Uchiha Jin opened his mouth with a taunt, giving Hiruzen Sarutobi no face at all.
This was easy to understand.
These days were nothing like when Uchiha Jin had just become leader of the Radical Faction. Now he not only firmly controlled the Uchiha base, he'd also drawn in every major ninja clan in Konoha—even Tsunade, Kakashi and Might Guy had joined... Under this new balance of power he no longer had to play by the rules, because he had the qualifications to write them.
Therefore—
a mere Hiruzen Sarutobi deserved nothing more than a few barbed words.
With the authority in his hands, if he hadn't wanted to take Konoha without bloodshed he could have started a war already.
Of course,
like Hiruzen, the higher one climbed the less one wanted real war; conflict was always the worst option.
"Subdue the enemy without fighting" tops the list; next comes diplomacy; then open combat; laying siege is last.
As a transmigrator he understood that principle better than anyone.
"Uchiha Jin, enough prattle!"
"This so-called New Konoha you've created is a direct challenge to the entire Village."
"I urge you to abandon this secession at once and recognize Jiraiya as Hokage, or we will have no choice but to fight!"
Hiruzen's tone was ice-cold.
He ignored Jin's mockery; after so many years as Hokage his skin was thicker than the city walls.
Only profit mattered—face could take a back seat.
Thus,
he wasted no time on side issues and stated his core demand outright.
Abandon the split and acknowledge Jiraiya as Hokage!
Alas—
since Jin dared to build New Konoha he'd made every preparation, so he calmly rejected Hiruzen's demand.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you've missed one point."
"When Konoha was founded it was promised that any clan could withdraw at any time."
"Given the special circumstances between the Uchiha and the Village, after decades of failing to integrate, we simply choose not to. Leaving Konoha is best for both sides, don't you agree?"
"The Uchiha withdrawal complies with the original alliance."
"You've been Hokage for so many years—surely you know such a basic clause?"
"If not, you're derelict in your duties."
"As for the other clans, it's pure coincidence."
"They too felt uncomfortable in Konoha and chose to leave—nothing to do with the Uchiha."
"Once everyone had quit, we figured we might as well form a new Village together."
"We reported this to the Daimyo, who was happy to support us with funds and supplies, so every step of our Village founding follows proper procedure."
"Both the old alliance and Land of Fire law back my actions."
"Finally, let me remind you—"
"though we're still on Konoha's land, the Daimyo has agreed that until New Konoha's site is ready we may remain here."
"Once the new location is built we'll relocate."
"If you attack us now
"We will also petition the Daimyo to judge your aggression. I doubt your invasion has the Daimyo's authorization?"
"When he cuts your budget or punishes you in other ways, don't say I didn't warn you."
Uchiha Jin spoke in a calm, level voice.
He always planned before acting; having decided on New Konoha he made sure no fault could be found in law or procedure.
Of course,
only he could pull this off—the old Uchiha lacked the capability.
In a world where might makes right, even if the Uchiha had sought refuge with the Daimyo, Konoha could have wiped them out on the road before they reached the mansion.
By then the Daimyo, unwilling to quarrel over a dead clan, would have let the matter rest.
Uchiha Jin was different.
First, he himself was a Mangekyo Expert, had roped in Fugaku—another Mangekyo user—pulled the whole Uchiha together, and rallied clans large and small.
With strength and numbers he feared no Konoha backlash, so he could play this game.
The first rule of power play: use absolute force to drive your enemy to the negotiating table.
The former Uchiha had never possessed that ability.
After saying his piece,
he produced the Daimyo's authorization and tossed it to Hiruzen.
Meanwhile—
Hiruzen stared at the document, his heart turning ice-cold.
Damn it.
Knowing the Daimyo's mansion as he did, he could tell the seal was genuine.
And that made everything thorny.
Jin was right: at Konoha's founding the First Hokage Hashirama Senju had publicly promised every clan the right to secede.
But as the Village grew, Konoha High Command's power ballooned and the clans' influence shrank, so the old alliance was tossed into the trash.
Without strength, a pact was just scrap paper.
Had Hiruzen wished, he could have invented countless reasons to tear it up and destroy the other side.
Victors take all.
And now?
The Uchiha camp had the power to uphold that alliance.
Big trouble.
Hiruzen's mind raced but found no rebuttal; the forces under his control were insufficient for a violent solution.
On the other side,
Jiraiya also read the Daimyo's authorization and felt his hopes plummet.
He couldn't help asking, "Old Man, is this true?"
"Did such an alliance really exist when Konoha was founded?"
Obviously—
he had been too young at the time and had no memory of even Senju Tobirama.
So this alliance from Hashirama's era was unknown to anyone born after the Village's founding.