"Uchiha Clan... Hyuga Mirai"
As they arrived, they saw the Uchiha district in ruins. It looked less like a rebellion and more like an invasion.
There were no signs of the ordinary Uchiha clansmen. When they arrived, they found them all gathered together, many of the Police Force wounded and fewer in number.
Was this really what a rebellion looked like?
Some clan leaders frowned. The Uchiha seemed like a clan forced to the edge, fighting back in desperation.
"Uchiha Fugaku, your Police Force colluded with the Konoha rogue Hyuga Mirai to seize and control the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. These actions constitute multiple serious crimes, including treason against the village."
Before Homura Mitokado could finish, Kushina Uzumaki snapped in anger, "You old bastard! That's nonsense! It was Danzo's Root that attacked Naruto! They even tried to kill me to control him!"
Her outburst shocked many present. They hadn't expected Root to go so far.
Although Kushina hadn't appeared much in recent years, she was the Fourth Hokage's wife. And Root dared to target her?
Ninjas with ties to Minato Namikaze looked sharply at Danzo and his Root subordinates. Among them was a white-haired ANBU who lowered his head slightly—he'd been too preoccupied with missions to check on his teacher's wife.
"Danzo-sama!"
Akimichi Choza, Inuzuka Jaw, and other ninjas close to the Fourth couldn't help but question Danzo. It wasn't weakness—it was that Root had gone too far.
If they dared attack the Hokage's wife today, they could target their children next. Root might act for the sake of Konoha's darkness, but this was too much.
"This is a misunderstanding. The ANBU discovered that the Uchiha planned to attack the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, so Danzo ordered Root to secure him first."
Koharu Utatane explained. The reasoning sounded plausible. She added that the Uchiha indeed tried to control the Jinchuriki and that Root had irrefutable evidence—but now wasn't the time to show it.
Hyuga Mirai smiled. That so-called "evidence" was likely just a recording of the Sharingan reflected in Naruto's eyes. Classic case of the thief crying thief—but still effective.
He knew Danzo believed Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan was responsible, but Mirai wasn't about to reveal that.
Kushina nearly reopened her wounds in fury, barely holding back as she memorized every face responsible for this slander.
They had pushed her and her son this far and still tried to smear them. If she ever had the chance, she wouldn't let these people go.
She had no desire to stay in Konoha any longer, nor to waste energy arguing with this disgusting group.
Many ninjas noticed her expression. They were friends of the Fourth and wanted to speak out but were held back by their clans or elders.
This wasn't the right time. They had received an explanation, no matter how dubious. They could question the Third Hokage later. For now, the two advisors clearly intended to protect Danzo.
Nearby, two Hyuga clan members stood together. Hyuga Mirai could tell they were preparing to use the Twin Palm Strike, a taijutsu technique that doubled in power when used jointly—a Hyuga signature move.
But it posed no threat to him. His base strength was too high. Even magnified several times, their attack was still meaningless.
Only Ōnoki's Particle Style was a real threat—and even that required restricting his movement.
"Tekkasan, I have a humble suggestion."
Hyuga Mirai turned to Uchiha Tekka.
Tekka replied, "Mirai-kun, you're a benefactor to our clan. Speak freely."
"Itachi Uchiha slaughtered over a hundred civilians. That's a serious violation of shinobi law. Why not let Konoha handle it? The 'highly respected' advisors should be eager to punish such a criminal, no?"
Mirai smiled lightly. But to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, his words sounded like the devil himself speaking.
"Let them handle it? They'll never admit it."
Tekka wasn't stupid. With Mirai's guidance, he quickly understood the intention. Itachi had always been aligned with the village leadership. Rather than let him die at Uchiha hands, having the village execute him under its own laws would be a deeper blow.
For someone like Itachi, who claimed to act for Konoha, dying under Konoha's own rules would be poetic justice.
Tekka approved. But would the elders agree to such a humiliating demand? Both sides wanted each other dead.
"Don't worry, Tekkasan. We'll try diplomacy first. If they want to live, they'll follow the rules."
"Just one thing—we'll need the victims to testify through Edo Tensei. I hope you won't mind. It might tarnish the Uchiha name a bit."
Mirai smiled, his confidence infectious. Tekka felt it, too.
"Victims? Edo Tensei? Do as you see fit, Mirai-kun. The Uchiha's reputation is already in tatters."
Tekka trusted Mirai not to do anything foolish. His calm assurance reminded him of Kei-kun—the kind of man who always acted with certainty.
It was a shame. Their mistake had allowed the traitor Itachi to conspire with Root and kill Kei-kun.
Tekka's hatred for Itachi was deeply personal. It wasn't just justice—it was guilt.
"Conveniently, there's a prison nearby."
Mirai created two shadow clones and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique. Root and other clan ninjas tried to intercept, but the clones were too fast.
Tekka gave a silent signal to two Police Force members, who then knocked out Fugaku and Mikoto. Though Tekka hated Fugaku, it was best they didn't see what came next.
Soon after, Mirai's clones returned with seven prisoners from Konoha's prison and pieces of the deceased.
"Just seven civilians, no need for perfect sacrifices. Edo Tensei!"
Using the flesh of the dead and the live sacrifices, Mirai cast the Reanimation Jutsu. Dust and debris engulfed the prisoners' screams, revealing new faces beneath.
An old woman, children, women, middle-aged men. None wore shinobi gear. One man even wore a fishmonger's apron.
"Grandma Tomoko!?"
"Neighbor!? That's Uchiha's neighbor, it's him!"
"That's Hinachan—what happened to her?"
"And Kentarou! Wasn't he killed by Itachi?"
The Uchiha clan members were overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing the reanimated dead. Though Tekka didn't know the jutsu, he realized Mirai had brought them back from the dead.
"Grandma Tomoko?" Tekka approached. She was famous for her kindness, keeping her sweet shop open late for the Police Force night patrols.
Tomoko looked at him in confusion. "Is that Tekka? I remember... Itachi came with Daisuke. Where is he?"
It was really her. Tekka took a deep breath and bowed.
"I'm sorry, Grandma Tomoko. Everyone. The Police Force failed to protect you. That traitor Itachi Uchiha murdered you."
He spoke loudly enough for even the other clans' ninjas to hear.
Konoha's higher-ups grew uneasy seeing Mirai's jutsu and the summoned dead.
"That's Edo Tensei? How does Hyuga Mirai know a technique from the Forbidden Scroll?!"
Koharu shouted in fury. Even Konoha's secret jutsu were leaking now?
Danzo stayed silent. He suspected Mirai had learned it from Orochimaru—but their deal was a secret he couldn't reveal.
Tekka didn't hide the truth. He told everything about the Nine-Tails incident, with Kushina verifying the masked man's actions, the injustices suffered by the Uchiha, and the hundred-plus civilians Itachi had killed tonight.
Only then did the other ninjas learn the full details of the Nine-Tails attack. Seeing that Kushina didn't object, they accepted Tekka's words as truth.
Even Mirai was surprised. Tekka's testimony mixed nine truths with one lie, full of convincing detail. Those unaware of the truth would find it easy to believe.
"I don't know everything—I rarely leave home. But I was there during the Nine-Tails attack. I lived it!"
Kushina stepped forward, delivering a critical blow to the elders. Her personal testimony gave Tekka's story undeniable credibility.
"Nonsense! Nonsense!!"
Koharu lost her composure. Sensing things slipping out of control, she moved to command Root and the other clan ninjas to stop Mirai and Tekka.
"Danzo! Order Root to assist ANBU! Clan Heads of the Hyuga and Akimichi! Will you stand by and let traitors run rampant in Konoha?!"
(End of Chapter)