Chapter 81 (Patreon)

Facing Fugaku Uchiha’s suspicion, Danzo Shimura’s face twisted into an ugly expression.

“Clan Head Fugaku… are you saying you do not believe me?”

“Remove the bandage and prove it,” Fugaku said coldly, not even bothering to give Danzo the courtesy of a proper answer.

In truth, before today’s trial had even begun, Yujiro had already told him about this.

At first, Fugaku had not been completely certain.

After all, even a single Sharingan placed in the body of someone outside the Uchiha clan consumed an enormous amount of chakra. How could Danzo possibly endure that burden by himself?

But seeing how desperately Danzo was trying to protect that secret now…

The truth was already clear.

“Enough!”

At that moment, the two Konoha elders who had remained silent until now finally stepped forward.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado slowly walked to the edge of the trial platform.

“Yujiro,” Koharu said, glancing at him with a faintly cold expression. “I declare this matter over.”

Yujiro smiled.

“You declare it?”

His eyes curved slightly as he looked at her.

“Excuse me, are you the Hokage?”

Koharu’s brows furrowed.

“No.”

“Then who do you think you are?” Yujiro sneered. “A worn-out old dog clinging to its last breath. What right do you have to stand above Konoha?”

“You…!”

Koharu’s face changed instantly.

“Yujiro,” Homura said, lowering his head as he glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi’s body lying on the trial platform. “Let this end here.”

“The Third Hokage is already dead. No matter what happened, the dead deserve some dignity. Let it go.”

“The Third Hokage?”

Yujiro laughed coldly.

“Does that thing lying on the ground deserve to be called that?”

Then he paused, as if correcting himself.

“Ah, my mistake. A dog is loyal. Hiruzen Sarutobi was not even worthy of being compared to one.”

Those words struck Koharu and Homura like a slap across the face.

“Yujiro! Do not get carried away!” Koharu shouted.

After sitting at the top of Konoha’s authority for decades, she could no longer suppress her anger after being insulted like this in public.

“What? I was talking about Hiruzen Sarutobi. What does that have to do with you?” Yujiro tilted his head, his tone calm.

“Or have you already decided that you are one of his dogs?”

He gave a small nod, as if he had just realized something.

“Ah. Sorry. I misspoke again.”

“You insolent brat!” Koharu roared. “Yujiro! As one of Konoha’s senior advisors, I order you to apologize to us at once!”

“And do not forget! Konoha’s senior leadership possesses voting authority!”

“The Hokage alone represents two votes. Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, and I each hold one vote!”

“Three against two! In other words, we have the authority to remove the current Fourth Hokage from office!”

“When that happens, let us see what you can still do!”

The moment Koharu said that, the faces of the people present darkened.

Even the heads of the major clans could not hide their unease.

Below the platform, the villagers and shinobi also began to look worried.

Yujiro almost found it amusing. Was this so-called voting authority really enough to frighten them this much?

But they could not be blamed for reacting that way.

After all, they were people born and raised in Konoha.

Unfortunately for them, Yujiro was not.

To Yujiro, this so-called authority meant nothing at all.

“Hahaha! That is right!” Danzo’s face suddenly lit up with excitement after hearing Koharu’s words.

He straightened his back and slowly took two steps forward.

“Yujiro, as members of Konoha’s highest leadership, we possess voting authority over the village’s future.”

“And there are three of us here. That means three votes.”

“So you had best admit your mistake.”

Yujiro nodded, an unreadable smile appearing on his face.

“So everyone accepts this so-called voting authority?”

His voice rang across the entire area.

After he finished speaking, the crowd fell into silence.

However, Shisui, Minato, Kakashi, and the others stood firmly behind Yujiro.

“I don’t accept it!”

“Yeah! What kind of nonsense is this voting authority?!”

“That’s right! After everything that’s happened, they still want to use some council vote to suppress Yujiro-sama?!”

“Konoha’s elders! Do you have no shame left?!”

“Shameless! They really have no sense of shame!”

Thankfully, the villagers and the surrounding shinobi did not disappoint Yujiro.

The angry voices rose again.

Yujiro lifted a hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

“I understand how everyone feels.”

Then he smiled faintly.

“But since this voting authority is an old rule of Konoha, then let us follow the rule.”

Everyone froze.

Follow the rule?

How could that be allowed?

If they followed that rule, Danzo and the elders would have three votes!

Even Minato, Kakashi, and the others looked at Yujiro with confusion.

Only the Nine-Tails, perched on Yujiro’s shoulder, remained completely calm.

It glanced at the people around them and could not help but speak.

“Hey. Have all of you known Yujiro longer than I have?”

“Does he look like the kind of person who quietly swallows his anger and lets himself be pushed around?”

“Uh…”

Everyone thought about it for a moment.

Then they shook their heads.

