Shisui was not sure what to do at first. The room was too confrontational, the tension too sharp, so he continued speaking and hoped nothing else escalated out of control.
"Noa luckily came back in time," Shisui said, steadying himself. "He was able to slightly injure Hawk, then used a barrier to shield us while he examined the seal on me. He could not completely remove it, but he managed to weaken its effectiveness enough for me to use about two thirds of my chakra, which finally allowed me to activate my dojutsu."
Hiruzen felt genuine relief at Noa's performance. Although he had been informed of the trap by Shisui, he had not been told every single detail, and learning the rest now impressed him far more than he expected.
"That is when Hawk decided to fight us," Shisui continued.
Hiashi spoke immediately, concern visible in his eyes. "It must have been incredibly difficult for you to fight with such severe damage to your chakra network."
Shisui nodded, grateful for the sympathy. It was clear that the Hyuga clan head had no tolerance for dojutsu theft of any kind.
"That was when Hawk used his ninjutsu," Shisui said. "He is the most powerful wind user I have ever seen in my life. He used Wind Release vacuum techniques."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Silence followed, so sharp that Shisui could hear the uneven beating of his own heart.
Itachi did not fully grasp the weight of that statement, but Hiashi, Fugaku, and Hiruzen understood instantly. Hiruzen even began to sweat as he laced his fingers together and closed his eyes for a moment. The implication of vacuum ninjutsu was not light.
Shisui pushed forward. "Noa was the only reason I survived Hawk's attacks. Hawk was far too powerful, and with Noa's help we were able to injure him multiple times. Hawk kept attacking while we were exhausted, using attrition tactics and striking from range while we stayed protected behind Noa's barrier seal. It turned into a race to see who would run out of chakra first. We lost that race, but thanks to the Yamanaka emergency communication network, we were saved."
Shisui turned to Hirotaka and bowed respectfully. Hirotaka smiled.
"Do not worry about it," Hirotaka said warmly. "I cannot exactly stand still while my daughter's team dies."
But Fugaku was not listening. His eyes were fixed on Hiruzen, who looked deeply conflicted, thoughts racing as he tried to piece together the nature of the attack. Finally Fugaku spoke, voice cold and final.
"There is no doubt about it now, Lord Hokage. This is Elder Danzo's work. He went after a dojutsu belonging to the village. This is a crime that cannot be tolerated."
Fugaku turned to Hiashi, who nodded in support.
"That is indeed a very dangerous crime to tolerate, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen inhaled deeply. "While I understand how this looks, there is no definitive proof that it was Danzo."
Fugaku burst forward. "Lord Hokage, I know he is your teammate and friend, but you cannot possibly deny the clear indications here."
Hiruzen's chakra flared, his tone cutting. "You have not a single piece of actual proof that it was Danzo. It may have been a rival village trying to drive a wedge between us and create internal strife to weaken Konoha further after Orochimaru's defection."
Homura and Koharu looked ready to speak, but Hirotaka's eyes locked onto them. Without Danzo here to back them, both elders kept silent.
Hiashi raised a calm but sharp point. "Lord Hokage, the case of Orochimaru should be a cautionary tale. Betrayal can come from those who are closest to us."
Hiruzen's chest tightened as he thought. "I already failed my brightest student, and now my friend stands accused as well."
His thoughts turned dark despite himself, and the realization left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was a cruel thing to even consider, and he despised that it had crossed his mind at all, yet it would not leave him. If Shisui had died, the truth could have been delayed, buried, controlled. Now he lived, and with him lived an accusation that could not be silenced or ignored. An attempt to steal an Uchiha dojutsu using knowledge of the village's own seals was not something the clan would quietly endure. If he failed to act, unrest would ignite immediately, not months from now but here and now, in the heart of the village. And with dojutsu theft involved, the Hyuga would be watching closely. At best, they would remain neutral. At worst, they would see his protection of Danzo as a dangerous precedent, one that could one day be turned against them as well. The village stood on the edge of something fragile, and hesitation would shatter it.
Fugaku pressed forward relentlessly. "You cannot close your eyes to the indications here, Lord Hokage. Knowledge of the ANBU seal and the ability to create a seal that can devour it should already be enough proof. And not only that, the attackers were erased using an explosive seal designed to destroy evidence. Hawk used vacuum techniques. He fought exactly the way Elder Danzo fights, and he disposed of evidence the same way Elder Danzo always does. You cannot ignore this."
Hiruzen straightened in his chair, struggling to remain calm as logic and emotion clashed heavily inside him. Hirotaka then stepped in with a measured suggestion.
"Lord Hokage, why not summon Elder Danzo to return immediately? Once he arrives, we can interrogate him and check whether any of his operatives have gone missing."
