Chapter 68: This Old Man Has Rendered Merits For Konoha! Shed Blood For The Village!
Over twenty Uchiha Police Force ninjas vaguely surrounded Lord Danzo. As radical Uchiha, each one showed anger on their face; even the moderates had somewhat unfriendly expressions.
At this point, Fugaku clearly knew that if he, as clan leader, did not step forward, it would not be appropriate.
He slowly walked forward, and when passing Uchiha Ikeizumi, he paused his steps, his lips moving slightly.
Using a voice that only he and Ikeizumi could hear, he said: “Ikeizumi, leave this to me. I know what you want to do, but I am the Uchiha Clan Head, and I have a more appropriate method. Moreover, the Hokage and the others have arrived, and the Hokage does not want to see infighting in the village.”
Fugaku feared that Uchiha Ikeizumi, because of wanting to uphold「Absolute Justice」, would cause an even bigger commotion.
Even though he knew such words and actions would cause Uchiha Ikeizumi displeasure.
But he knew even more clearly that in this tense atmosphere, if Ikeizumi clashed with the Hokage, he absolutely could not control the radical Uchiha in the clan.
Those radical Uchiha would definitely side with Ikeizumi to fight the Hokage!
That would mean Konoha and the Uchiha completely tearing off their facade!
The tragedy of the “future” might play out ahead of time!
The Uchiha Clan could not withstand such turmoil.
Fugaku wanted to change the future with his own method.
Amidst the myriad thoughts in his mind, Fugaku walked up to Danzo, his gaze meeting the sullen-faced Danzo.
“Lord Danzo.”
Fugaku said in a deep voice: “Please give us Uchiha Clan a reasonable explanation! We Uchiha Clan have diligently served Konoha for many years, and we are not lambs to be slaughtered. Where exactly did the Sharingan in your body come from?”
Just after asking this question, Fugaku suddenly thought of a possibility.
Would it be more convenient to ask Ikeizumi directly?
That ability to see through the past and Future Evil…
It really made it impossible to hide any secrets!
However…
After glancing at the surrounding devastation with the corner of his eye, Fugaku decided it was still best not to drag Uchiha Ikeizumi back in.
“Explanation…”
Danzo coldly scanned the surroundings. Even surrounded by numerous Uchiha ninjas, he showed no fear and sneered sullenly: “I am the one who needs an explanation from you! What do you want to do? Kill me and rebel against Konoha? Fugaku! What do you mean by being so aggressive?”
“Danzo!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s voice cut in: “You do need to give the Uchiha Clan an explanation—where did the Sharingan come from? And you need to give me an explanation—why engage in private infighting, causing such massive destruction in the village!”
Danzo’s expression stiffened instantly, and he incredulously turned back to glare at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He could not imagine that Sarutobi Hiruzen was actually standing on the Uchiha Clan’s side!
Danzo clenched his fists, his teeth nearly grinding to pieces.
As long as he explained, that would be yielding to the innately evil Uchiha Clan! Even a momentary yielding made his whole body itch with irritation, wishing he could kill a few people to vent his rage!
“…Picked up during the Third Shinobi World War!”
Danzo said word by word, squeezing the sentence out through his teeth.
What he said was not entirely wrong.
Apart from Shisui’s one Mangekyo Sharingan, the other Sharingan were ones he had sent Root ninjas to stealthily dig out from the eyes of deceased Uchiha Clan ninjas during the Third Shinobi World War.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the Uchiha Clan ninjas whose anger was rapidly rising, walked forward, stood beside Fugaku, hands behind his back, and said with a dark old face: “Danzo! Those who died on the Ninja Wars battlefield, whether civilian ninjas or ninja clan ninjas, are all Konoha’s heroes!”
“Are you desecrating the corpses of heroes!?” Sarutobi Hiruzen scolded loudly: “They gave their lives for Konoha, and you actually want to exploit their corpses for your own selfish purposes!”
“I absolutely will not tolerate you, who committed such a wrong, continuing to lead the Root Organization! Starting today, you are no longer the Root Organization leader!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s voice was loud and filled with anger.
Everyone present could hear it.
Fugaku unexpectedly looked at the Third Hokage beside him.
A Konoha high-level elder was thus dismissed by the Hokage with just a few words? And dismissed in front of so many people?
Was this the Hokage’s resolve?!
The Uchiha Clan ninjas all frowned, feeling something was off but unable to say what for the moment.
“Monkey! What are you saying?!” The most agitated person at this moment was unexpectedly Danzo.
His anger targeted at the Uchiha Clan instantly shifted to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
“You want to remove me from my position?” Danzo’s pupils trembled, feeling an unprecedented betrayal, to the point of directly calling Sarutobi Hiruzen “monkey” in front of so many people.
Danzo’s hoarse voice also grew louder: “Monkey! You have no right! I have made contributions to Konoha! I have shed blood for the village!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s anger burned even more fiercely: “I am the Konoha Hokage! I have the authority to remove anyone from their position!”
He said word by word: “I am the Hokage!”
……
“Is the Hokage considering the feelings of us bloodline limit ninja clans?” A Hyuga Clan jonin muttered in doubt from the front.
“The Hokage wants to kill three birds with one stone.”
Hyuga Hiashi said expressionlessly.
He gazed at Sarutobi Hiruzen’s back and said: “The Uchiha Clan’s unusually intense anger can be slightly curbed by dismissing Danzo. At the same time, Danzo, who secretly took bloodline limits from fellow village ninjas, being dismissed does allow us bloodline limit ninja clans to feel slightly more at ease.”
“Finally…”
Hyuga Hiashi looked at a young Uchiha Clan member.
The other was one of the protagonists of the night.
“It is the Hokage trying his utmost to protect Danzo. Otherwise, with Uchiha Ikeizumi’s personality, he would definitely fight Danzo to the bitter end. Last time, the Hokage intervened to stop them, but this time they clashed again.”
“The Hokage cannot guarantee if he can arrive in time next time, so he must nip the enmity between both sides. Dismissing Danzo and ensuring Danzo never resurfaces, at least never facing Uchiha Ikeizumi again, is the best method.”
Hyuga Hiashi’s words made the Hyuga Clan ninjas behind him thoughtful.
Did this mean that in the Hokage’s eyes, Uchiha Ikeizumi’s importance was slightly higher than Danzo’s?
“Hiashi, tonight’s farce… should be over, right?”
A Hyuga ninja asked.
“Mm.” Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly and said expressionlessly: “By normal reasoning, it should be ending.”
—But… would Uchiha Ikeizumi play by the rules?
Hiashi had not yet said this last sentence.
And he got the answer.
……
“Third Hokage, had enough yet?” Uchiha Ikeizumi’s cold tone interrupted the argument between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo.
……
Hyuga Hiashi’s expression grew complicated, and he sighed: “Truly an inscrutable person; he refuses to take the Hokage’s way out.”
“Tonight, it seems it won’t end so easily.”
……
……
PS: Posting these two chapters separately feels disjointed, always seems to invite scolding（wiping sweat） so might as well post the noon update all at once（hands on hips）
