UCHIHA SAVIOUR

"Someone investigating the Daimyo inside the Daimyo's residence?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"Do they have too much free time?"

Although most of the daimyo's attendants were members of minor noble factions, if Konoha dispatched people to investigate such a sensitive matter, it would create political tension.

Tsunade was not someone who engaged in thankless, high-risk diplomacy.

If by chance something was uncovered that implicated the daimyo, and he became aware of the investigation, things could escalate quickly.

One could never predict what kind of chaos would erupt from such a discovery.

It wasn't impossible for Konoha to monitor the daimyo, but initiating a formal investigation into the nation's leader was a minefield Tsunade didn't intend to tread lightly.

Even though she expected no breakthroughs, Tsunade still had to make the formal visit.

As expected, when she brought up the issue, the daimyo responded with cluelessness and feigned surprise.

"What?"

"There's such a matter?"

"This is utterly inappropriate—this Asuma lacks discipline!"

"…"

Tsunade nearly rolled her eyes.

She didn't need any more confirmation.

The daimyo was clearly pretending to be ignorant, but his acting was too unconvincing.

This was definitely the daimyo's doing.

As for his motives, Tsunade didn't know, and she didn't care to dig too deeply.

If she pressed the issue further, it would amount to directly accusing the daimyo—a move that could provoke a dangerous political backlash.

And if the daimyo were to react with rage, there would be no telling how far the consequences would spread.

Tsunade had no interest in igniting that kind of conflict.

Better to let the Third Hokage deal with it—it was his son at the center of the mess, after all.

She hadn't planned to report the incident originally, but now, she couldn't avoid it even if she wanted to.

Upon leaving the palace, Tsunade immediately dispatched a messenger back to the village with the full report, advising the Third Hokage to prepare himself—his son had assisted the daimyo in giving him a devastating surprise.

She imagined the Third Hokage's face going pale at the news. Compared to Asuma's reaction—fainting from anger—his father would likely endure it with more resilience.

He was, after all, a man who had weathered many political storms.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage had been enjoying a peaceful few days—eating well, sleeping soundly, and handling official business with renewed energy.

When the scroll from Tsunade arrived at his office, he assumed it contained minor updates from the Daimyo's mansion.

But as he read it, his face drained of color.

The contents hit him like a sledgehammer.

Tsunade had detailed Asuma's blunder and the subsequent actions taken by Uchiha Yan.

The summary was concise but thorough.

"What the hell is this?!"

The Third Hokage leapt from his seat, his hands trembling as he rubbed his eyes and reread the scroll.

"No… no… no! Dammit!"

His hand trembled as he slammed the scroll onto the table, and the peace he'd been enjoying evaporated in an instant.

His son, Asuma, had stirred up trouble—and the daimyo had seized the opportunity to deal a political blow to Konoha.

The Third Hokage wasn't surprised that Asuma had behaved foolishly. His son had a brash personality, and being heavy-handed or verbally abusive was par for the course.

He even tried to bribe the examiner?

None of that was new.

But the truly problematic aspect was the daimyo's response—he had used the incident to attack the Hokage's reputation.

It would look as though Sarutobi Hiruzen had protected and indulged his son to the point of lawlessness.

He could already hear the whispers of slander and suspicion.

Among outsiders, it might only be a juicy rumor. But if the villagers of Konoha began to believe it…

That could shake the very foundation of his leadership.

"This cannot be ignored."

"Summon the two advisors and the honorary elders," Hiruzen commanded sharply. "Tell them to come to my office immediately."

He knew better than anyone how volatile public opinion could be. He had once used it to advance his agenda, but now it threatened to consume him.

At the founding of Konoha, to prevent the Hokage from becoming too powerful, a council of elders was established, with seats reserved for influential clans—including the Uchiha.

Unfortunately, after Uchiha Madara defected, their position was reduced to a ceremonial seat.

They had no real influence, and even meetings like this rarely included Uchiha representatives.

Instead, even the Hyuga clan had a seat, with Hiashi Hyuga representing them at the current meeting.

"Let's not waste time," Hiruzen said, handing out copied documents containing the full contents of the scroll.

Everyone accepted their copy with curiosity, skimming through the report.

Before long, eyes widened and brows furrowed in disbelief.

"Asuma was this reckless?!" Koharu Utatane was the first to speak, unable to restrain her outrage.

"Causing trouble inside the daimyo's residence! Does he think he can antagonize other Konoha ninjas and humiliate the Uchiha without consequence?"

"And Uchiha Yan," she continued furiously, "not only failed to deescalate the situation, but struck back violently!"

Then her voice rose in pitch. "And Asuma gave money to the examiner?"

Murmurs spread around the room as the accusation settled over them like fog.

Could it be true that Asuma had bought his way into his rank?

The Third Hokage's face darkened, and he cleared his throat.

"Asuma passed the Tokubetsu Jonin exam with his own strength. He has his flaws, yes, but his promotion was legitimate."

Perhaps the examiner had gone easy on him, but there was no bribery.

Still, in the face of Yan's strength, Asuma had been utterly helpless.

"Then is this an issue with the examiner?"

Koharu slapped the document onto the table.

"I warned you before—Asuma's wild behavior would catch up with him. Now it has!"

"Yes," Homura Mitokado added. "Yan's retaliation and Asuma's foolishness are lesser problems. The real issue is that this incident spread throughout the daimyo's estate. That was no accident. The daimyo intended this."

"He's targeting you, Hiruzen."

That blunt conclusion left the room silent for a moment.

Mito's words were chilling.

The daimyo's move wasn't simply against Konoha—it was aimed directly at the Third Hokage himself, eroding his credibility and forcing the village's hand.

Hyuga Hiashi furrowed his brow, recalling Yan's previous remarks.

Could this all be part of a wider strategy by the Uchiha?

If they wanted to escape their marginalized status, removing the Third Hokage from power and replacing him with someone more favorable—like Tsunade or Jiraiya—would be a shrewd move.

If this really was orchestrated by the Uchiha, then the Hyuga would need to rethink their position carefully.

"Ahhh, it all goes back to Danzo in the end," grumbled Choza Akimichi, shifting uncomfortably in his undersized chair.

"The daimyo has been pressing for Danzo to be punished. Tsunade soothed his anger for a time, but broken trust isn't easily repaired."

His words hit the mark.

They all understood the subtext—Danzo's continued presence was a stain on the village, and the Third Hokage's refusal to deal with him had invited this retaliation.

Choza's blunt honesty sucked the oxygen out of the room.

Everyone exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared speak.

Danzo was dangerous—and so was Hiruzen. Offending both was not an option.

"Prepare for the worst," Hiruzen said finally, his voice heavy.

He remembered the end of the Third Great Ninja War—when public resentment forced him to step down and hand the Hokage title to Minato.

If something like that happened again…

"Fatty! Don't spout nonsense!" Homura snapped, trying to shut Choza up.

"Are you here to help—or add fuel to the fire?"

The room fell silent again.

No one had the courage to speak further.

And no one could deny that the fire had already been lit.