At the end of the street, the tide of Uchiha slowed down.
Fugaku and Shisui, walking at the front, looked at the brightly lit Hokage Building and the elderly figure standing alone under the porch.
Seeing that, Fugaku raised his hand, and the procession behind him gradually came to a halt.
He did not order them to advance, nor did he speak. He simply stood there, the silent clan members behind him, the equally silent Hokage before him.
Then, footsteps sounded from both sides of the street.
Not Uchiha. Not ANBU. It was Konoha's Shinobi clans.
Hyuga Hiashi walked at the front, followed by a dozen Hyuga ninjas. Then came the Aburame, the Inuzuka, and other Shinobi clans—even the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and other pro-Hokage clans gathered.
They kept a considerable distance, as if afraid of causing a misunderstanding.
Hiruzen knew that these clans weren't siding with the Uchiha—the Uchiha didn't have that kind of popularity. They had been frightened by his policy of "supporting civilians and balancing the clans."
The Sky Screen had made it clear: the Hokage faction's consistent policy was to weaken the Shinobi Clans!
If the Uchiha could be wiped out without just cause, then what about the Hyuga? Or the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka—couldn't they be next?
That was precisely why Hiruzen had said Danzō's direct approach of military suppression was thoughtless.
The Hokage faction only had so many people. How could they govern the village?
You couldn't kill them all!
To stabilize the village, one had to rely on rules.
The Hokage faction was the biggest beneficiary of the rules; breaking the rules would hurt them the most as well.
Therefore, no matter what was done behind the scenes, even the Hokage had to abide by the rules on the surface.
Seeing so many Shinobi Clans gathering around, Fugaku felt greatly reassured, and the dark red in his pupils slowly faded.
He raised his hand, stopping the eager Yashiro behind him, and with his back to his clansmen, he said in a steady tone.
"Wait here."
Then he turned his head and said to Shisui.
"Shisui, come with me."
With that, without waiting for Shisui to react, he stepped forward and walked toward the brightly lit Hokage Building.
Shisui's body trembled slightly. He bowed his head deeply and followed half a step behind Fugaku.
The distance of about a hundred steps felt like crossing through an expanse of time.
Fugaku's every step was steady, his feet making crisp sounds on the stone pavement. He could feel countless gazes cast upon him from both sides: the peering of ANBU in the shadows of the eaves, the silent watching of the Shinobi clans, and the gazes of the villagers further away.
But he paid them no mind; he only looked ahead.
Toward the aged figure standing alone under the porch of the Hokage Building.
Only when he stood before the Third Hokage, did Fugaku stop and take a good look at the man—this Hokage who had already been in power for decades and would remain in power for nearly another ten years.
Beside him, Shisui's head was already down, his voice respectful.
"Sandaime-sama, our deepest apologies for disturbing you so late at night."
Hiruzen nodded slightly, his gaze quickly passing over Shisui and landing on Fugaku's face.
Fugaku did not bow, merely nodding slightly.
"Sandaime-sama, the Uchiha have come."
Hiruzen was silent for a few seconds, his fingers stroking the cool stem of his pipe. He did not ask what Fugaku was trying to do. Instead, he said intriguingly.
"You didn't bring weapons."
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"That would have been a rebellion."
"The Uchiha are not here to rebel tonight."
The night wind blew across the square in front of the Hokage Building, swirling a few fallen leaves between the two men.
Seeing that Hiruzen did not respond, Fugaku continued.
"In Year One of Konoha, the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan joined hands to build the village, and the entire clan migrated to the banks of the Naka River, pledging to share the fate of Konoha from then on."
Hiruzen still said nothing.
"Later, the Police Force was established, and the Uchiha Clan became responsible for the security patrols of the entire village. Over the past fifty years, the Police Force has handled a total of over twenty-seven thousand security cases, pursued three hundred and forty-two rogue shinobis, and sixty-seven members have died in the line of duty."
Fugaku's tone was as flat as if he were reciting a dusty old report.
"During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha faced Kirigakure alone, and the casualties in that battle were countless."
Many of the Shinobi from the clans standing in the shadows lowered their heads; although they were dissatisfied with the arrogant nature of the Uchiha, they still acknowledged their contributions.
Fugaku continued to look at Hiruzen.
