The Hokage's office was unusually quiet, yet filled with a tension that seemed to press down on everyone present. Scrolls lay stacked on the wide desk, the faint scent of ink and candle wax lingering in the air. The sound of a quill scratching against paper had stopped the moment Uchiha Yato began his accusations, and now only silence remained—silence heavy enough to make even seasoned shinobi uneasy.
A long list of charges had been recited, one after another, like knives being thrown into the room. Every word Uchiha Yato uttered was sharp and deliberate, each accusation aimed directly at Shimura Danzo.
The moment he finished, three of the four people present looked utterly stunned. Their eyes darted back and forth as if trying to process whether this was reality or some elaborate genjutsu. Only one person looked completely at ease—Uchiha Yato himself, standing proudly with arms crossed, as though this entire scene was nothing more than a well-rehearsed play.
So exaggerated… Uchiha Kai thought to himself, his brows twitching slightly. You really know how to pile it on, don't you, Yato? If you keep this up, even Danzo himself might start believing he's guilty of things he hasn't done yet.
Yet Kai understood the deeper truth behind Yato's theatrics. This wasn't recklessness. This was strategy. Uchiha Yato was deliberately embellishing the evidence, painting Danzo blacker than soot, not because he truly believed it all, but because it was the best way to win favor with the Hokage. By making Danzo look like the villain and appealing to Sarutobi Hiruzen's position as arbiter of justice, Yato was killing two birds with one stone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat quietly on his chair, his ever-present pipe resting by his side. His lips curled into a smile—not mocking, not harsh, but the kind of indulgent smile a teacher might wear when listening to a troublesome student. His eyes, however, were sharp, weighing every word, every gesture, and every motive hidden within Yato's performance.
"Yato~," the Hokage finally said, dragging out the name with a tone halfway between amusement and curiosity. "So, what exactly do you mean when you say 'inciting a minor'?"
The words dropped like pebbles into still water. Everyone's eyes turned toward Yato.
Without hesitation, Yato raised a hand, pointing squarely at Aburame Ryoma. "That would be him."
The Aburame clan leader's expression froze, his jaw tightening. To have his own clansman labeled a tool in some scheme was humiliating enough, but what followed was even more absurd.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what about the Uchiha seedling you mentioned earlier?"
Yato paused for dramatic effect, then placed a hand on his chest. With a completely straight face, he declared, "That seedling… is me. I am not talented, but my name is Seedling."
The room went silent for a long moment.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had weathered countless battles and political storms, faltered. His smile twitched, then softened into something closer to exasperation. He coughed lightly into his hand, covering the faint embarrassment creeping across his face.
And then—
Ding!
"The host has caused Sarutobi Hiruzen's mood to fluctuate."
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining 20 emotion coins."
The system's crisp voice rang in Yato's head, making him nearly burst out laughing. His lips curled ever so slightly as joy bubbled within him. As expected! Today will definitely be a harvest day. First Hiruzen, and soon Danzo… The turnips are lining themselves up for me to pull.
The Third Hokage leaned back, folding his hands together. His smile had returned, but now it carried a trace of weariness. "So, to summarize… what you're saying is that Elder Danzo incited Aburame Ryoma to kill you?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yato replied solemnly, though the sparkle in his eyes betrayed his delight at the conversation's direction.
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "But, as it stands, no real harm was done. No blood was spilled, and you remain unharmed." He turned toward the Aburame clan leader. "Let Ryoma be taken back and disciplined within his own clan. After all, he is still a child. Let us show leniency."
The statement was delivered with the calm authority of someone who believed he had settled the matter.
"'Still a child'…" Hiruzen repeated the phrase almost fondly, savoring the irony. It was a line Yato himself had used in the past, now turned against him with the elegance of political aikido.
But Uchiha Yato was far from troubled. His lips curved upward. This was exactly within his calculations. Of course the Hokage would shield Danzo—weren't they comrades in arms, two men who wore the same pair of pants, as the saying went? To expect Hiruzen to outright condemn Danzo was like expecting the moon to fall from the sky.
No, this was all going according to plan. What began as "murder" was already being reshaped into "child's play." What was meant as punishment for Danzo was softened into mere clan discipline for Ryoma. Step by step, the Hokage was clearing his old friend of guilt.
But Yato had no intention of letting the matter end there.
Before he could speak, however, another voice cut in. Uchiha Kai stepped forward, his tone firm but respectful. "Hokage-sama, forgive me, but I believe you have misunderstood. This is not a trivial matter. We possess solid evidence that Sir Danzo instigated the crime. We cannot let this be brushed aside."
His voice rang with conviction. "For the sake of fairness, for the sake of the village, I propose we hold a public and impartial trial before your very eyes. This will not only resolve the matter but also show the people of Konoha that justice is alive under your leadership."
The weight of those words made Hiruzen's brows lift ever so slightly. A trial? A lawsuit? These were foreign concepts in Konoha, where disputes were typically resolved through mediation, clan discipline, or sheer force.
"A lawsuit…?" Hiruzen repeated, genuine puzzlement in his tone.
Before Kai could elaborate further, Yato jumped in, smiling smoothly. "Allow me to explain, Hokage-sama."
It wasn't that he feared Kai would misspeak, but this was his idea, his chance to shine. And besides—if he didn't control the narrative, who knew how others might twist it?
"In a remote part of Konoha," Yato began, "we Uchiha have constructed a new kind of building. We call it a court. Its purpose is simple: to try cases openly and fairly."