Everyone nodded, relieved at the possibility of avoiding an outright confrontation with the Hokage.
But Hiruzen shook his head. "I already sent for him, but the mission he is on is extremely delicate, and he cannot leave it. Unless you provide irrefutable proof, I will not condemn someone who has sacrificed all his life for the village."
Fugaku was seconds away from losing control. Itachi attempted to calm his father, but Hiashi was also visibly irritated by Hiruzen's inaction and apparent favoritism. That was when Hirotaka offered another strategic suggestion.
"Why not freeze his funding and his operations until he returns? That leverage can force him into a proper investigation once he is back."
Fugaku answered sharply, "That is far too little punishment. He tried to steal the eyes of an Uchiha. That is an insult to our clan and to the history of this village."
Hiruzen knew Fugaku would not settle. And judging from Hiashi's frustration and Hirotaka's politely hidden anger, he understood he needed to offer something substantial.
"Fugaku dono," Hiruzen said, "I will accept Hirotaka dono's suggestion."
"I will issue a declaration to move the Uchiha from their current location back into the village proper. I will also increase their presence in the ANBU and in general operations, and allow more teachers from the Uchiha clan to instruct at the Academy and mentor genin."
Fugaku silently evaluated the concessions against the attempt on Shisui's life. Itachi looked almost thrilled, while Fugaku's eyes narrowed before he finally nodded.
"As you wish, Lord Hokage. However, I demand that the investigation into Elder Danzo include investigators from my clan, and that it begins the moment he returns."
Hiruzen nodded, then addressed Hirotaka.
"I thank you for your timely action and the support that saved Noa and Shisui. I will ensure the daimyo is informed of your clan's exceptional assistance."
Hirotaka bowed. "Thank you, Lord Hokage, for your benevolence."
Hiruzen sighed internally as he though. "He is becoming too powerful too quickly. His suggestions are reasonable, yet he is aiming for something. My mind is too clouded to guess his motives now. Hopefully he wants nothing more than influence and wealth. If his daughter had not joined the shinobi forces, he would have remained only Konoha's richest merchant. Now I have another political figure with uncertain intentions to worry about."
Hiashi then spoke. "Lord Hokage, may I also send some of my jonin to join the investigation?"
Hiruzen nodded and turned to Shisui. "Is the seal still present?"
Shisui shook his head. "It disappeared sometime while I was resting. Most likely its structure collapsed after exhausting all the chakra powering it."
Hiruzen chuckled softly, without humor, acknowledging a trap so carefully constructed that it devoured all evidence of its own existence.
Shisui then swallowed and spoke with urgency. "Lord Hokage, I am worried for Noa. Given his role in the battle, he may be targeted in retaliation. May I take him into the Uchiha compound? It is currently the only place in the village without ANBU influence."
Fugaku glanced at Shisui, quietly impressed. Shisui clearly understood political maneuvering and was drawing someone with Noa's immense potential closer to the Uchiha.
Hiashi immediately responded. "I would rather take him into our compound. His former academy teacher is from our clan, and one of his classmates is as well. We can protect him."
Fugaku shot back with a merciless political blow. "I worry for his fate, considering what happened to Hinata dono."
Hiashi's chakra surged, anger rolling off him as he stepped closer. "What exactly are you implying?"
Fugaku replied without hesitation. "That Noa would be safer in our compound. We have an excellent record of keeping what is inside our compound securely inside."
A pointed reminder of how closely the Hyuga observe the affairs of other clans.
Fugaku then addressed Hiruzen. "The Senju compound is not secure enough. Any other clan compound would have ANBU presence, and after what happened with the ANBU seal, that is unacceptable. Our compound is the safest place to keep him until the investigation concludes."
Hiruzen looked at Homura and Koharu, who were clearly opposed, but their eyes constantly flicked toward Hirotaka, and they kept silent.
Hirotaka spoke calmly. "I agree with the Uchiha clan head, Lord Hokage. The Uchiha compound is indeed the safest place for Noa at the moment, far from both Elder Danzo and ANBU influence."
Fugaku inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment.
Hiruzen finally clasped his hands together in contemplation, then sighed. "Very well. Noa will be placed under your direct protection, Shisui, and his safety will be your responsibility."
Shisui bowed. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. I will make sure to honor your trust."
Hiruzen nodded, and the meeting finally came to an end. Hiashi's glare at Fugaku was sharp enough to cut steel, while Fugaku hid his satisfaction with practiced calm. Homura and Koharu felt humiliated after being maneuvered into silence. As for Hirotaka, he remained all smiles, as if everything had gone exactly the way he wanted.
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A/N: If no one caught the only joke I slipped into this chapter, I'll be very disappointed. Just kidding. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and let me know in the comments what you thought of the meeting as a whole and the decisions that were made.