The words echoed through the office.
Remove the Third Hokage's face from the Hokage Mountain.
For a few seconds...
No one spoke.
Jiraiya.
Tsunade.
Orochimaru.
Homura.
Koharu.
Every person present stared at Elder Kiyo.
Shock was written across every face.
Compared to this...
The suspension of Konoha's budget for ten years suddenly didn't seem nearly as frightening.
Because this punishment was far worse.
Hiruzen slowly lowered his head.
His face had turned pale.
Destroying his own monument...
Meant erasing everything he had achieved as Hokage.
Future generations would never look up at the mountain and remember his name.
For someone who had devoted his entire life to the village...
There was hardly a crueller punishment.
"Elder Kiyo..."
Jiraiya was the first to break the silence.
He stepped forward.
"Isn't this going too far?"
His eyes moved toward Hiruzen.
Seeing his teacher standing there in silence made his chest feel heavy.
Elder Kiyo slowly turned toward him.
"Too far?"
His gaze became sharp.
"So that's what you think."
He took a step forward.
"Spying on noble houses."
"Infiltrating the Fire Daimyo's residence."
"Spying on the very people who fund your village every year..."
"The people who provide your missions..."
"The people who recognise Konoha as part of the Land of Fire."
His eyes never left Jiraiya.
"Tell me."
"Who is truly crossing the line?"
Silence.
Jiraiya opened his mouth...
But no words came out.
He couldn't answer it.
Koharu immediately stepped in.
"Elder Kiyo."
Her voice remained calm.
"You can't simply believe the Uchiha's words."
"How can you be certain those shinobi belonged to Konoha?"
"They could have been enemy spies."
"They could have belonged to another village."
"The Uchiha's testimony alone isn't enough for us to take the blame."
Homura nodded as he said.
"The entire Fire Nation knows the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha."
"There is every reason for them to shift the blame on us."
He looked directly at Elder Kiyo.
"Konoha has protected the Land of Fire for decades."
"Countless shinobi have sacrificed their lives for the Fire Nation."
He took a slow breath.
"The Daimyo can't simply forget all of those sacrifices."
Koharu heard Homura's words, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Elder Kiyo."
She stepped forward.
"You can't just blame everything on us based on the Uchiha's words alone."
Elder Kiyo looked at her calmly.
"No one is blaming Konoha based on their words alone."
"There are more than enough reasons to blame Konoha leadership."
As he spoke,
Elder Kiyo deliberately emphasised the word leadership.
His eyes never left Hiruzen.
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
It wasn't Konoha that stood accused.
It was its leadership.
"Even if those shinobi had been enemy spies..."
"Or belonged to some unknown force..."
"It is still Konoha's responsibility to prevent enemy shinobi from entering the Land of Fire."
He paused for a moment as he pointed his finger at Hiruzen and both elders.
"That is exactly what the Daimyo and the noble houses are paying your village for."
His eyes narrowed.
"And now..."
"The Hokage himself says he knew nothing about it."
"Then tell me..."
"Who is supposed to take responsibility?"
Silence.
Hiruzen's fingers slowly tightened around the edge of his robe.
For a moment, no one said anything; they couldn't answer this.
Neither Koharu nor Homura has answered for this.
'Damn Danzo, you idiot, dragged us into this mess,' Koharu thought inwardly
As she saw Elder Kiyo not backing down for anything.
The atmosphere inside the Hokage's office became even heavier.
Both Koharu and Homura understood one thing clearly.
There was no way Konoha could completely escape this blame.
Outside the Hokage Building...
The Clan Heads and elders were still waiting nearby.
Some sat at food stalls.
Others quietly drank tea while keeping one eye on the Hokage Tower.
No one was in the mood to leave.
Everyone knew whatever was happening inside the Hokage's office would decide Konoha's future as well.
At one of the tea stalls...
Toyoma sat across from Elder Kohaku.
Kohaku slowly took a sip of tea before looking at Toyoma.
"What do you think?"
"How will the leadership handle this?"
Toyoma didn't answer immediately.
Around them, several Clan Heads and elders quietly listened.
After all...
The Uchiha were indirectly at the centre of everything that had happened.
If anyone knew more about the situation...
It was them.
After thinking for a moment, Nara Shikaku, who was sitting near them, finally spoke.
His tone was cautious.
"Elder Kohaku..."
"Was exposing Root really necessary?"
He quickly shook his head when he saw both Kohaku and Toyoma instantly look at him.
"I'm not blaming the Uchiha."
"But..."
"There might have been another way to handle this."
Kohaku looked at him.
A helpless smile appeared on his face.
"It wasn't something we wanted to reveal either."
He slowly placed the teacup on the table.
"The situation simply became like that."
"It was almost a slip of the tongue from Koji."
