The sun shone brightly outside the meeting room, yet inside, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt an icy chill creeping through the chamber.
Kosuke's questioning left him at a loss for words.
At this moment, he desperately wished for more time to think things through. But time was fair to all and paused for no one.
As the minutes ticked by, many among the higher-ups began to grow suspicious of Hiruzen.
A jonin of the village had been framed. As Hokage, not only had he allowed the situation to spiral into widespread gossip, but he hadn't even fully investigated the truth.
After a short silence, Hiruzen finally responded, "I've already sent people to look into it. Maybe the message hawk was intercepted?"
"Hahaha! Intercepted? A message hawk?"
Aozora burst into laughter, as if he had just heard something laughably absurd.
After a while, Aozora finally stopped laughing and coldly remarked, "Message hawks fly at high altitudes. They can only be attacked when landing. Are you saying Anbu can't even protect a hawk during takeoff?"
Then he turned to Elder Kosuke and asked, "Elder Kosuke, if I'm not mistaken, it was you who sent us three our orders via message hawk, right?"
Kosuke nodded.
Aozora continued, "Once released, a message hawk will only land when it reaches the person it's meant for. So how could it suddenly disappear mid-flight?"
Aozora swept his gaze across the room before locking eyes with Hiruzen. "Unless it was sabotage from within the Anbu themselves? Lord Hokage, didn't you just say those involved had already been personally vetted by yourself with no issues found?"
Unless someone had anti-air combat techniques, message hawks were nearly impossible to bring down. In the Ninja World, very few shinobi possessed such capabilities.
After hearing Aozora's words, murmurs broke out among the crowd.
"Yeah, how easy is it actually to intercept a message hawk?"
"Could there still be Danzō's loyalists hiding in the Anbu?"
"Heh, Danzō's men? We've weeded them out long ago—unless, of course, there's more than we realized..."
"Don't speak recklessly!"
"If they really were Danzō's people, and we still couldn't find them after all these screenings, then maybe…"
"…"
The atmosphere in the meeting room grew tense with whispers and sidelong glances aimed at the front where Hiruzen sat.
Everyone present wasn't stupid. Many were aware of the growing tension between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha Clan. And Aozora happened to be the most outstanding prodigy among the Uchiha at the moment.
Though difficult to admit, it was true that Hiruzen indeed had motives to target Aozora.
Noticing the shift in the room's mood, Koharu Utatane decided to break the tension and help Hiruzen regain control.
"Young Aozora!" she spoke out sharply. "Don't go around accusing others without first proving your own innocence! For all we know, you three might have killed the hawk yourselves!"
Feeling everyone's gaze turn toward him, Aozora remained composed, staring blankly at Koharu before shaking his head in disappointment.
"I can't believe Elder Koharu still doubts me—even after everything, I'm still a jonin of Konoha!"
Aozora swept his gaze across the room. "I'm a native Konoha villager, graduated in July last year and completed three S-rank missions within eight months, killing five jonins from enemy villages. I won't bother listing my other minor contributions."
He gestured to the Konoha symbol etched into the forehead protector on his brow. "Every action I've taken deserves to bear that mark. Yet all these achievements still failed to earn trust from my fellow villagers or confidence from the higher-ups!"
His expression darkened and his voice trembled sorrowfully as he activated [Jia Xing]—his hair bleached slightly, conjuring the image of a loyal servant disheartened by mistrust from above.
"I heard because of me, Konoha's budget will be halved this year..."
As he spoke, Aozora raised his right hand where a throwing knife faintly shimmered.
At this, four Anbu instantly materialized before Hiruzen Sarutobi while numerous ninja quickly stood up shouting to stop Aozora.
"Aozora, don't do it!"
"Uchiha Aozora, what are you doing?"
"Do you want to defect?"
"Drop that knife!"
"..."
In the midst of astonished gazes, Aozora slashed his right hand across his forehead.
Shzzzt!
After an ear-piercing sound, the once clean protector now bore a deep indentation, severing the Konoha leaf emblem.
