Chapter 40: Internal Talks Failed, Public Opinion Has Turned Against Us!

Danzō was direct, with no hesitation or fuss.

He and Hiruzen Sarutobi were comrades, fellow warriors—but beyond that, they were enemies.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s concerns, he understood perfectly well.

But likewise.

This was his true goal.

He longed for Hiruzen Sarutobi’s reputation to be utterly ruined, so he himself could seize the Hokage position.

So.

At this moment, he was utterly relaxed, showing not the slightest sign of urgency.

And as for this.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, then slowly spoke: “Danzō, can we not negotiate?”

“Sorry, no negotiation!” Danzō refused outright.

Though he also wanted to eliminate the Uchiha as soon as possible, and knew Uchiha Jin was a major nuisance, he felt little real worry.

Because even if the sky fell, the taller ones would bear the weight.

And in the current Hidden Leaf, Hiruzen Sarutobi was that taller one.

If he wasn’t worried, why should he be?

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

He gave Danzō a deep, piercing look, then immediately lit a cigarette.

He could read Danzō’s mind perfectly.

Danzō simply wanted to take the blame for him, but in return, Hiruzen had to offer him benefits—and meanwhile, let his own reputation erode slightly.

What to do?

He truly wanted to kill Uchiha Jin quickly, but he didn’t want to sacrifice his own reputation in the process.

So, for a moment.

The atmosphere in the room turned utterly silent.

“Sarutobi, Danzō!”

“Both of Itachi, compromise a little. There’s no need to go this far.”

“Our enemy is the Uchiha—we can’t afford internal strife now!”

“...”

Tenzō and Mizukami were growing anxious; they pleaded earnestly, trying to persuade the two.

There was no choice.

If the outsider Uchiha wasn’t dealt with yet, and their own ranks fell into chaos, the news would spread—and the Uchiha would laugh themselves sick.

As for their pleas, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzō, his eyes filled with hope.

He hoped Danzō would yield—but his wish was doomed to vanish.

What kind of man was Danzō?

Looking back at the Hidden Leaf’s countless disasters throughout history, when had Danzō ever stepped forward voluntarily?

Selfishness was his creed. Now, with such a perfect chance to weaken Hiruzen Sarutobi, to abandon it would make him no longer Danzō.

So, no choice.

The situation stalled—neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Danzō would give an inch.

Afternoon, three o’clock.

Hiruzen Sarutobi chose not to end the meeting; he continued to stand his ground against Danzō in the office. This time, he must force Danzō to yield.

Tenzō couldn’t hold back: “Why don’t we eat first, then continue discussing?”

“Yes, let’s eat,” Mizukami sighed helplessly. “This standoff can’t go on forever!”

But, unfortunately.

At their words, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his fist on the desk, embodying the Hokage’s authority.

“Enough! Shut up!”

“I’m so furious I’ve lost my appetite—how could I possibly eat?”

“Danzō...”

“I’ll give Itachi one last chance. Will Itachi take this mission or not?”

Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi’s raging fury, Tenzō and Mizukami froze in place.

Itachi’re furious and full of rage—but we’re starving!

They wanted to mutter something, but before the furious Hiruzen Sarutobi, they dared not speak.

And as for this.

Danzō’s expression remained cold, utterly dismissing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He sat calmly in his chair, his face serene and unruffled.

Clearly.

Unless Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to his demands, he would never accept taking the blame.

Thus...

Time dragged into evening, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō still stood locked in a stalemate, neither willing to yield.

Creak.

At that moment, the door suddenly knocked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly.

This was a high-level Hidden Leaf meeting—normally, no one would dare interrupt unless something major occurred.

So.

After a brief pause, he sat back down.

He readjusted his Hokage hat, then called out to the door.

“Enter.”

With a soft creak, the Hokage’s office door opened.

An Anbu entered and knelt respectfully on one knee: “Hokage-sama, Elder-sama, the village has suddenly been flooded with terrible rumors—rumors that involve Itachi all...”

After a brief explanation, the Anbu pulled out a scroll.

And as for this.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s heart sank—he instantly felt a terrible foreboding.

He took the scroll, waved his hand for the Anbu to leave, then.

With confusion, he opened it, glanced at the contents—and before finishing, he smashed the desk with a furious slap.

Senju Shinki, Katō Dan, Hatake Sakumo...

Familiar names stared back—and worse, the vile accusations against him within.

Familiar names came into view, but more importantly, the false accusations against himself!

These were precisely Uchiha Jin’s earlier speculations—once confined to the Uchiha clan, now sweeping through the entire Hidden Leaf.

It was exactly what Uchiha Jin had originally speculated—once confined to the Uchiha clan, now it had completely swept through the Hidden Leaf Village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi’s teeth clenched, his body trembling with rage, his voice hoarse.

“Uchiha Jin, Itachi bastard!”

“Itachi deserve to die—I’ll kill Itachi!”

“Danzō, I authorize Itachi!”

“Itachi must kill Uchiha Jin, this bastard, as soon as possible!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi was beside himself, consumed by fury.

And on the other side.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi’s rage, Mizukami and Tenzō were stunned. They picked up the scroll, read it, and were instantly consumed by the same madness.

Seeing the furious Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mizukado En and Touna Koharu were stunned; they picked up the scroll, read it, and simultaneously descended into madness.

“Uchiha Jin is a monster—he’s shitting on us!”

“We can’t leave him alive—we must kill him quickly!”

Tenzō and Mizukami, after reading, were utterly enraged.

Danzō, too, grew interested.

After reading the scroll’s contents, he let out a cold laugh: “Sarutobi, I told Itachi before—Itachi’d regret it.”

“After your meeting with Uchiha Jin today, he sensed your intent to act—so he struck first.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi trembled violently.

He felt a crushing crisis—if he didn’t resolve this, his Hokage career would end, and in the most disgraceful way possible.

He felt a tremendous crisis—if he failed to resolve this matter, his career as Hokage would end, and in the most disgraceful way possible.

His voice was icy, chilling like a gale from the deepest abyss.

He was truly furious.

Uchiha Jin’s move had struck him squarely at his weakest point.

Uchiha Jin's move struck him right at his vital point.

However.

After a long pause, he calmed himself.

"Tobirama!"

"Now is not the time for infighting. We must unite."

"Your Root faction often manipulates public opinion—surely Itachi have a solution?"

"What do we do next?"