Chapter 6: The Uchiha's Loyalty
"Third Hokage, you've finally arrived." Touhuan, who had been standing like a statue in the rain, finally spoke. His voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that silenced the crowd.
"Touhuan, tell me exactly what happened here," Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded, his eyes darting from the bloody remains of Danzo to the stoic young Uchiha.
"This morning, my team received an official mission. On our way to the border, we were ambushed," Touhuan stated simply. "After we neutralized the attackers, we were shocked to find Elder Danzo's remains among the fallen."
"Nonsense! Danzo would never ambush a Leaf shinobi!" Mitokado Homura shouted, his face turning red with rage.
"And yet, here he is," Touhuan's tone remained chillingly indifferent. "During the fight, the attacker revealed a hidden arm covered in our ancestors' Sharingan. We mistook him for a thief—a scavenger stealing our clan's bloodline. We acted to protect our heritage, only to realize later it was Elder Danzo."
"Hiruzen, don't listen to this Garbage! This is a setup!" Utatane Koharu hissed.
"An Uchiha would never desecrate their own blood!" an elder behind Touhuan roared back.
Touhuan didn't argue. He simply reached down, grabbed Danzo's arm, and dispelled the sealing jutsu. Instantly, the Hashirama cells—unrestrained and violent—erupted, turning the corpse into a twisted, grotesque wooden stake.
"Wood Style...?" The older shinobi in the crowd gasped.
Touhuan then gestured to Inahime, who dropped the unconscious Yamato onto the ground. "We also found this operative who can use the First Hokage's legendary power. I believe the implications are clear, Hokage-sama."
The crowd was horrified. Even the Hokage's own Anbu shifted uncomfortably. Desecrating the First Hokage's cells was an unforgivable sin against the village's very foundation.
Hiruzen knew the situation was spiraling. "Everyone, stay calm! I will conduct a thorough investigation and provide a full explanation. I ask for your patience!"
"We can't trust them!" a radical Uchiha shouted from the back. "Touhuan! You've awakened the eyes of Madara! Lead us! The Uchiha should rule!"
Shisui and Itachi froze, their hearts pounding. This was it—the moment the village would burn. They prepared to step in, even if it meant fighting their own kin.
But suddenly, Touhuan's voice boomed like thunder: "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!"
The Uchiha radicals froze. Touhuan's Mangekyō Sharingan spun with a terrifying intensity as he glared at his own clan.
"What is this madness?! Konoha was founded by the First Hokage and our ancestor, Madara! This is our home! We drink the water of the Naka River; we eat the rice of these lands! We ARE the Hidden Leaf!"
Shisui and Itachi stood stunned. Touhuan wasn't starting a war—he was claiming the village.
"Clan Head, you agree, don't you?" Touhuan looked at Fugaku.
Fugaku, catching onto Touhuan's brilliant play, stepped forward and bowed to Hiruzen. "Touhuan is right. My people are agitated because of the desecration they witnessed. We apologize for the outburst, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen seized the opportunity to de-escalate. "I understand. Anyone would be enraged to see such a sight. Fugaku, take your people home. I promise a satisfactory answer once the investigation is complete."
"Wait, Hokage-sama," Touhuan interrupted, pulling out the mission scroll. "This scroll bears your official seal. Did you sign this?"
Hiruzen glanced at the 'evidence' of Danzo's betrayal. He needed to cut ties with the dead man immediately. "I issued no such mission. There is no record of this in the archives."
"So... this was entirely Elder Danzo's rogue action?" Touhuan asked, a thin smile playing on his lips.
[Forgive me, Danzo,] Hiruzen thought before speaking firmly: "That is correct."
"Despicable!" Touhuan shouted with feigned indignation. "The Hokage works day and night for us, yet there are snakes in his inner circle working for their own selfish greed! There is poison around the Hokage!" He pointedly glared at the two advisors, Homura and Koharu.
Hiruzen was backed into a corner. "I... I will investigate everything, Touhuan."
"Hokage-sama, in this time of crisis, the Uchiha clan is willing to share your burden," Touhuan said, bowing low.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but—"
Hiruzen stopped. He looked into Touhuan's eyes and saw the Mangekyō Sharingan rotating slowly. He remembered Shisui's warning about a dangerous eye technique. Touhuan wasn't asking; he was stating a fact. If Hiruzen refused, Touhuan could easily justify a "clean-up" of the village leadership.
Hiruzen sighed, defeated by the boy's political genius. "Very well. Since you are so determined, I will leave the investigation of the Root's remnants to you."
The Mangekyō faded from Touhuan's eyes as he bowed. "As you wish, Hokage-sama."
As Hiruzen prepared to leave with his men, Touhuan's voice rang out one last time, loud and clear for the entire village to hear:
"THE UCHIHA CLAN SALUTES THE HOKAGE!"
Touhuan snapped his hand to his head in a sharp salute. "LOYALTY! SINCERITY!"
Every Uchiha present, including a dazed Fugaku, followed suit, their voices echoing off the village gates: "LOYALTY! SINCERITY!"
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end of this chapter...