The aroma of scattered report papers and the strange smell of tea mingled with the tension that hung in the air.
Koharu stood at the side of the room, her body tense, her chest rising and falling rapidly due to her irregular breathing.
Koharu's eyes widened, her lips trembled slightly, and her gaze remained fixed on Hiruzen, as if trying to catch every word spoken.
"How could this be!" Koharu's voice broke, accompanied by a glimmer of tears that nearly fell from the corners of her eyes.
There was a deep sense of disbelief, like when someone hears bad news that is too heavy to accept.
Hiruzen, sitting in the Hokage chair with a straight yet weary posture, let out a long sigh.
The lines of age on Hiruzen's face seemed to deepen, marking the heavy burdens he had carried for years.
Hiruzen's voice sounded hoarse, filled with anger that he had tightly bottled up inside. "That is the report I managed to obtain."
Hiruzen's tone was not only disappointed but also filled with unhidden hatred, as if a fire of resentment burned behind his weary gaze.
In the corner of the room, Danzo sat upright, his muscles tense with the boiling anger in his chest.
Danzo's gaze was filled with vengeance, his eyes narrowed sharply like an eagle stalking its prey.
Danzo's lips were tightly sealed, yet he chose to unleash biting words full of scorn.
"I suspected as much! They are indeed a clan that knows no bounds!" Danzo's voice rang out like a hammer striking hard, echoing in the room.
It broke the silence but also intensified the tension that had already hung in the air.
Homura, with furrowed brows and a mouth twisted in disbelief, sat with his arms crossed over his chest.
Homura stared straight at Hiruzen, then slowly shook his head. "We were indeed gravely mistaken for not sending aid when the Uzumaki Clan requested it."
"But to the point of severing ties with us?"
"Even daring to say that the other three great villages— Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure— could attack us if they still held a grudge against the Uzumaki Clan?"
"How foolish and dangerous that is!"
Homura's voice sounded heavy, filled with a mix of disappointment, anger, and fear, like someone struggling to accept a bitter reality while anticipating an impending disaster.
Everyone in the room exchanged glances, their faces painted with a mix of shock, anger, and deep concern.
Some furrowed their brows, some bit their lips tightly, and others closed their eyes for a moment, as if resisting the urge to explode in anger.
The air felt hot and tense, like before a great storm.
The village of Konohagakure indeed did not send aid when the Uzumaki Clan requested it.
But they never expected that this decision would lead to an open and official severance of ties, announced to the entire shinobi world.
The Uzumaki Clan, which had long been a strong ally and keeper of the village's secrets, now firmly decided to cut ties.
They even made Konoha a scapegoat for the long-held grudges that the three great villages harbored against them.
That statement was like a poisoned knife stabbing the hearts of Konoha's leaders.
Koharu gathered her courage, her voice now slightly trembling but filled with hope and determination. "So, what should we do now, Hiruzen?"
Hiruzen looked at them all with eyes full of burden.
The lines of age and wrinkles on Hiruzen's face seemed to tell the story of sleepless nights and thoughts that never ceased to whirl.
Homura gazed at Hiruzen, his voice heavy and meaningful. "Even though the Uzumaki Clan has declared a severance of ties."
"The reality is that there are still members of their clan living in Konoha— Lady Mito, and Kushina, the little girl brought here to replace Mito as the vessel for the Nine-Tails, Kyubi."
________________________
[Note: 640+ latest chapters have been added! For Just 3$ You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Pa*treon.com/Alex_Fabianoki]