Inside the conference room.
The atmosphere fell silent once again. Hyuga Hiashi sank into wordless silence.
And silence, more often than not, meant tacit consent.
It wasn't that Hiashi didn't want to save his younger brother—but in the face of clan interests and Konoha's so-called peace, his personal emotions were utterly insignificant.
Watching the pain and struggle etched across Hiashi's face, the heads of Konoha's various clans couldn't help but feel a sense of shared dread.
Today it was the Hyuga.
Next time… would it be them?
If such a choice were forced upon their own clans, what decision would they make?
Hiruzen Sarutobi once again began to "educate" everyone.
"Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire will burn endlessly."
"The flame will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."
He looked at Hiashi, his gaze full of expectation.
"The Will of Fire is Konoha's enduring faith."
"I hope you can understand its true meaning, Hiashi."
Hiruzen spoke gently for a long while, yet Hiashi remained completely silent.
"In that case, let's pause the meeting."
"Hiashi, go back and think it through carefully, then give us your answer."
Hiashi still said nothing. Hiruzen could only shake his head helplessly.
Brotherly bonds—too hard to sever?
Were those things really more important than Konoha's peace?
Sigh…
Many people sighed inwardly, their eyes filled with sympathy as they looked at Hiashi.
The decision of Konoha's leadership was beyond their ability to oppose. Hiashi could only compromise in the end.
"Cough—cough…"
At that moment, Uchiha Yusuke, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly stood up with a light cough.
He didn't speak right away, instead sweeping his gaze across the room with a faint, knowing smile.
"Yusuke, do you have something you'd like to say?"
Hiruzen's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm as he asked.
What is Uchiha Yusuke planning to do now?
Before Yusuke even made a move, Hiruzen was already on high alert.
With the situation seemingly settled, he absolutely could not allow Yusuke to disrupt his plans concerning the Hyuga clan.
Yusuke chuckled softly and spoke in an even tone.
"Aren't we Konoha—the number one ninja village in the shinobi world?"
"Then why are we bowing our heads to Kumogakure this time?"
Before Hiruzen could respond, Yusuke pressed on with a barrage of soul-searching questions.
"The First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars—Konoha faced multiple villages at once, and still emerged victorious!"
"Why is it that now, facing only Kumogakure, we're afraid before a single battle is fought?"
"The First Hokage pacified the Warring States Era, the Second Hokage planned the village's future, and the Fourth Hokage needed only his name to make enemies flee at the sound of it."
"The heroic deeds of our predecessors are vivid and undeniable—yet here we are, sacrificing our own comrades for a moment of cowardly peace."
"Has Konoha truly fallen to the point where no one remains to carry the torch?"
Yusuke's words struck like thunder.
If he wanted unity against a common enemy, he had to ignite the fury buried in everyone's hearts.
Those who offend Konoha—no matter how far, they will be punished!
That was exactly the effect he wanted.
Yusuke straightened his back and asked again,
"Is a mere Kumogakure really something to fear this much?"
"How about this—let my Uchiha clan wipe them out, and the rest of you can go home and raise children!"
The moment those words landed, the room erupted.
Everyone slammed their hands on the table and shot to their feet.
Those words were far too insulting!
Yes, the Uchiha were proud—
But the rest of their clans weren't made of clay either!
They chose restraint for the sake of peace—not because they were afraid of Kumogakure!
Afraid?
Who the hell said we were afraid?!
You want a fight?
We'll see it through to the end!
In an instant, emotions boiled over.
Some even stepped forward to request battle directly from Hiruzen.
"Third Hokage, this matter absolutely cannot be compromised!"
"Kumogakure has gone too far—I demand we settle this on the battlefield!"
Hyuga Hiashi looked gratefully at Yusuke and stood up once more.
"Hokage-sama, this incident began with the Hyuga."
"I am willing to lead my clan's forces on the front lines!"
…
The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. Hiruzen could only steel himself and step forward.
"What Yusuke said… is not without reason."
"I don't want to submit either, but the village's current state truly cannot withstand another war."
Cold sweat had already soaked through Hiruzen's back.
Uchiha Yusuke really was not someone who would sit quietly.
From the looks of it, he was fully prepared to go to war with Kumogakure head-on!
Yusuke scoffed at Hiruzen's explanation.
Konoha can't withstand a war?
This was nothing but your own selfish calculations.
Win the war, and new talents rise to prominence.
Lose it, and Danzo will seize the chance to force you from power.
No matter how you think about it, avoiding war was simply safer for you.
Yusuke pressed his argument relentlessly.
"If today we hand over someone from the Hyuga clan, and tomorrow the same issue arises with another clan, do we keep compromising?"
"I don't care about other clans—but my Uchiha will never accept this!"
"Showing weakness only emboldens the enemy!"
"And peace begged for—can that really be called peace at all?"
Yusuke's expression was perfectly crafted, his face filled with righteous indignation.
Aren't you, Third Hokage, always claiming everything you do is for Konoha?
How convenient—so am I.
With surgical precision, Yusuke stabbed straight at the deepest fears of Konoha's major clans.
If the leadership could sacrifice the Hyuga for peace today, wouldn't their own clans be next tomorrow?
The Hyuga's fate was right before their eyes—how could they not feel threatened?
Without anyone realizing it, Yusuke had already begun dragging all of Konoha's clans into this together.
As long as the majority demanded war, even Hiruzen wouldn't be able to stop it.
The faces of the clan heads shifted repeatedly.
If even a great clan like the Hyuga could be sacrificed, what chance did they have?
As for civilian ninja—there was no need to even mention them.
Konoha advisor Koharu Utatane finally lost her composure and shouted sharply,
"Uchiha Yusuke, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
"Are you trying to provoke a war between Konoha and Kumogakure?!"
Yusuke shot back without hesitation.
"Kumogakure's fist is already in my face!"
"Advisor, are you telling me to not fight back—just like you?"
Hiruzen hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Yusuke, don't misunderstand."
"We're only doing this because we have no other choice."
"You've been to war yourself—you should understand how cruel it is."
"Once war begins, even more innocent people in Konoha will die…"
Mito Mon also seized the moment to support him.
"Talking about war is easy."
"If we really fight Kumogakure, are the Uchiha willing to go to the battlefield?"
Yusuke swept his gaze across the room and declared passionately,
"To die on the battlefield is to die with honor!"
"To submit without a fight—how is that the way of a shinobi?!"
"Mere Kumogakure—what are they worth?"
"My Uchiha clan is willing to march to war as one!"
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