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The more they argued, the more heated their emotions grew. Rage simmered in their voices—they wanted nothing more than to go to war with Kumogakure.
The younger generation—Uzuki Yugao, Yuhi Kurenai, and Might Guy—stood to the side, tense but quietly relieved.
They had feared that Konoha's elders would actually agree to hand over Uchiha Haru, just to appease the demands of the Hidden Cloud.
That would be disgraceful.
All of them knew who was truly at fault in this situation.
Judging by the current mood, however, things were unlikely to spiral into that worst-case scenario. The village wouldn't sell out one of their own.
But just as a sense of hope began to rise, an out-of-place chuckle sliced through the room.
"Heh… easy to say. But what about the reality? What right do we even have to fight?"
Everyone turned.
It was Danzo.
One of the clan leaders who had been vocally pro-war scoffed in disgust. "Danzo, are you afraid?"
"Kumogakure dares to speak with such arrogance and contempt because of cowards like you! You're the reason outsiders think Konoha can be pushed around!"
Danzo didn't flinch. His expression was calm, voice measured.
"Afraid?" he said coolly. "If I had even a fifty percent chance of victory, I would fight—without hesitation."
"But the question is: do we have even that?"
"After the Nine-Tails' attack and the Fourth Hokage's death, Konoha has never been weaker."
"Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, has defected. Tsunade is nowhere to be found. Jiraiya wanders god knows where. So now it's just me—and the three elders—keeping this place upright."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"Tell me—can the Konoha of today truly stand against Kumogakure?"
"If war breaks out, do you understand the blow it would deal to our village? To the lives of our shinobi and citizens?"
"And if we lose…"
He paused, letting the silence settle like ash in the air. Then, he continued slowly, with weight behind every word.
"You are the clan heads of Konoha. The ones who shape our future. You all know—there are many who watch us from the shadows, waiting for a single misstep."
"If we make a wrong move… we all know what happens next."
Even the most hawkish among the clan leaders fell silent.
Because Danzo wasn't wrong.
Konoha, as it stood, was in no position for another war.
A loss would be catastrophic.
"But… if we just hand him over like this, what will the other villages think of us?" someone finally asked. "Won't our reputation as the strongest shinobi village become a joke?"
Their concern wasn't out of compassion for the Uchiha. Konoha's relationship with the Uchiha clan had always been strained. No, what they truly worried about was Konoha's face—its prestige on the world stage.
Danzo's voice was cold. "This is the burden we must bear."
"Either we go to war… or we endure the shame."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"Enough."
The Third Hokage's voice cut through the noise, calm yet commanding.
He exhaled deeply, then turned his eyes to one man.
"Hiashi. This incident started because of your Hyuga clan. Tell us—what is your view?"
All eyes shifted to Hyuga Hiashi—the leader of the Hyuga, father of Hinata Hyuga, who had nearly been kidnapped.
The Hyuga clan, holders of the famed Byakugan, were powerful and respected in Konoha. Now, their actions—or inaction—would determine how this meeting concluded.
Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai looked toward him as well, a flicker of hope in their expressions.
After all, it had been Uchiha Haru who had saved Hinata. He'd risked his life and intervened just in time. Without him, the situation would have turned into tragedy.
Logically, emotionally—Hiashi should side with Haru.
That's what Yugao, Kurenai, and Guy all believed.
But as Hiashi opened his mouth to speak, their hope began to crumble.
Even the seasoned elders of Konoha and the stoic clan heads were stunned.
Only Danzo gave a slight, knowing smirk.
The Third Hokage remained quiet, observing.
Hiashi's words were steady and clear.
"If sacrificing one life can secure the peace of all Konoha, even if that life is mine—I will not hesitate."
His words rippled like a cold wind through the chamber.
The pro-war leaders rose from their seats in outrage.
"Hiashi! Do you understand what you're saying?! That Uchiha boy saved your daughter—and this is your response?!"
Hiashi remained composed. He addressed the room without emotion.
"This is not a decision made solely for the Hyuga clan. It is for the sake of all Konoha. For the stability of the ninja world."
"We all know Konoha cannot survive another war."
"I know… I owe a debt to that Uchiha boy. But…"
His voice faltered slightly, a trace of guilt flickering across his features.
"…I have no choice."
"For Konoha. For peace. I would give my life. Even… even Hinata's life."
Silence fell once more.
Danzo's cold logic had been met. But Hiashi's heartfelt conviction hit differently. His personal sacrifice, his willingness to give everything, even his daughter—it moved people in ways strategy could not.
And yet, it also twisted something in their hearts.
Is peace worth this?
Is honor worth a war?
Some of the pro-war faction remained unmoved, but their numbers had clearly thinned.
Now, the Third Hokage shifted his gaze.
To the final figure who had yet to speak.
Uchiha Fugaku.
Leader of the Uchiha clan. Silent through the entire meeting.
Though the rift between Konoha and the Uchiha had grown nearly irreparable, Fugaku's presence today meant one thing—this was no ordinary issue.
His word would carry weight.
The Third Hokage addressed him directly.
"Fugaku. Uchiha Haru is one of your clan. What do you have to say?"
Fugaku sat back, arms folded across his chest, eyes half-lidded.
He didn't speak.
No one dared to press him. Not the elders. Not even the loudest of the clan leaders.
Everyone knew—the decision he was about to make was not only critical.
It was final.
If he agreed to hand Haru over, then the matter would be closed.
