Chapter 85: 85. Abandon The Police Department
Back home, Yagami did not go to find Terumi Mei and the others. It was no trivial matter for Shisui to leave Konoha with most of his clan members. Fugaku should execute Mist Shinobi to let the people of Mist Shinobi take notice.
He will definitely find a reason to contain him. Moreover, with such a big event occurring in Konoha, the Uchiha have every excuse to keep an eye on Mist Shinobi. Although they are in a cooperative relationship, they are not from the same village after all.
Yagami found a mirror and activated his Mangekyō. He could clearly see another pattern beneath the current one, and the patterns were affecting each other.
Fortunately, this fusion does not affect the use of the Sharingan. It would be troublesome if he were blinded for a while after transplanting his eyes, like the original Commander.
Originally, he thought that the Eternal Mangekyō would need to be purchased from the mall with a large amount of feedback points. After all, he had no biological brothers and could not activate it through eye transplantation.
He hadn't expected it to be unlocked in this way. He could only say it was a good thing!
"Lord Hokage, the casualty statistics are out. A total of sixteen Jōnin and twenty-three Chūnin died in this operation. Forty-eight shinobi were injured. In addition, some private houses sustained various levels of damage, as did the second underground floor of the Police Department Prison."
In the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage listened to the Anbu's report expressionlessly. Now that it was getting dark, all of Konoha was discussing this matter.
"What does the Uchiha say?"
After a moment, the Third Hokage asked. Although the Police Department is no longer entirely composed of Uchiha members, the captain's position is still held by a Uchiha, and if something goes wrong, they can be held accountable.
"There has been no movement so far. According to reports from the Police Department, no one from the Uchiha clan showed up today, whether in the patrol team or as prison guards. The captain did not go to the Police Department to take charge of the work. They didn't seem to care."
Anbu was stunned for a moment and reported truthfully.
When the Third Hokage heard this, he couldn't help but smile coldly in his heart. How could the Uchiha not care?
They're likely all hiding within the clan, laughing!
However, recalling the strength Mingfeng had shown earlier, the Third Hokage suppressed these thoughts. Danzo's escape had given him a clear view of reality.
He had gathered 80% of Konoha's power to pursue Danzo, yet it seemed still unable to compare to the power Yagami alone could exert.
Facing Yagami's Susanoo, the Third Hokage himself was unsure whether he could counter it. After all, compared to the Susanoo Itachi released within the Shimura clan grounds before, the Susanoo Yagami had shown this time was not only larger in size but also much stronger.
Not to mention, the suppression effect Yagami released when he altered Susanoo's form could hinder the operation of the chakra, making ninjutsu difficult to release. How could anyone contend with that?
The Third Hokage didn't understand the reason for Yagami Susanoo's transformation, thinking it was merely different stages of Susanoo, but they understood one thing: Susanoo in that form was stronger than the previous one!
"Inform the two advisory elders and the heads of each ninja clan. Be sure to call the Uchiha as well. A high-level meeting will be held later."
The Third Hokage thought about it. Now that Danzo is dead and Orochimaru has fled, troubling the Uchiha would achieve little. There was no point in worrying over such a matter.
Compared to that, the consequences left by Danzo are of greater concern. Danzo had been part of Anbu for so long. Why didn't the Third Hokage allow him to perform missions freely? Because they feared being targeted by other villages, and they wondered if they should discover Konoha's secrets.
While Konoha began to prepare, some villages were already paying attention to developments in the ninja world.
Of course, the news hadn't spread too widely. The fact that Konoha possessed Wood Style had not yet reached the public. What had attracted the attention of the ninja world was the Uchiha clan.
"Akatsuki Organization! Rinnegan Eye! The one suspected of launching the Nine Tails Rebellion in Konoha! How credible do you think this news is?"
Onoki looked at those around him and asked, "The Land of Rain is between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. The Uchiha clan does not conceal their movements well, so they will naturally be noticed by the people of Iwagakure."
The information, pieced together through fragments, may not be complete, but the key points were very accurate.
"The credibility should not be low! We all know that after the Nine-Tails rebellion occurred in Konoha, the Uchiha were almost branded as murderers.
Even outside Konoha, many people think so. But if the Uchiha are not the perpetrators, they would undoubtedly do everything to clear away the stigma, and the current behaviour of the Uchiha aligns with that."
The Daimyo of the Earth Country spoke slowly, recalling how, after the last Daimyo gathering in the Country of Fire, he had learned some things about the Uchiha from the Daimyo of the Country of Fire and had formed a favourable impression of the clan.
