Fugaku listened to the answer, stunned that such powerful enemies actually existed in the ninja world. Fortunately, none of them were a match for Ryōsuke. He realized that if he were to face such formidable foes, he likely wouldn't have any way to deal with them. Even if he used his Mangekyō Sharingan, it probably wouldn't be of much use. It was better to do as Ryōsuke said and just focus on managing the village well.
At that moment, Uchiha Yatsushiro pushed the door open and entered, happening upon Fugaku and Ryōsuke. He had originally come to find Fugaku to discuss persuading Ryōsuke to take back his previous statement about not suppressing the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
In the past, these two clans had brought shame and blood feuds upon the Uchiha. They had to pay it back several times over. Perhaps Ryōsuke had some profound reasoning, but Yatsushiro was still unwilling to listen. He spoke up immediately.
"Ryōsuke, do you really intend to let the Sarutobi and Shimura clans off the hook? They made our lives so miserable back then. Danzō didn't just target the Uchiha; he even murdered our kin and gouged out their eyes. How can we ever forget such a bitter grudge?"
Fugaku immediately barked, "Elder Yatsushiro, are you questioning Ryōsuke's decision? Ryōsuke made a promise, and naturally, he must keep it. Otherwise, he will lose his credibility. If that happens, the image the Uchiha has been building will be severely damaged again. If the village knows the Uchiha don't keep their word, why would they ever submit to us?"
Yatsushiro snorted coldly. "I know that, of course. But are we really not going to settle this blood debt? That won't do. Our Uchiha clan has always believed in an eye for an eye."
Fugaku knew Yatsushiro's temper. He had also felt extremely stifled in the past, but everything had been reclaimed now. The culprits, Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen, were both dead. However, seeing that he clearly couldn't persuade the man, he could only leave it to Ryōsuke to convince him.
Ryōsuke spoke up then. "I agree with your sentiment. Grudges must be repaid. However, the masterminds have already been killed. Unless you find other accomplices within those two clans who attacked the Uchiha, in which case you can deal with them. But it's best not to target the ordinary people of those clans."
"After all, times are different now. The Uchiha's position in the village is not yet stable enough. There's no need to cause panic throughout the village. This is the place where our Uchiha clan lives; we don't need to make everyone live in fear of us."
Seeing Ryōsuke say this, Fugaku added, "If you still feel it's unfair, do as Ryōsuke said. Deal with those who followed Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen in attacking the Uchiha. Currently, Root should be under the control of the Four Great Clans and the Hyūga clan. Go cooperate with them; I believe they won't object. Doing it this way also aligns with justice."
Yatsushiro still wasn't entirely satisfied with this outcome. According to his thoughts, he naturally wanted to not only kill those who murdered their kin but also suppress these two clans ruthlessly. Currently, these two clans could only be considered mid-sized in the village; he wanted to suppress them until they were small clans at best.
However, what Ryōsuke and the Clan Head said made sense. There was no need to lose the big picture for a small gain now. Killing the Root ninjas and the culprits from both clans who had murdered their kin should be enough to let out some of his frustration. By dealing with those accomplices, he would be avenging the sacrificed clansmen, and his heart would be somewhat at peace. This would also avoid affecting the upcoming Clan Head meeting for the Hokage election.
"Fine, I shall take my leave then." He immediately headed toward the other two branch buildings of the Police Force.
The four clans and the Hyūga clan, who were previously controlling Root, naturally cooperated with Yatsushiro. Because of Yatsushiro's reasoning, they could find no excuse to stop him. The Yamanaka clan even used mind-reading techniques to find the members of Root and the Shimura clan who had participated in the murder of Uchiha clansmen. As for the Anbu, there were none. Presumably, the Third Hokage hadn't personally sent the Anbu to do such things.
Yatsushiro's mood naturally improved greatly.
Meanwhile, news of the Third Hokage's suicide out of guilt spread throughout the Land of Fire within a few days, even reaching the wider ninja world.
In a casino in Tanzaku Quarters on the southwestern border of the Land of Fire, the atmosphere was white-hot. Facing a crowd of gamblers of all shapes and sizes was a woman with pale yellow long hair and a curvaceous figure. At this moment, she was also focused intensely on the gambling table.
She was extremely annoyed inside. She had lost again today. She didn't know when it had started, but she had been plagued by bad luck, not winning a single round of gambling.
In front of her were greedy gamblers, their eyes sparkling. They weren't greedy for the beautiful woman's looks—though she was gorgeous, they didn't have the guts to have such thoughts. Because the woman across from them was a powerful figure known throughout the ninja world as one of the Sannin: Tsunade. She was also the granddaughter of Senju Hashirama and the Princess of Konoha. To mess with her would be equivalent to offending the entire Hidden Leaf Village. They figured the people of the Leaf would come knocking on their doors; if they didn't want to die, they shouldn't even think about it.
What they were greedy for, of course, was Tsunade's money. Although Tsunade was powerful, her luck was abysmal. Everyone who gambled with her could win a fortune, earning her the title of "The Big Fat Sheep." They were elated, thinking they were about to make another killing.