Just then, Uchiha Kawasaki exercised his authority as an Honorary Elder and demanded a meeting of the Konoha Council.
Jiraiya was also summoned to attend.
Hokage Tower. The meeting room.
The various elders had already assembled, all of them wondering what Uchiha Kawasaki was planning. Some time had passed since the election, and the Uchiha's previous maneuvers had been thoroughly suppressed by Orochimaru. Judging by Orochimaru's methods, he would certainly be a much more decisive Hokage than the Third.
Although there had been issues with the Third's conduct, neither Tsunade nor Kawasaki had objected at the time. Many clans were also looking forward to Orochimaru's cloning technology. As a result, no one had raised any questions, and everyone was simply waiting for Orochimaru's official inauguration.
Uchiha Kawasaki's sudden call for a council meeting had left everyone baffled. If he was dissatisfied with Orochimaru, he should have voiced his concerns long ago, not waited until now.
All the other elders were present. The Third and Fifth Hokage were already seated. Jiraiya took a seat to the side. He had never been interested in such meetings, but he had a feeling he needed to be here today.
The only ones yet to arrive were Kawasaki and Fugaku.
Hyuga Hiashi and Nara Shikaku were already seated in the positions of council advisors. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had retired, their power swiftly transferred. There were no longer seats for them in the meeting room.
It was worth noting that when the Akimichi clan learned of Koharu and Homura's removal from office, Akimichi Torifu passed away peacefully in his lounge chair that very evening with a smile on his face. The Akimichi held a simple funeral, inviting only a few clans they were on good terms with. They did not invite their former teammates. What conflicts existed between them, outsiders could only guess.
Kawasaki arrived almost exactly on time. Though he walked in at the last second, he wasn't late. He entered alone; Fugaku had not come with him.
He walked to his place but did not sit down. Instead, he placed a stack of scrolls on the table. A few of the more perceptive elders noticed that these were official documents from other ninja villages. The classification level was extremely high, indicating that their contents were of great importance.
A murmur went through the room. It seemed Uchiha Kawasaki was about to make a major move.
"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting," Kawasaki said, his gaze sweeping over everyone before lingering for a moment on Jiraiya. "Since everyone is here, all the better."
"I have summoned you today to announce one thing."
Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Kawasaki took a deep breath.
"I am Uchiha Kawasaki, the head of the Uchiha clan."
"As of today, the Uchiha clan will secede from the Hidden Leaf Village to pursue its own path!"
An uproar erupted. The elders, who normally maintained calm expressions, were now pale with shock. They exchanged stunned glances, confirming that no one had known about this beforehand.
Jiraiya immediately recalled the intelligence he had received earlier. He looked at the Third Hokage and sighed inwardly.
*Old man, Kawasaki is coming for you.*
The other elders turned their gazes to Orochimaru, whose expression remained unchanged. But the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, looked exceptionally grim.
"Uchiha Kawasaki," the Third Hokage said in a low voice, "are you defecting from the village?"
"Defecting? Why would you put it that way?" Kawasaki asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. Then, a sarcastic smile touched his lips. "Our Uchiha ancestors founded Konoha alongside the Senju clan. If we no longer wish to stay, what right do you have to stop us?"
"Oh, my apologies. We can't call it Konoha anymore, can we? The village ought to be renamed 'Sarutobi Village.' Isn't that right, Lord Third Hokage?"
Kawasaki's tone was calm, but every word was a blade twisting in its sheath. The Third Hokage's face turned green with rage. This was a matter he had intended to handle quietly, but he never expected it to blow up like this. Kawasaki had laid all his cards on the table. This was no longer a simple dispute; it was a declaration of a complete parting of ways.
The Third's eyes widened with fury. Ignoring the "Sarutobi Village" jibe, he retorted, "Uchiha Kawasaki, no founding clan has ever broken away to establish themselves independently after a village's creation."
The Third's words held some weight. The ninja world was built on secrets. For a part of the village to simply leave would inevitably lead to the leak of a massive amount of classified information, causing immense damage.
It wasn't that the Uchiha clan couldn't become independent. In fact, the Third had once thought it might be the best solution for Konoha. But not now. Absolutely not. Although the new Hokage had been chosen, he had yet to be officially inaugurated. They were in a transitional period. Ultimately, the current Hokage was still Sarutobi Hiruzen.
His recent abuse of power had been exposed, but the full details were only known to the high council. If the Uchiha clan were to leave Konoha—especially after a rigged Hokage election—the entire ninja world would know that a great founding clan had been driven away by Sarutobi Hiruzen's dark reign. And not just any clan, but the Uchiha clan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen would be forever branded a disgrace in the annals of history. He had to stop this at all costs.
Kawasaki let out a cold laugh and leaned forward, his hands planted on the table. "We have no choice. If the Uchiha clan doesn't leave now, I fear we'll one day be exterminated by you, Sarutobi Hiruzen."
The other elders' hearts skipped a beat at his words, and the tension in the room thickened.
The Third Hokage's face darkened. "Nonsense! Uchiha Kawasaki, you're spouting baseless accusations!"
"It's not baseless," Kawasaki replied leisurely. "Back when Danzo was active, he did everything in his power to suppress our Uchiha clan. The mission assignment system never showed us any favor. During the Third Great Ninja War, Fugaku made countless contributions to the village, yet he didn't receive so much as a common commendation. Shimura Danzo coveted our Sharingan, and you just turned a blind eye."
"Shimura Danzo's crimes were monstrous, yet you arranged for him to be kept in a comfortable cell, from which he ultimately escaped. I ran for Hokage in a fair election, only for you to rig it from the shadows."
Kawasaki spread his hands. "When even the Hokage election can be manipulated, how can we ever expect to find a future in a place like this? It is our Uchiha clan that is being forced out. It was you who drove us away, Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
He spoke the last sentence slowly, each word ringing with clarity.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath. "Uchiha Kawasaki, you must think carefully. You are speaking for the entire Uchiha clan."
"You don't need to worry about that," Kawasaki said with a cold smile. "I am the head of the Uchiha clan."
Tap... tap... tap...
Orochimaru, seated at the head of the table, lightly tapped his fingers on the wood. All eyes turned to the Fifth Hokage, who had remained silent until now.
Orochimaru stood up, his voice smooth and even. "Uchiha Kawasaki, are you certain you wish to lead the Uchiha clan out of the Hidden Leaf?"