"Actually... it doesn't make much sense for us to discuss the intelligence's credibility here. The Uchiha are testing Rain Shinobi Village, and we can test it too! If the legendary Immortal Eye truly exists, we shouldn't miss the opportunity."
"Yes, yes! Rain Shinobi Village isn't far. Just send someone to take a look. It's only Hanzō of the Salamander—we Iwagakure shinobi are not afraid of him!"
The Akatsuki organization had not yet openly emerged, so Rain Shinobi Village was still under the control of Hanzō of the Salamander.
Firstly, Hanzō was known as a demigod and was also a legendary ninja in the ninja world. Secondly, Nagato and Konan were focused on controlling Rain Shinobi Village, making it challenging for outsiders to gain insight into its current state.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure also received this information. In contrast to Iwagakure's caution, the Fourth Raikage's approach was straightforward: Immortal Eyes! Seize them first!
Even Sunagakure, usually less conspicuous, sent agents to begin testing Rain Shinobi Village.
Except for Kirigakure, which was distant, and Konoha, embroiled in turmoil, the other three villages all showed interest in the Immortal Eye.
Of course, it wasn't as if Konoha was inactive. Despite Uchiha's situation, they did not truly consider themselves part of Konoha. Jiraiya wished to investigate Rain Shinobi Village, but he was currently held back by village responsibilities.
"Everyone must be aware of what transpired today. Danzo escaped from prison and was killed, but we must face the consequences of his use of Wood Style. I think everyone understands the gravity of this."
The Third Hokage spoke seriously during a high-level meeting. He was not exaggerating; if this matter wasn't handled well, Konoha could face a crisis as severe as the Third World War.
"Danzo escaped from prison! Doesn't the police captain owe the village an explanation for this?"
Utatane Koharu glanced at Fugaku and Yagami, frowning.
Fugaku sat with his eyes closed, entirely indifferent. He was now fully occupied with clan matters and had distanced himself from village affairs. If not for his title as clan leader, he wouldn't have even attended the meeting.
Yagami paused, casting a strange look at Utatane Koharu.
This Konoha elder must be insane! Konoha is on the brink of becoming the centre of criticism, yet she's still intent on targeting the Uchiha. Doesn't she grasp the seriousness of the situation?
The other shinobi had similar reactions. Hearing the consultant elder's words, they were at a loss for what to say.
"Koharu! Danzo and Orochimaru collaborated in escaping prison. Such an event is difficult to prevent. Besides, Yagami forced Danzo to commit suicide. Even if the Police Department bears some responsibility, they…"
The Third Hokage looked at Utatane Koharu, exasperated, cursing inwardly—at a time like this, she was still targeting the Uchiha. She was too old and stuck in her ways!
"This is indeed my oversight.
I apologize to everyone.
Furthermore, I will resign as captain of the Police Department.
All Uchiha members remaining in the Police Department will also be recalled.
I wonder if the esteemed elder is satisfied with this explanation?"
Yagami stated indifferently. With Danzo and Root gone, he was ready to relinquish control of the Police Department altogether. Since the opportunity presented itself, he had no objections to stepping back.
"Yagami, you don't have to—"
"You understand the situation!"
The Third Hokage was about to interject, but Utatane Koharu spoke first, cutting him off.
"Then... excuse me, I'll take my leave now. We haven't finished discussing the matter at the harbour yet. Shall we go, clan leader?"
Yagami suggested to Fugaku. Whatever was happening in Konoha now had nothing to do with the Uchiha. Since they were no longer involved, there was no reason to stay here. Wouldn't it be more comfortable to return home?
"Fugaku, wait!"
The Third Hokage's expression shifted, attempting to hold Fugaku back. After all, the Uchiha's combat strength was among the highest in Konoha. With the Uchiha clan involved in preparations, Konoha's burden would be significantly reduced.
He had considered making concessions to the Uchiha at this meeting to allow their involvement in the village's decision-making, but he hadn't expected this outcome.
The Uchiha were about to leave before the meeting even began.
But the Third Hokage's attempts to persuade him were ineffective. Fugaku, seeming not to hear, left the room with Yagami.
The Third Hokage's face twitched slightly, but he held back his frustration. If this morning's events had demonstrated Uchiha's strength, then Fugaku's actions now showed him Uchiha's confidence.
The Uchiha no longer seemed to care about Konoha or the Hokage's stance.
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