The speaker was none other than Sarutobi Katsuya.
He had been listening quietly from below.
The accusations against Shimura Danzo and the evidence presented were all things he already knew.
Danzo had ordered Aburame Ryoma to provoke Uchiha Yato—yet in the end, Katsuya and Hyūga Hakuya were treated as nothing more than disposable pawns.
But now, the charges were being downplayed, with claims that Ryoma was "still young" and had acted independently.
Katsuya's temper flared, and before he could stop himself, he shouted his disagreement with the verdict.
The crowd, who had thought the trial was over, suddenly shifted in attitude.
Up in the stands, Uchiha Yato was barely holding it together.
Originally, he had only planned to squeeze one round of rewards out of this—but now, he could milk it for two more waves.Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself speechless when he saw it was his own nephew who opposed him.
Shimura Danzo was even more affected. From the start of the trial until now, he had been humiliated for nearly two hours.
And now, because of this reckless youth's words, the ordeal might drag on even longer.
The mood of everyone else was also more or less affected.
At this moment, Uchiha Yato continued twisting the knife, saying, "Don't be afraid. We will stand up for you against any injustice."
"Speak up! Say everything you want to say!"
Ding~
"Congratulations, host, for breaking the composure of the Hidden Leaf's F4."
"Reward: 200 Emotion Coins."
"Congratulations, host, for causing emotional fluctuations in Uchiha Kei and others."
"Reward: 50 Emotion Coins."
Recalling the events of the past few days and how Uchiha Ren had exposed all of Shimura Danzo's misdeeds,
Sarutobi Haea also spoke up, "The punishment is too lenient. He chose me and Hyuga Bōya as the targets of his schemes."
"What if it had been someone else?"
"Remember this!"
"If today I stand by and do nothing, then tomorrow no one will stand up for me!"
The impact of these words was immense. Even the hesitant Hyuga Bōya felt a surge of passion.
The Uchiha Clan staff present felt that this was so Uchiha in spirit!
But those who were most deeply moved were likely the villagers of the Hidden Leaf.
Their combat prowess was the lowest.
In the shinobi world, might made right. Why were Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara able to end the Warring States era and usher in the era of hidden villages?
Why was it that as long as Senju Hashirama lived and Uchiha Madara remained in the Hidden Leaf, no other village dared to wage war?
Gradually, many of the villagers observing the trial also began to feel that the initial verdict was far too light.
There was no need for the two elders to express their opinions or relay any messages.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen's emotions were tangled.
On one hand, the issue of his old friend Shimura Danzo had now escalated into a matter of public concern.
On the other, his own nephew had spoken out, making it difficult for him to show favoritism.
But the biggest factor was the emotional impact of that line—"If today I stand by and do nothing, then tomorrow no one will stand up for me!"
Mishandling this could easily incite public resentment.
After collecting his thoughts, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally declared, "Shimura Danzo's failure to discipline his subordinates and his lack of control over their actions have been proven."
"Therefore, Shimura Danzo shall be retried."
"He is hereby stripped of his position as Hokage's advisor and sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the Hidden Leaf Prison."
"The Shimura Clan will compensate the Uchiha, Aburame, Hyuga, and Sarutobi clans accordingly."
Having spoken, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to deflate, as if all the energy had left him.
With that, the trial was concluded.
The villagers had gotten quite the spectacle, and they enthusiastically spread word of the Uchiha Clan's courtroom drama.
Those who had attended the trial in person also played a role in amplifying public dissatisfaction with Shimura Danzo's initial verdict, leading to the retrial.
Essentially, everyone present had helped stir the pot.
Especially Sarutobi Haea—he had become the voice of the villagers.
Sarutobi Haea was overjoyed. The next day, he received baskets of fruits and vegetables from grateful villagers.
There was no denying it—such simple, heartfelt gratitude was the most satisfying thing in the world.
Of course, the unfortunate Shimura Danzo sought out Sarutobi Hiruzen in private.
But when he threw a tantrum in the Hokage's office, no one paid him any attention.Shimura Danzo said, "Hiruzen, how can you let your nephew act so recklessly?"
"He's certainly made a grand show of himself!"
"And look at me, thrown in prison."
"Not to mention that Uchiha Yato—his grin was practically splitting his face in court."
"None of you old comrades would help me, all just watching me make a fool of myself."
Shimura Danzo's voice transitioned from an angry roar to a plea, finally settling into a pitiful accusation.
To be honest, in this state, Shimura Danzo did seem rather pitiful.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said, "Alright, alright, consider this a lesson learned."
"Stop targeting Uchiha Yato. This isn't the first time you've suffered losses because of him."
"I know exactly what happened this time. You killed his aunt and, given your past conflicts, tried to strike first, didn't you?"
As the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, Sarutobi Hiruzen was well aware of his old friend's tendencies.
Thus, he laid it out plainly—not only to make Danzo recognize his mistakes but also to demonstrate that the Hokage had eyes and ears everywhere.
It was also a way to remind Danzo of what his position should and shouldn't entail.
After offering some consolation, Hiruzen added, "You'll keep your position as the Anbu Black Ops Leader. You're still my right-hand man."
"But you'll have to endure some minor inconveniences. You'll need to go through the motions at the Leaf Prison—though you won't be staying there long."
"In a few months, once you've made some contributions, we'll clear your name in front of the villagers, and your seat among the elders will be restored."
Danzo, of course, already knew how this would end. His visit wasn't just to exchange idle words with Hiruzen.
It was also to establish an alibi for himself.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hidden Leaf Village, near the Uchiha Clan Grounds...
Uchiha Yato stood facing three black-clad figures in a tense standoff.
"Enough with the act," Yato said. "You're Danzo's men, aren't you?"
"You're organized, disciplined—I won't waste time asking questions. Let's get this over with."
As soon as he finished speaking, the three charged at him.
To avoid leaving any traces, they relied only on basic ninjutsu and familiar Release Techniques.
Yato's goal was simpler: none of them would leave here alive.
His eyes instantly shifted into the three-tomoe pattern as he drew a ninjato and lunged at one of them.
The three reacted swiftly, coordinating their movements and using tools and Exploding Tags to give Yato considerable trouble.
But an Uchiha Clan Jonin wasn't so easily defeated.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Claw Crimson!"
This technique evolved from the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, attaching flames to spinning shuriken that rained down like scattered blossoms, each carrying searing heat.
Not only did it possess the scorching lethality of fire, but the shuriken retained their cutting edge even after the flames died—making it doubly devastating.
With its high skill requirement, this technique surpassed the original in power, serving as an excellent feint.
Following it, Yato unleashed "Fire Release: Wildfire of the Plains."
A combination ninja technique he'd learned from Sarutobi Hiruzen—suddenly, the sky filled with raging flames.
The overwhelming spectacle cast Yato as a veritable demon of fire.The three opponents had worked together for a long time and knew that Uchiha Yato was from the Uchiha Clan. Of course, they were also well-versed in Earth and Water Release Ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall."
In an instant, the flames surrounding them were extinguished, giving them a chance to catch their breath.
At this moment, they realized one thing—they should never have trusted Danzo's lies and attempted to ambush an Uchiha.
"Regretting it now won't let you escape~"