[Konoha Village]
As the sound of numerous footsteps rang out.
Representatives from the major ninja clans, Shimura, Mitokado, Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and others, all arrived.
Hiashi, Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi stood behind the Third Hokage.
Everyone's expressions were unpleasant. Everyone was well aware of the Uchiha's combat prowess.
Once tonight passed, who knew how many people would remain here forever.
They all looked toward the Third Hokage, awaiting his command.
The Third Hokage was still trying to gather as many people as possible, to wipe out the Uchiha Clan in one go.
While waiting for Konoha's side to finish assembling, Rengoku reviewed the plan with Itachi and the Great Elder.
Once nearly all the clans had arrived, Rengoku exchanged a glance with the Great Elder.
The Great Elder nodded, then led Rengoku, Fugaku, and Itachi to the center of the street.
He shouted loudly toward Konoha's side, "SARUTOBI HIRUZEN, STEP FORWARD AND SPEAK!"
The Third Hokage and the Great Elder were from the same era, and had even fought on the battlefield together.
Calling the Third Hokage directly by name clearly signaled hostility.
Konoha's side stirred slightly. The Third Hokage stepped forward with Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Hyuga Hiashi, and Nara Shikaku.
"Uchiha Kairen! Your Uchiha Clan attacked Danzo and pursued members of the Root. Are you trying to defect from the village?", The Third Hokage asked in a deep voice, immediately slapping a defection charge on them.
But the Great Elder didn't fall into the trap of self-justification.
Instead, he shouted angrily, "Sarutobi Hiruzen! Shimura Danzo issued orders to annihilate our Uchiha Clan, attempted to control the Nine-Tails, and staged a coup for power, were you aware of this?"
Itachi now coldly stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two advisor elders, watching how they would respond.
The Third Hokage always played the mediator in front of Itachi. He couldn't admit in front of other clan leaders that he had given the order himself.
But if he claimed ignorance, he'd fall right into Rengoku's trap.
Having worked with the Third Hokage for many years, Utatane Koharu knew this was a difficult question for him to answer, and immediately interjected, "Nonsense. It was Uchiha Itachi who reported that someone among you harbored treasonous intent, Danzo only went to investigate because of that."
The Great Elder remained silent and gave Itachi a signal with his eyes.
Itachi stepped forward and addressed Konoha's side, "Our Uchiha Clan had no intention of launching a coup. Danzo was the one who ordered me to say so."
"His goal was to obtain our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, control the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, and make himself Hokage."
Hiashi and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio exchanged glances. Everyone's eyes were dark and unreadable.
The situation was developing in a completely unexpected direction, but they remained silent, waiting for what came next.
The Third Hokage, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all had unpleasant expressions.
They all knew Itachi was spouting complete nonsense, because the Uchiha truly did intend to stage a coup.
But Danzo was essentially the Third Hokage's glove puppet, so of course they had to defend him. Mitokado Homura said coldly, "You think with just your words alone, you can slander the Hokage's assistant?"
Itachi remained calm and spoke loudly, "Isn't anyone curious why I attacked Danzo?"
Aside from the Third Hokage and a few others, the rest of the clan representatives showed expressions of curiosity.
Without waiting for others to ask, Itachi answered directly, "Because Danzo seized Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan two years ago."
"And implanted it into his own eye."
"He always kept his eye wrapped in bandages to hide the stolen Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi's voice was loud and clear. All the major clans on Konoha's side heard every word.
Everyone's expressions turned to shock.
A leader in the village had conspired to seize a clan's kekkei genkai, this was a grudge of life and death.
Utatane Koharu's eyes shifted, and she calmly said, "Itachi, Danzo's eye has already been removed. What proof do you have that it was Shisui's eye you took?"
Itachi closed his mouth, as if he expected Konoha's side to argue like this.
Great Elder Uchiha Kairen stepped forward and firmly said, "Sarutobi Hiruzen! What Itachi just said is simply stating the truth."
"Believe it or not, our Uchiha Clan won't play word games with you."
"If you, the Konoha high command, want our Sharingan, then we Uchiha are not afraid to fight to the death."
Behind him, Fugaku, Itachi, and Rengoku simultaneously activated Susanoo.
A massive chakra storm swept through the area, making every clan leader's heart skip a beat.
Many couldn't help but draw their weapons.
But the leaders of the major clans all had flickering eyes, there was no will to fight in any of them.
After all, the Uchiha's posture didn't look like a bluff.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned grim. What the other side said directly isolated the Hokage faction from the rest of the clans.
And with three Mangekyo Sharingan users, they couldn't be dealt with easily.
The Third Hokage said in a deep voice, "Uchiha Kairen, I need time to investigate this matter."
The Great Elder revealed a contemptuous look, seemingly knowing the Third Hokage would back down.
Itachi spoke again, "There's physical evidence, on Danzo himself."
"Not only is his right eye a Sharingan, but the arm wrapped in bandages still contains our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan."
Right now, Danzo's Wood-Style arm required Sharingan to suppress it.
Unless the entire arm was removed, those Sharingan couldn't be taken out.
"But this matter alone doesn't involve others."
Everyone else perked up their ears.
The Third Hokage's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know what Itachi wanted to say next, but he couldn't stop him now.
"What do you mean?"
The Great Elder signaled Itachi again, and Itachi spoke once more, "Danzo plotted to exterminate our Uchiha Clan, so he found a helper."
"This person wasn't from our Uchiha Clan, but he possessed a Mangekyo Sharingan."
"He is proficient in space-time ninjutsu and can freely pass through the village's barriers."
"The Nine-Tails incident back then was orchestrated by Danzo and this man together."
Everyone's expression changed drastically. The major clans couldn't stay seated anymore. What happened earlier didn't concern them much.
But the Nine-Tails disaster had taken countless lives among the major clans, even the Fourth Hokage had died there.
The Nine-Tails incident was arguably the turning point in Konoha's decline.
And this matter implicated the entire village.
As Konoha's strategist, Shikaku now asked in a serious voice, "Itachi, do you have any evidence?"
Itachi expressionlessly said, "Everyone here knows how much Danzo wanted to be Hokage."
"The Fourth Hokage was young and strong, without the Nine-Tails incident, Danzo wouldn't have become Hokage even in death."
"During the Nine-Tails disaster, our Uchiha Clan was ordered to escort civilians to safety."
"But afterward, Danzo spread the story that we Uchiha did nothing, and used that to suppress us."
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