The recording ended. The conference room fell deathly silent; a pin drop could be heard. It was as if the air had been sucked away, leaving only ragged breathing and hearts pounding like drums.
"Danzo!!" Utatane Koharu slammed her hand on the table. Her aged face flushed crimson, and her voice turned shrill and piercing. "That traitor! That scum! He actually colluded with foreign enemies to destroy the village that raised him!"
Mitokado Homura's face went pale, his lips trembling. "Letting wolves into the house... He's trying to destroy Konoha's foundations!"
The Uchiha Clan head's crimson Sharingan spun wildly, the Three-Tomoe nearly merging into one. His icy killing intent was almost tangible. "Those who betray the village die! No matter where he runs, the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan will find him!"
Veins bulged around the Hyuga Clan head's pale eyes, his voice hard as iron. "War... is unavoidable. The question now isn't whether we fight, but how we fight—and how we win!"
"Fight? Easy for you to say!" A dovish elder could not help but object, his voice heavy with concern. "The Land of Lightning is powerful, Cloud Village's shinobi are fierce and battle-hardened, and the Third Raikage is known as the 'Strongest Spear' and the 'Strongest Shield'! That madman Danzo is still lurking in the shadows! Once war begins, it will be all-out war! Will Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure simply stand by? Won't they seize the chance to strike? No matter how strong Konoha is, can it fight the entire Ninja World at once?"
"Hmph! Are we supposed to wait until Cloud Village's blade is at our throats before resisting?" The Akimichi Clan head's voice boomed like a bell, his massive body radiating pressure. "Minister Neji has already severely wounded the Raikage and destroyed their nest! This is when they're