He looked around at the Clan Heads sitting nearby.
"Tell me."
"What should we have done?"
"The Fire Daimyo and the nobles were standing right there."
"And suddenly, we discovered disguised shinobi inside the mansion."
Several Clan Heads exchanged glances.
None of them interrupted.
Kohaku continued.
"At first..."
"The Uchiha thought they were enemy spies trying to harm the Land of Fire."
"But after discovering they were Root shinobi..."
He shook his head.
"Even we were shocked."
"And unfortunately..."
"The Daimyo and the nobles noticed the change in our expressions."
Silence followed.
No one could find anything to say.
Because if they had been in the same position...
They probably would've reacted the same way.
At that moment...
Toyoma suddenly spoke.
"But the real question is still the same."
He slowly looked around at everyone present.
"Why were Root shinobi there in the first place?"
His question made several people frown.
Toyoma calmly continued.
"We can understand surveillance on the Uchiha."
He shrugged lightly as he said.
"The village leadership never trusted us."
"So it isn't surprising they kept an eye on us."
He clicked his tongue.
"But the Fire Daimyo as well?"
"Tch..."
He slowly shook his head.
"What kind of explanation is the Hokage going to give for that?"
Several Clan Heads instinctively looked toward the Hokage Tower.
The tea stall fell silent.
No one answered.
Kohaku glanced at Toyoma before letting out a chuckle.
Then he added another layer to the discussion.
"The explanation?"
He smiled faintly as he tried to copy the hiruzen way of speaking.
"It'll probably be the same as always."
"I didn't know."
"It was Elder Danzo's own idea."
"We'll punish Elder Danzo."
Kohaku snorted.
"Punish?"
"My foot."
A few Clan Heads couldn't help exchanging strange looks.
Even Shikaku rubbed his forehead.
Kohaku took another sip of tea.
"Sometimes..."
"I feel like Konoha has a mascot as its Hokage."
He looked toward the Hokage Tower.
"Because somehow..."
"The most important things are always outside his knowledge."
His sarcasm made the atmosphere even stranger.
Some Clan Heads frowned.
A few couldn't help coughing to hide their laughter.
Some thought the Uchiha were simply trying to stir up more trouble.
But others...
Couldn't help finding some truth in Kohaku's words.
The doors of the Hokage Building slowly opened.
"They're coming out."
One of the shinobi standing nearby spoke.
The crowd immediately turned toward the entrance.
Clan Heads.
Village elders.
Shinobi.
Even the curious villagers.
Everyone watched in silence.
Elder Kiyo stepped out first.
Behind him came Homura, Koharu, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
But...
There was no sign of the Hokage.
The moment people noticed his absence, whispers spread through the crowd.
"Where's the Hokage?"
"Why didn't he come out?"
"What happened inside?"
No one had an answer.
Elder Kiyo ignored the murmurs.
Instead, he looked directly at Tsunade.
"Tsunade."
His expression remained calm.
"Speak with the Hokage."
"No noble house is willing to let this matter end so easily."
He briefly glanced at Homura and Koharu.
"Even our hands are tied."
His words made both elders lower their eyes.
Elder Kiyo continued,
"You can probably guess someone has to take responsibility for all this."
He let out a quiet breath.
"This is something that has rarely happened in history"
His gaze slowly swept across everyone present.
"Even during the Warring States Period..."
"No shinobi or clan ever dared challenge the authority of the Fire Daimyo."
The entrance became even quieter.
Tsunade looked at Elder Kiyo before finally speaking.
"...We need some time."
Her voice remained calm.
But inwardly, she could only sigh.
'Old man... solve your own mess.'
'There's only so much I can do.'
Carrying the title of the First Hokage's granddaughter wasn't always an honour.
Sometimes...
It felt like a burden.
Elder Kiyo gave a slight nod.
"I'll wait for your answer."
"Discuss it carefully."
"Think about how you're going to explain all of this to the Fire Daimyo and noble houses."
His eyes slowly moved across the gathered Clan Heads.
The atmosphere had become unbearably heavy.
Jiraiya stepped forward.
"Elder Kiyo."
"I'll show you to the residence prepared for you."
Elder Kiyo looked at him.
Then calmly shook his head.
"There won't be any need."
Jiraiya frowned.
Elder Kiyo turned his gaze toward the distant Uchiha district.
His next words froze everyone present.
"Take me..."
"...to the Uchiha Clan."
Silence.
The smiles on the Clan Heads' faces disappeared.
Homura's expression stiffened.
Koharu frowned.
Even Jiraiya froze for a moment.
No one had expected those words.
Why would the Fire Daimyo's envoy...
Want to visit the Uchiha first?
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Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to (Chapter 150: The Fire Times).
P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
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