Betrayal!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth was still open, but the words he had been about to say caught in his throat. His lips trembled slightly before slowly closing.

Anger was plain on his face, but he held it back. He seized Shisui's arm behind him and pulled him forward.

His movements were steady and forceful. Every detail carried an unshakable resolve!

His gaze left Yongye, swept over the crowd at the entrance, the ninja clan representatives, and the onlookers, then finally settled on Shisui's face.

"Whether I have the right to speak is debatable!"

"But Uchiha Shisui, the victim, certainly does!"

"Am I right, everyone?"

Among the onlookers at the entrance, some nodded while others called out in agreement.

"Right! The victim comes first!"

"We believe Shisui!"

"Nothing matters more than the victim!"

Voices rose across the crowd. Some shouted, some raised their hands, and others stood on tiptoe to peer into the hall.

Jiraiya stood at the edge of the crowd with his arms crossed, the hem of his coarse kimono fluttering gently in the wind.

He praised his teacher inwardly:

The old fox still has it!

What a brilliant way to turn the crowd to his side. He's using Yongye's own tactic against him.

Uchiha Yongye managed to beat Danzo to a pulp because public sentiment was on his side. Danzo was a prime suspect who'd violently resisted arrest and caused an uproar in court. Beating him was exactly what everyone wanted.

Now Teacher has brought Shisui forward to take that support away from Uchiha Yongye.

If Uchiha Yongye can use public sentiment, so can Hiruzen Sarutobi. Yongye used the case against Danzo; Teacher is using Shisui.

Danzo is a suspect. Shisui is the victim. A victim's word carries ten times the weight of a suspect's!

The corner of Jiraiya's