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"Yes."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded, stood up, and walked over to Uchiha Haru, placing himself protectively in front of him. His stance made his intentions clear. Haru wasn't surprised.
Fugaku was the patriarch of the Uchiha clan. At this point, the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha had deteriorated to the brink of open hostility.
Though Fugaku might not be willing to go to war with the entire village over Haru, he certainly wouldn't stand idly by and watch Haru be thrown to the wolves by Konoha's higher-ups.
If word got out that the Uchiha clan leader allowed one of their own to be dealt with without resistance, the clan would erupt in outrage. Fugaku's position as patriarch would be finished.
No matter what decision Konoha's council reached today, Fugaku had to take a stand. At the very least, he had to make a show of resistance.
"So… does the Uchiha clan intend to become the enemy of Konoha?"
Danzo's half-lidded eyes gleamed with menace. His tone was calm, but the underlying threat was unmistakable. The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the council chamber grew heavy.
Everyone present was a major figure in Konoha—clan leaders, elders, and senior officials. All of them were well aware of the deepening rift between the Uchiha clan and the village.
In truth, it was precisely because of this growing tension with the Uchiha that Konoha found itself in a difficult position, forced to make concessions and seek peace with foreign powers just to keep the balance.
Without the conflict brewing inside their walls, the Leaf could have stood proud as the strongest village in the shinobi world. Even with the Fourth Hokage's death and the disappearance of the Sannin, Konoha would not have feared the likes of the Hidden Cloud.
But internal strife, especially with a powerhouse like the Uchiha clan, left them vulnerable. Add in a potential war with Kumogakure, and Konoha might collapse overnight.
And now, Danzo had chosen this volatile moment to publicly confront the Uchiha. Everyone turned their eyes toward Fugaku, waiting to see how he'd respond.
Outwardly, Fugaku appeared calm—cold, stern, unflinching—but internally, he was deeply unsettled.
Haru was one of their own. Fugaku couldn't abandon him. Doing so would shatter his authority within the clan. Worse, it might trigger a violent uprising among the Uchiha radicals, igniting a civil war within Konoha itself.
That would be a disaster he could not allow.
So now, he had no choice but to step forward and face this challenge directly.
He was betting that, with the threat of Kumogakure looming outside their gates, the village wouldn't dare provoke an all-out war with the Uchiha clan.
"Danzo," Fugaku said coldly, "you are but one man. Do you truly believe you can speak for all of Konoha?"
His voice echoed through the silent chamber.
"Do you think you speak for the Hokage?"
The moment those words left his lips, a flicker of tension ran through everyone present.
Years ago, Danzo had vied for the position of Hokage, clashing with Sarutobi Hiruzen. That bitter contest had shaken the entire village. In the end, Hiruzen had emerged victorious—but the resentment had never left Danzo's heart.
Now, Fugaku had dredged up that humiliation and cast it before the entire council.
Danzo's eyes narrowed. His face darkened. He was seconds away from exploding when a calm voice broke the silence.
"That's enough," said the Third Hokage, raising a hand to halt Danzo.
Turning to Fugaku, Hiruzen spoke in a quiet, composed tone. "Patriarch Fugaku, I have a suggestion."
"We are all clan leaders and elders of Konoha. Why don't we put it to a vote and decide together? Will that be acceptable to you?"
Fugaku paused, then turned his head to glance at Haru.
Haru gave a small nod.
He didn't care about any of this political theater.
He wasn't someone they could control anymore.
With the power he now possessed, none of this truly mattered.
The only reason he remained in Konoha and endured all of this nonsense was for the sake of his fifth simulation.
"Very well," Fugaku said at last.
He gave a nod of agreement. Inside, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Things hadn't spiraled out of control—at least not yet.
"Good," said the Third Hokage, standing tall and turning to address the room.
"Does anyone object to this method?"
Heads shook across the chamber. None voiced opposition.
As the Hokage prepared to initiate the vote, a timid voice echoed from the far end of the room.
"Lord Hokage… can we… can we vote too?"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.
It was a young Chūnin—a girl with lavender hair and shy eyes.
Beside her stood several other youthful figures: Uzuki Yugao, Yuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, Hayate Gekkō, and Might Guy.
Of the group, only Asuma—being the Hokage's son—seemed accustomed to the imposing presence of Konoha's elite. The rest looked visibly nervous, standing stiffly as if out of place.
They were young. Too young to be here by conventional standards. Were it not for the specific nature of today's proceedings, they wouldn't have even been granted access to the council room.
Most elders had regarded them as little more than background noise—insignificant and invisible.
But now, they had spoken up.
After a brief hesitation, the Third Hokage nodded.
"You were allowed to attend this meeting. That gives you the right to cast your vote."
