Chapter 200 – Jonin Council (Part 2)
Hokage Tower – Conference Room
In the brightly lit conference room, everyone had taken their seats. Apart from Jiraiya, who was away on a mission, Orochimaru and Konoha's three other senior elders were seated at the head of the room.
Opposite them sat Konoha's key department leaders, headed by Kazane, along with the heads of the various noble clans. Behind them were their respective Jonin subordinates.
As for unaffiliated civilian Jonin, they were uniformly seated at the very back.
The room was filled with a sea of green Jonin flak jackets—orderly and formidable, showcasing Konoha's elite combat strength.
One notable detail was that the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were now openly sitting side-by-side. Once the two most prominent rival clans in Konoha, they had now seemingly set aside past grievances and stood united.
Meanwhile, the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans—traditionally loyal to Hiruzen Sarutobi—had instead taken neutral positions beside Kazane.
Across from them, the faction led by Tobirama Senju had gathered several smaller clans that once supported Danzo and Hiruzen—like the Inuzuka and Kurama clans—alongside the mid-tier but formidable Aburame and Sarutobi clans.
Also aligned with that faction were heavy-hitters like Minato and Kushina, as well as legends like Maruboshi Kosuke.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade seated on the elder bench, the combined high-end combat power of the former Hokage's faction clearly outmatched the Uchiha-Hyuga alliance.
Fortunately, both Kazane and Orochimaru maintained neutrality. Under Kazane's guidance, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio also chose to remain neutral, preventing the balance from tipping completely.
Although the Uchiha and Hyuga held numerical superiority in terms of Jonin, the overall forces of both factions remained relatively balanced.
Once everyone was present, Orochimaru opened the meeting.
Turning to Uchiha Fugaku, he said, "Elder Fugaku, this meeting was requested by you. Please speak freely."
Hearing this, Fugaku didn't bother with ceremony. He stood up and addressed the room with righteous confidence:
"Hokage-sama, fellow comrades. I believe everyone has heard the rumors spreading outside. I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things.
"The one who attacked Kushina was Uchiha Makoto. Our clan severed ties with him long ago. This matter has nothing to do with the Uchiha.
"As for the claims that I used my son's coming-of-age celebration as an excuse to lure all of Konoha's Jonin away, thereby giving Uchiha Makoto the chance to attack Kushina—those are baseless accusations.
"Everyone here knows my son's birth date was already fixed long ago. It was simply a celebration, a blessing. I hope everyone can view this matter with reason."
Just as Fugaku finished, the Inuzuka Clan Head—wearing his trademark fang-like face markings and an unruly expression—spoke up mockingly to his clan behind him:
"Hah. So Elder Fugaku wants us to believe this was all a coincidence? What a clean way to dodge responsibility."
Though it looked like he was whispering to his clanmates, his voice was deliberately loud. After throwing a scornful glance at Fugaku, it was clear he didn't believe a word.
To Fugaku, this was blatant provocation. But since this came from a lower-ranking clan, it wasn't worth his personal response.
"Clan Head Inuzuka, mind your conduct. This is a Jonin Council. If you want to whisper, take it outside. Don't disturb everyone else."
The voice came from Uchiha Gōtan, a loyal follower of Fugaku and an elite Jonin. As head of Konoha's Interrogation Department, both his power and position gave him every reason to look down on the Inuzuka.
"You've said too much, Chief Gōtan," came a cold response. "The Inuzuka head raised a legitimate concern. Isn't it too much of a coincidence? One moment we're invited to a banquet, the next, a rogue Uchiha attacks Kushina."
"And this Uchiha—Makoto, you say? Wasn't he once a genius among your clan? I remember he was said to rival Kazane during their Academy days. Wasn't he also your disciple, Elder Fugaku? Seems like more than coincidence to me."
The voice came from Aburame Shihei, whose face was hidden beneath a high-collared cloak.
The Aburame clan, long aligned with Danzo, had grown rapidly through their association with Root. Their shinobi had undergone brutal training and frequent combat, earning them a spot among Konoha's second-tier powerhouses—far above the Inuzuka in prestige.
Despite this, Gōtan didn't flinch.
"So what you're saying, Shihei, is that the Uchiha orchestrated all of this? Do you have proof? Or do the Aburame always throw accusations without evidence?"
As the room grew more heated, Kazane watched silently, thoughts racing. No wonder Orochimaru wanted to divide power and keep factions in check. Konoha was growing far too noisy.
From today's scene alone, it was clear that the village had split into two major factions. At this rate, even Orochimaru's orders would need to be filtered through clan heads before being carried out. A reshuffle was definitely in order.
Even as these thoughts passed through his mind, Kazane said nothing—he merely observed the verbal sparring unfold.
Just as tensions were about to boil over, Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat and stood up.
"Ahem. Perhaps this old man should say a few words of fairness."
Seeing him rise, Shihei and the others held their tongues. They knew full well he would side with them.
Gōtan looked like he wanted to argue more, but a look from Fugaku made him sit back down, albeit reluctantly.
"In truth, Gōtan made a valid point," Hiruzen began. "We don't have definitive proof that Elder Fugaku orchestrated this incident. And in the end, no harm came to the village."
Even Fugaku was surprised by Hiruzen's sudden show of support.
But then Hiruzen continued:
"However, I do have two questions for Elder Fugaku. I hope you'll be willing to answer."
Fugaku's brows furrowed slightly. He knew any question from Hiruzen wouldn't be simple. He considered refusing, but doing so in front of this crowd would make him look guilty.
"Please speak, Elder Hiruzen," he replied.