If he refused, the war hawks would rise again—and the fate of Konoha could shift entirely.
The silence in the chamber was suffocating.
Even the flickering lanterns seemed to dim as they waited.
This was the opinion held by the vast majority of those present.
However, that did not include Danzo or the Third Hokage.
The decision to hand over Uchiha Haru had already been made. What followed was just for show—a mere formality.
To smooth the process, a delegation had even been sent to persuade the Hyuga clan. It was widely believed that once the Hyuga were on board, there would be no more real resistance.
As for the Uchiha clan...
It didn't matter. The night of the Uchiha clan's massacre was fast approaching. Soon, the entire clan would be wiped out.
What value did their opinions hold now?
When the time came, exchanging a single corpse for the peace of all of Konoha would be considered a reasonable deal—even the most hardened pro-war advocates wouldn't oppose it.
Still, curiosity lingered.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, what would Uchiha Fugaku decide?
Time ticked by.
No one dared rush things. They feared a single misplaced word or action could tip events in the wrong direction.
After about fifteen minutes, Uchiha Fugaku, who had sat in silence for long enough, finally opened his eyes and said in a slow, steady tone:
"Though I am the head of the Uchiha clan, I do not have the right to decide the life or death of any individual clan member."
"What do you mean by that?" someone asked, clearly confused.
Fugaku replied, pausing deliberately between each word: "Let Uchiha Haru decide his own fate."
"Ridiculous!"
"He's just a kid! How could he possibly understand concepts like sacrifice, peace, or compromise?"
Someone immediately sneered, voicing what many were thinking.
To them, the answer was obvious.
One life in exchange for the safety and stability of an entire village? That was acceptable.
But if that life was your own… how many could truly accept it?
They didn't believe Haru would possess that level of maturity or awareness.
Danzo interjected with a scoff: "Patriarch Fugaku, isn't that approach a little too naive?"
Fugaku, unmoved, shook his head. "I don't think so."
At that moment, Hyuga Hizashi spoke up as well: "I support this. Uchiha Haru shouldn't die in confusion. He deserves to know what he's dying for."
"You…"
Danzo's brow furrowed, his lips parting as he prepared to argue—but the Third Hokage raised his hand to silence him.
"Enough. Since both Fugaku and Hizashi have spoken, bring Uchiha Haru here," said Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly. "Let's hear what he has to say."
Danzo's jaw clenched, but he said nothing further.
Bringing him here won't change anything, he thought to himself. The Uchiha brat would die either way—this was merely letting him see the knife coming.
A moment later, several Anbu appeared out of thin air, vanishing just as swiftly with the Third Hokage's nod.
Not long after, they returned—with a young man standing between them.
It was Uchiha Haru.
As he stepped into the council chamber, Haru's gaze calmly swept across the room. Though he hadn't been informed beforehand, he could guess the situation with startling clarity.
In one corner of the room, he caught glimpses of concerned eyes—Uzuki Yugao, Kurenai Yuhi, and Might Guy.
But far more common were the cold, analytical stares from Konoha's elders and clan heads. Their scrutinizing gazes made the atmosphere oppressive.
They stared at this young shinobi who had recently made headlines—having slain Kurosuki Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and also killed the envoy from Kumogakure. Many secretly admired him for it.
Everyone present was either a clan leader or a high-ranking official—true powerhouses in the Leaf.
Most shinobi would have felt overwhelmed simply standing in their presence.
But Haru… stood calmly, his expression unchanged, treating them like any ordinary crowd.
That alone put him above the majority of Konoha's shinobi in terms of composure.
And that's to say nothing of his combat prowess—he had defeated Raiga, and dispatched a diplomat from Kumogakure, both tasks beyond most Jonin.
It was a shame.
He was an Uchiha—cursed by history to meet a fate that was never truly his to control.
"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Haru has arrived," one of the Anbu said respectfully.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a small nod. "Good."
With that, the two masked Anbu vanished again in a blur of chakra and wind.
Then the Hokage gave a subtle signal. A Jonin stepped forward to brief Haru on the situation.
When he finished, Hiruzen looked directly at the young Uchiha.
"Haru, this all began because of you. You must understand that. What I want to know now is—what do you want to do?"
Haru didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku met his eyes and gave a single, solemn nod.
Haru understood.
This… this was the opportunity Fugaku had promised him.
The Uchiha clan would not go to war with Konoha over him. That door was shut.
All that remained… was Haru's own choice.
After a long, deliberate silence, Haru finally opened his mouth. His words came out firm and clear.
"I don't want to."
No one was surprised.
In fact, most had expected it.
This was a choice between life and death. Who would choose to die?
No sooner had the words left his lips than a wave of outraged voices filled the room.
"He's just a child! What could he possibly know?"
"We're wasting time giving him a choice!"
"Uchiha brat, do you think you're above sacrifice? Dying for the village—dying for peace—that's an honor! Do you even understand that?!"
The noise escalated quickly. Heated voices rose, overlapping in a storm of blame and derision.
SLAM!
The Third Hokage brought his hand down on the table—hard. The sharp sound cut through the noise like a kunai.
The room fell silent.
Everyone looked around, realizing they had gone too far.
For all their power, for all their titles… they had just ganged up on a teenager.
Danzo broke the silence with a thin, sharp smile as he turned to Fugaku.
"So, clan head Fugaku," he said with mock politeness, "is this your answer, then?"
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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