Baring the Conspiracy, Standing Up with Dominance!

The news that Kumogakure and Kirigakure had simultaneously declared war on Konoha spread throughout the entire village within half a day.

The streets were desolate.

Shop doors were tightly shut, while civilians scrambled to buy food and supplies, their footsteps hurried.

The brutality of the Third Shinobi World War still felt like yesterday, and the ruins left behind by the Nine-Tails' Attack had yet to be completely cleared.

At such a critical juncture, no one was willing to experience the devastation of the Fourth Shinobi World War again.

On the streets, public opinion began to spread through the crowds.

"Have you heard? The Kumogakure delegation was killed by people from the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga clan! Those two clans brought this disaster upon us!"

"Why should the whole village be buried with them for the trouble they caused? Hand over the culprits and exchange them for peace!"

Guided by Root agents, the villagers shouted loudly.

The anger of public opinion was directed at Konoha's two great dōjutsu clans. As long as they handed them over, the shadow of war would disappear.

Meanwhile, inside the vast estate of the Hyuga clan.

The clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, knelt on the tatami, his fists clenched.

Across from him, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Shimura Danzō sat upright.

"Hiashi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to speak, trying to smooth things over.

"You should understand the village's predicament better than anyone."

"Konoha's combat forces are currently in a period of transition. If we faced both Kumogakure and Kirigakure at once, countless civilians would suffer. For the sake of the bigger picture, sacrifices sometimes have to be made."

Hiashi gritted his teeth, his chest heaving.

"Hokage-sama, Kumogakure was clearly coveting our Hyuga clan's Byakugan. They infiltrated the village at night to abduct someone."

"We acted in self-defense. What did we do wrong? For the sake of that false peace, do you really want us to willingly send our Hyuga clansmen onto the enemy's dissection table?!"

"Impudent!"

Danzō struck the floor with his cane and threatened him.

"Hiashi, don't forget your identity!"

"If the Hyuga clan refuses to yield today and insists on triggering the Fourth Shinobi World War, then after the war begins, all the casualties and economic losses Konoha suffers will be borne entirely by your Hyuga clan!"

Danzō leaned forward and glared at him.

"Can your Hyuga clan bear the infamy of being cursed for generations?!"

That enormous accusation weighed down on Hiashi's back.

Hiashi looked at Danzō, then at the silent Third Hokage beside him.

The Konoha Leadership had already made up their minds to use them as scapegoats to quell the war.

"I... understand."

Hiashi relaxed his fists.

"If the Uchiha Clan is willing to hand someone over, then I, the Hyuga clan... have no objections."

Hearing Hiashi relent, Danzō let out a cold laugh.

After leaving the Hyuga estate, Danzō said,

"Hiashi, did you see that, Hiruzen? This is what the great clans are like. In the face of the village's greater cause, they can only bow their heads."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

"Danzō, the Uchiha aren't so easy to deal with."

"That young man, Lu Ming, is no pushover. He possesses three Mangekyo. If we push him too hard, it could backfire."

"Hmph, of course I know how formidable Lu Ming is."

Danzō stroked his severed right wrist.

"But this time is different. This is a war between two great shinobi villages, with the pressure of public opinion from the entire village."

"Faced with the greater cause of Konoha's survival, even Uchiha Lu Ming, despite possessing power that reaches the heavens, wouldn't dare defy the entire world!"

On the other side, inside the newly built mansion in the Uchiha District.

Nanami Uchiha, who had just broken through to Kage Level, knelt on one knee.

"Clan Head! The public opinion outside has completely spiraled out of control!"

Nanami reported,

"The villagers are all shouting for us to hand over the culprits."

"According to the news from the ANBU, Danzō and Root are secretly fanning the flames behind this."

"Not only that, our intelligence network has also detected an unknown force secretly adding fuel to the fire, attempting to push our Uchiha Clan into an abyss of eternal ruin!"

Tekka Uchiha and the other Temple captains standing on either side drew their short blades one after another.

"These ungrateful bastards! How much blood have we Uchiha shed for Konoha? And now they actually want to trade us for peace?"

"Clan Head, give the order!"

"With one word from you, our Temple will storm the Hokage Building and twist that old dog Danzō's head off!"

Facing his subordinates, Lu Ming sat silently in the seat of honor.

"Where are the Hokage and Danzō?" Lu Ming asked.

"Reporting to the clan head, they just finished visiting the Hyuga clan and are now heading toward our Uchiha Clan!"

Lu Ming rose to his feet. His black ceremonial robe fluttered without any wind as he issued his order.

"Open the gates and welcome them. I want these rotten politicians to see exactly what our Uchiha Clan thinks of this!"

A few minutes later.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō brought more than a dozen elite ANBU to the entrance of the Uchiha mansion.

However, when they saw the scene before the gate, both men halted and stopped where they were.

The two vermilion gates of the Uchiha mansion stood completely open.

Standing alone before the gate was an eleven-year-old boy.

Uchiha Itachi!

He wore a dark combat uniform, one hand resting on the hilt of the ninja sword at his waist. His black eyes watched the Konoha Leadership approaching.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped.

He recognized the boy at a glance. According to ANBU intelligence,

last night, in a secluded alley, one of the key figures who had demonstrated his strength by driving a blade straight through the heart of the Kumogakure envoy was none other than the Uchiha Itachi standing before them!

Danzō tightened his grip on his cane.

Knowing full well that Kumogakure had explicitly demanded Uchiha Itachi's life,

Lu Ming had not only failed to hide or bind Itachi and offer him up for punishment, but had instead made him stand there as their gatekeeper?!

This was practically rubbing the dignity of the Konoha Leadership into the ground!

"Hokage-sama, Advisor Danzō, please come in."

Itachi stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.

Hiruzen Sarutobi strode through the Uchiha gates. Danzō followed closely behind, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the cane bulging.

Inside the mansion's main hall.

Lu Ming sat in the seat of honor, with Temple captains standing on both sides.

"Clan Head Lu Ming."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped, he attempted to pressure him with the greater good.

"I'm sure you already understand the current situation. Konoha has no strength left to fight another war. For the sake of tens of thousands of villagers, and to prevent widespread suffering, I hope you can consider the bigger picture!"

Before Lu Ming could answer, Danzō had already stepped forward.

He took a step closer, his single eye fixed on Lu Ming.

"Uchiha Lu Ming, stop pretending you don't understand."

"Uchiha Itachi killed the Kumogakure envoy. He is the culprit who triggered this war!"

Danzō slammed his cane against the floor and shouted,

"Kumogakure is demanding him by name! As a Konoha shinobi, sacrificing himself for the village is his destiny! Hand Itachi over!"

Facing Danzō, Lu Ming raised his head and burst out laughing.

"Sacrifice himself? Save Konoha?"

Lu Ming rose from the seat of honor and looked down at Danzō.

"Danzō, you old dog, you've certainly made quite a loud racket with your scheme!"

Lu Ming raised his hand and pointed at Danzō's nose, exposing Danzō's conspiracy on the spot.

"It was you, Shimura Danzō, who secretly leaked the information to Kumogakure and guided them into targeting Sasuke! You deliberately created this conflict and forced Itachi to kill!"

"You went to such painstaking lengths to set up this trap, then used the war between the two great shinobi villages as an excuse to bring the entire village's public opinion down on me and force me to hand someone over, all in an attempt to provoke internal strife and make our Uchiha Clan slaughter one another!"