Relief spread across the young ninjas' faces.
Yuhi Kurenai stepped forward, drawing a deep breath as she steadied her nerves.
"I vote against handing Uchiha Haru over to Kumogakure!" she said firmly.
"I believe what Haru did was right. He acted in defense of Konoha's pride and justice. It was the Cloud Village that overstepped. Why should we bow our heads to them?"
Uzuki Yugao nodded and joined her.
Might Guy gave his signature thumbs-up, standing proudly beside them.
Only Asuma and Hayate remained unmoved.
Their silence drew the attention of the entire room.
Might Guy leaned toward them, winking and gesturing in exaggerated fashion. Clearly confused by their hesitation, he tried to nudge them into action.
Haru was their comrade. Their teammate.
But still, Asuma and Hayate stood motionless.
"Asuma," the Third Hokage said, eyes locking onto his son, "what is your decision?"
The room held its breath, waiting.
Asuma lowered his head slightly, his brows tightly furrowed in inner turmoil.
Others might not notice, but he could see it clearly.
Most of those advocating for peace were close allies of his father, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Some even followed his father's directives without question.
In other words, the push for a peaceful resolution and the handing over of Uchiha Haru was actually his father's intention.
But...
Uchiha Haru... he wasn't wrong!
Asuma's heart was caught in a web of conflict. After a moment, he raised his head and declared, word by word, "I don't understand this so-called peace and sacrifice. I only recognize right and wrong."
"I believe Uchiha Haru did nothing wrong. If I were in his position, I would have made the same choice."
"Uchiha Haru should not be punished!"
With that, he moved to stand beside Yuhi Kurenai, Uzuki Yugao, and the others.
Hayate followed closely behind.
In that moment, several young shinobi made their choices, all standing in support of Haru.
This development displeased those advocating for a peaceful resolution. Were a few Chūnin and Jōnin truly worthy of voting alongside them?
However, they refrained from voicing their discontent.
After all, this was the Hokage's directive.
Moreover, these young ones couldn't significantly alter the outcome.
Haru nodded subtly, a warm feeling stirring in his heart.
Though their ranks were not high and they were young, they were willing to take this stand for him.
Especially Asuma and Hayate—it was unexpected.
These two had never been particularly close to him.
Yet, at this critical juncture, they withstood immense pressure to stand by his side.
Asuma, Hayate... they weren't without merit.
Konoha wasn't entirely filled with fools and cowards seeking only comfort.
It was just unfortunate that, under the shadow of corrupt leadership, many capable individuals would never have the chance to shine.
The votes of these young shinobi didn't cause much of a stir.
Soon, the rest began to cast their votes.
Their process was much simpler.
The discussions and debates earlier had made their positions clear; there was no need to reiterate.
Among the clan leaders and Konoha's senior officials present, those originally advocating for war held the majority.
However, after Danzo's speech, especially the one from Hyuga Hiashi, many attendees wavered.
This added an element of suspense to the vote.
The voting concluded swiftly.
Uzuki Yugao, Yuhi Kurenai, and the others promptly tallied the results.
"One... two... twelve... twenty-two..."
"We have one more vote on our side!" Yuhi Kurenai exclaimed with excitement.
Uzuki Yugao and Might Guy beside her also wore expressions of joy.
The faces of the peace advocates darkened.
At that moment, someone interjected, "Hold on, there's still one person who hasn't voted."
Everyone turned their attention to the lone individual who had yet to express his opinion—Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan.
All present recalled Hiashi's earlier speech and assumed they knew his stance.
However, no one anticipated that, at the crucial moment when Uchiha Haru was about to be spared, the one to push him over the edge would be the father of the girl he had saved.
The smiles on Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai's faces gradually faded.
Conversely, the peace faction began to regain their composure.
Regardless of the outcome, at least they hadn't lost.
"Hiashi, it's your turn," the Third Hokage said calmly.
Hyuga Hiashi stood and walked forward step by step.
Everyone watched in shock.
He was heading toward Haru.
Before they could fully process this, Hiashi made another unexpected move.
He bent down and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
The esteemed head of the Hyuga clan, a figure of significant stature in Konoha, paid such a profound tribute to a young man.
"Uchiha Haru, thank you for saving my daughter. I should stand by your side."
"But as I mentioned before, even if I faced the same situation, I would choose to die calmly."
"For the sake of Konoha and peace, I can only apologize to you."
"Sorry."
With that, he straightened up and joined the peace faction.
This act stunned everyone present.
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Hiashi's decision pressing down on all.
Haru stood motionless, his expression unreadable.
The young shinobi who had supported him exchanged glances, uncertainty clouding their faces.
The Third Hokage cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"The votes have been cast."
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