When the words "Night of the Nine-Tails" reappeared in the clan meeting records, the Meeting Hall fell silent for a long time.
No one wanted to bring up that night.
It was Konoha's wound.
And a shadow the Uchiha had never managed to wash away.
Even without evidence that the Uchiha had controlled the Nine-Tails, suspicion had long since settled like dust over every corner of the Clan District.
Uchiha Jun looked at the intelligence copy, his voice much quieter.
"They want to drag us back into it again?"
Gen did not deny it.
"Yes."
This time, his answer was direct.
Many of the clan members in the room paled.
In the past, the clan meeting would have quickly split into two camps.
One would have insisted that they must never touch the Night of the Nine-Tails, lest they bring trouble down on themselves again.
The other would have angrily demanded an investigation into the truth to prove the Uchiha innocent.
But now, the argument did not erupt immediately.
Everything that had happened lately had taught them to look at the records first.
Che laid out the materials they had.
Descriptions of the anomalous chakra at the border.
The few publicly available excerpts from the Old Records on the Night of the Nine-Tails.
The timeline of the orders for the Uchiha to remain on standby that year.
The Konoha Military Police Force's perimeter lockdown records from that night.
And every detail that had been rewritten recently.
Shisui studied the materials, his gaze conflicted.
"If we cross-check them again, the village will set its sights on the Uchiha once more."
Itachi picked up where he left off.
"But even if we don't, they'll still set their sights on us."
Those words deepened the gloom in the Meeting Hall.
Avoidance would not