Could it be because of the information given by Hiko?
I hope it won't bring any trouble to the Uchiha clan.
"I'm sorry for summoning everyone to a meeting at the Hokage office building so early in the morning."
Everyone who was supposed to be present had arrived. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood up and bowed deeply to everyone with an apologetic tone.
"???"
"Lord Hokage, what are you doing?"
Such a sudden gesture from the Third Hokage shocked many of those present, especially those unaware of what was coming.
The one who reacted most dramatically was Akimichi Choza. The chair beneath him nearly snapped as he abruptly stood, his large hands flailing as he exclaimed:
"Sarutobi! Even if you're feeling guilty, there's no need to bow to all of us! Just tell us what's going on!"
When something so out of the ordinary occurs, it always suggests something serious. The Third Hokage bowing at the start of a formal meeting immediately unsettled everyone in the room.
Fugaku's heart pounded. The intensity of the situation left him fearing the worst.
If the aftermath wasn't handled properly, his role might be exposed.
"Hiruzen, if you've got something to say, then say it directly! What is this nonsense?"
Koharu Utatane frowned, feeling that this approach was far too uncharacteristic for the leader of the village.
"He should apologize," Tsunade interrupted coldly.
"Tsunade, what are you saying!"
Koharu turned to her sharply, visibly agitated.
"Hiruzen is your teacher! How can you—"
"Shut up if you don't know anything!" Tsunade snapped, her words laced with disgust. "I'm starting to think you were involved in all of this as well! Otherwise, how else would Danzo have had so much power—enough to operate unchecked!"
She had long grown tired of their stubbornness, their blind loyalty, and their decades of obstruction.
Whenever something good was proposed for the village, these two always opposed it.
Tsunade couldn't help but recall when she proposed expanding the training of medical ninjas—only for Koharu to reject it on the grounds that the village lacked sufficient resources.
And what happened?
She had been right all along. Eventually, the village increased the training of medical ninjas anyway, quietly ignoring that they had opposed it in the first place.
"You..."
Koharu had just opened her mouth when Tsunade cut her off again, her expression filled with fury.
"Enough!"
Just as Koharu was about to retaliate, the Third Hokage raised his voice, his tone resolute.
"Koharu, Tsunade is right. I must apologize—to all of you and to the villagers of Konoha."
"..."
Koharu's rising anger instantly deflated. Her face flushed red with frustration, but with Hiruzen acknowledging his fault, she had no room to argue.
"Shikaku, distribute the documents."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The scrolls had already been copied beforehand. When Nara Shikaku was tasked with reproducing the contents, he nearly lost his composure in fear.
After distributing the documents, he took a few steps back and stood silently behind the Hokage, staring at the floor.
Storm clouds were gathering in the meeting room, and as the Nara clan's representative and tactical commander, he knew it was best to remain silent. This matter was too dangerous for him to meddle in.
Squeak! Clatter!!
The sound of a chair toppling rang out as Koharu stood up abruptly after reading just the first few lines of the document.
Her reaction was dramatic—but nobody paid attention to her anymore.
Everyone was already engrossed in the file.
Fugaku's scalp tingled as he read. This... this was the exact information he had secretly sold to the bounty syndicate.
Without a doubt, it was the same.
"How could this happen?!"
Mitokado Homura rubbed his eyes repeatedly, hoping he had read something wrong.
"This shouldn't be possible! Who leaked such top-secret information?!"
"Hiruzen, what the hell is going on?!"
"The old man suspects... Orochimaru."
With Danzo out of reach to take the blame, Orochimaru became the most convenient scapegoat.
After all, Orochimaru had full knowledge of these secrets and a motive to use them. He was a rogue ninja now, one of Konoha's greatest disgraces.
"So... Danzo and Orochimaru really did succeed?"
Akimichi Choza spoke up, then quickly realized his mistake. He covered his mouth mid-sentence, giving an awkward smile, and lowered his head to the table.
His comment essentially confirmed the guilt of the Third Hokage, Danzo, and Orochimaru—whether or not he meant to.
"Ha..."
Tsunade chuckled coldly, the sound devoid of humor.
So everyone knew?
Everyone except her?
Jiraiya, who sat next to her, hadn't spoken since the meeting started. He stared at the floor, his thoughts far away.
It turned out... everything was true.
The majority of those present were horrified as they read through the scrolls. The contents were more than just shocking—they were disgraceful.
Worse still, the facts were indisputable.
Everyone lowered their heads in silence, no one daring to speak further.
"Where did this information come from?" Koharu finally asked, her grip on the document trembling.
She was already trying to salvage what she could.
"This must be contained. If this leaks, it will bring great harm to the village!"
The Third Hokage remained silent, unmoved.
Tsunade responded instead:
"I brought it from the Daimyo's Mansion. Does that satisfy you, Elder Advisor?"
"...I..."
It was over.
Koharu's face turned ashen. If the source was the Daimyo's office, then there was no hope of silencing this.
Soon, the entire Land of Fire—perhaps the whole Shinobi world—would know.
When the villagers learned of these horrifying acts, how would they react?
"You're more worried about saving face than saving the village."
Tsunade's words were scathing.
"If you have time to assign blame, maybe use it to think about how you're going to face the villagers once this spreads! Think about how they'll treat you!"
"And we have to consider the other villages," she added.
"If this information spreads, they'll believe Konoha has a way to recreate the Wood Release. They'll start spying on us, sending infiltrators. They'll discredit us on every level."
The Third Hokage, visibly shaken, pulled out his pipe and lit it, taking deep drags.
Smoke filled the meeting room.
"I will give the villagers an explanation."
"Easy for you to say."
Tsunade's fists clenched. She wanted to slam her hand into his face—but held back. With a deep breath, she sat down and muttered:
"Then announce everything. The people deserve to know what happened. We all do."
"I agree."
For once, Jiraiya didn't run away.
He stood with Tsunade.
He was done keeping quiet.
He'd faced death and killed enemies countless times. But this—what the village had done to its own people, to war orphans, to Konoha's citizens—this he couldn't forgive.
"Tsunade, we should focus on minimizing damage—"
Koharu tried again, only for Hiruzen to cut her off.
"That's enough, Koharu. Tsunade is right. Everyone has a right to know."
"But—"
Homura placed a hand on Koharu's arm and shook his head.
There was no more time. It was too late for damage control.
They had to brace for the coming storm.
Seeing him yield, Koharu reluctantly sat back down, her face pale.
"It began with my teacher..."
The Third Hokage set his pipe aside and began explaining solemnly:
"In an effort to maintain peace in the Shinobi world, my teacher—the Second Hokage—initiated research on the Wood Release."
"Though the cells of the First Hokage were essential, my teacher did not disturb his remains. He only preserved a small quantity of cells for research."
"The experiments were opposed by many, and eventually war erupted."
"After my teacher died in battle, I became the Third Hokage. I inherited his will—and continued the research on the Wood Release."
"For years we struggled, and in the end, the experiments were halted. The results were too unstable. I ordered all work to cease."
"What about Danzo and Orochimaru?" Tsunade cut in coldly.
"You can't tell me you didn't know. Without backing from the village, neither of them could have gotten the resources they needed. Not on that scale."
Hiruzen hesitated.
Beside him, Mitokado Homura's expression twitched. He quickly spoke up.
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