Victory, and the Hokage's Humiliation and Compromise!

Across from Uchiha Yongye, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in a far less pleasant mood.

His fingers gripped his pipe so tightly that his knuckles stood out. The tobacco had long since burned away, leaving only a cold stub of ash.

He stared at Yongye, his face expressionless, while his emotions churned.

He was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, the Ninjutsu Professor, a man at the pinnacle of the shinobi world—and a youngster from the Uchiha Clan had backed him into a corner in front of Root, ANBU, and the Uchiha!

When had anyone ever defied him, the strongest Hokage, like this?

No, this was more than defiance! It was humiliation!

It was as if Yongye were sitting on his face, slapping him again and again with the sole of a shoe, then asking, "Had enough?"

What made it even harder for Hiruzen to swallow was that he really had wanted to kill Yongye just now, yet he could only... force that urge back down!

He had nearly given the order.

If Uchiha Yongye had been standing there alone, Hiruzen would have thrown caution aside and ordered the ANBU and Might Guy to attack together, killing this lawless Uchiha on the spot at any cost!

Even if Might Guy died, even if more than half the ANBU fell, he would have snuffed out this threat before it grew!

But he couldn't.

Clenching his teeth, he looked past Yongye at the sea of scarlet light behind him.

Dozens of pairs of Sharingan gleamed in the darkness like the eyes of hungry wolves.

The Uchiha had all taken their places behind Yongye.

When Danzo had tried to arrest their people, they hadn't dared step forward. When Shisui had urged them to cooperate, they had been reluctant, but they hadn't resisted.

But now Uchiha Yongye had shown them with his fists that yielding wasn't their only option. They could fight back!

So they had all stepped forward. Hiruzen Sarutobi could not afford to take that lightly!

Hiruzen's gaze swept across the crowd and settled on two people. Uchiha Itachi. Shisui Uchiha.

One stood behind Fugaku with a cold expression; the other stood in the front row, frowning.

These two, the Uchiha's brightest talents, were the inside men he had spent years cultivating. They were the anchors he had planted within the clan, both firm believers in Konoha's Will of Fire!

The sight of them eased Hiruzen's agitation a little. With them there, the Uchiha were still caged. There was no need to rush!

He drew a deep breath and pressed every trace of anger, humiliation, and murderous intent into the depths of his chest. Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and low, each word forced through clenched teeth.

"What... do you want?"

For an instant, the scene fell silent.

Then someone among the Uchiha let out a soft sigh laden with mixed feelings.

Earlier, Uchiha Itachi had asked Danzo that very question, speaking from a position of weakness to learn his demands and where he would draw the line.

Now it was the Third Hokage's turn to ask the same question of a Uchiha boy.

In that moment, their positions had completely reversed!

Uchiha Yongye had won a seat at the negotiating table with Root lives—something decades of compromise and retreat had never secured for the Uchiha Clan.

A mocking grin tugged at Yongye's mouth. He did not answer at once, instead turning his gaze to that old dog Danzo, who was still coughing up blood.

"Danzo has neither integrity nor ability!"

"Without a shred of evidence, he falsely accused a fellow village shinobi. How can a man like that remain a Hokage Advisor?

"If word gets out, every Konoha Ninja will follow his example and hurl baseless accusations at others. The village will tear itself apart!"

Danzo's head snapped up. He clutched his chest, blood still trailing from the corner of his mouth. The visible half of his face contorted beneath the bandages.

He opened his mouth, wanting to curse, to refute Yongye, to tear that Uchiha bastard apart with the vilest words he knew.

But the moment he did, a metallic taste surged up his throat and choked off every curse.

He could not get a word out. Instead, he spat another mouthful of blood onto the ground before him, where it formed dark red bubbles in the torchlight.

With the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Release open and the Indestructible Golden Body's energy reinforcing him, Yongye had only left Danzo alive to suffer. Otherwise, Danzo would not have survived!

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Danzo, then looked back at Uchiha Yongye.

He weighed the consequences and made up his mind in an instant. Danzo was an old comrade, but protecting him now would only deepen the conflict.

And the last thing Hiruzen wanted was an all-out war with the Uchiha.

"Fine." His voice was so decisive that even Danzo could hardly believe it. "Shimura Danzō is removed from his post as Hokage Advisor. This matter ends here!"

Even Uchiha Fugaku froze.

Hokage Advisor was one of the highest positions in Konoha's leadership. Was Hiruzen really stripping Danzo of it just like that?

Fugaku had led the clan for years and dealt with the Hokage countless times, yet he had never seen Hiruzen Sarutobi concede to the Uchiha so readily!

Yongye nodded and did not press further. Cornering them might make them lash out and ruin his long-term plans.

More importantly—the reward had come. Again!

[Ding—Target Shimura Danzō has suffered a moderate mental breakdown after being abandoned and dismissed.]

[Heartbreak points threshold reached. Obtained Intermediate Mystery Box ×1. Open it now?]

"Open it."

[Ding—Intermediate Mystery Box opened!]

[Congratulations, host. Reward obtained: Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique!]

The Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique was the signature Ninjutsu of the Second Tsuchikage Mu and the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki. It used Chakra to control an object's weight, making it light enough to fly or heavy enough to crush whatever lay beneath it.

It did not merely add weight; it fundamentally changed an object's mass.

Used on an enemy, it could make every step a struggle. Used on himself, Yongye could reduce his weight to zero and fly freely. Used in an attack, it could multiply the mass of his fist a hundredfold at the instant of impact. The force was easy to imagine.

Satisfied, Yongye drew his attention back to the scene.

Tonight's gains had far exceeded his expectations!

Refusing to play nice really did feel great!

Under the care of an ANBU Ninja's healing Ninjutsu, Danzo finally recovered enough to catch his breath.

His chest heaved violently. Blood stained most of his bandages, and his cane had vanished somewhere.

He staggered upright and wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. His one eye fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi, burning with disbelief, fury, and the resentment of betrayal.

"Hiruzen! How could you?"

His voice was hoarse and trembling, like an old man stabbed in the back by his own brother.

"You compromised with an Uchiha! What did I do wrong? How could you treat me this way?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his back on Danzo.

His Hokage robes stirred gently in the night wind. His hat hid most of his face, making his expression impossible to read. He spoke so softly that only Danzo could hear.

"This is for Konoha! For the greater good!"

"And I am the Hokage. I decide everything in Konoha!"