The Uchiha Clan's Sun

After all, they knew perfectly well that Orochimaru's little tricks had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan. Uchiha Jin was just asking for trouble for himself!

Ignoring their thoughts, Uchiha Jin continued, "However, I must clarify that the experimental subjects Orochimaru used were corpses of enemy village ninjas collected by my Uchiha clan on the battlefield, as well as some mountain bandits!"

"As for the purpose of these human experiments, it's because our Uchiha clan's genius, Uchiha Itachi, contracted Bloodstained Disease, and we had no choice but to ask Orochimaru for help!"

Uchiha Jin's explanation eased the tension in the room. They could accept it if it was just about using ninjas from enemy villages for experiments.

Moreover, during the Battle of Kikyo Mountain, quite a few people did bring Itachi Uchiha with them, which indirectly confirms what King Uchiha said!

Chapter 256 Hiruzen Sarutobi, still unwilling to accept defeat!

However, not everyone believed Uchiha Jin's explanation.

While Uchiha Jin's words may seem harmless at first glance, they still reveal significant flaws to the village's higher-ups!

It's true that Itachi Uchiha has blood spot disease, but it was only diagnosed recently, and the examination was done at Konoha Hospital!

Konoha Hospital was Koharu Utatane's territory. To ensure the test results were correct, Fugaku Uchiha went to great lengths to invite some capable doctors from Konoha Hospital for a consultation. Koharu Utatane and the others couldn't possibly be unaware of this!

If Koharu Utatane knew about this, it would be equivalent to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura knowing about it.

Therefore, they didn't believe a single word of Uchiha Jin's excuse!

Just then, Uchiha Jin continued, "Therefore, my Uchiha clan can vouch for Orochimaru-kun; his actions are completely without fault!"

"Of course, words are not enough, so my Uchiha clan has decided to fund Orochimaru to establish the Konoha Research Institute, putting all of Orochimaru's experimental projects in the open for everyone to supervise, and all of Orochimaru's research results will be shared with the village!"

"Gentlemen, are you satisfied with my explanation?"

Orochimaru's troubles were unexpected, but Uchiha Jin felt this was an opportunity to completely clear Orochimaru's name, so he took the opportunity to propose the idea of ​​the Konoha Research Institute.

After this meeting ends, Orochimaru's past will be completely over. The Konoha Research Institute will serve two purposes: firstly, as a pretext to divert attention, and secondly, to allow everyone to accept its existence in advance.

After all, the Konoha Research Institute was established with funds from the Uchiha clan, so it was considered the private property of the Uchiha clan, and no one had any reason to object.

Once Minato Namikaze takes over, Orochimaru can easily upgrade the Konoha Research Institute into the Konoha Research Department by simply presenting some of his research findings, which will reduce a lot of resistance!

Just as Uchiha Jin had expected, the people in the conference room didn't have any opinion on the Konoha Research Institute that Uchiha Jin had proposed. On the contrary, they approved of Uchiha Jin's approach of having Orochimaru put all of his experiments out in the open!

At least now that the experiments are formalized, they no longer have to worry about a few children from their family going missing from time to time!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was quite complicated, shifting back and forth between King Uchiha and Orochimaru.

He realized that Uchiha Jin was protecting Orochimaru and also warning him not to force the Uchiha clan to a complete end!

Although Uchiha Jin had spoken up for Shimura Danzo before, he wasn't deeply involved. It was as if he had reached some kind of cooperation with Shimura Danzo and had no choice but to say a few words for him. Otherwise, he only spoke up from the perspective of a third party, from the standpoint of the Uchiha clan.

In other words, the relationship between Uchiha Jin and Shimura Danzo was merely an exchange of interests, while his relationship with Orochimaru was truly that of one of their own!

This discovery made Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitant to act rashly, but also deeply wary of King Uchiha!

Uchiha Jin and Orochimaru were able to develop into his own people right under his nose without him noticing. Who knows how many other people present, besides Orochimaru, were also developed into his own people by Uchiha Jin?

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi subconsciously looked at Minato Namikaze beside him.

Minato Namikaze noticed the spying and turned around to see Hiruzen Sarutobi looking at him. He then gave Hiruzen a warm smile, like a little sun.

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head slightly.

How could someone as warm and innocent as Minato Namikaze associate with such cold and ruthless people as Uchiha Jin and Orochimaru? How could he possibly doubt Minato Namikaze!

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, clearing his mind of distractions.

With Orochimaru now protected by the Uchiha clan, it's almost impossible to find a breakthrough through him and bring down Shimura Danzo!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind raced, but he couldn't find a way to break the deadlock!

Are we just going to let Shimura Danzo go like this?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat unwilling. He had paid too high a price today, even losing his position as the principal of the Ninja Academy and being humiliated time and time again. If he couldn't bring down Danzo Shimura, he would really have suffered a huge loss!