"Sandaime-sama, it has been fifty years. I don't need you to remember how much blood the Uchiha have shed for Konoha. But you should at least know—"
"We have never done anything to betray Konoha."
The wind seemed to stop, and the fallen leaves landed, as light as a sigh.
"Never done anything to betray Konoha?"
Before Hiruzen could speak, Danzō stepped out from behind him, leaning on his cane.
"Uchiha Madara defected from Konoha and attempted to destroy the village—was he not a Uchiha?"
"Uchiha Setsuna colluded a missing-nin and plotted a coup—was he not a Uchiha?"
"During the Nine-Tails incident, the Nine-Tails had the Sharingan in its eyes—were those not the eyes of the Uchiha?!"
Danzō slammed his cane heavily against the ground, his voice sharp with accusation.
"You have shed blood, but Konoha has shed even more! On what basis should the village trust you!"
In the shadows of the porch, Koharu and Homura frowned but remained silent.
On the plaza, the formation of Uchiha clan began to stir; veins bulged on Yashiro's forehead, and Tetsuka nearly charged out of the line, only to be held back tightly by clansmen beside him.
Fugaku looked at Danzō, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he replied with a hint pity.
"Advisor Danzō, regarding the few things you mentioned."
"When Uchiha Madara defected, no one from the Uchiha Clan followed him. Although Elder Setsuna had dissenting opinions, he never took any action; how can you call it a rebellion? As for the Nine-Tails incident—"
Fugaku paused, his tone finally showing some emotion. With strong displeasure, he continued indignantly.
"That night, the Uchiha Police Force requested to be deployed to assist in defending against the Nine-Tails. But it was you, Lord Danzō, who ordered us to remain in our clan grounds and not to go out."
"Of course! The Uchiha were the prime suspects at the time! Even now, you have not been cleared of suspicion!"
Hearing that, Fugaku ignored Danzō and turned his gaze back to Hiruzen.
"Sandaime-sama, nearly three years have passed; have you found out whose Sharingan was in the Nine-Tails' eyes?"
"If it was someone from the Uchiha Clan in Konoha, please point them out directly. If it was not an Uchiha from Konoha, then who will answer for the grievances we have suffered over the past three years—being forced to move from our original clan grounds, being isolated and monitored, having our budget cut... and even the threat of being exterminated in the future?"
Fugaku seemed to have touched a nerve of Danzō; he suddenly raised his cane and pointed it at Fugaku.
"You are being sophistical! Those eyes in the Nine-Tails were Sharingan! You cannot escape responsibility!"
Just then, Fugaku suddenly turned and glanced at Danzō, and before Danzō could say more, he suddenly froze.
Fugaku's eyes were no longer black and white, nor were they in the shape of the three tomoe. Instead, three swirling patterns were slowly rotating within his blood-red irises.
Mangekyo Sharingan!
Danzō's pupils constricted sharply, but he couldn't scream; his consciousness had already been dragged into another world.
He stood atop the Hokage Rock, wearing the Hokage's robe. Hiruzen stood behind him, head bowed, taking orders. Fugaku knelt before him, begging for forgiveness. And when he spoke, everyone held their breath; when he gave an order, everyone obeyed.
He was the Hokage, he had finally become the Hokage.
"Danzō?"
A voice called out from far, far away, trying to wake him. But Danzō only wanted to hold onto this dream, unwilling to awaken.
"Danzō!"
Hiruzen's voice was like a gavel, shattering the beauty of the illusion.
Danzō snapped back to reality, staggering backward. The fanaticism in his eyes faded, replaced by terror.
"You... how dare you use Genjutsu on me!!"
Danzō trembled with rage.
Fugaku didn't answer Danzō. The Mangekyō in his eyes slowly closed, reverting to ordinary black pupils. Then he gave a slight bow to Hiruzen.
"Sandaime-sama, forgive my rudeness."
He paused, then added.
"It was merely a simple Genjutsu. It showed him the scene his heart most desires. Harmless, and it will leave no aftereffects."
Danzō's face instantly turned red, his mouth agape, but he could not utter a single word.
He knew that what he had just seen in Fugaku's eyes was the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The same Mangekyō Sharingan as Uchiha Madara's!
Danzō was extremely wary. Though his hatred for the Uchiha remained, he had no desire to humiliate himself again.