Only Danzo Was Radical
Itachi and Shisui observed Fugaku Uchiha's predicament.
But it wasn't their turn to speak yet; at this moment, they could only silently worry in their hearts.
After waiting for a while and still not hearing Fugaku Uchiha speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke as well.
"Fugaku, your Uchiha Clan has sacrificed a lot for the village over the years."
"We understand your current situation. Considering the practical circumstances, how about this: you go back first and discuss this issue with your people."
"Explain the pros and cons to them clearly."
"Of course, we will also try our best to find a solution for you."
"We'll let you know once we've come up with a suitable plan. It's getting late, so you should head back now."
Seeing the troubled look on Fugaku Uchiha's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi already knew what Fugaku was thinking.
Continuing to stalemate here is not a good idea, so he told the other party to go home first and have a proper talk with the other Uchiha clan members.
Fugaku Uchiha realized that he couldn't come up with a better solution either.
This problem definitely needs to be properly addressed.
If the issue of those more than one hundred injured villagers is not handled properly, it could very likely lead to another conflict.
So he could only nod.
"Then I shall take my leave, Lord Third Generation, and all lords."
Fugaku Uchiha bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, and also gave a slight bow to Danzo Shimura as a symbolic gesture.
He then turned and left the office.
"Itachi, you guys can go down now."
"We will carefully consider how to resolve this crisis for the Uchiha Clan."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Itachi, Kakashi, and Shisui.
"Then I'll have to trouble the Third Generation Lords and all the other lords to take care of this."
Shisui and Itachi immediately expressed their gratitude.
Then, together with Kakashi, they instantly disappeared from the office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling smoke for a moment.
"What do you think is the best way to solve this problem?"
He asked.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu remained silent, but Shimura Danzo spoke first, "The Uchiha Clan's problem is not so easily solved."
"If you don't believe me, just wait and see."
"One day, they will become Konoha's greatest security threat."
"Such signs are already emerging."
Because he has always been rather radical in his views on issues.
Therefore, at this moment, Shimura Danzo's words did not attract the attention of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, or Utatane Koharu.
They all dismissed it.
Mitokado Homura calmly stated, "The biggest problem currently troubling the Uchiha Clan is probably related to money."
"From our conversation just now, you should all be able to sense that Fugaku is still willing to work towards resolving the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the villagers."
"Since he has that attitude and sincerity, we should help them."
"After all, the Uchiha Clan has indeed borne a lot of external pressure for Konoha over the past few decades."
Mitokado Homura pointed out the problem that had made Fugaku Uchiha reluctant to mention.
This is one of the reasons why Hiruzen Sarutobi told the other party to go back and wait for news.
He is the head of a clan.
In addition, the Uchiha Clan is notoriously proud and arrogant.
Therefore, it's not appropriate to tell them they are poor in front of them.
Koharu Utatane chimed in, "The Third Great Ninja War has just ended, and then the village experienced the Nine-Tails' Attack."
"Now that we've finally managed to rebuild the destroyed village, we probably don't have enough funds to support this project."
"If we want to help the Uchiha solve their problem, we'll probably have to seek help from the Daimyo's Court's forces..."
After she finished speaking, the eyes of the two people present, apart from Shimura Danzo, darkened slightly.
The Third Great Ninja War nearly depleted Konoha's financial resources and exhausted their combat strength reserves.
In addition, the Nine-Tails' Attack resulted in the destruction of most of Konoha.
Even now, Konoha Village has not been able to recover from its severely damaged state.
Not only are the ninjas short of money, but the village also has very little surplus funds, and the entire Konoha Village is currently in a state of high debt.
If it weren't for the support from the Daimyo's Court in the Land of Fire, who regularly provided them with financial assistance...
It's likely that Konoha Village is already facing the risk of bankruptcy.
Everyone gets a headache when it comes to money.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been silently smoking, spoke up, "Tomorrow I will travel to the Daimyo's Court to report this matter to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
There's something Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say.
His reason for going this time was genuinely to solve the problem for the Uchiha.
But he couldn't guarantee whether he could secure funding.
"Sarutobi, you've gone to unnecessary trouble."
"The Uchiha Clan brought this upon themselves."
"Don't forget what the Second Hokage thought of them back then."
"I don't think we need to get involved in this; letting it fade away naturally is the best approach."
"This way, no one will have to bear the blame or responsibility."
There were only four of them in the office.
Therefore, at this moment, Danzo Shimura could speak freely.
Anyway, these are all my old comrades-in-arms, and they also represent the highest level of power in Konoha.
He believed there was nothing wrong with what he said.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado couldn't support him, at least they could understand his meaning.
However, upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and looked intently at Danzo Shimura.
"Danzo, your thinking is too extreme."
"The Uchiha Clan Konoha during the recently concluded Third Great Ninja War."
"A series of natural and man-made disasters, coupled with the current economic downturn, have made life difficult for everyone in the village."
"It's understandable and forgivable for them to have a little bit of a temper occasionally."
"I don't think this is a big problem. If I had to point one out, I'm afraid the problem lies with us..."
At this point in Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Danzo Shimura's expression instantly darkened, while Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were also somewhat surprised.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "If we could govern this village better and lead it to better development, this crisis wouldn't have occurred."
"Haven't you noticed yet? Through the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the villagers, we can see that everyone's survival pressure is getting greater and greater."
"To the point that even the smallest conflict can become an outlet for everyone's emotions."
"The conflict between the Uchiha and the villagers is just a symptom; the real problem is beginning to surface, and we need to use our wisdom to solve it, everyone."