Moreover, if they cannot remove Shimura Danzo from his position as an elder of Konoha, they will find it difficult to withstand Shimura Danzo's 'retaliation' in the future!

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could think further, Danzo Shimura spoke first: "Jonin Sarutobi, you've been making a fuss for quite a while now. Can you produce any substantial evidence?"

"If you can't, please end this farce as soon as possible! We don't have time to play your nonsense!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were gloomy as he spoke in a deep voice, "Elder Shimura, why are you in such a hurry? The innocent will clear themselves. If you really didn't do something, what's wrong with waiting a little longer?"

"Heh," Danzo Shimura sneered, "Jonin Sarutobi, you're used to being idle, but you should know that the village is in dire need of rebuilding right now. All the Jonin here hold important positions, and every second they stay here is a loss for the village!"

"If your nonsense causes any delays in the village, can you take responsibility for that?"

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to speak again, he was interrupted by Koharu Utatane.

Koharu Utatane gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a look, then said, "Alright, let's leave it at that!"

Before the meeting, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had naturally discussed the matter. Koharu Utatane also knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi had used up almost all of his prepared methods, and there was no point in continuing to argue unless Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed something even more shocking!

But since the four of them have worked together for so many years, most of the bombshell revelations related to Danzo Shimura have also implicated them!

There's no need to do something that would harm both yourself and the enemy by a thousand!

Therefore, it's better to cut your losses in time!

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was unwilling, since Koharu Utatane had said so, he had no choice but to give up and think of a solution after the meeting!

Koharu Utatane looked at Danzo Shimura and asked, "Since Jonin Sarutobi hasn't produced any concrete evidence, Elder Shimura, are you going to run for the Fourth Hokage?"

Danzo Shimura nodded and said, "Of course!"

"So now, Minato Namikaze and Danzo Shimura are confirmed to be candidates for the Fourth Hokage," Koharu Utatane said, then looked at the others in the meeting room and asked, "Does anyone else have any candidates to recommend?"

Everyone in the conference room shook their heads.

Seeing this, Koharu Utatane didn't want to delay any longer and said, "Then give Minato Namikaze and Danzo Shimura three days to prepare. The election for the Fourth Hokage will officially begin on the morning of three days from now!"

"Alright, let's wrap this meeting up here!"

Chapter 257 No refusal is acceptance!

In the Sarutobi clan's territory.

"Oh!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi led Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado into the living room of his house, but when he opened the door, he could no longer hide his resentment and slammed the door against the wall.

Hiruzen Sarutobi strode into the main seat of the reception room, sat down, took out his pipe, lit it, and began to smoke in silence.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance, then each found a seat and neither spoke first.

Both of them knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently in a bad mood, so neither of them said anything to provoke him, intending to wait until Hiruzen Sarutobi calmed down before speaking.

In addition, the two of them were also very angry and needed time to calm down.

After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe and said, "We have two urgent matters that need to be dealt with as soon as possible!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was very angry, but he wasn't blinded by anger. The reason he hadn't spoken was that he was thinking of a solution.

Koharu Utatane looked grave and guessed, "Hiruzen, you mean Danzo...?"

"No! But it's related to him too!" Hiruzen Sarutobi understood what Koharu Utatane was trying to say, and interrupted her to explain, "We all know what kind of person Danzo Shimura is. The position of Hokage has become his greatest obsession!"

"He will absolutely not compromise on this issue, and we cannot back down either, so there is no possibility of easing tensions between us!"

"There's no need to talk to Shimura Danzo anymore; we have no way out!"

Upon hearing this, Koharu's face showed a hint of reluctance. The Konoha F4 had fought side by side for many years, and they were all doing it for the village. She really didn't want to escalate the situation to the point where there was no room for reconciliation.

Mitokado Homura coldly replied, "Hiruzen is right, we and Danzo are now irreconcilable enemies! We have blocked his path, and he has become an obstacle to our progress!"

"Let's talk about easing tensions after this matter is over!"

"If we win, there might be a day when we can mend our broken relationship, but if Danzo wins... he won't show us any mercy!"

Mitokado's words also dispelled Koharu's last shred of hope.

Mitokado Homura is right; they still have some affection for Shimura Danzo, but it's hard to say whether Shimura Danzo has any affection for them!

Based on their understanding of Shimura Danzo, he was a truly ruthless person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals!

So now is not the time for them to be sentimental!

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "We failed to stop Danzo Shimura from becoming the Fourth Hokage today, which means we've already lost the initiative."

"If Shimura Danzo successfully becomes the Fourth Hokage, then everything will be over. He will definitely make us step down as soon as possible, then consolidate power and establish a dictatorship!"

"That's when the village was really in danger!"

