chapter 201 part 1
Chapter 201: The Third Hokage's Funeral, Time to Pop the Champagne
After the heart-stopping battle, a drizzling rain began to fall on Konoha Village.
The rain was like tears shed from the heavens for the lives that were lost, gently sprinkling upon this land that had weathered so much, as if trying to wash away all the scars and dust.
Beneath the curtain of rain, Konoha was a scene of devastation.
The once majestic Hokage Office building was now a pile of rubble. The broken walls and ruins looked even more dilapidated under the washing rain.
Rebar and stone blocks were scattered in disarray. The destroyed windows gaped open like mouths silently screaming, telling of the tragedy that had occurred.
Fortunately, the Mission Hall was still intact. An emergency Konoha council meeting was being held there.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, as if an invisible giant stone was weighing on everyone's hearts.
In the main seat, Tsunade's expression was grave, her eyes revealing both exhaustion and resolve.
As one of the Sannin, she knew the immense responsibility she now shouldered. The entire future of Konoha rested upon her.
In the secondary seats, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado wore solemn expressions, their brows tightly furrowed. The years had carved deep lines into their faces, but their eyes still shone with the loyalty and worry for Konoha characteristic of the older generation of shinobi.
Seated in a wheelchair, the Fourth Hokage's student, Hatake Kakashi, also held a high position. Kakashi's expression was desolate, his hands resting limply on the armrests. His eyes were filled with sorrow for the deceased Hokage and anxiety for Konoha's current state.
Hiashi Hyuga stood tall and straight, his face cold and stern.
Tsume Inuzuka was dressed in practical attire, her eyes showing the characteristic alertness of the Inuzuka Clan.
Shibi Aburame remained hidden in the shadows, revealing only a pair of profound eyes, making his expression unreadable.
The veteran Ino-Shika-Cho trio had lost their usual relaxed demeanor.
A group of Jonin exchanged glances, their expressions filled with grief.
The head of the Kurama Clan, Kurama Murakumo, glanced at Uchiha Ren for a moment before closing his eyes to rest.
In addition, there were many other high-ranking Konoha officials and clan heads of smaller clans whom Uchiha Ren had never heard of.
And Uchiha Ren, standing among them, seemed somewhat out of place.
After a long while, it was Might Guy who broke the silence.
"Why was Ren called to this meeting? He..."
Homura Mitokado sighed and explained, "Currently, only two members of the Uchiha Clan are still alive. Although Sasuke Uchiha is Fugaku's son, he is still too young to be counted."
With these words, the nature of last night's events was essentially decided.
Homura Mitokado cleared his throat. "To put it simply, last night, Danzo colluded with Uchiha Ji, launched a surprise attack on the Uchiha compound, and caused countless casualties, all to prevent the Uchiha Clan's rebellion."
He paused for a moment. "According to the eyewitness, Uchiha Ren, he saw a mysterious Uchiha shinobi with a powerful aura and of advanced age. Based on his description, I can only think of one person..."
Everyone held their breath. Homura Mitokado continued, "Madara Uchiha."
"Madara Uchiha!? How? How is that possible!"
The room erupted into chaos. "Silence!" Tsunade shouted.
They still had to give face to one of the Sannin, so the Konoha higher-ups shut their mouths.
Homura Mitokado's eyes were locked on Uchiha Ren's face. "There's no reason this boy would know what Madara looks like. And Danzo's Root squad, numbering thirty to forty members, didn't leave a single survivor."
"Putting all the evidence together..." Homura's expression grew grave. "Madara... may still be alive."
At this, everyone present was dumbfounded.
What was the difference between this and a fairytale?!
Koharu Utatane sighed. "Danzo wanted to eliminate the Uchiha Clan. As the former head of the Uchiha, Madara Uchiha could no longer stand by and took action, killing Danzo. The missing Uchiha clan members, as well as the Uchiha Ji that Danzo colluded with, are likely directly connected to Madara."
Everyone present wore expressions of shock, with the sole exception of Uchiha Ren, who looked like he was struggling to keep a straight face.
This was because he was the one who had proposed this conclusion in the first place.
With Kakashi and Tsunade backing him.
Last night, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had no choice but to listen as Uchiha Ren explained in detail what he had witnessed.
Given the incredible feats of wiping out Root and killing Danzo, these two senior advisors had no choice but to believe the "truth" that Uchiha Ren told them.
Homura Mitokado continued, "According to our investigation, Uchiha Ren was in the Land of Snow when the Uchiha clan was plotting their rebellion and his name did not appear on the list. In light of his contributions to the village, his actions last night can be defined as self-defense. The detailed report has been submitted to the Daimyo, who will judge whether he is guilty of any crime."
"I can vouch for him," Kakashi said, pushing himself up. "Ren saved my life twice. He is a trustworthy comrade."
"That's right!" Might Guy also stepped forward. "There's nothing wrong with this kid's character!"
Kurenai glanced at Asuma, who was still grieving beside her, and after a moment's thought, she spoke up in support. "As one of the village's genius shinobi, Uchiha Ren deserves more protection. On the last mission, he was targeted by Danzo..."
As she spoke, Kakashi shot her a look, and Kurenai immediately fell silent.
But everyone understood what she meant.
They couldn't let the last two remaining members of the Uchiha Clan suffer any more injustice.
"Ahem," Koharu Utatane cleared her throat. "Danzo's actions were a grave violation of the village's will. From now on, the village will protect the two remaining Uchiha clan members."
Her words essentially shifted all the blame for the Uchiha clan massacre away from the village.
This conclusion was not only for Uchiha Ren's ears, but also for the village's other clans and the remaining shinobi.
When the donkey is no longer needed, it's slaughtered. Such an act would make others feel the chill of having no one to rely on.
This was especially true for Hiashi Hyuga.
Now the head of the village's largest clan, he could already sense a subtle shift in the atmosphere.
Sarutobi's death forced Konoha's senior advisors to stabilize the people's morale first. If they continued to play Danzo's games at a time like this, Konoha would truly fall apart.
Homura Mitokado tapped his fingers on the table. "Orochimaru killed Sarutobi Hiruzen. As of now, we need to re-elect a Hokage."
As he said this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's son, Asuma Sarutobi, stood up and walked out of the hall with a twisted expression.
Kurenai's face showed grief, but she did not chase after him.
"Well," Homura Mitokado looked around, "first, list the people you think are suitable. I will personally submit the list to the Daimyo, and he will make the final decision."
Koharu Utatane glanced at Tsunade in the main seat. "I nominate Tsunade."