Fugaku didn't intend to escalate matters further, but he couldn't back down just because of a few words from the Third Hokage.
Fugaku was a smart man; he clearly understood what this turmoil could bring to the Uchiha clan.
More funds? Larger clan grounds? More benefits?
While these were tempting, Fugaku aimed for something more significant...
For instance, retaining control over the Five-Tails!
"Third Hokage-sama," Fugaku said, his expression unyielding. "Misunderstanding or not, the Uchiha clan only wants to know the truth about Elder Danzo's eyes."
Fugaku turned to look at Danzo, his gaze growing colder. "As the clan leader, I must be responsible for every Uchiha!"
The Third Hokage's expression stiffened but quickly relaxed. He spoke gently, "Fugaku, I understand your feelings. Let me handle... hmm?"
Mid-sentence, the Third Hokage's attention was drawn to a scene in the distance.
A fiery dragon was wobbling its way towards them, with a boy standing on top and... Orochimaru dangling underneath?
What kind of posture is this?
"Sensei, I still don't quite understand."
Wakaho "struggled" to maintain the stability of the Fire Dragon Bullet, asking in a perplexed tone, "If all those rats are Elder Danzo's people, why would Elder Danzo want to harm me?"
"Didn't he notice the Will of Fire in me? After all, we're all Uchiha!"
Wakaho seemed genuinely puzzled.
"That question might need Clan Leader Fugaku to answer personally, Wakaho-kun."
Orochimaru, gripping the chain wrapped in chakra to isolate the heat, used his other hand to shield his mouth from the wind.
Despite Wakaho's unsteady ride on the fire dragon, Orochimaru remained stable below. No wonder he was a top candidate for the Fourth Hokage.
"Your teacher was always worried about those rats retaliating, but now that Hokage-sama is here, and the Uchiha have contained those rats..."
"Wakaho-kun, if you have any questions, you can freely seek answers from Clan Leader Fugaku, Third Hokage-sama, or Elder Danzo."
Orochimaru's hands were steady, and his heart was calm.
Though the initial plan was for Wakaho and the Five-Tails to stay far away to prevent further conflict, since Wakaho had "discovered" the secret of Elder Danzo's eye...
As his teacher, he couldn't just stand by.
The situation had already escalated.
So why not amplify it further and force his teacher to make a choice now?
Danzo probably wouldn't support him becoming the Fourth Hokage in the future anyway...
And he had done his best to keep Danzo alive until his teacher arrived...
Now, he had to consider his own future.
Orochimaru realized that once he began to break free from the "chains of common sense," his perspective on things became much clearer.
Is this the world seen through Wakaho's eyes?
It's so... straightforward.
Swoosh—
The fire dragon dissipated as it flew over the crowd, and Wakaho and Orochimaru landed smoothly.
The Third Hokage and Fugaku frowned in unison.
If there was one person they didn't want to see at this moment, it was definitely Wakaho.
Sure enough, Wakaho's first words upon landing made Fugaku uneasy and caused the Third Hokage's brow to twitch with tension.
"Clan Leader Fugaku, Grandpa Hokage, tell me the truth."
Wakaho's expression was serious. "Is Elder Danzo a member of the Uchiha clan?"