Uchiha Yamakaze could only half-understand what he was hearing.
All the same, he felt more and more that his Captain—now officially head of the Uchiha Police Force—was someone full of contradictions.
On the one hand, Chiyu's methods were staggeringly ruthless, even extreme.
On the other, the world he envisioned was so bright and hopeful as to feel almost unreal.
He recalled what Patriarch Fugaku once said:
"That man Chiyu can be terrifyingly extreme at times—yet at other moments, oddly optimistic and naive."
As though seeing through Yamakaze's thoughts, Chiyu spoke in a calm voice:
"Without thunderbolt-like methods, one shouldn't talk of a bodhisattva's mercy.
"My means are extreme only because I have no choice but to correct a world gone terribly wrong."
Yamakaze repeated his words in a murmur, pondering them.
"I think I kind of understand now, Captain…" he said.
"You're saying by using extreme methods to rid Konoha of darkness, the Uchiha clan will gain recognition; eventually, we'll earn people's support. Rather than turning to violence in a rash attempt to overthrow violence, you'd avoid driving the clan into a hopeless corner."
Chiyu responded, "From my personal viewpoint, having the clan recognized by everyone is just a side effect.
"Every decision I make is only guided by what I believe is right."
"Still…"
"Still what?"
Chiyu let out a breath. "It's just that Konoha happens to be an embodiment of that rotting darkness."
Yamakaze nodded in comprehension. He then shot Chiyu a small smile.
"Captain, you really are something of a saint—"
"I'm no saint. Merely an egoist who wants peace of mind," Chiyu interrupted curtly.
Yamakaze stretched languidly. "After talking with you for so long, Captain, I feel like my very soul is about to ascend into some higher plane…
"But fear not; I'll be sure to convey your ideals to everyone."
He then recalled a piece of news.
"Oh—Yashiro-sama told me that Hatake Kakashi finished his investigation report and turned it in. He really might be the reliable type you said he was…
"But what will Sarutobi Hiruzen do about it?"
Chiyu said, "Hatake Kakashi, yes, there's still hope for him. As for Sarutobi Hiruzen, he already tried to kill me once and failed completely. He won't act rashly now because the ceasefire with Kumogakure is his top priority. Only after stabilizing things with Kumo can he fully focus on that 'internal threat.'"
Yamakaze nodded in realization. "Which is basically our Uchiha clan…"
Chiyu neither confirmed nor denied.
"Still, Captain, you seem especially concerned about Kumogakure's envoy delegation," Yamakaze pressed, taking a large bite out of an apple—one of the gifts from Daiko's family.
Chiyu also picked up an apple, though he didn't directly answer:
"Maybe," he said, biting into it, his gaze flickering with the hint of a plan forming.
…
Hokage Tower, Council Hall
"Please, Head Ninja, have a seat, have a seat!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a grin.
But the ninja leading Kumogakure's envoy, known simply as the "Head Ninja," lounged arrogantly in his chair across from Hiruzen, showing little respect for the Hokage. He fixed Hiruzen with a dismissive stare.
"All right, Hokage. Let's get on with these negotiations."
"Yes, yes."
Observing the stark difference in their demeanors, the Konoha shinobi present felt only shame and indignation.
How dare they treat some lowly Kumo envoy with such deference, even groveling… and how could the dignified Hokage stoop so low?
But they all knew Konoha had fallen on hard times after the Third Great Ninja War, then further devastated by the Nine-Tails' rampage. Perhaps a humbling approach was unavoidable.
Yet would yielding at every turn really win Konoha any respect or peace? In this ninja world, that logic had never held up. Still, Hiruzen was bent on doing it.
Only the top brass, the major decision-makers, could attend such negotiations:
Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen
Root commander Shimura Danzō
Senior Advisors Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura
The heads of various great clans: Uchiha Fugaku, Hyūga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi…
Newly appointed Anbu Captain Uchiha Shisui.
Hatake Kakashi also participated, though only an Anbu squad leader, thanks to his special status (disciple of the Fourth Hokage, son of Konoha's White Fang, an elite jōnin representative).
They looked on as the Kumo ninja, brimming with rude confidence, discarded all earlier agreements, refusing to honor them. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen conceded on every point, raising no challenge at all. The outcome was that Konoha sacrificed unimaginable powers, forfeiting unbearable losses, only then finally concluding this so-called peace treaty.
All the Konoha leaders were dumbfounded, outraged, fists trembling at their sides—yet none dared oppose the Hokage's resolution. It would go down as one of the most humiliating moments in Konoha's history.
Once the deal was sealed, that "Head Ninja" from Kumo let out a mocking laugh. He rose from his chair and eyed Sarutobi Hiruzen in contempt:
"Hokage, you sure know how to be sensible.
"If everyone in Konoha was as 'understanding' as you, there'd be no war at all, huh?
"Hahahaha! HAHAHAHA!!"
His arrogant laughter filled the Hokage Tower, etching itself into the souls of the Konoha shinobi, who had to swallow it in humiliated silence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, kept wearing that trademark kindly smile.
"Have a safe journey, Head Ninja. May Kumo and Konoha live in peace and eternal alliance."
The envoy leader merely snorted before stalking out, leading his delegation away. When the council room's doors shut with a bang, Hiruzen seated himself once more—his face changing instantly.
"Well, the peace treaty with Kumogakure is finalized. That's at least one major burden off my mind—
"The threat from outside our borders is, for the moment, resolved."
He cast a meaningful look at Uchiha Shisui.
"Now… is there any other major business?"
Everyone at the table—no fools, all of them—knew precisely what this meant. Hiruzen had surrendered to Kumo externally so he could focus on the real "internal threat." Obviously, that referred to…
The Uchiha Clan.
A thought formed in every mind:
Our Hokage is meek as can be toward outsiders, but sure loves to bring down the hammer at home.
All felt a wave of indignation, though they kept it hidden. Even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, so close to the Sarutobi, felt uneasy but didn't protest aloud.
Just as Shisui was about to speak, Hatake Kakashi stepped forward first.
"Hokage-sama, everyone… regarding Uchiha Chiyu, I—along with Inoichi-sama, Ibiki, and Yashiro-sama—thoroughly conducted an interrogation and now have the results…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face tensed immediately.
Kakashi, he thought, what are you planning?!
~~~
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