Uchiha—black and red.
Even if Konoha's so-called F4 didn't understand what "black and red" meant, they at least knew that mere rumors were useless against the Uchiha.
They were already covered in filth—what difference would a little more make?
A man with bare feet isn't afraid of one wearing shoes!
That was exactly why the Konoha F4 fell silent.
"Why don't we convene a Jounin Council?" Utatane Koharu finally spoke. "Let the Jounin squads vote. If the Uchiha care at all about saving face, they won't dare take things too far."
"Konoha belongs to everyone. Even the other clans wouldn't agree to let the Uchiha drag our village into chaos, right?"
Homura Mitokado and Shimura Danzo both nodded quickly.
Yes—this was a good idea!
To put it bluntly, it was about redirecting the pressure.
Uchiha Kai's plan had shifted the conflict between villagers and the Police Force straight onto Konoha's higher-ups.
And now, Koharu was redirecting that pressure again—this time onto all the ninja clans.
You all don't want the Uchiha stirring up trouble, do you?
If the village is thrown into turmoil, won't your clans suffer losses too?
"I agree," Homura said, nodding firmly.
Danzo kept silent, but his expression showed he approved of Koharu's proposal.
But unfortunately—
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, gave the three of them a faint glance, and then sighed before relighting his pipe.
He began puffing smoke while the other three sat dumbfounded.
"Hiruzen, not even this will work?" Danzo finally broke the silence.
"No. It won't," Hiruzen said quietly. "I thought about the Jounin Council just now. But I rejected it—it's unlikely to work."
"I already warned you not to underestimate Uchiha Kai. He's not like the other Uchiha."
"The banner he raised this time is simple: the village has been denying the Police Force funding for too long."
"If we really hold a Jounin Council… will the village provide that money or not?"
Konoha's F3 were struck dumb again.
Damn it!
Still won't work?
Is Uchiha Kai really this hard to deal with?!
The three elders fell silent, one after another.
Hiruzen shook his head.
"This is an open-handed strategy. Uchiha Kai isn't hiding anything—he lays it out plainly, without fear of investigation."
"Why?"
"Because even if you see the trap coming, there's no way to disarm it."
"Go back and think carefully. How do we break this game? We still have time—there's no need to panic."
"As for sending Uchiha Kai to the battlefield… let's settle this matter first."
"It's late. Go."
Yes—just from the way these three had behaved, Hiruzen could tell they were hopeless.
If anyone was going to handle Uchiha Kai, it wouldn't be them.
So, after giving a few brief instructions, he dismissed them.
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, then turned and left.
Only Danzo lingered.
After the two had gone, his cold voice cut the air.
"Hiruzen, you and I are different. You can suffer humiliation in silence—that's why they call you the 'Ninja Hero.' But me? I can't do that."
"Root has suffered too much today. I will have revenge."
"I don't want you stopping me. Farewell."
With that, Danzo turned and strode out.
Hiruzen hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Danzo, I can't force you. But I urge you to be cautious. Uchiha Kai is no ordinary Uchiha."
"If you break the rules—if you resort to assassination—he will retaliate in kind."
"If you dare assassinate an Uchiha, he will dare assassinate a Shimura."
"And when that happens, I won't be able to protect you."
Yes.
He had only met Uchiha Kai once, and exchanged just a few words. But as a politician, reading characters from small details was second nature. He already had a clear sense of Kai's temperament.
As for Danzo—Hiruzen knew his old friend's nature better than anyone. Root had taken heavy losses tonight. He didn't want the damage to worsen.
But Danzo stayed silent for a long moment.
In the end, he said nothing—and simply left.
Sigh…
Hiruzen exhaled, shaking his head. He knew he couldn't dissuade Danzo. Some things were beyond even a Hokage's control.
After all, if the sky wants to rain and a daughter wants to marry, what could he do?
He took a long drag on his pipe, gazed out into the night sky.
After a while, he sat down and penned a letter, then summoned an Anbu operative.
"Black Crow—head to the Land of Grass. Deliver this letter to Nara Shikaku, and bring me his reply quickly."
Yes—when it came to matters of strategy, the person he trusted most was still Nara Shikaku.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio might not be his staunchest allies, but their clans were the Hokage faction by tradition.
Whoever sat in the Hokage's chair, they pledged their loyalty.
As long as he was Hokage, Shikaku could be trusted.
Meanwhile—
Back in Root's underground chamber, Danzo slammed his fist on the table, shattering it.
Since becoming both a senior Konoha elder and the head of Root, he had never suffered such humiliation.
The more he tried to endure, the angrier he became.
The more he stepped back, the more he felt cheated.
He couldn't bear it!
"Damn Uchiha. I'll never let you off!"
"Men!"
At his call, a Root shinobi dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzo!"
"Starting today, withdraw every Root operative from the front lines," Danzo ordered coldly. "Put the entire Uchiha clan under surveillance. If there's even the slightest chance—strike. Assassinate."
"I recall there's a Uchiha prodigy on the Grass Country front lines—Shisui, isn't he? Inform every Root operative stationed there: target him. Assassinate at all costs."
"No matter the method. No matter the price. I want Shisui dead."
"And from this day forward—"
"Every Uchiha. Ninja or civilian—it doesn't matter."
"Kill them all!"
Danzo's voice dripped with venom as he gave a sharp wave of his hand.
The 'big picture'? The 'rules of the game'?
He no longer cared.
All that mattered was revenge—destroying the Uchiha.
Fear? Not for him.
Because he knew—so long as Hiruzen Sarutobi was Hokage, no matter what chaos he stirred, Hiruzen would have no choice but to protect him.
Why?
Because too many dirty jobs required his hand.
If he were gone, who would do them for the Hokage?
So—even if things spiraled out of control, the worst that could happen was losing his Elder title, or being stripped of his position as Root commander.
Big deal. He could rest for a while. And when the storm blew over, he'd still be Elder, still be Root's leader.
That was why he acted without hesitation, without restraint.
The Uchiha—he had already sentenced them to death.
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