Chapter 56

Yamanaka Inoichi was practically glued to his chair, not daring to move.

Without an order from the Hokage or any indication from Elder Koharu, he didn't dare take any action. Even if he might incur the wrath of Uchiha Rēn, he still wouldn't move. When it came to choosing between the clan and himself, there was nothing to consider. It didn't matter if he, as the clan head, died. What could not happen was allowing others to think the Yamanaka clan had become entangled with the Uchiha like the Kurama had.

To be honest,

In recent days, the Kurama clan had already been pushed out of the social circle by many families.

The Uchiha clan... was truly unwelcome. Even though everyone understood the real nature of the village's slander against them, they genuinely disliked interacting with that prideful group. This dislike had been cemented back when Uchiha Madara lost the Hokage election to Senju Hashirama.

Over the decades,

It had become almost a habit.

And breaking that habit would not be easy.

Even Danzo's current near-death state had only slightly softened some clan head's views of Rēn, and that leniency was limited to him alone. As for the Uchiha clan overall, they were still treated with caution—respected but kept at arm's length.

"Clan Head Yamanaka? Not feeling well today?"

Rēn pressed him further.

"N-no, um..." Yamanaka Inoichi, despite being a clan head was not skilled in politicking. He stammered and didn't know how to dodge the question correctly, while large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Just as Nara Shikaku clenched his fists, ready to help his friend out of the predicament—

"Commander Uchiha, there's no need to waste time on such trivial matters."

Elder Homura Mitokado interrupted Rēn's questioning.

He didn't know what Uchiha Rēn intended, but he knew now was not the time to be manipulated by him. That damned Kirigakure envoy might have information harmful to them. "The current matter is how we deal with Kirigakure's provocation. The village is recovering. Starting a war now is unwise. We should do all we can to avoid conflict…"

"Heh."

A mocking sneer full of disdain echoed through the meeting room.

"Avoid conflict? Elder Mitokado, don't say things so naively. You've lived through wartime—how can you still spout such absurd daydreams? War isn't something that stops just because one side wants peace. And spare us the long-winded nonsense. According to your logic, what would Konoha have to pay to satisfy Kirigakure?"

Homura Mitokado's expression turned sour.

Being interrupted and talked over filled him with irritation.

Just as he was reorganizing his thoughts to argue back, Rēn continued:

"What? Kirigakure hasn't given a demand yet? Then I must say their deputy envoy is quite the talent. He knows that naming no price is the most expensive price... Well then, Hokage-sama, elders, how exactly do you plan to appease Kirigakure? I doubt their appetite can be satisfied with a few scraps."

Rēn's tone was aggressively confrontational.

From the beginning of the meeting, he had been clashing with the two elders.

"Commander Uchiha, this matter is serious, which is why this meeting was convened—to gather ideas and discuss the best approach," said Homura, suppressing his frustration and trying to guide the meeting back on track.

"Gather ideas?"

Rēn refused to back down, standing his ground against Homura. "What is there to even consider?"

"Either we fight Kirigakure and show them Konoha is not to be trifled with—or we bow down, admit our faults, and beg for forgiveness. Aren't those the only two options? Or is there some third choice I've failed to consider?"

Rēn's venomous words made Homura's face flush dark.

This brat!

Beg for forgiveness?

This was about the bigger picture!

Letting a short-sighted kid become clan head was a grave mistake. They should never have compromised because of Danzo. Even if it had cost something, they should've corrected it back then.

"For the sake of the village, there's nothing we can't endure," said the Third Hokage as he tapped the table lightly with his pipe to stop Homura from lashing out. "If sacrificing me as Hokage could bring prosperity to Konoha, then I'd willingly die right here."

Rēn sneered again.

That kind of talk was just for show—but it worked well on gullible types like Shisui.

"Kirigakure came with malicious intent. They won't be dismissed so easily," said the Third Hokage slowly. "However… Commander Uchiha, if war can be avoided, it should be. The First Hokage founded Konoha to end the constant wars of the Warring States era."

"The police force's capture of the Kirigakure envoy was impulsive. I understand they likely came with bad intentions, likely to provoke us, but that makes it all the more important not to fall into their trap." He sighed, as if deeply troubled.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "At this point, there's no use dwelling on the past. What we need is to reduce the chance of war breaking out. Of course, we can't agree to unreasonable demands, but the Great Blade: Samehada—it originally belonged to Kirigakure. It can be returned. As for the other conditions… we can negotiate slowly, stall for time."

He looked up and addressed Rēn: "Commander Uchiha, I know Samehada is your spoils of war. To compensate you, the village can offer ten million ryō. If that's not enough, you may request other forms of compensation."

Ten million ryō?

Are you kidding?

The importance of Samehada to Rēn's future was self-evident—it was his most treasured possession.

Even ignoring its personal value to him, Samehada's intrinsic worth exceeded fifty million. It was one of the rare weapons in the shinobi world that could replenish chakra. Anyone who recognized its value would sell everything to obtain it.

"Clan Head Kurama, please use genjutsu to influence that Kirigakure envoy. We need to find out what Kirigakure really intends," said Rēn, no longer bothering to respond to the Third Hokage's sickening words. He turned and addressed Kurama Sōun, seated several positions away.

Bang!

"Uchiha Rēn!"

Homura slammed the table and roared, "This is the Hokage's office, not a place for you to run wild! Someone, take the Kirigakure envoy away. We'll investigate after the meeting."

"Shisui!"

Rēn barked, "Without my permission, no one touches my prey."

He shoved his chair aside and stood upright, locking eyes with Homura. But in the next second, Homura's gaze shifted nervously, avoiding Rēn's eyes entirely—causing the atmosphere he had tried so hard to build up to collapse in an instant.

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