"Then let's move on to the next agenda item."
The Third Hokage turned his gaze toward Meide's seat. The latter immediately stood up and spoke, "Setting aside for now whether the Uchiha and Hyuga were right or wrong, the root cause of this incident was rumors spread by certain people within the village. No one will argue against that, right?"
"You said yourself it's a rumor—so why would anyone believe it? They're not wrong calling you an outdated relic!" Kazushi immediately countered.
"And you're no better, old man! If you really didn't believe it, how could this kind of situation happen in the first place?"
"Hmph!"
Meide cut Kazushi off with a single question. If he admitted people believed the rumors, then those two were equally foolish. If he denied it, then why had things escalated with the Hyuga? Although all the clan heads present understood this was about saving face (a concept reflecting reputation and dignity), bringing it up directly would only make them look petty and narrow-minded.
"Calm down, both of you. How should we resolve this issue regarding rumors?" The Third Hokage broke in just in time.
Meide already had a plan ready, "I suggest establishing a monitoring department within the village to severely crack down on false information!"
Kazushi rolled his eyes after hearing this—he knew exactly who this was targeting. It seemed the Uchiha's PR work was about to get a lot harder from now on.
"Fine. Then this monitoring department shall be jointly managed by representatives from each clan. I assume no one objects?"
The Third Hokage couldn't afford to concentrate power in one family again—the rift between the Uchiha and the village remained a cautionary tale.
"Hiruzen—no, Hokage-sama, shouldn't this matter be discussed with the Fire Shadow Advisors first? This critical department cannot be casually entrusted to untrustworthy clans!" Danzo immediately stood up, excitedly expressing his opinion.
Kazushi remembered what his brat of a son had said: *Give Danzo a hard time whenever you get the chance!* Considering how much the other party had targeted the Uchiha just now, he raised a question, "Danzo, are you speaking as a clan leader or as an advisor? And are the Uchiha Clan even on your list of untrustworthy clans?"
What a killer move this was! Could Danzo dare respond to these two questions? Whatever answer he gave would leave him vulnerable to counterattacks.
From the clan leader's angle: Then what were you talking for? From the advisor's angle: This is currently a clan meeting—are you trying to place yourself above everyone else?! And if the Uchiha were indeed on the distrust list: Why target them specifically? If not on the list: Then why attack them just now?
For a moment, the atmosphere turned tense, many clan leaders glaring angrily at Danzo as though wanting to interrogate who exactly was this so-called untrustworthy clan.
The Third Hokage rubbed his temples, trying to figure out how to break the deadlock, thinking to himself, "Why does Kazushi keep targeting Danzo? And why does Danzo seem unwilling to see peace between the village and the Uchiha? What kind of conflict could make these two constantly oppose each other like this? No! Danzo wouldn't possibly..." At this point, he dared not continue thinking further.
The Third Hokage wasn't unaware of certain possibilities, but he simply refused to believe they were true. Even if there was evidence, he'd probably help sweep it under the rug. Unless someone could present undeniable evidence right in front of him, it would be nearly impossible to wake up someone pretending to be asleep.
"Ahem, the Uchiha are one of Konoha's Four Great Clans — surely you can trust us completely. Clan Head Kazushi, please rest assured — the village has never doubted your clan," Ostrich Aerial, the Third Hokage, finally spoke up, skillfully diffusing the strange atmosphere in the meeting room.
Clan Head Kazushi wasn't about to let the matter drop so easily: "I'm not questioning the village's stance toward us, but today Elder Danzo went too far. As a clan head, he shouldn't be looking down on other clans with bias. I'd like to ask Elder Danzo directly — have the Uchiha done something to offend you?"
Danzo's face flushed an ugly shade of purple and green. Again, this was the kind of question that would trap him no matter how he answered.
Meide gave a mental whistle — every word Kazushi said struck right at the opponent's weakest spots. Even he himself had started wondering whether there might be some hidden conflict between the Uchiha and Danzo that no one knew about.
The other clan heads all had their own hidden motives, but the looks they cast toward Danzo said everything — suspicion, resentment, jealousy, and more.
"Enough! Clan Head Kazushi, stop pressing the issue!"
Third Hokage clearly showed signs of anger, though no one could tell exactly why.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kazushi replied calmly. He couldn't push further either.
"And Danzo, from now on, don't make baseless accusations against the Uchiha Clan. You know better than anyone what holds this village together, right?"
"But the Uchiha have always—"
"You still don't get it! Today it's the Uchiha under your crosshairs — will it be the Senju tomorrow, and the Sarutobi the day after? Do you really want Konoha tearing itself apart?"
It was rare for Third Hokage to show such open fury, especially toward Danzo, his childhood friend. Everyone in the room held their breath immediately.
"I...I understand!"
In the end, Danzo backed down, though everyone present knew he wouldn't give up that easily.
"Now this is interesting… It seems Lord Third might know something after all. Looks like I'll need to go back and seriously question that brat about what exactly he told that kid that day," Kazushi mused inwardly. He wasn't particularly troubled by Lord Third protecting Danzo — everyone here was an adult, after all. All that mattered was mutual interest.
On the outside, Meide appeared calm, but inside, his thoughts churned wildly: "There must be something unknown that the Uchiha found out about Danzo. Without solid evidence, that old man wouldn't dare act so recklessly! The Hyuga Clan needs to maintain good relations with the Uchiha from now on."
Danzo seethed inwardly: "Why can the Uchiha pressure me like this? Accumulated hatred? No way! I've buried the truth for years. Even if there were evidence, it would have vanished long ago. Maybe I should stop focusing on the Uchiha for now… but someday, I *will* wipe them out completely."
Lord Third's brief burst of anger soon faded, and he returned to his usual calm and composed self: "Let's continue the meeting. Does anyone have anything else to add regarding the Hyuga Clan?"
All the clan heads shook their heads, indicating nothing further.
"Therefore, the punishment for the Hyuga Clan will be assigning those involved in the incident to assist the Construction Department, including the reconstruction of Uchiha Commercial Street. Clan Head Meide, do you object?"
"No objections. On behalf of the Hyuga Clan, I accept the punishment."
"Would Meide dare to refuse now?"
Seeing their agreement, Hiruzen Sarutobi proceeded to the final agenda item. "I do hope the various clans can coexist peacefully. I don't want to witness similar incidents again!"
"Yes, Lord Third!"
The clan heads hastily responded.
[Disperse], then!
The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair, gazing at the empty conference room. He mulled over the day's events: "Kazushi must have known something to act so aggressively—showing his fangs like that. Then was it intentional for Shen to tell me what he did that day? Was his goal to divide the upper ranks of Konoha? But then again, the Uchiha have always despised scheming; those who worship power wouldn't resort to such petty tricks... Danzo… were you really responsible for Kagami's death?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in that posture until the sun had long set.
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