said nothing, merely glancing at Mitokado Homura and the Third Hokage.

When they had discussed the matter, there had indeed only been the four of them.

"During the Nine-Tails incident, every shinobi clan suffered devastating casualties."

"I would like to ask the Third Hokage: did any members of Danzo's Root participate in that battle?"

The Third Hokage fell silent, but the suspicion in his eyes deepened.

A smile tugged at Zhengye's lips. There was no need to ask—the answer was definitely no.

In the original timeline, even when Konoha had been flattened by a massive Shinra Tensei, Danzo had not shown himself, much less during the Nine-Tails incident.

Danzo's practice of preserving his own strength undoubtedly made him far more suspicious than the Uchiha Clan, who had fought at the time.

After pondering for a long while, the Third Hokage said gravely, "This is all merely your one-sided testimony and speculation. There is no concrete evidence."

That was exactly the sentence Zhengye had been waiting for.

He narrowed his eyes, concealing the cold gleam within them.

"Then where is the concrete evidence for suspecting us Uchiha!?"

The elders exchanged glances and found Zhengye's words reasonable.

After all, Danzo now appeared far more suspicious than the Uchiha.

Nara Luhe lowered his eyes as he looked at Zhengye's youthful face.

The Uchiha have produced a clever one.

The Third Hokage was choked by that throat-slitting question.

That was right. They had targeted the Uchiha based solely on suspicion before because they had been the only suspects.

But now, there was another suspect who was even more suspicious than the Uchiha.

Their previous targeting of the Uchiha no longer had any basis at all.

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment. "The Uchiha cannot move back to their original location now."

After the Uchiha had moved away, their former land had been distributed as resources to the other shinobi clans.

It had served as postwar compensation for the Nine-Tails incident.

Asking the other clans to give it back now would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.

Zhengye waved a hand, as though he did not care in the slightest about being unable to return to central Konoha.

"In that case, we can receive corresponding compensation, can't we?"

The Third Hokage's expression sharpened. "What do you have in mind?"

Zhengye curled his lips. "We can discuss compensation for moving our clan grounds later. For now, let us first discuss compensation for the harm Danzo caused the Uchiha."

The Third Hokage felt a little uneasy, but he still nodded.

Zhengye raised a finger. "The Uchiha want to expand the Police Force's establishment and personnel."

A strange look flashed through the Third Hokage's eyes. The Police Force had always consisted solely of Uchiha clansmen. They themselves had always decided how many positions and personnel they wanted to add.

Why had he brought it up as a condition? Wasn't he wasting a bargaining chip?

"How much do you want to expand it?"

Zhengye raised four fingers. "Four hundred people."

The Third Hokage was startled, while Utatane Koharu directly asked, "Where are the Uchiha going to find that many people?"

The Uchiha had fewer than five hundred combat personnel in total, and the Police Force already accounted for more than a hundred of them.

Adding another four hundred would not even leave enough Uchiha combat personnel to fill the positions.

Zhengye smiled. "That is a matter for our Police Force."

"Very well. I approve."

To the Third Hokage, it only meant paying four hundred more salaries.

But if it could tie down more Uchiha, it was worth it.

A smile appeared on Zhengye's face. He gave Hyuga Hiashi a slight bow.

"Clan Head Hiashi, our Police Force requires more Byakugan to assist with public security management. I wonder whether we may hire one hundred people from the Hyuga Clan."

Hyuga Hiashi shuddered, and his chair gave a soft creak.

The enormous surprise left him dizzy.

The Uchiha were actually inviting outsiders into the Police Force! This would directly increase the Hyuga Clan's influence.

"No problem. The Hyuga Clan would be delighted to have a fruitful partnership with the Uchiha Clan!"

Hiashi suppressed the excitement in his heart. No matter what the other side was planning, he would bite the bait first!

Zhengye nodded slightly, then turned to Nara Luhe of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. Only after arriving here for a while had he learned that Shikaku had not yet taken power; the Ino-Shika-Cho were still led by the previous generation's three leaders.

"Clan Head Luhe, I would also like to invite your Ino-Shika-Cho clans to assist our Police Force. I wonder whether your three clans—whether we may hire fifty people from each of your three clans."

"Yes. Our Ino-Shika-Cho clans agree to cooperate with the Uchiha Clan."

Luhe's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Zhengye.

Zhengye's move was clearly meant to bind the Uchiha to the major clans, but he had a feeling that Zhengye's true purpose had yet to be revealed.

"Aburame..."

"Inuzuka..."

After reaching an agreement with the Ino-Shika-Cho, Zhengye proceeded to distribute the remaining one hundred and fifty positions among the other shinobi clans.

Even after allocating all four hundred positions, he additionally used the positions originally occupied by Uchiha within the Police Force.

It could be said that Zhengye had taken care of every shinobi clan in Konoha Village with even a little influence.

The Third Hokage frowned, unable to understand what Zhengye was plotting.

But the Uchiha's Police Force merely maintained public order. Even if they shared its positions with others, it would not greatly increase the major clans' power.

Instead, it would cause the Uchiha to lose control.

It seems Zhengye's true purpose has yet to be revealed.

"Then, regarding compensation for moving our Uchiha clan grounds outside the village..."

Zhengye's lips split into a grin. The dagger was finally revealed!

"The Uchiha want to establish 'the authority to coordinate internal village defense'!"