At the very least, Uchiha Jin was safe — and that was a relief to everyone present.
Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped the ashes from his pipe and looked toward the man standing calmly with his arms crossed.
"Shikaku," the Hokage said evenly, "tell me what you think."
At once, the entire room turned to Nara Shikaku.
When it came to strategy, there was no one more trusted than the Nara clan. Their insight had guided Konoha through countless crises.
Shikaku, who had been holding his chin thoughtfully the entire time, let out a slow sigh.
"To be honest," he began, his tone calm but edged with a trace of doubt,
"I think we might be overcomplicating this."
That made several of the jōnin frown.
"Maybe," Shikaku continued, "this whole situation is much simpler than we think."
He straightened a little and began laying out his reasoning.
"Two years ago, a team from Kumogakure infiltrated Konoha, trying to abduct a kekkei genkai user. Most of them were killed or captured — except one, who escaped."
He glanced around the room, making sure everyone was following.
"That missing Kumo-nin has been on the run ever since. And just recently, Kumogakure caught him again."
"We're now at war with them. So what do they do? They make use of what they have left — a dead shinobi, a staged crime scene — and turn the situation into a weapon."
"Their goal is obvious: to plunge Konoha into internal chaos."
Shikaku's voice grew colder.
"Think about it — choosing the Uchiha as the scapegoat was deliberate. Everyone knows their pride and their temper. Under normal circumstances, this would split the clan into moderates and radicals. The radicals would never stay quiet."
"And if the Uchiha Police Force began a full investigation, the entire village could be thrown into disorder — right when we're surrounded by enemies on all sides."
He let his words hang in the air.
"That," he finished, "is exactly what Kumogakure wants."
A cold hiss spread through the council chamber.
Shikaku's deduction was simple, but devastating.
The more they thought about it, the more it made sense.
If Konoha were torn apart by civil strife now, when even academy students were being sent to the front lines, it would be an opportunity too perfect for the other villages to resist.
Murmurs broke out across the room.
"Yunyin's methods are as vile as ever!"
"They're trying to destroy us from within!"
"We must not fall for this trap!"
The tension shifted — from suspicion to unity.
Fugaku stepped forward, his expression grave, his voice steady.
"Hokage-sama, council members," he said, bowing slightly.
"I, Uchiha Fugaku, swear on the honor of my clan's ancestors that no one in the Uchiha will act recklessly during this war. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I will personally deal with them."
There was no hesitation in his words.
Fugaku was sweating — he knew better than anyone what would happen if the Third Great Ninja War was lost because of the Uchiha. He would not let his clan shoulder that kind of blame.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression had turned grim.
I nearly ordered a full investigation… and if I had, it might have torn the village apart, the Hokage thought, a chill running down his spine.
Konoha was already surrounded by enemies — the Hidden Cloud, Stone, Sand, and Mist had all declared war. With manpower stretched so thin that even students were being deployed, a civil conflict would be fatal.
No matter what the truth of this incident was, it could not be pursued further.
The most important thing now was to stabilize the village.
Hiruzen stood, pipe in hand, and spoke with firm authority.
"This matter ends here," he declared.
"This was Kumogakure's conspiracy, meant to turn us against one another."
He gestured toward Shikaku.
"Thanks to the insight of Nara Shikaku, we have uncovered their scheme. I will see to it that this is made known across the ninja world — so that all may witness how low Kumogakure has stooped."
His gaze swept the room.
"And let this be a warning: Konoha will not be broken from within. Those who try will fail."
The council nodded in agreement. The matter was settled — for now.