These Are Stilts

"Lord Sakumo, to be honest, you were too impulsive." The moment they left the meeting room, Shikaku Nara quickly caught up to Hatake Sakumo, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness and concern. "How could you resign from ANBU and give up the Hokage's mantle at a time like this? And your reasoning... was actually so biased toward the Uchiha Clan."

Hatake Sakumo stopped and turned around. His face remained calm, but a complicated emotion flickered through his eyes. He sighed and said quietly, "Sorry. I wanted to phrase it more tactfully too, but I really couldn't think of a better way to put it. I'm a ninja. I'm not good at all these twists and turns."

Shikaku frowned, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. "Then you could have stayed silent. Some things don't need to be stated so bluntly."

Hatake Sakumo shook his head, his gaze firm. "Stay silent? Lord Hokage wouldn't let me go. I had to make my stance clear, even if it displeased some people."

Hearing that, Shikaku fell silent as well. He understood Hatake Sakumo's character. He knew Sakumo was a pure ninja who would never compromise on matters of principle. After a long while, Shikaku let out a faint sigh. "Sigh, these are truly troubled times."

Hatake Sakumo sighed as well, weariness in his voice. "Yes. Konoha's future... may be more complicated than we imagined."

The two looked at each other in silence. Then Shikaku shook his head and turned to leave. Hatake Sakumo stood where he was, watching Shikaku's retreating back, a trace of loneliness flashing through his eyes. He knew his choice might disappoint some people, but he had no other option.

Meanwhile, back in the meeting room, Danzo's expression was terrifyingly grim. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "Damn Hatake Sakumo! He actually sided with those evil Uchiha! This is betrayal—barefaced betrayal!"

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in the seat of honor, his gaze profound and his tone calm. "Sakumo will not completely side with the Uchiha. He will only side with the village. His resignation and withdrawal have actually eased one of my concerns. He is not suited to become Hokage, and that was made very clear by how he handled the Uchiha matter. I believe the other Jonin will no longer consider him when the next Hokage is chosen."

Danzo snorted coldly, his tone still filled with anger. "Hmph. Even so, that does not erase the disgrace he brought upon us by siding with the Uchiha!"

Utatane Koharu frowned, concern in her voice. "Our top priority now is still dealing with the Uchiha. Who knows whether they have more moves prepared? They already have a grip on our lifeline."

Mitokado Homura nodded and added, "That's right. The Ninja Academy is our lifeline. We absolutely cannot allow the Uchiha to open a Ninja Academy, not even a training school. But as Fugaku Uchiha said, if they want to open one, they will always find a way."

The Third Hokage took a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes. "Then we must strengthen education in the Will of Fire. You opposed it before, saying it was useless, but now it is our only option. We cannot allow Uchiha ideology to unite them; we must divide them. The Will of Fire is inherently at odds with Uchiha glory, yet it carries the greater righteousness. As long as we firmly grasp the Will of Fire, eventually there will be a new generation of Uchiha who side with us."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, his voice turning stern. "Danzo, during this period, you are not allowed to target the Uchiha again. Not at all. Stay confined and behave yourself. Once your confinement is over, focus all your attention beyond the village."

Danzo's expression became even uglier, but he knew the Third Hokage's words could not be challenged. He gave a cold snort, unwillingness evident in his voice. "Hmph. Understood."

The Third Hokage shook his head at that. He knew Danzo was unwilling, but there was no helping it. When facing a clash on the level of ideology, he, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were all far too lacking.

"Uchiha Chuan, we're done!" Obito ran excitedly to the riverbank with a group of little kids, their faces full of pride and anticipation. Following Uchiha Chuan's instructions, they had just finished building that strange setup at the training ground. Though everyone had their doubts, it was Uchiha Chuan's arrangement, so they obediently did as they were told.

"Oh." Uchiha Chuan responded lazily. He was still sitting by the river, a fishing rod in his hand, his eyes fixed intently on the water as if Obito and the others' arrival did not matter at all.

Seeing this, Obito pursed his lips in displeasure. "Hey, Uchiha Chuan, we built the place exactly as you asked! At least give us some kind of reaction!"

Only then did Uchiha Chuan slowly turn his head and glance at them. He then picked up two bamboo tubes from beside him. A horizontal footrest protruded from the middle of each tube, making them look rather strange.

"Do you know what these are?" Uchiha Chuan shook the bamboo tubes in his hands, his tone carrying a hint of mystery.

Obito frowned and stared at the two bamboo tubes for a long time before answering uncertainly, "Crutches?"

"No, these are stilts." Uchiha Chuan shook his head, then stood up and planted the bamboo tubes on the ground. He stepped onto the two footrests and gripped the upper parts of the tubes with both hands. With a light push, he stood steadily atop the stilts, then began moving slowly while maintaining his balance.

"Your next task is for each of you to make a pair of stilts that fit you, just like mine. Go on." As he spoke, Uchiha Chuan jumped down from the stilts and handed the bamboo tubes to Obito.

Obito took the bamboo tubes, utterly bewildered. "What are these even for? Are we supposed to fight while standing on these things?"

Uchiha Chuan smiled faintly, his tone inscrutable. "I've already told you how to use them. Make them, and I have my own plans. Stop asking so many questions and just do it."

Though Obito was full of questions, seeing Uchiha Chuan's confident expression left him no choice but to nod helplessly. "Fine. You're the genius, so whatever you say goes."

With that, he turned and called to the others, "Come on, let's make stilts!"

Though the little kids were equally confused, they obediently followed Obito away. As for how they would make the stilts, Uchiha Chuan did not ask at all, as though everything was already under his control.

Just as Uchiha Chuan saw Obito and the others off, a burst of hearty laughter came from the distance.

"Hahaha, that was satisfying! Absolutely satisfying!"

Uchiha Chuan looked up and saw Fugaku Uchiha, the First Elder, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder striding toward him. Their faces were filled with excitement and pride, as if they had just won a great battle.

"Clan Head, three Elders." Seeing them, Uchiha Chuan quickly rose to his feet and bowed respectfully. Though he still wanted nothing more than to lie flat inside, he had to put on an inscrutable front outwardly.

"Chuan, you didn't see today's regular Jonin meeting! We tore through them! We forced the Third Hokage until his face turned green!" The First Elder immediately began boasting the moment he saw Uchiha Chuan, the smile on his face nearly overflowing.

"Haha, exactly! Danzo used to be so arrogant, but today he still paid the price—he was stripped of his position as the Hokage's advisor and confined!" The Second Elder added excitedly, his tone brimming with pride.

Though Fugaku Uchiha said nothing, a faint smile rested on his face as well. Clearly, today's regular Jonin meeting had allowed the Uchiha Clan to vent a great deal of pent-up anger.