Instead, he stood proudly on the chariot, his gaze commanding.
It was as if he wasn't going to demand an explanation, but to inspect his territory.
Behind him, inside or around the dragon carriage, a group of equally striking women of various identities followed him:
Uchiha Mikoto had changed into battle attire, her expression complex but resolute.
Uchiha Hikari was like a curious baby, looking around as if she were just going on an outing.
Uchiha Izumi, like the most loyal guard, scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes.
Kurenai Yuhi, Hyuga Hinata, Ino Yamanaka, and Inuzuka Hana, the four women, had varied expressions—some numb, some timid, some bewildered, some resentful—but all were compelled to follow.
They formed a 'scenic line' that was both thought-provoking and deeply unsettling.
At the rear of the procession were one hundred black-clad death squads led by Uchiha Tekka.
Although their numbers were small, their condensed killing intent and absolute discipline made them not to be underestimated.
What was even more striking was that the procession also escorted several specially made prisoner carts!
Inside them were the battered and dispirited Asuma Sarutobi, Nara Shikamaru, and Inuzuka Kiba!
They were paraded through the streets as irrefutable evidence and trophies of the 'assassination attempt on the Emperor.'
This greatly incited the anger of the people along the way towards Konoha.
Di Yan deliberately slowed his pace, proceeding with great fanfare, as if afraid that others wouldn't know he was going to Konoha to 'demand an explanation.'
Every time they passed through a town, an announcement about 'the Hokage sending Ninja to assassinate the Emperor' would be read aloud.
Public opinion was completely ignited.
This method of 'slicing meat with a slow knife' continuously put immense psychological and political pressure on Konoha...
Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, the Hokage's office was as heavy as lead, almost suffocating.
Fifth Hokage Tsunade leaned on her desk with both hands, her brows tightly furrowed, her usually spirited face now etched with fatigue and anxiety.
If she had known being Hokage was this troublesome, she wouldn't have agreed to Jiraiya and that brat Naruto...
On the desk in front of her were piles of intelligence regarding Di Yan's route, public opinion along the way, and official letters of accusation from the Land of Fire.
Almost all of Konoha's Higher-Ups were gathered in the office.
The two Advisory Elders, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, sat grim-faced to the side, their eyes filled with worry and a hint of unnoticeable resentment.
Nara Shikaku's brow was deeply furrowed, his pipe having long since gone out.
He was rapidly analyzing the complex situation before him, but the devastating news of his son's capture and the return of his finger clearly greatly affected his composure.
Inoichi Yamanaka's face was pale, his hands trembling slightly, worried about his daughter Ino's safety.
The single eye of Kakashi Hatake, usually lazy, was now exceptionally sharp.
He leaned against the wall, seemingly casual, but in reality, his muscles were tense, and his brain was working at full speed, considering all possible countermeasures.
It could be said that, apart from Jiraiya, who was out training Naruto, all of Konoha's decision-making Higher-Ups were present.
As for Danzo Shimura? He was naturally absent.
At this critical juncture, with Konoha becoming a target of public criticism, he and his Root organization seemed to have completely vanished, making them even more suspicious.
"Bastard!" Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, making a loud noise, and the solid wood surface instantly cracked in several places.
"That brat Di Yan! He's clearly slandering us!"
"How could Asuma possibly assassinate him! This is clearly just his excuse!"
"It's no use saying that now, Tsunade," Utatane Koharu sighed, her voice hoarse.
"The Land of Fire's Daimyo's announcement has spread throughout the country, and public opinion is extremely unfavorable to us."
"The fact that Asuma is in their hands is undeniable; we have no way to refute it."
Homura Mitokado interjected, "The immediate priority is how to deal with Di Yan's arrival."
"He's bringing a hundred elites and holding hostages... he means trouble."
"None of us knew when he gained such power. Isn't he supposed to be just a strategist and guardian Ninja?"
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office remained heavy, but after the initial shock and anger, the strategists, led by Nara Shikaku, began to calmly analyze how to break the deadlock.
Nara Shikaku remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously tapping the back of his chair—a habit he had when deep in thought.
Finally, he slowly spoke, his voice steady but with a hint of unnoticeable worry: "Everyone, we need to distinguish between the primary and secondary contradictions now."
Shikaku's gaze swept over everyone. "Di Yan's expedition is grand and imposing."
"Holding hostages and accusing Konoha seems to be the biggest threat. But in the end, he still represents the 'official' identity of the Land of Fire."
"What he relies on is the 'righteousness' bestowed by that announcement and the hostages in his hands."
He paused, then continued his analysis: "Dealing with such 'official' accountability actually has a pattern to follow."
"It's nothing more than negotiation, bickering, and mutual pressure."
"We can deny the assassination charge, emphasizing that Asuma encountered an accident or was framed while on a normal mission."
"We can even countersue Di Yan for unlawfully detaining Konoha Ninja... As long as we don't fall into internal disarray, with Konoha's strength, Di Yan's hundred Ninja wouldn't dare to truly act."
"What he wants is likely just a bargaining chip or an excuse to intervene in Konoha's affairs."
Nara Shikaku's words made many present nod slightly.
Indeed, compared to internal rebellion, this kind of external pressure, bearing official titles, actually had a mature response mechanism for a military organization like Konoha.
Although the Daimyo (Emperor) was nominally the head of state, wanting to directly command Konoha's army was a pipe dream.
"However," Shikaku's tone shifted, his expression becoming incredibly serious, "the true fatal threat comes from within!"
"It comes from Danzo and his Root!"
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado sighed in unison upon hearing this, their faces showing expressions of deep distress:
"Danzo... how could he have come to this?"
"For the position of Hokage, he would even collude with outsiders and bring disaster to Konoha?"
At this moment, Di Yan's calculations were perfectly validated.
After receiving the severed finger and the secret letter indicating "Danzo's instructions," the Ino–Shika–Chō clans indeed shared the intelligence with the Hokage faction immediately.
They unanimously concluded that Danzo was the mastermind and the biggest internal traitor.
Di Yan successfully shifted all of Konoha's Higher-Ups' vigilance and hatred towards Danzo.
Tsunade slammed the table again, her anger reignited: "That's right! The Root of everything lies with that old bastard Danzo!"
"Di Yan? He's nothing more than a tool Danzo is using, or external reinforcements he's brought in!"
"As long as Danzo is dealt with and the internal rebellion is quelled, Di Yan's small force and his so-called 'accusation' are nothing to fear!"
"Without an inside man, how can he cause trouble in Konoha?"
This judgment was agreed upon by most people.
"Exactly! As long as the internal situation is stable, Konoha fears no external threat!"
"Danzo and his Root are the real hidden danger!"
"Let's clean out the termites in our own home first!"
Everyone spoke one after another, and the focus of the discussion quickly shifted from how to deal with Di Yan to how to prevent and suppress a potential coup by Danzo.
They began to analyze Root's strength, the families that might support Danzo, the gaps in the village's defenses, and how to preemptively act... A subtle sense of underestimation began to