Chapter 39: Yang Release? (Vote! Seeking Support!)

Next to the conference room was a small adjacent room, a space intended for secretaries and bodyguards who accompanied the leaders attending the meeting. Today, Shisui was treated as a subordinate to Sougen and sat in this room.

Although the room was called small, it was only small in comparison to the adjacent conference room.

"Please, don't let this get out of hand!!!"

Standing in the corner, Shisui's heart was filled with anxiety, like a bucket hanging from a rope that kept being lowered into the water—he was extremely uneasy. The other people in the room sensed his tension, but no one approached him. As the close aides and guards of clan leaders and ministers, they more or less understood that the early meeting was likely targeting the Uchiha clan.

Besides, the Uchiha clan wasn't exactly well-liked in general.

No one would go out of their way to chat with Shisui.

While he was caught in his endless worry, the door to the room opened. Another young boy, wearing the fan-shaped Uchiha emblem, walked in. No, calling him a boy wasn't entirely accurate—he seemed about ten years old.

"I-Itachi?"

Shisui's eyes widened.

He never expected to meet Itachi here.

Uchiha Itachi walked toward the corner where Shisui was standing.

"Itachi, why are you—"

"Shisui, why?"

"Why what?"

Shisui was confused.

"Why do you support Uchiha Sougen?"

Shisui furrowed his brow slightly. "Itachi, are you blaming me for helping Sougen take your father's position as clan leader?"

"No."

Uchiha Itachi shook his head without hesitation.

"I know that Father… wasn't a very capable clan leader. But compared to Uchiha Sougen, at least my father wouldn't oppose the village. Shisui, you once told me about the Will of Fire, about how the clan and the village are meant to coexist. But what Sougen is doing is dividing the clan from the village!"

"Itachi, you…"

Shisui was taken aback.

Itachi's sudden outburst left him speechless. His mind was in turmoil, wanting to say a lot… What did Itachi mean by Fugaku not opposing the village? Fugaku had clearly supported a coup at the Nakano Shrine gathering…

As for Sougen dividing the clan and the village, well, Sougen had long abandoned any hopes of coexisting peacefully with the Third Hokage. He was waiting for the arrival of the Fifth Hokage.

"These things are complicated, Itachi. We'll talk about this properly next time. This isn't the place for it…"

Just then—

The floor of the Hokage building shook slightly.

Shisui froze. Was it an earthquake? Or… A sense of dread filled his heart. He used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing at the door, and rushed into the hallway. There, he saw a large hole in the wall. Through the hole, he could see the chaos in the conference room.

A second later—

The door that Shisui had slammed into came crashing down completely.

All the bodyguards and attendants in the room rushed out, staring wide-eyed at the hole in the wall. Then, when they saw Danzo, the Hokage's assistant, imprinted into the opposite wall, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

What had happened?

Who would dare attack Danzo?

"Uchiha Sougen!!!"

At that moment, Danzo, who was embedded in the wall, roared in anger.

Struggling to free himself from the wall, Danzo, despite his old age, was quite resilient. Although he specialized in Wind Release and Sealing Techniques, few knew that he was also proficient in Earth, Water, and Fire Releases. His hardened body had helped him avoid being turned into a pulp by Sougen's punch.

"I'm right here. No need to shout so loudly!"

Sougen stepped through the hole and into the hallway, fearlessly facing everyone.

As for how things had escalated to this point… it all started when Uchiha Itachi, under the Third Hokage's orders, returned to the clan and confronted his father, Uchiha Fugaku, before they both came to the Hokage building.

The Third Hokage's plan was to provoke Fugaku's resentment, hoping he would confront Sougen, allowing the Hokage to position himself as a neutral mediator and benefit from their conflict.

However, the Hokage misjudged the situation. Itachi, who wasn't privy to secret meetings, didn't know that his father had publicly supported the coup in front of many clan members the previous night. This led to the Third Hokage's plan being based on incomplete information, resulting in a miscalculation.

Even though Fugaku was known for being easily swayed, it wasn't likely that he would immediately turn against Sougen, especially after supporting a coup just the night before.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, but I am no longer the clan leader. The six elders and many jounin of our clan made this decision, and I personally have no opinion on the matter."

Fugaku's unexpected refusal threw the Hokage's plan off course.

"Fugaku, do you really believe a fifteen-year-old can lead your clan down the right path?"

"I am now just an ordinary jounin of the clan. Matters like these… are for the clan leader to worry about."

Fugaku stepped back, standing firmly behind Sougen.

The Third Hokage's brow furrowed deeply, and the two advisors beside him also looked grim.

Danzo, however, remained expressionless, glancing at the Third Hokage as if to say, "See? There's no trusting the Uchiha!" This only worsened the Hokage's mood.

The Hokage considered using force to pressure Sougen into stepping down. If he resisted… well, that would provide a reason for the village to unite and eliminate Sougen while sparing Fugaku, who could be sent back to pacify the clan.

This was a backup plan.

But he was reluctant to use it, as a confrontation with the Uchiha could severely damage Konoha.

Just as the Hokage was about to make a decision, Sougen, filled with growing fury, took the initiative.

He produced a pile of "evidence," accusing Danzo of sending his Root agents disguised as Mist ninjas to attack him and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He openly accused Danzo of killing Uchiha clan members to steal their Sharingan and continued arguing with Danzo.

Distracted, the Third Hokage couldn't prevent their confrontation.

The clan leaders in the room kept silent, unwilling to support Danzo. While they disliked the Uchiha, many also harbored resentment toward Danzo, who had forced talented ninja from their clans into Root.

Sougen's conflict with Danzo was, in many people's eyes, a typical case of "dogs biting dogs." None of them wanted to get involved, secretly hoping the two would destroy each other.

This was exactly what Sougen wanted.

He had thought long and hard about how to fight the Third Hokage and his allies without triggering an all-out attack from the village's clans. The best solution was to target Danzo.

Attacking Danzo wouldn't provoke the other clans; in fact, it might make them sit back and watch.

As for angering the Third Hokage… they were already on opposite sides. The more enraged the Hokage became, the more pleased Sougen was. After all, Danzo was the one willing to destroy Konoha for his own ambitions, not the Hokage.

On the other hand, the Third Hokage, known as "The Professor," cared deeply for the village. He would avoid a war with the Uchiha unless he was certain he could end it with minimal losses.

In the middle of their argument, Sougen suddenly exploded with a speed and strength no one had anticipated, sending Danzo flying with a single punch, leaving a massive hole in the conference room wall. The sheer force made everyone think of Tsunade, the legendary Sannin.

"Yang Release?"

A large, overweight elder sitting in the corner, who had remained silent, suddenly stood up in shock, his enormous body crashing through the table in front of him.

This elder's sudden reaction delayed the others' attempts to assist Danzo. They all turned to look at their former teammate—Akimichi Torifu.

(End of Chapter)