The faces of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, covered in wrinkles and age spots, were not very pleasant to look at.
They had originally planned to take advantage of Hiruzen Sarutobi's lax oversight of the Jinchuriki, which had caused conflict between the Jinchuriki and the village.
Using this as a reason, they intended to keep the Jinchuriki in their own hands.
But they were outsmarted by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who used the promise of Tsunade's succession to scare them off. They tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing rice instead!
Danzo, wrapped in bandages and exuding an incompatible cold aura, also had a gloomy expression.
Seeing the suppressed displeasure on the faces of the two advisors when they heard that the Jinchuriki was assigned to Tsunade,
plus the fact that they were secretly meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi when he came in, he naturally understood that these two old geezers were also eyeing the Nine-Tails!
He sneered inwardly, that old thing Hiruzen was tightly holding onto the strategic weapon of the village, the Jinchuriki!
Even he, the Hokage's assistant with the deepest bond with Hiruzen, couldn't get it.
Let alone you two useless, mediocre fellows!
He inconspicuously touched his right arm, which was tightly wrapped in bandages.
In the past few years, he had successively dispatched Root to assassinate and capture lone Uchiha clansmen, obtaining several Sharingan!
The powerful power of the Uchiha's unique Kekkei Genkai had already made him addicted.
In addition, he also had Hashirama cells transplanted into his body. Who in this ninja world could be his match?!
The top priority now was to obtain more Sharingan, especially the Three-Tomoe!
As for training the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
It wouldn't be too late to make plans after he became the Fifth Hokage.
Danzo Shimura stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his only remaining eye.
He lowered his voice and spoke with an icy tone and extreme pressure.
"Hiruzen! Not long ago, my Root branch discovered information that the Uchiha seem to be planning something in the coming days, fearing they are plotting evil and intending to betray Konoha.
Just like Uchiha Madara back then!"
Hearing this, Koharu Utatane also looked serious and stopped dwelling on the Jinchuriki matter.
The village's top priority was still dealing with the Uchiha!
She said in a deep voice.
"Danzo is right this time! Hiruzen, don't forget Lord Tobirama's repeated teachings!
The Uchiha are inherently evil little devils!"
"Once the Uchiha make any moves, we must not be soft-hearted towards them. We must strike hard and suppress them with an iron fist!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, his temples graying, picked up the pipe on the table, took a few puffs, and said noncommittally.
"I have my own measure regarding the Uchiha matter! You don't need to say more!"
Seeing this, Danzo sneered in dissatisfaction, "Hiruzen, are you talking about those two little brats, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi!"
"Even now, are you really hoping that two Uchiha kids will sincerely join Konoha, be loyal to the village, and completely listen to your orders?"
"Perhaps, it was Uchiha Fugaku who deliberately sent them to place nails and ambushes by your side!"
Homura Mitokado also looked worried and said in a timely manner.
"Yes, Hiruzen, the Uchiha clan's members are like a venomous snake lurking by our side!
Lord Tobirama also said that their eyes rely on the sacrifice of their companions' blood to obtain evil and ominous pupil power! We must be on guard!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of thick white smoke, heavily knocked the pipe on the table, "Dong, dong, dong," and frowned.
"The Uchiha are also members of our village!
If we act according to your thoughts, should we strike first before the Uchiha cause substantial chaos?!
Wouldn't that go against the Will of Fire passed down by the First Hokage!"
Before he finished speaking, the office door was kicked open with a bang.
Tsunade, with blonde twin ponytails and a dark green coat, burst in decisively.
She glanced in surprise at the crowded Konoha high-level officials.
Tsunade's beautiful amber eyes narrowed slightly, and she sneered.
"Oh, everyone's here!"
Then she looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting in the center, and got straight to the point.
"Old man, today you must make Naruto's identity public! We can't let the demon fox rumors spread anymore!"
...
Uchiha Clan grounds.
An ancient and elegant mansion, with the Uchiha clan emblem, a red and white ping pong ball, engraved on the walls all around.
The light in the inner room was dim, and faint rays of sunlight cast square halos through the window lattices at the edges of the house.
Several figures wearing large, retro-style dark kimonos knelt upright in a semi-circle, like unsheathed swords passed down through the generations, their sharpness restrained.
Although they didn't say a word, they exuded a chilling and intimidating aura.
"When Fugaku was just a kid, before he became the clan leader.
This old man saw that he was fierce in appearance but cowardly in heart, reluctant to do big things! He is not worthy of being our clan leader at all!"
Another hook-nosed old man also sneered coldly.
"Clan leader? Hmph! I don't think he has our Uchiha's noble blood flowing in his body at all!
Maybe he and his good son have already gone to curry favor with that old thing Hiruzen Sarutobi like a pug!
Maybe he is thinking about how to sell our Uchiha for a good price now!"
A figure in the center of the crowd clapped his hands, his voice steady.
"Since things have come to this, it's useless to say more! Still..."
At this moment, a young figure in a police department uniform appeared at the door.
The figure first bowed respectfully at the door, and after receiving permission, quickly entered the inner room.
He knelt on one knee.
"Elder clan members, Clan Leader...
He suddenly paused, and several clan elders in the room shot cold, indifferent gazes at him.
Sweat dripped down his face, and he quickly changed his words.
"Fugaku has secretly issued a clan leader's order within the clan to convene a clan meeting at the Nanga Shrine next month!"
"Lord Fugaku is determined this time! He is no longer willing to see the clan eke out an existence like it is now! Completely acting according to the higher-ups' wishes!"
Hearing this, the faces of the many Uchiha elders in the room suddenly changed.
One of the elderly and thin elders could no longer restrain himself and immediately asked.
"Is this true? Fugaku has really decided..."
"Absolutely true! The clan meeting next month is when Fugaku plans to announce this in front of all the clan members!"
The room was silent as death.
Suddenly, a shocking laughter, exactly the same as the Uchiha Mad Laughing Quartet, resounded unscrupulously throughout the entire room.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"This time, Fugaku did not embarrass our Uchiha! He finally showed the courage and魄力 of a clan leader!
The hook-nosed old man who first mocked Fugaku sneered again.
"It's not the first time that Fugaku has done this. Maybe this time he is just teasing us again, and when the time comes, he will still kneel at Sarutobi's feet and beg for mercy!"
His words were like a basin of cold water pouring over the originally warm and excited atmosphere.
The steady voice ignored this and solemnly ordered.
"Pass down the order, all the clan members who obey our hawkish faction! This time, fully cooperate with Clan Leader Fugaku!
Anyone in the Uchiha clan who dares to disobey will be immediately removed from the family tree! Their eyes will be removed and they will be imprisoned in the clan's forbidden area!"
The young man who delivered the message looked stern and quickly accepted the order and left.