"Since both Lord Hokage and Elder Koharu refuse to trust me, then take this rogue's head to appease the Daimyo's anger!"
With those words, Aozora released his grip letting the knife fall.
Ding!
The weapon clattered onto the bluestone floor, producing a sharp, ringing sound.
The gathered ninja stared in shock at this "rogue Aozora" who had ceased resistance.
Normally upon seeing any Konoha ninja damage their protector, those present would have immediately moved to capture or even kill them.
But today, seeing this listless figure with lifeless eyes and withered hair, most couldn't bring themselves to act.
No one in their right mind could accept being treated like this!
A thirteen-year-old had dedicated everything to Konoha only to face repeated suspicion from the leadership — how could anyone not feel a pang of sorrow? Seeing someone like them suffering unjustly brought home the reality of their own fragile position.
Though everyone here was at least jonin level, few had accomplishments matching Aozora's.
If even such a meritorious ninja couldn't earn the trust of the leadership, how could they be sure they wouldn't face the same suspicion one day?
In the ensuing silence, Hodan Sarutobi roared, "What are you waiting for? Seize Rogue Ninja Uchiha Aozora!"
As he shouted, chakra exploded beneath his feet while he gripped a kunai infused with wind-natured chakra.
Two other Sarutobi clan jonins immediately followed suit.
From the corner of his eye, Aozora watched Hodan Sarutobi and his companions drawing closer but made no response.
With practiced precision, the trio closed in on Aozora before anyone could react, kunais aimed respectively at his neck, heart, and lower back.
As death loomed over Aozora, a dark figure materialized by his side — then blurred into three identical shapes in an instant.
Poom! Poom! Poom!
Moments later, Hodan Sarutobi and his two companions were kicked backward flying through the air.
Hiruzen Sarutobi grabbed Hodan mid-air as he flew toward the stage, glaring fiercely at the Anbu with the cat mask who had already dispelled his Phantom Clone. He spoke in a firm and measured voice, "Shisui Uchiha, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Although he had long harbored suspicions about Shisui Uchiha, he never expected that Shisui Uchiha would actually betray him.
Kneeling on one knee before Aozora, Shisui Uchiha replied, "Lord Hokage, Aozora acted out of anger. His intentions were never to betray Konoha!"
Though he found Aozora's decision unreasonable, Shisui still understood where he was coming from.
Aozora had sacrificed so much for Konoha, including losing his right eye.
Even then, he was constantly suspected by Konoha's leadership.
Given Aozora's youth and fiery temper, it wasn't hard to understand why he lashed out like that.
Torifu finally regained his composure after the series of shocking events. He loudly declared, "Don't attack! Aozora is no rogue ninja!"
Kosuke also spoke up, "If even a ninja who has sacrificed so much for the village could be called a traitor, then who in this village wouldn't be one?"
Holding his chest, Hodan argued, "Damaging a Konoha forehead protector amounts to betraying the village!"
Torifu coldly swept his gaze across everyone present and countered, "If even a hero of Konoha like Aozora could become a traitor, then it must be because our leadership has failed and fallen short!"
Thinking about Orochimaru and Danzo's defection, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane felt somewhat embarrassed.
Aozora seemed to finally regain his composure at this moment. Bowing gratefully to Torifu and Kosuke, he managed a smile and said, "Thank you, Grandfather Torifu and Grandfather Kosuke. While vicious rumors were running wild recently, only you two still believed in me."
This expression of gratitude immediately caused everyone to cast suspicious glances at Koharu Utatane and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
While these vicious rumors were spreading unchecked, only Torifu and Kosuke—two newly appointed elders with little power or influence—had been actively trying to prevent harm to Aozora, while Lord Hokage and Elder Koharu had remained completely inactive.
With such leaders in charge, no wonder Aozora had grown disillusioned.
Yet, at the critical moment, Aozora still chose to sacrifice himself to spare the village from the Daimyo's wrath. What noble character he possessed!
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