“No.”

Who could make Yujiro suffer a loss?

Yujiro patted the Nine-Tails on the head.

“Not bad. Looks like you understand how villains think now.”

“Hehehe. Of course, of course,” the Nine-Tails chuckled.

For some reason, seeing Yujiro and the Nine-Tails remain so calm made Danzo’s expression darken.

He immediately stepped forward.

“In that case!”

“Let us vote!”

“Those in favor of ending this matter here—raise your hands!”

The moment Danzo finished speaking, Koharu Utatane was the first to raise her hand high.

And then—

A black flash cut through the air.

The next instant, Koharu’s raised arm was severed, slamming heavily onto the trial platform.

A wave of unbearable pain struck her mind.

“AAAAAAH!”

Her scream echoed across the platform.

“How noisy.”

Yujiro held the black blade in his hand, his smile light and unconcerned.

Another black streak flashed.

A moment later, Koharu Utatane’s head fell from her shoulders.

Everyone stared in shock.

What had just happened?

Yujiro leisurely lifted his black blade, his smile calm and merciless.

“The vote continues.”

Four simple words drifted through the air.

At that moment, everyone finally understood.

Yujiro had indeed allowed them to vote.

But he was also killing them directly.

Did they want to vote?

Fine.

Raise a hand, and he would kill one.

Kill one, and they would lose one vote.

When the crowd realized this, the resentment in their hearts burst free all at once.

“Hahaha!”

“Vote!”

“Go on, raise your hands!”

“Hahahahaha!”

Even Minato and the others felt a strange sense of relief rise in their chests.

Danzo and Homura exchanged a glance, then looked down at the two corpses on the ground.

Their faces were filled with horror.

They had never imagined that Yujiro would kill someone so decisively.

Danzo’s face sank. He reached into his ninja pouch and took out a kunai.

Then he pressed it directly against Homura Mitokado’s neck.

“Yujiro! Let today’s matter end here. Otherwise, I will kill Homura Mitokado!”

Danzo’s expression was full of threat.

Yujiro froze.

Not only him, but everyone standing behind him also froze for a moment.

You took your own companion hostage.

What does that have to do with us?

Yujiro laughed.

“Do you seriously think I will let you go just because you grabbed one of Konoha’s elders?”

“What?” Danzo sneered. “As the head of Anbu, can you stand by and watch a comrade of Konoha be taken hostage?”

“Let us make one thing clear first.”

Yujiro’s voice remained light.

“A comrade of Konoha?”

He looked at Homura.

“Is the man in your hand really a comrade of Konoha?”

“How ridiculous.”

Yujiro shook his head.

At this point, Danzo was truly grasping at anything he could.

“If you cannot bring yourself to kill him, I will do it for you.”

Yujiro raised the black blade.

A sword light wrapped in darkness burst forth and rushed straight toward Danzo.

Danzo narrowly avoided the slash.

Unfortunately, Homura Mitokado was cut cleanly in two.

Completely dead.

Yujiro lowered his blade and looked at Danzo.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to vote?”

“Why aren’t you voting?”

Danzo’s face turned as dark as ink.

He finally understood.

Today’s situation had been a dead end from the very beginning.

“You planned to kill me from the start, didn’t you?”

“You only realized that now?” Yujiro shook his head.

“What a pity. You cannot kill me,” Danzo said coldly.

With that, he tore away every bandage covering his right eye and right arm.

His pale right arm was revealed.

One by one, ten Sharingan slowly opened along its flesh.

And in his right eye, another Sharingan gleamed.

The moment the people on the trial platform saw the Sharingan on Danzo’s body, fury appeared on every face.

Danzo had truly modified his own body.

Not only that, he had transplanted the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan into himself.

Especially Fugaku Uchiha.

The moment he saw those Sharingan, his anger nearly erupted out of control. If Yujiro had not placed a hand on his shoulder, his Mangekyo Sharingan might have awakened on the spot.

“Danzo Shimura!”

Fugaku’s voice was low and heavy.

“Now that it has come to this, what else do you have to say?”

At the same time, the clan heads quickly gathered around.

From the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga and Hizashi Hyuga stepped forward.

The Ino-Shika-Cho formation was also present. Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and Shikaku Nara had already taken their positions.

They were ready to fight at any moment.

Not only them.

The remaining members of the Inuzuka clan, the Aburame clan, and the other clans also opened their battle formations.

Danzo laughed ferociously.

“Do you truly think people like you can kill me?!”

Now that his secret had been exposed, there was no longer any reason to hide.

He would kill these people.

Then he would retreat to Root.

Gather his forces again.

Wait for the right moment.

Then return.

When that time came, Konoha would still be his.

But in the very next instant—

A faint, almost casual voice sounded right in front of Danzo.

“One-Sword Style…”

“Asura!”