"Even if Shimura Danzo fails to become the Fourth Hokage, our situation is still extremely dangerous!"

"The Uchiha clan has made contact with the Daimyo's mansion, and the Uchiha clan is now on the same side as Shimura Danzo. As long as Shimura Danzo contacts the Daimyo's mansion through the Uchiha clan and makes the Daimyo's mansion delay for a while, then even if Namikaze Minato becomes the Fourth Hokage, it will be illegitimate and he will not be able to exercise the authority of the Hokage!"

"But Danzo Shimura has a lot of dirt on the three of us. Given enough time, he can bring us down just as easily!"

"Without our help, Minato Namikaze will absolutely be no match for Danzo Shimura! Konoha will still be ruled by Danzo Shimura!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke very seriously, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane's expressions grew increasingly solemn.

After a long silence, Mitomon Homura said, "It shouldn't be as serious as you say, right? The four of us have been working together for so many years. To put it bluntly, we're practically inseparable. We're intertwined. If we weren't concerned about ourselves, it wouldn't be so difficult to bring down Shimura Danzo today!"

"On the contrary, it shouldn't be so easy for Shimura Danzo to bring us down!"

Before running for the Fourth Hokage, the Konoha F4, though occasionally having minor internal conflicts, always acted in unison when it came to external matters!

Everything they did, even if not together, was done in advance of each other.

Moreover, the shady things that F4 decided were basically done by Danzo Shimura.

Therefore, in Mitokado Homura's view, it was almost impossible for Shimura Danzo to defeat them while preserving himself!

"Heh, do you really think so?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered, "Have you ever calculated how much public resources your two families have misappropriated from the village over the years?"

Upon hearing this, Mitomon Homura's expression changed, and he exclaimed excitedly, "What are you saying! We have never misappropriated a single penny of the village's resources! At most, we only gave our own family a little extra consideration in some projects!"

"And what do you mean by 'two families'! We treat the Sarutobi clan and the Shimura clan equally!"

"Don't get so agitated. We're all on the same side here, and there's no need for us to hide anything!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "Your accounts may look very neat, but if they were to be investigated, can you honestly say that no flaws would be revealed?"

"Most importantly, although the benefits were reaped by the four of us, neither I nor Shimura Danzo ever asked you for anything. It was all your own doing!"

Upon hearing this, Mitokado Yan's expression grew even more unpleasant, and he was also extremely annoyed.

Among the Konoha F4, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura wielded power primarily in terms of strength, while Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane wielded power primarily in terms of resources.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were the protectors of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, so the resources controlled by Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane naturally had to be shared between Danzo Shimura and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

These are things that can't be said openly, but everyone has been tacitly aware of them over the years!

Koharu Utatane spoke up, "Hiruzen, what do you mean by that? Are you saying you want to abandon us too?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand and said, "You've misunderstood me. I'm not afraid to speak frankly now. Although I haven't explicitly asked you for anything, I've seen all the benefits you've given to the Sarutobi clan. Not refusing is already an acceptance!"

"But Shimura Danzo is different! He genuinely didn't want those benefits!"

Chapter 258 Even if you don't respect the monk, you should respect the Buddha!

"Hiruzen, what do you mean by that? Danzo didn't seem to refuse the benefits we offered to the Shimura clan, did he?"

Mitokado Homura didn't quite understand what Sarutobi Hiruzen was saying, and frowned as he asked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "As you all know, Danzo Shimura is a rather extreme person, and his concept of clan is much weaker than ours!"

"What he cares about is the root he holds in his hands, not the Shimura clan!"

"Although you have provided the Shimura clan with a lot of resources, as far as I know, most of those resources were used by Shimura Danzo to develop Root. So, until now, the Shimura clan can only be considered a medium-sized clan in Konoha!"

"So even if your affairs involve the Shimura clan, I think Shimura Danzo will show no mercy and deal with the entire Shimura clan as well!"

"Sacrificing the small Shimura clan in exchange for the downfall of two Konoha elders—Shimura Danzo is absolutely capable of doing such a thing!"

"He might even take advantage of the situation to break up the Shimura clan and incorporate its members into his own faction!"

Koharu Utatane, upon hearing this, said in disbelief, "Really? Danzo is really that ruthless? He doesn't even trust his own clan members?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said, "It's not a matter of whether you can trust them or not. It's just that every clan will inevitably have some 'elders' who are wholeheartedly dedicated to the development of the clan! Even the clan leader is subject to the restrictions of these elders!"

"Shimura Danzo is someone who puts his own interests first, and the interests of his family can only come second!"

"Therefore, Danzo Shimura often used the power of his family to do his own things!"

"After the elders of the Shimura clan sensed something was wrong, they became wary of Shimura Danzo and greatly limited his power within the Shimura clan!"