Chapter 201 – Jonin Council (Part 3)
BANG!
"Enough!!!"
Just as the tension in the room was about to erupt into a full-on fight, Orochimaru—who had remained silent between the two opposing factions—finally lost his patience. He slammed his palm onto the table with a loud smack that echoed through the chamber, halting both parties in their tracks.
The sheer force of it drew everyone's attention.
Orochimaru was clearly furious. For him, this situation was intolerable. He was the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, yet these two had dared to shout and squabble right in front of him—as if his presence meant nothing.
Clearly, his long absence buried in lab work had made them forget who held power in this village.
"What do you think this place is, a marketplace for squabbling peasants?"
The usually aloof and cold Orochimaru roaring in anger startled everyone.
"This matter ends here," he declared with finality. "Kazane, list Uchiha Makoto as an S-Class missing-nin. As for Elder Fugaku, you failed to properly discipline your student. You will be fined three years' worth of your income."
After a brief pause to let the words sink in, Orochimaru's gaze landed directly on Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Does anyone have a problem with that decision?"
Though Orochimaru's wrath cowed many in the room, Hiruzen was clearly not one of them.
"Orochimaru, this matter hasn't been thoroughly investigated. If Fugaku did orchestrate all this, letting him off now would be disastrous. You'd be planting a ticking time bomb within the village."
Jonin across the room turned their attention once more to the standoff.
Orochimaru had clearly chosen to protect Fugaku—and yet Hiruzen was directly opposing that decision.
This marked the second time the two clashed publicly. The last time, Orochimaru had held the moral high ground and rallied half the village behind him, forcing Hiruzen to step down.
Now, their roles had reversed.
And this time, Hiruzen had Tobirama Senju—the most respected of the older generation—backing him. All signs pointed toward Orochimaru having to compromise.
Everyone in the room understood the implications: if Orochimaru gave in today, it would trigger a full reshuffling of Konoha's power structure.
It all came down to his next move.
Kazane stepped in, his tone icy and calculated. "Elder Sarutobi, aren't you overstepping your bounds? Minato and Kushina haven't said a word, and yet here you are already pressing charges. Were you involved in this incident somehow?"
"As I recall, you weren't at the Uchiha compound that night."
"And isn't your residence close to Minato's? Funny how you were the only one who didn't react. Have you gotten senile—or were you the one pulling the strings?"
Hearing Sarutobi still relentlessly pushing, Kazane decided it was time to muddy the waters. Some matters could be dealt with later—but tonight, a line had to be drawn.
Hiruzen, crafty as ever, knew exactly what Kazane was trying to do. But even knowing that Kazane was twisting the narrative, he had no choice but to play along. If he didn't respond, it would seem as though he was hiding something.
So he responded with an air of benevolence:
"Kazane, you're still young. Be careful what you say. I've served Konoha with unwavering dedication for decades—I'd never do anything to harm it."
He looked every bit the wronged elder, as if Kazane's accusations were deeply hurtful.
"Oh yes, Elder Sarutobi," Kazane said coolly. "Your 'dedicated service' included suppressing the Uchiha, and eliminating any threat to your rule—like Lord Orochimaru… or perhaps even Konoha's White Fang?"
Kazane's voice sharpened at those last two words.
Everyone in the room instantly caught the deeper meaning. No one expected Kazane to invoke that taboo subject—not here, not now.
The death of White Fang had long been an unspoken wound in Konoha. Though Danzo took the fall, many suspected Hiruzen's hidden hand.
Was Kazane now digging up the past?
Truthfully, Kazane wasn't much of a politician. He simply didn't want to waste more breath arguing with Hiruzen. Right now, the old man had the upper hand in numbers—if it came to a vote or further debate, Kazane's faction was at a disadvantage.
And Tobirama Senju was still sitting quietly, his intentions unreadable. The older a man was, the more cunning he became—and Tobirama was the oldest of them all. During his time as Hokage, the clans had been completely subdued under his rule.
A man that dangerous, sitting silently… was certainly up to something.
But Kazane also knew his greatest advantage: if he decided to flip the table—no one could flip it back.
His words stunned the room. Jonin stared at him in disbelief. No one imagined he'd dare tear open such an old, festering wound so brazenly.
"Hatake Kazane…"
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
Kazane had openly accused him of orchestrating everything wrong in Konoha.
Even Tobirama looked surprised. For all Orochimaru's rebellious tendencies, how had he ended up with such a confrontational disciple?
But Tobirama quickly assessed the situation.
This escalation wasn't in his interest. Today's goal was to weaken the Uchiha—not to spark conflict with Orochimaru's faction. There would be plenty of time for power struggles later.
So he interjected, his voice calm and steady:
"We're getting off-topic. Weren't we here to discuss the Uchiha? How did this become about Elder Sarutobi?"
"Orochimaru's judgment is fair—and I agree with it. However, I believe the Uchiha no longer qualify to lead the Military Police."
"The Police are the cornerstone of Konoha's security. Even the slightest risk must be addressed early."
Just as Kazane expected, Tobirama didn't act often—but when he did, he struck with surgical precision.
Once, the Police Force had been a burden on the Uchiha. It made them hated by the public and locked them into roles as enforcers.
But times had changed.
With Konoha's booming development, shops lined the streets, and the Police were now responsible for maintaining public order. Once a thankless job, the Police Force had become a gold mine for commercial and political influence.
Each clan now had industries throughout the village. The Police served as the bridge between the Uchiha and these clans—protecting shared interests.
More importantly, the job gave the Uchiha direct control over civilians.
Public opinion was turning against them, sure. But with the Police still in their hands, all they had to do was wait.
Once the heat died down, they could rezone a commercial district, trade favors with the clans, and personally deliver rice and oil to the elderly.
Public anger? It would fade.
Because in the end, common folk only cared about one thing: who could actually help them.