Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

No one spoke in support. For a moment, the meeting room was deathly silent.

"I believe Clan Head Shimura's words hold some merit."

An elderly woman's voice broke the silence at last.

It was Koharu Utatane, one of the three village advisors, who had spoken.

When it came to suppressing the Uchiha clan, the Third Hokage and the three advisors had always stood united.

Seeing no one stepping forward to support Shimura Naoya, Koharu herself took the initiative to speak up and show support.

"Hmph, not bad at all…"

Shimura Danzō looked at Shimura Naoya with satisfaction. Though the boy lacked courage, his mind was sharp quickly finding a way to push back against Uchiha Fugaku.

He sneered at Fugaku and asked coldly:

"Uchiha Fugaku, how do you explain this?"

"I don't think an explanation is necessary."

Fugaku remained calm in the face of Danzō's interrogation.

"So you're admitting that the police force bears undeniable responsibility for the deaths of the three clan heads?"

Danzō pressed.

"No. What I mean is anyone with eyes can see that blaming the Police Force for the infiltration by a Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user is utterly baseless."

A trace of mockery surfaced on Fugaku's face.

"As everyone knows, the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user possesses space-time ninjutsu."

"Someone capable of such techniques would not enter Konoha by conventional means, but would instead teleport directly into the village or even appear suddenly inside the compounds of the Takasaki, Iwasaki, and Hoshino clans."

"If such a person infiltrated Konoha using space-time techniques, blaming the Police Force is nothing short of laughable."

"..."

Shimura Danzō was left speechless, the muscles in his face twitching, his expression growing more uncertain.

"..."

The Third Hokage cast a subtle glance at Danzō. Seeing that he could not formulate a rebuttal, he understood that the attempt to assign blame had effectively failed.

Though he held the highest authority in the village, even he couldn't afford to appear openly biased in favor of Danzō at this moment.

He spoke up:

"If the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user truly possesses space-time abilities, then this matter indeed cannot be blamed on the Police Force—"

"Hokage-sama, I have a question."

Suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku spoke again.

"Oh? Clan Head Fugaku, what is it? Feel free to speak."

The Third was slightly annoyed at being interrupted, but he masked his displeasure behind a warm smile, maintaining a gentle and affable demeanor.

"So far, many have died at the hands of the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user within Konoha."

"Except for that one time he proactively attacked, the rest of the victims were all individuals related to the Shimura clan."

"It feels to me as if this Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user is specifically targeting the Shimura clan. Why is that?"

He looked "perplexed," as though sincerely seeking clarification.

"That... is indeed troubling."

The Third Hokage frowned slightly.

He too had found the same issue unsettling.

He turned to Shimura Danzō and asked:

"Advisor Danzō, this Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user is clearly targeting your clan. Do you have any impressions or suspicions about who it might be?"

"No. I've never encountered anyone like that before."

Danzō's expression twitched, but he quickly shook his head.

He had already considered this question. But the truth was, he had made so many enemies over the years—so many that he no longer dared to leave Konoha freely.

He truly couldn't say which enemy might now be seeking revenge.

"Advisor Shimura, please think carefully."

Homura Mitokado chimed in.

"This Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user is a grave threat to the village. If we can identify who they are, it would give us a strategic advantage."

"I've already said—I don't recall such a person."

Danzō responded, his tone growing impatient.

Seeing Danzō's rising irritation, the Third and Homura exchanged glances and decided to drop the matter.

They too understood—Danzō had made so many enemies over the years that it was plausible he simply couldn't remember who this person was.

But Fugaku showed no intention of letting Danzō off the hook. He spoke up again:

"Hokage-sama, I believe there's no way the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user would harbor hostility toward Konoha without cause. There must be a reason."

As he spoke, he gave Danzō a pointed look.

"Uchiha Fugaku, what do you mean by that?"

Danzō's face darkened once more.

Fugaku's words clearly implied that it was Danzō himself who had provoked this powerful enemy and brought destruction to the village.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm merely raising a point for discussion. After all, this village meeting was convened to analyze everything about the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user, wasn't it?"

Fugaku's tone remained calm and unreadable.

"Hmph…"

Danzō stared at Fugaku's tranquil face and let out a cold snort, burning with anger and frustration.

"Clan Head Fugaku has a point. The Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user wouldn't attack Konoha without a reason…"

"Indeed. There must be something behind their hatred for the village…"

"To think someone has drawn such a powerful enemy upon us…"

Discussion rippled through the crowd. Several clan heads began whispering, their eyes drifting toward Danzō.

Many of them now suspected that the true reason the village was being targeted… was Danzō.

"..."

Hearing the murmurs, Danzō's face grew darker and darker.

It was now obvious that most of those present believed he was the one who had provoked this terrifying foe.

After today, both he and the Shimura clan would suffer a heavy blow to their reputation.

After all, he had brought a deadly enemy to the doorstep of Konoha and caused tremendous loss.

Thinking of this, his anger surged. He glared at Fugaku with murderous intent.

It had been a long time since he had felt such a burning urge to eliminate someone.

"..."

The Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado said nothing, but it was clear from their expressions that they agreed with the prevailing sentiment.

Still, they were allies of Danzō, and they couldn't let him be completely disgraced.

So the Third Hokage changed the subject, cutting off the growing tide of criticism.

"For now, let's set aside the question of blame. Next, we need to discuss how we will fight back against the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai user…"

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix