Chapter 13

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Uchiha Fugaku glared at Danzo and asked angrily, "Third Hokage, what does this talk about 'evil Uchiha' mean? We came here to support your return! Why is it that as soon as we arrive, we hear you slandering our Uchiha clan behind our backs?"

Uchiha Setsuna, a die-hard loyalist to the Uchiha, had been drawn in by Toki, who revived the Uchiha's standing. Uchiha Yatsushiro was Fugaku's right-hand man, while Uchiha Inaba remained neutral.

Fugaku had brought Yatsushiro and Inaba to support Sarutobi Hiruzen, in the hopes of restoring peace to Konoha. Three Uchiha jonin would carry more weight than the two upper ninja supporting Toki. On the way here, Fugaku had been confused when he saw Toki laughing as he left the room. But upon entering, he heard Danzo scheming against the Uchiha.

Although Fugaku was pro-Hokage, he was still focused on protecting the Uchiha. He was the type to appear conciliatory while still seeking the best interests of his clan.

Hearing Danzo's open insult to the Uchiha, Fugaku had no choice but to confront him.

The jonin in the room exchanged strange glances. Uchiha Fugaku was the first clan leader to ever face impeachment. In every other clan, the head's position was unchallenged, not just because of status, but also bloodline. Most clans had clear distinctions between main and branch families, with the Hyuga being the most notable example.

The Uchiha clan, on the other hand, made no distinction. Their leadership was based on strength and reputation. So for Fugaku to be removed from his position as leader was already a joke among the clan heads. Seeing him now, arriving too late to make any impact, almost made them burst into laughter.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, ignored the jeers. He fought back the urge to reprimand Fugaku and smiled, "Danzo misspoke. Originally, I was planning to return, but your Uchiha clan doesn't seem to want that. So, we'll hold an open election instead."

Fugaku was taken aback. "Our Uchiha clan doesn't want you to return as Hokage?"

Nara Shikaku stood up, clearly unimpressed by the scene unfolding before him. Bowing slightly to Sarutobi, he said, "Hokage-sama, we from the Ino-Shika-Cho have no candidates to recommend, so we'll be leaving now."

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza quickly followed Shikaku out of the room. Seeing this, the other ninja also excused themselves, leaving only a confused Uchiha Fugaku and Konoha's "Four Elders" behind.

Fugaku, now lost, asked, "Hokage-sama, what is going on?"

Sarutobi waved him off, clearly annoyed. "Fugaku, go back to your clan and figure out what's happening before asking any more questions."

With that, he stood up and stormed out of the room, seething in anger. Danzo shot a cold glare at Fugaku and his two companions before following Sarutobi out.

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances and quickly left as well, not wanting to stay in the tension-filled room.

Uchiha Inaba, the neutral party, had anger in his eyes. "Fugaku, this is what you call peace? I'm leaving. Think about what you're doing."

Uchiha Yatsushiro, trying to support Fugaku, was equally confused. "Patriarch, I think I'll retreat for now as well."

Fugaku stood in the empty conference room, utterly bewildered. What in the world had happened? Why did everything fall apart so quickly?

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On the other side of the village, Uchiha Setsuna was excitedly chatting with Toki.

"Lord Toki, that was incredible! The Uchiha clan hasn't stood up like this in so long."

"I was always being ordered by Fugaku to respect the Hokage, respect the village—but when have they ever respected the Uchiha clan?"

"We patrol Konoha all day, maintain law and order, and yet we get nothing but complaints! I've wanted to put those old fools in their place for ages. Are you really planning to push for Sarutobi to step down?"

Toki chuckled and waved it off. "Don't worry. As long as I'm the clan head, I won't let the Uchiha be mistreated again. If you face injustice, fight back!"

"Of course, this only applies to the ninja. Make sure to tell the team members to enforce the law with civility when dealing with civilians."

"We'll place suggestion boxes all over the village. If anyone feels that they've been treated unfairly, they can report it freely. And if it's verified, they'll be rewarded with 100,000 ryo!"

"Let the clan know—if they don't want us to enforce the law strictly, we'll just do it 'civilly.' From now on, if there's any fighting in the village, as long as no one's dying, the garrison won't get involved."

"And even if someone's nearly dead, just stop the fight and let them deal with the rest. Let the Hokage and the ANBU handle it."

"Didn't they say we were too strict with law enforcement?"

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