Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

"Uchiha Mugen!"

Mitokado Homura slammed his fist on the table and stood up angrily, saying, "This is the Hokage Building, not a place where you can run wild. Someone, take the Kirigakure envoy away. We'll investigate him after the meeting."

"Stop the water!"

Zong Xian shouted, "No one is allowed to take my prey without my permission."

He roughly pushed back the chair, straightened up, and glared at Mitomon En. However, the next second, Elder Mitomon's eyes started darting around, his shifty gaze completely avoiding Zongxian's eyes, instantly shattering the imposing aura he had managed to muster.

[57. Chapter Fifty-Seven: To Give or Not to Give It? (Seeking Votes! Seeking Investment!)]

The secret service appeared in accordance with Elder Mitomon's orders.

The group of masked elites attempted to snatch the lifeless Mist Ninja envoy from Shisui's hands, but this time Shisui, having made up his mind, did not surrender but resolutely resisted, using genjutsu to swiftly and decisively take down two squads of Anbu.

The sight of the secret agents falling like wheat during the autumn harvest shocked many people.

To be honest, many of the people here are capable of defeating two ANBU squads single-handedly. However, precisely because they have this ability, they are even more aware of just how difficult it is to take down two ANBU squads so easily.

Without going through a hard-fought battle, the battle ended in this brief moment.

Uchiha

As expected of the Uchiha!

The last time, Shisui's effortless blocking of Danzo's left and right hands had already amazed everyone. This time, Shisui's performance once again made everyone personally realize just how blessed the Uchiha clan is. The endless stream of geniuses makes people feel indescribable envy, jealousy and hatred!

Many people felt a pang of jealousy!

Why is there no such genius in my family?

"Magic Illusion: The Art of Truth!"

Kurama Congyun's movements were also quite swift.

From the moment his beloved daughter became a disciple of Sogen, the Kurama clan was bound to the Uchiha clan. If the Uchiha were defeated, their clan would definitely not escape either. Therefore, even if it would anger the Third Hokage, he still chose to obey Sogen's orders.

He used the Kurama clan's unique genjutsu on the Kirigakure who had just been awakened by Shisui's dispelling of the genjutsu and was already in a very weak mental state.

This is a genjutsu specifically designed to extract information. It disrupts the flow of chakra within the target's body, creating a specific disordered state that induces a special trance state. In this state, the target will answer any question, and their answers will always be the truth from the heart.

The reliability of information obtained through the Truth Word Technique is beyond doubt. The Kurama clan is one of the oldest clans in Konoha and also possesses a bloodline limit. Even if this bloodline is not stable, it is enough for everyone to learn about the Kurama clan.

and,

Many others had also carried out missions with the Kurama clan's ninjas, and at least half of those present had personally witnessed the Truth Word Technique.

Hiashi Hyuga, sitting opposite Sogen, calmly activated his Byakugan and carefully examined the Mist Ninja, confirming that there were no signs of interference from the Sharingan. The other clan leaders with the means also used their own methods to check, confirming that the Mist Ninja had only fallen under Kurama Murakumo's genjutsu and there were no signs of manipulation by a third party.

Kurama Congyun breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the spell had been successfully performed.

As for what to ask...

Zongxian already said that we should interrogate Kirigakure to find out what they are planning to do.

"Tell me, what is the purpose of the Hidden Mist Village's visit to Konoha?"

Anma Congyun demanded an explanation.

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. Everyone's attention turned to the Mist Ninja who was being held in Shisui's hands like a puppet. It was impossible not to be curious. When Sogen had strongly urged Yamanaka Inoichi to read the Mist Ninja's memories, it had made everyone itchy with curiosity.

Unfortunately, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were too adept at self-preservation, and Yamanaka Inoichi simply sat there without moving.

but,

Look at this situation,

It seems this good show can continue.

