Kyoichi and the others heard the Third Hokage's words just as clearly. When they heard the line "the one responsible for Uchiha Tsuruba's death should be Mizushiro, a spy planted by the Kumo ninja in Kirigakure," Anjō Oniyuzu finally let out a long, slow breath. The tension he had been holding onto eased slightly at last.
"Everyone, don't stay wound up so tight. You can relax a little,"
Anjō Oniyuzu instructed in a low voice.
Since the Third Hokage had personally stated, in front of so many people, that Mizushiro was a Kumo ninja spy embedded in Kirigakure, it seemed unlikely that this incident would end with the Kiri ninja being used as scapegoats. Still, when he thought about the fact that the Hokage's eldest son had died in this affair, he added cautiously, "But don't relax too much either. Keep your attitude respectful."
This was not the time to appear overly at ease.
If they angered a Hokage who had lost his son in old age, who knew what twists the situation might take.
No one objected. They merely responded in low voices.
At that moment, the Third Hokage continued with new information.
"Uchiha Tsuruha was killed when Mizushiro took him down in a mutual explosion. However, Takeo, Kenshira, and the others were not killed by the Kumo ninja."
Those words immediately left everyone confused.
From the tone and explanation just now, most people had instinctively assumed that the Kumo ninja had planned this long ago, secretly sending elite forces deep into the Land of Fire. Otherwise, how could Saru's entire unit have been wiped out? And now they were being told it was not the Kumo ninja. Then who was it supposed to be?
It could not possibly be the Kiri ninja, could it?
Before anyone could speculate wildly, the Third Hokage spoke again.
"The one who acted was an unidentified Uchiha. He first killed the two Kumo ninja jonin who were supporting Mizushiro, and then turned his hand against Takeo and the others."
This time, it truly was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Everyone was stunned.
On Konoha's side, an uproar broke out, with people standing around at a loss. On the Kiri side, they were equally dumbfounded. Some even felt a strange thrill. Is this internal conflict within Konoha? Immediately after, Anjō Oniyuzu, ever cautious and prone to overthinking, began to worry whether his own side might get dragged into Konoha's internal strife.
The others did not think that far ahead. They only felt an intense sense of excitement and could not help but look forward to what would happen next.
Even Kyoichi wore a curious expression, wondering how things would develop from here. Would the Third Hokage move against the Uchiha clan?
He had originally thought the Hokage would suppress mention of that unidentified Uchiha and deal with the matter slowly later. He had not expected him to reveal it outright. Where this would all lead next stirred genuine curiosity in him.
"Hokage-sama, how is that even possible?"
Uchiha Fugaku frowned, no longer caring about maintaining perfect decorum. If the crime of killing fellow villagers were pinned on them, the Uchiha clan would truly have no place left to stand in Konoha. Already, jonin from other clans were casting strange looks their way.
He spoke up immediately in rebuttal.
"The whereabouts of every Uchiha jonin are accounted for. And to wipe out Saru's entire unit, even our clan would need to mobilize at least five jonin to make that possible. Five jonin are not weeds growing in a field. You cannot just produce them whenever you want."
"...The Uchiha who struck had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and crushed Takeo and the others with Susanoo, overwhelming them completely."
The Third Hokage replied evenly.
"What?"
Uchiha Fugaku's expression changed yet again.
His mind felt as though it had turned into a mess of pulp.
Was this some kind of joke?
The Mangekyō Sharingan… how could it be the Mangekyō Sharingan? Someone in the Uchiha clan had awakened it, and yet he, the clan head, knew nothing about it?
It was not just him. The Uchiha jonin behind him were equally stunned.
They had no time to accuse the Hokage of "framing" them. They knew exactly what the Mangekyō Sharingan represented. The Uchiha clan's thousand-year dominance of the shinobi world had rested on it, on the power known as Susanoo, said to rival the gods.
Yet over the past several decades, ever since Uchiha Madara left the clan and defected from the village, it was as if the Uchiha's spiritual fortune had run dry. No one had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan again, until only recently, when Shisui had emerged as a promising candidate.
But that was still only potential.
No one knew when he might awaken it, or whether he ever would in his lifetime.
And now they were being told that someone already had awakened it.
Moreover, judging by the Hokage's demeanor, he did not seem to be speaking lightly at all. The Uchiha jonin were completely thrown into confusion.
As for the rest of Konoha's ninja, they felt true dread creeping in. Watching the grim-faced Hokage and the bewildered Uchiha jonin, it felt as though they could smell gunpowder in the air.
A fearful thought rose unbidden.
This is not about to erupt into fighting, is it?
At this moment, the Third Hokage carefully studied Uchiha Fugaku. The confusion on Fugaku's face did not seem feigned, and the Uchiha jonin behind him were whispering among themselves, all wearing equally baffled expressions. It was clear they knew nothing about the Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hokage-sama… was it truly Susanoo?"
Uchiha Fugaku asked again, as though he could not believe it.
"Rest assured."
The Third Hokage sighed softly, stepped forward, and patted Fugaku on the shoulder.
"I believe that you truly knew nothing about this unidentified Uchiha. As you said, the whereabouts of your clan's jonin are all accounted for. However, your clan has always been fertile ground for prodigies. The Uchiha who killed Takeo and the others… may not necessarily have been a jonin."
Uchiha Fugaku's brow knit tightly.
Something about the Hokage's words felt off to him.
What did it mean that he "knew nothing"? Was this implying that he, the clan head, did not truly control his own clan? And may not have been a jonin… was the Hokage determined to pin the deaths of Saru, Takeo, and the others on the Uchiha clan no matter what?
That said, were Takeo and the others really killed by Susanoo?
In the end, these were all the Hokage's claims alone. The only "evidence" was the testimony of the Hokage's summoned beast, Enma.
Given the long-standing rift between the clan and the village, how could he, as clan head, not harbor doubts?
"I have already assigned Minato to investigate the scene," the Third Hokage continued. "But this matter will most likely not be resolved quickly. Identifying the Uchiha who killed Takeo and the others will probably take time."
He turned to the head of the Jonin Commander, Nara Shikaku's predecessor and the Nara clan head, Nara Shikaku's elder, Nara Shikaku's father, Nara Shikaku-no, rather, Nara Shikao—and instructedhim:
"Shikao, make sure word is passed to all jonin. Inform them of this matter. If they leave the village on missions in the future, they must stay vigilant. Since this perpetrator dared to strike against Takeo and his unit, there is no guarantee he will not set his sights on others as well."
It had to be said:
The Third Hokage might have had this flaw or that weakness, but he was by no means a man merely occupying his position in name.
His ability was worthy of the title Hokage.