"Very well." Hiruzen took a deep puff of his pipe and exhaled slowly. "First—how many Uchiha are capable of using Mangekyō-level genjutsu?"
He smiled faintly. "They say Uchiha Makoto did it. But as I recall, he was reported dead during the Third Shinobi War. And not long ago, you blamed him for the death of an ANBU. Yet the investigation later confirmed that it was actually Uchiha Obito."
"I can't help but wonder—has someone been impersonating Makoto to unleash the Nine-Tails and sow chaos, using a 'dead man' as the scapegoat?"
A master of political speech, Hiruzen had landed a sharp blow right out of the gate.
If Fugaku wanted to clear his clan's name, he would first have to prove that Makoto was alive. Otherwise, it would appear that someone within the Uchiha clan impersonated Makoto and attacked Kushina.
And only Uchiha could wield the Mangekyō—no scapegoating possible.
He had also dragged Obito into the equation, which complicated things further. Obito was currently undercover in Akatsuki—a mission known only to Fugaku and Orochimaru. Revealing too much could endanger the mission and Obito's life.
Watching from below, Tobirama smiled in satisfaction. This disciple of his was proving most useful in political warfare.
"I can answer your first question, Elder Hiruzen," Fugaku replied, his tone calm even as his heart raced. He turned to Shisui and gave him a subtle nod.
Taking the cue, Shisui's eyes shifted—the three tomoe spun and converged into a Mangekyō pattern.
"What?!"
"Uchiha Shisui has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
Shock rippled through the room.
Even Hiruzen was momentarily stunned. He had only meant to probe, but it turned out the Uchiha truly possessed a second Mangekyō.
Counting Obito, that made three.
At this point, Hiruzen felt fortunate that Obito had defected—otherwise, the Uchiha clan's power might have become unmanageable.
"Are you satisfied, Elder Hiruzen?" Fugaku said coldly. "Shisui was with me at the compound during the incident. Everyone here can attest to that. Any other questions?"
Revealing the clan's secret weapon clearly displeased Fugaku, and he no longer cared to hide his disdain.
"Haha, the Uchiha truly produce prodigies," Hiruzen chuckled. "I believe Shisui is even younger than my son Asuma. Such accomplishments at his age make us old-timers look bad."
"But here's the thing—we had no idea about Shisui's eyes until now. Elder Fugaku, is it not possible that someone else is hiding a Mangekyō, impersonating Makoto to release the Nine-Tails?"
"Could it be that Kushina was meant to recognize the attacker as Makoto, so the true culprit could escape suspicion?"
Hiruzen's expression turned serious.
"Elder Fugaku, don't you think that's possible?"
While deeply shocked by Shisui's Mangekyō, Hiruzen's resolve to suppress the Uchiha only grew stronger.
If they were this strong already, and if Itachi became Fifth Hokage, there would be no place left for others in Konoha.
Fugaku clenched his teeth in silence. Though he was seething inside, he had to maintain composure. He subtly glanced at Kazane for help.
Hiruzen was right. Unless Makoto's survival could be definitively proven, suspicion would fall on the clan itself.
But how? Only Kushina and Obito had seen Makoto's face recently. Kushina wouldn't testify. Obito's identity was too sensitive. Fugaku had hit a wall—and Kazane was his only hope.
Kazane, already irritated, grew more annoyed under Fugaku's pleading gaze.
If you can cause trouble, you'd better be able to fix it. If he didn't still have uses, Kazane wouldn't bother with him at all.
"It was Makoto who did it," Kazane finally said. "I left a sword mark in the Nine-Tails seal as a trap. He triggered it and should've died. But he escaped using Izanagi."
"Izanagi?!"
Gasps echoed throughout the room. The Jonin were both stunned that Kazane could repel a Mangekyō wielder with a single strike, and intrigued by this technique that could resist such an attack.
But Kazane and Fugaku offered no explanations, so the others held their questions—mentally noting the technique's name for future study.
Hiruzen realized Kazane intended to shield the Uchiha. He couldn't guess what price Fugaku had paid to earn Kazane's protection.
But when it came to politics—Kazane was no match.
Back when Orochimaru took power, he had Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the support of the Uchiha and Hyuga. That was the only reason Hiruzen stepped down.
Now, he had Tsunade and Tobirama behind him, and the moral high ground. Neither Kazane nor even Orochimaru could stop him now.
And besides—why clash directly?
Hiruzen continued calmly, "Since Kazane confirms Makoto's existence, I suppose that resolves one matter."
"But I do have one more question for Elder Fugaku."
By now, Fugaku was visibly annoyed and didn't bother responding.
But Hiruzen pressed on anyway.
"Shisui managed to hide his Mangekyō all this time. So how can you prove that Makoto isn't another secret weapon of the Uchiha?"
"Why did he suddenly reappear now? Why attack Kushina out of nowhere?"
"And according to records, he was just a Chūnin when he supposedly died. How did he learn how to undo the Four Symbols Seal? Who taught him?"
If Hiruzen had been restrained earlier, he was now making his accusations fully clear.
Bang!
Fugaku finally snapped, slamming his palm on the table and shouting:
"Hiruzen! What are you implying? That I orchestrated all of this myself?!"
That accusation was too outrageous. Hiruzen clearly intended to wipe out the Uchiha once and for all.
"I never said that," Hiruzen replied smugly. "You're the one making that admission. I'm merely asking questions. Why so agitated?"
"Unless… I hit the mark."
With a dangerous gleam in his eyes, Hiruzen stood up—his gaze now sharp with killing intent—locking eyes with Fugaku across the room.