The Third Hokage and the two elders were being kept under control by Sogen, and the Mist Ninja were in the hands of Uchiha Shisui. Both teams of Anbu had been defeated. If more Anbu were to be summoned to take action... we can't do that!

The third generation leader sighed inwardly.

The clan leaders had already piqued their interest, and continuing to obstruct them at this point would inevitably leave the impression that they were deliberately trying to cover something up.

Of course, the most important thing was that the village wasn't prepared for war with the Uchiha clan. During this time, he reviewed the top-secret research materials left by the Second Hokage regarding the Uchiha and the Sharingan, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became: the Mangekyou Sharingan, unique eye techniques, Susanoo…

We must not start a war with the Uchiha before we are fully prepared.

Fortunately, after some consideration, he realized there were no shady deals or collaborations between the village and the Mist Ninja, so he wasn't too worried that the Mist Ninja would reveal anything detrimental to him. Besides, Danzo was still in the hospital…

Just as the Third Hokage was having a brainstorming session, the dazed Kirigakure spoke up.

"Order! Lord Mizukage has ordered us to retrieve Samehada."

"anything else?"

"Another strategy is to intimidate Konoha with war, forcing them to hand over Samehada along with the heads of the demons [Enma] and [Shunshin], who killed so many of our comrades." The Mist Ninja spilled out his true thoughts like beans from a bamboo tube.

The meeting room erupted in an uproar.

Even though they weren't close to the Uchiha clan, the fact that the Mist Ninja dared to look down on Konoha made them feel a sense of humiliation and contempt.

Kurama Murakumo was also stunned for a moment. This was... were these Kirigakure bastards daydreaming? What village would agree to such an outrageous request? Kill their own hero who had made great contributions on the battlefield and then hand his head over to the enemy... wait a minute!

A sudden inspiration struck him, and he suppressed his chaotic thoughts, asking, "What makes you think Konoha would agree to such an outrageous request?"

Is that outrageous?

In a daze, the Mist Ninja instinctively asked a question, startling Kurama Murakumo, who thought his genjutsu had been broken. Fortunately, the Mist Ninja's next answer returned to the right track, "Two years ago, didn't the Cloud Ninja successfully blackmail Konoha with war, scaring the Third Hokage into killing the younger brother of the Hyuga clan leader and sending his body to the Cloud Ninja? It's normal for us to ask for two heads while demanding Samehada back, isn't it? Even if we can't give you two, one will do!"

After the mist ninja finished speaking,

The meeting room was deathly silent.

The clan chief and ministers all fell silent.

Out of the corner of everyone's eye, they subtly glanced at Hyuga Hiashi, who was sitting opposite Uchiha Munen. The head of the Hyuga clan had his eyes lowered and his face expressionless, making it impossible to discern anything from his expression.

but,

The absence of expression itself is an attitude, an attitude that makes the Third Hokage and others look unpleasant.

"This is an attempt to sow discord."

Xiaochun, who was switching dorms, tried her best to smooth things over.

"Elder Utatane, regardless of whether it's sowing discord or not, the Mist Ninja want my and Shisui's heads. I wonder what you and the Hokage think? Will you give them to us or not?"

Zongxian pressed on relentlessly.

[Chapter 58 Uchiha and Hyuga (Seeking votes! Seeking investment!)]

To give or not to give.

This is a difficult problem.

If it weren't for Uchiha Sogen's actions, the Third Hokage and his group had indeed intended to use the pressure from Kirigakure to weaken the Uchiha clan, forcing them to cut off their own arm. Even if they couldn't harm Uchiha Sogen, killing Uchiha Shisui wouldn't have been a wasted effort.

Despite being Danzo's right-hand man, Ryoma Aburame was unable to gain the upper hand against Shisui Uchiha.

The danger of the Uchiha clan is clearly not limited to Uchiha Mugen; Uchiha Shisui is also a source of instability and danger.