He gestured with his hands as though drawing the picture in the air. "Take for example if Sarutobi Kasuruya and Hyuga Boya were to quarrel, and in the heat of their fight one was gravely injured. The Uchiha judgment might be harsh, calling for death. But others might argue that the punishment is too severe, that the offenders should be given a chance to repent.
That is when the court steps in. It examines the crime, weighs the evidence, and determines a punishment that is just—not arbitrary, not clouded by clan bias. And most importantly, it explains this judgment to the people, so they too understand the reasoning."
The words hung in the air like sparks catching on dry wood. Even the Third Hokage, a man not easily swayed, found himself intrigued.
For men and children alike, new ideas carried a certain allure. Hiruzen leaned forward slightly, his interest plain. "I see… And how does this court of yours function? How are judgments passed?"
At that moment, Yato nearly burst into laughter. This was the crack he needed. If Hiruzen was asking questions, then he was already hooked.
"Hokage-sama," Yato said smoothly, "words alone cannot capture its essence. To speak of it is like describing the taste of tea to someone who has never sipped it. Far better to experience it once than to hear it a thousand times." His eyes glinted mischievously. "And as fate would have it, we already have a perfect case before us. Why not use this very incident as the first demonstration? That way, you will see with your own eyes how effective the system is. And in doing so, governance over Konoha will become lighter, fairer, and more transparent."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the desk thoughtfully. His silence lingered—until the doors opened.
Shimura Danzo entered.
He strode in briskly, his cane striking the wooden floor with rhythmic authority. Flanking him were Konoha's other two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. Together, the three formed the old guard of the village, second only to the Hokage himself.
Danzo's single visible eye scanned the room, sharp as a hawk. "I hear the Uchiha have been speaking my name in the Hokage's office. Accusing me, no less."
Uchiha Yato immediately slipped into performance mode. His expression shifted, eyes glistening with mock sorrow as he clasped his hands dramatically. "Danzo-sama, you are too cruel! To order a seven-year-old child to take my life—have you no shame? Was my only crime that I stole some of your glory during the battle in the Hidden Rain Village?"
His voice cracked as though on the verge of tears. Theatrics, pure theatrics, but effective.
Danzo's lips curled in disdain. "Nonsense. You tarnish my name with baseless accusations. Even after using your clan leader to shield yourself from me, I bore it with patience. And now you dare to claim I plotted against you? Do not let arrogance cloud your tongue."
Though his words were harsh, his tone lacked true fire. It was more defense than counterattack.
Yato's heart soared. Perfect. By pulling Danzo into the old battlefield grudges, he ensured Hiruzen would see this not as a fresh plot, but as a continuation of old disputes. A personal grudge, not a political crime. That way, the Hokage wouldn't probe too deeply into today's events. Exactly as Yato intended.
The room buzzed with tension, everyone reading between the lines. Yet before the argument could escalate further, Hiruzen raised a hand.
"Enough. The past is the past. There is no need to dredge up old quarrels here." His voice was calm, but it carried the unquestionable weight of authority. "Danzo, do not trouble yourself with the younger generation's words. Let us move on to the matter at hand."
He turned his gaze to the others. "The Uchiha propose a new method of judgment—open, fair, comprehensive. I am considering using this very incident as a demonstration for the village. What are your thoughts?"
Classic Hiruzen. With a single turn of phrase, he shifted the focus, smoothed over the conflict, and left everyone with just enough of a warning not to overstep.
Danzo's brow furrowed, but he was no fool. He understood Hiruzen's meaning instantly. Resistance now would only paint him as guilty. Slowly, he nodded. "Since Hokage-sama has decided, then let it be so."
The two elders beside him remained silent, watching carefully.
Yato wasted no time. He bowed slightly. "Then it is settled. The trial will begin in two days. We will make the necessary preparations immediately. For now, we shall take our leave and not trouble Hokage-sama further."
At Hiruzen's subtle nod, the Uchiha delegation withdrew, leaving only the Hokage and the three elders behind.
The moment the door closed, a different kind of meeting began.
Mitokado Homura was the first to speak, his tone clipped. "Hiruzen, what exactly is going on here? Why give in to such a demand?"
Hiruzen sighed and explained briefly what had transpired—Yato's accusations, the exaggerated charges, the proposal for a trial. His words painted the outline, but the frustration in his eyes told the rest of the story.
Danzo slammed his hand against his cane. "Everything I do is for Konoha! Must I endure the slander of an insolent child? How can we allow him to make a mockery of the elders? You should never have agreed, Hiruzen. At the very least, the Uchiha should have been made to pay a price for this audacity!"
Hiruzen's face darkened. He had gone out of his way to smooth things over, to shield Danzo from harsher accusations, and yet Danzo's gratitude was nowhere to be found.
"That's enough," Hiruzen snapped, his voice harder than stone. "Do not forget who leads this village. I am the Hokage!"
The words rang through the office like a whip crack.
Danzo's eye narrowed. His lips tightened into a thin line. "You will regret this, Hiruzen," he muttered, voice low with anger.
And with that, he turned sharply, slamming the door behind him.
Or rather, he would have slammed it—if he hadn't ordered his men to remove it entirely. With the door hauled away, nothing remained to slam.
Thus ended the legendary quarrel, marked forever by two lines destined to be remembered in whispers:
"That's enough, I am the Hokage!"
"You will regret this, Hiruzen."
The office fell into silence once more. The meeting of Konoha's elders was over, but the stage for the first ever trial in the Konoha Court had been set.
And Uchiha Yato, somewhere beyond these walls, was already smiling in triumph.
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