Three cups, the people behind the scenes

Put out their own eyes?!

Uchiha Fugaku's words were nothing short of blatant provocation. This was the Hyuga Clan!

Telling a clan of ocular jutsu users to put out their own eyes-wasn't that provoking them?

"Enough, Fugaku. That was a little out of line." Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Uchiha Fugaku. Those words really had gone a little too far.

Besides, the Hyuga Clan had always been very supportive of Hiruzen Sarutobi, so he had to put in a good word for them.

"Then, Lord Hokage, may I ask what your decision is on these matters?" Uchiha Fugaku looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. The decision was Hiruzen Sarutobi's to make anyway and had little to do with Hyuga Hiashi.

"Regarding this matter... does everyone think it would be better to hold a separate meeting to discuss it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi had few options at that point. He could only stall.

As long as no decision was reached at this meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have a way to keep putting the matter off.

"Lord Hokage, everyone from the Council of Elders happens to be here today. Even the Hatake Clan's representative, Sōkyū Hatake, is here, isn't he?" Uchiha Fugaku knew Hiruzen Sarutobi's way of doing things all too well.

Wasn't he just trying to buy time?

But Uchiha Fugaku and Sōkyū Hatake would not let Hiruzen Sarutobi put the matter off like that.

"Report! An urgent dispatch from the Kumogakure front!" Just then, an Anbu ninja suddenly appeared in the meeting room and handed Hiruzen Sarutobi a letter.

An urgent dispatch from the front?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly had a bad feeling.

Unless it was a genuine emergency, his old friend Danzo certainly would not have sent him an urgent dispatch!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, took the letter aside, and began reading it.

His expression visibly grew worse and worse.

"Hmph!" At last, Hiruzen Sarutobi threw the letter onto the table, clamped the pipe stem between his teeth, and puffed away furiously.

The elders exchanged looks, momentarily unsure what Hiruzen Sarutobi meant by this.

Sōkyū Hatake simply reached out and picked it up. Hiruzen Sarutobi had happened to throw the letter right in front of him.

[Emergency at the front!]

[Advisor Danzo personally led troops into battle and was ambushed. He sustained severe injuries, with nearly a hundred dead or wounded!]

[The Two-Tails Jinchūriki has appeared on the battlefield!]

[Requesting reinforcements!]

Yes, the letter contained little, but those few hastily written lines conveyed the gist.

"My ministers... elders, do you have any suggestions?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was now at a loss as well.

With Danzo severely injured, he would certainly have to return to Konoha to recuperate. Fortunately, Jiraiya was still at the front against Kumogakure and could take charge.

"I think we should have Danzo return and put Jiraiya in command." Utatane Koharu understood Hiruzen Sarutobi very well and naturally guessed what he meant.

"Agreed." Mitokado Homura approved as well.

"Lord Hokage, since the Kumogakure front happens to be in urgent need, our Uchiha Clan has all the more reason to contribute! We request permission to go to the battlefield!" Uchiha Fugaku immediately said.

This really had... come at exactly the right moment.

"Well..." Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a moment.

"Hiruzen, I think this is acceptable," Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu said outright.

The four clan heads who had just gained benefits voiced the same opinion, especially Sarutobi Yuezan, head of the Sarutobi Clan. His head was practically bobbing like a windmill.

"Since most of the elders agree, then it's settled. Clan Head Fugaku, sorry for the trouble, but please give me the roster of those who need to go to the battlefield today. I'll make the arrangements." Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Sarutobi Yuezan, the troublemaking fool.

Still, even with four clan heads and two Hokage Advisors having just expressed their approval, the matter had needed an opening to get it passed.

But now, that opening had appeared.

"Understood. I'll give you the roster today. Since my business has been resolved, I won't disturb you any further. Please continue your meeting." Uchiha Fugaku stood up to leave.

"Wait, Clan Head Fugaku. Since you're already here, and you're a member of the Council of Elders, stay until this meeting is over." Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his fingers idly against the tabletop. He could not let Uchiha Fugaku leave at this point.

"Then I'll do as you ask." Uchiha Fugaku sat back down, glancing toward Sōkyū Hatake out of the corner of his eye.

There was little else after that. Hiruzen Sarutobi briefed everyone on these matters and, along the way, defined the arrangement for the Konoha Military Police Force, bringing in the Aburame Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, the Sarutobi Clan, and the Yamanaka Clan and allocating their personnel.

Although this had not been Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention, the situation was already before him.

He had just asked the other clans to provide personnel, and they all had. But compared with the enormous shortfall at the Kumogakure front, sending the Uchiha Clan's people would fill the gap nicely.

After that, the Council of Elders Meeting officially ended, and everyone headed back to their own homes and families.

That night, in the Hatake Clan Compound, Sōkyū Hatake sat in the courtyard drinking tea and gazing at the night sky.

Three cups sat conspicuously on the tea tray.

Suddenly, two figures appeared in the Hatake Clan Compound.

"You really do know how to enjoy yourself, little Sōkū. You have the most comfortable life." Uchiha Fugaku walked straight over, sat beside Sōkyū Hatake, picked up a teacup, and drained it in one gulp.

"You've only seen the comfortable side of my life, haven't you, Clan Head Fugaku and... Clan Head Hyūga?" Sōkyū Hatake looked with a smile at Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi behind him.

"It seems our plan today was quite a success." Hyuga Hiashi went straight to another seat, picked up the last teacup, and drank its contents.

"Of course. After all, our Hyuga Clan was going to put out our own eyes, wasn't it?" Hyuga Hiashi looked at Uchiha Fugaku with a smile, his eyes full of teasing.

"Wasn't that just to show everyone else that we don't get along?" Uchiha Fugaku was quite relaxed. After so many years, he had finally returned to attend a Council of Elders Meeting.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi probably would not let him attend the next one, judging by Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, his Uchiha Clan's seat on the Council of Elders had not changed. On the surface, they were still members of the council.

That was the best possible outcome.