Yamanaka Inoichi sat still, almost glued to his chair, not daring to move an inch. Without a word from the Hokage or a clear stance from Elder Shimura, he wouldn't even think of making a move. He was well aware that even if Uchiha Sougen became furious, he couldn't risk his clan's position. The choice between his family and himself wasn't difficult; his own death would be insignificant compared to the possibility of people thinking the Yamanaka clan was cozying up to the Uchiha like the Kurama clan had.
To be honest, these days, the Kurama clan had already been pushed out of many social circles. The Uchiha clan... was truly unpopular! Even though these clans understood the smear campaign against the Uchiha in the village, no one wanted to interact with them. This disdain had started when Uchiha Madara lost the election for Hokage to Senju Hashirama.
Over decades, this sentiment had become ingrained. Changing such a long-standing habit wasn't going to be easy!
Even though Danzo's near-death situation had made Sougen seem a bit more tolerable to many clan heads, this acceptance extended only to him and not to the entire Uchiha clan. People still maintained a respectful distance—no provoking, but definitely no cozying up either.
"Clan Leader Yamanaka? Are you feeling unwell today?" Sougen pressed him further.
"N-no, it's just..." Yamanaka Inoichi wasn't good with words and fumbled for an excuse. Sweat the size of beads rolled down his forehead. Just as Nara Shikaku clenched his fist, ready to help his friend out of the situation—
"Uchiha Patriarch, let's not waste time on trivial matters."
Elder Mitokado Homura interrupted Sougen's questioning.
Though he wasn't sure what Sougen was aiming for, he knew that now wasn't the time to be led around by the nose by him. That troublesome Mist ninja might have some damaging information against them. "The matter at hand is how to respond to Mist Village's provocation. The village is recovering, and going to war now would be unwise. We should do everything we can to avoid conflict—"
A derisive snort echoed through the meeting room.
"Avoid conflict? Elder Mitokado, don't say such naive things. You lived through the war era yourself. How can you still spout such delusional nonsense? War isn't something that can be avoided just because one side wants to. And stop dancing around the point—according to your previous suggestion, what is Konoha supposed to pay to satisfy Mist?"
Mitokado Homura's face darkened.
Being interrupted and ridiculed only fueled his anger. But just as he was gathering his thoughts to rebut Sougen, Sougen continued:
"What's the deal? Mist hasn't named their price yet? Seems envoy from Mist knows what he's doing—he understands that not naming a price makes it infinitely high. So, Hokage-sama, elders, what do you plan to offer to pacify Mist? Their appetite won't be satisfied with mere scraps."
Sougen's aggressive attitude had been relentless since the start of the meeting.
"Uchiha Patriarch, this matter is of great importance. That's why we convened this meeting, to gather input and discuss the best course of action," Mitokado Homura said, suppressing his irritation, trying to bring the meeting back to order.
"Gather input?" Sougen retorted, not backing down. "Is there really anything left to consider here?"
"Either we fight Mist, and show them Konoha isn't to be trifled with, or... we bow our heads, apologize, and grovel before them. It all boils down to these two options. Unless, of course, there's a third option I haven't thought of?"
Sougen's scathing words turned Homura's face an angry shade of blue.
"Ridiculous! What do you mean 'grovel and apologize'?"
This was about the greater good!
Allowing a young, short-sighted man like Sougen to lead a clan had been a mistake. They shouldn't have tolerated the Uchiha's rise just because of Danzo. Even if there was a price to pay, they should've corrected this error back then!
"For the village's sake, nothing is too difficult to endure," the Third Hokage chimed in, tapping his pipe lightly on the table, stopping Homura from lashing out. "If sacrificing me, the Hokage, could ensure Konoha's prosperity, I'd gladly give my life right now."
It was all just pretty words. Perfect for fooling someone as naive as Shisui.
"Mist Village didn't come here with good intentions, and they won't be easily appeased," the Third Hokage said slowly. "But, Uchiha Patriarch, war is something we should avoid if we can. The First Hokage founded Konoha to bring an end to the endless wars of the Warring States period."
"The arrest of Mist's envoy by the police force was reckless. I understand Mist probably acted with bad intentions, likely trying to provoke us, but that's even more reason not to fall into their trap!" The Hokage sighed as if deeply troubled by the situation.
Rubbing his temples, he continued, "There's no use dwelling on the past now. We must find a way to minimize the chances of war. Of course, we can't agree to excessive demands, but the Samehada (Shark Skin) sword—since it originally belonged to Mist Village—can be returned to them. As for other conditions, we can take our time negotiating, delaying things as much as possible."
Then, looking at Sougen, he asked, "Uchiha Patriarch, I understand Samehada is your spoils of war. To compensate for your loss, the village can offer you ten million ryo. If that's not enough, you're welcome to suggest other terms."
Ten million ryo? What a joke!
The importance of Samehada to Sougen's future was beyond measure—it was his most prized possession.
Even putting aside its significance to him, Samehada's value was easily over fifty million ryo. The sword could help replenish a ninja's chakra, making it a treasure that any connoisseur would empty their pockets for.
"Clan Leader Kurama, please use your genjutsu to interrogate Mist's envoy. Find out what Mist Village is really planning!" Ignoring the Hokage's sickening offer, Sougen turned to Kurama Tsumuyoshi, seated several spots away.
Mitokado Homura slammed his hand on the table, shouting, "This is the Hokage building! It's not a place for you to act recklessly. Someone, take Mist's envoy away and investigate after the meeting is over."
Sougen snapped, "Without my permission, no one is to take my captive." Latest content published on novel fire.net
He forcefully pushed his chair back and stood tall, locking eyes with Homura. However, in the next second, Homura's gaze faltered, his eyes darting away from Sougen's, causing the elder's previously built-up momentum to dissipate.