"Kaze, what are you laughing about?"
Fugaku turned to Kaze, first shocked, then blinking in disbelief.
The high-ranking officials of Konoha, including the Third Hokage, were sitting right in front. And they planned to sacrifice Kaze's life for the sake of peace.
At a time like this, he should be bowing his head in submission—but instead, Kaze was laughing out loud!
Did he really think the Konoha higher-ups wouldn't turn him over?
The reason why Hyuga allowed Hizashi to take the fall was partly because Hiashi was from the main family and partly because he was the Hyuga clan head.
But Kaze? He was just a emerging prodigy with a remarkable talent with Lightning Release and a fully awakened Sharingan with three tomoe. His strength and potential were already approaching the likes of Itachi and Shisui. So why was he laughing when he should've been groveling for his survival?
"Hahaha, because this is just too funny."
Kaze's laughter rang out, totally unconcerned. His expression remained calm, completely at ease.
He sat cross-legged, his posture completely casual, staring directly at the Four Fossils of Konoha.
At this moment, Kaze finally stopped laughing, his smile lingering as he looked over the people in the room.
Everyone turned their attention to him, waiting for him to speak.
"A young Uchiha is really so arrogant, laughing like this in such an important council meeting," one of the Hyuga elders sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "The Uchiha clan's reputation seems to be all but gone now."
Kaze didn't even flinch, still sitting with an easy posture, his arms casually resting on his knees.
"He didn't even glance at the elder. Instead, he shot back, "What does it have to do with you, you old fool?"
In an instant, the Hyuga clan was thrown into an uproar.
No one expected that a fifteen-year-old Uchiha would dare to disrespect their elder in such a way!
"Since you say the current situation is a result of my mistake, then let me ask."
"What exactly is this mistake?"
Kaze didn't waste time arguing with the Hyuga clan. Instead, he turned his sharp words toward the Konoha higher-ups.
"As a ninja of the village, wouldn't you know that the cloud ninja was the representative of the Land of Lightning?"
"Because of your actions, the peace treaty we signed has been rendered worthless. Isn't that the mistake caused by your Uchiha clan?"
Before Hiashi could speak, Danzo immediately fired back, sharp as a blade.
The Hyuga elders below quickly joined in, their voices rising in unison, insisting that this was all Kaze's responsibility.
Even the usually compliant Fugaku couldn't help but tug at Kaze's sleeve, urging him to stop speaking out.
He was going too far now! If Kaze kept provoking the Konoha high council, it wouldn't matter how much Fugaku wanted to protect him—he might not be able to save him.
"Ridiculous."
Kaze sneered coldly. "It was that leader who kidnapped Hinata first."
"As a member of the security team, I demanded he surrender, but not only did he refuse to comply, he even tried to attack me."
"As a result, I killed him."
"What mistake is there in that?"
"What's wrong? Lord Danzo doesn't understand the full story? Or have you Hyuga elders all collectively lost your memory?"
"You let someone kidnap your clan's future successor, the young lady, and instead of standing up for Hinata, you want to sacrifice her uncle? What kind of 'strongest dojutsu clan' is this?"
"You play the obedient servant outside, but strike with a heavy hand inside?"
"If someone were to kill your clan leader one day, are you just going to stand by and not even point out the culprit?"
Kaze's words rang out with biting sarcasm, cutting through the room like a blade. While he had intended to ally with the Hyuga clan, he had no patience for these arrogant elders.
Especially their attitude, acting as if they could do anything they wanted just because they had power.
The most crucial thing was…
Kaze's plan was to ally with the Hyuga, but not by becoming a lapdog for them.
So there was no need for him to say anything nice.
As soon as Kaze spoke, his words were like a thunderclap, silencing the entire Hyuga clan.
Hearing this, the elder at the front turned bright red, his finger trembling as he pointed at Kaze, his eyes bulging wider than a cow's.
He was so shocked that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body shaking with rage!
(T/N: I felt this line would fit much better here than the original.)
The other Hyūga were equally dumbfounded, never expecting Kaze's words to be so sharp and irrefutable.
And…
His logic was flawless.
It was true. The cloud ninja had kidnapped Hinata first.
So why should Kaze be the one to pay with his life?
Hiruzen sat frozen, caught off guard by Kaze suddenly bringing up the security force.
"And what's this nonsense about the peace agreement turning into waste?"
"If the Hidden Cloud Village truly wanted peace, why would they kidnap Hinata?"
"In my opinion, this was a scheme from the start."
"Signing the peace agreement was a cover, while they were after the Byakugan from the Hyuga clan all along."
"Am I wrong?"
As the Hyuga elders fell silent, Kaze continued his relentless questioning.
Of course, this wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment remark from Kaze.
It was part of his plan.
The younger Uchiha had long harbored resentment toward the Konoha high council.
They had always been angry, just too afraid to speak up.
Now, by directly challenging Hiruzen, Kaze intended to make them see him in a different light.
And just as he expected...
The Uchiha elders, as well as the other clan members, were stunned by Kaze's boldness.
But soon after, they felt a surge of satisfaction.
"Well said, Kaze!"
"Beautifully done!"
Kaze knew full well that stopping the Night of the Massacre wasn't something he could accomplish alone. His strength alone wasn't enough.
He needed the full support of the Uchiha clan.
Even more, he needed recognition from the other clans.
And right now was the perfect opportunity to win over the younger generation of his clan.
His first strike had already landed.
Now, it was time for the second.
The facts were clear—Kumo had kidnapped Hinata first, and Kaze, acting under the authority of the Konoha Police Force, had enforced the law.
By all logic and reason, the Konoha higher-ups had no justification to punish him.
But considering their long-standing disdain for the Uchiha, there was no way they would let things slide so easily.
Would they really back down in front of a fifteen-year-old?
Not likely.
They would most likely use Kumo's military strength to pressure not just Kaze, but the entire Uchiha clan, into submission.
Sure enough, Koharu, her eyes nearly squinting shut, finally spoke up.
"You may not be wrong," she said.
"The root of this matter is indeed that the Kumo representative kidnapped Hinata first."
"And as a member of the Police Force, you acted accordingly."
"However, the world does not operate on right or wrong."
"Kumo's forces are strong, the Raikage is in his prime, and they have a Jinchūriki among their ranks."
"If this situation cannot be settled peacefully, war may break out again."
"Do you want to be responsible for another war between our villages?"
Her tone was calm, emotionless.
Not only did she dismiss the idea of justice outright, but she also tried to place the blame for a potential war squarely on Kaze's shoulders.
Fugaku paled as such a massive accusation was hurled at Kaze.
He was about to speak up in defense of him—
But Kaze was faster.
"A peace gained through struggle is real peace. A peace gained through submission is the beginning of destruction."
"Blind compromise won't bring true peace—it only emboldens the other side."
"This time, they ask for the Hyuga Clan Head's life. Next time, if they demand the Third Hokage's head, are you going to hand it over too?"
Kaze's words were firm, ringing with conviction.
He didn't show the slightest bit of respect for this old fossil, Koharu.
"You—!"
For a moment, faced with Kaze's sheer audacity, Koharu felt her blood pressure surge. She was so furious that she almost spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot!
(T/N: Well this chapter had quite a few spitting blood scenes, courtesy of me. The original author wasted such a precious opportunity. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and let me know if I could have done it better.)