However, after Uchiha Munen made such a fuss with the Kirigakure envoy, he could no longer continue with his original plan. If he chose to force the Uchiha clan to hand over Uchiha Shisui, it would be tantamount to accepting the Kirigakure's coercion, which would bring a devastating blow to the Third Hokage's prestige... It's obvious even to a fool!

Furthermore,

Uchiha Sogen would definitely not agree to such a request. Previously, he had planned to use the pressure of war to coordinate with other clans to put pressure on the Uchiha, but now these clans are probably unable to cooperate wholeheartedly. Being coerced by the Kirigakure to kill each other, even if the target is the Uchiha... is unacceptable!

But if the original plan is not continued...

How should we face the Hyuga clan?

When faced with the threat from the Cloud Ninja, the Third Hokage personally persuaded the Hyuga clan to prioritize the greater good. Hyuga Hiashi's younger brother, Hizashi, was sacrificed as a ritual offering. Although Hyuga Hiashi did not show any hatred towards the Third Hokage and his clan afterward, it seems that the seeds of resentment were sown in the end.

It hasn't been touched in the past two years, so nothing has changed.

however,

Today, someone found this thorn and pressed it hard.

If the village rejects the threat from the Mist Ninja this time, what will the Hyuga clan think?

Koharu Utatane's face turned ashen. Faced with Sogen's questioning, he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word. His mind was completely blank, and he had no idea how to deal with this unexpected situation. Not only him, but Homura Mitokado's face was equally grim.

The decision to have the Hyuga clan sacrifice their members to avoid war with the Cloud Ninja was made by the Third Hokage and his two elders. Because the incident happened so suddenly, there was no time to ask Danzo to help take the blame. At that time, Sarutobi even went to the Hyuga clan in person, so now it is impossible to put the blame on Danzo!

Hiashi Hyuga isn't stupid!

It's not made of wood!

If we treat this person as a fool, as an emotionless block of wood, it will probably only backfire.

As for postponing the discussion...

That would be the stupidest choice, and it would only make people think that these decision-makers are weak and incompetent!

Caught in a dilemma, the Third Hokage hesitated for a moment before finally replying righteously, "Konoha dislikes war, but it is not afraid of it either. Since Kirigakure has no sincerity in peaceful coexistence, then we will naturally not hesitate to let them know that Konoha is not something they can bully!"

The third generation uttered these words.

"ridiculous!!!"

Hiashi Hyuga slammed his chair over, stood up, uttered a cryptic "ridiculous," and strode away without looking back.

No one stopped the Hyuga clan leader's rude behavior, nor did anyone criticize his impoliteness. The clan leaders did not mock the Hyuga clan's thoughts, but rather empathized with their sorrow and deep disappointment!

The Third Hokage is no longer the same Oshio he once was!

They swallowed their anger when facing enemies outside the village, but they were tireless in attacking their own fellow villagers. Everyone knew what today's meeting was for—to strike at the Uchiha clan. If they had been somewhat swayed by the Third Hokage's theory of the Uchiha threat before, they had now completely lost interest in getting involved in this mess!

So what if the Uchiha clan likes to look down on people?

These arrogant guys are still fellow villagers, no matter what, and they're much better than those bastards from the Cloud and Mist Villages.

The atmosphere in the conference room was extremely oppressive.

Only when Sogen sat back down in his chair, a relaxed and contented smile on his face, did he realize that he had achieved his goal: the rift between the Hyuga clan and the Third Hokage. Such a wonderful show was truly a feast for the eyes!

The only drawback was that Hiashi Hyuga was clearly not blinded by anger; he simply chose to leave the venue and did not directly clash with the Third Hokage and his group!

"Let's adjourn today's meeting! We'll discuss the Mist Ninja matter at another time later."

The Third Hokage, somewhat weary, announced the end of the meeting. Hiashi Hyuga's departure rendered the meeting unnecessary, or rather, the true purpose of this meeting wasn't to address the threat from Kirigakure, but rather to use it as a pretext to suppress the Uchiha clan…