Naruto: The Rise Of Uchiha

In the Hokage Building meeting room, a village meeting was underway.

Present at the meeting were the clan heads of all major families, elite jonin among the civilian ninja, and the Third Hokage along with his two advisors, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

Seated at the head of the table, the Third Hokage scanned the attendees with a stern gaze before addressing them in a serious voice tinged with anger.

"I have some unfortunate news to share. A few days ago, Advisor Danzo disappeared. According to our investigation, it is highly likely that Advisor Danzo is dead."

His words elicited mixed reactions. The heads of prominent families remained calm, having already heard the news through their networks. In contrast, the patriarchs of smaller families and the elite jonin from the civilian ranks were visibly shocked.

"What? Advisor Danzo is missing and presumed dead?!"

"How could this happen? Advisor Danzo was always at Root! Who could possibly kill him there?"

"This is unprecedented! An advisor has not been declared missing or dead in decades."

The murmurs among the smaller families and civilian jonin filled the room. Meanwhile, some clan heads who had started distancing themselves from the Shimura family due to its association with the Wood Release experiment secretly breathed sighs of relief. Without Danzo Shimura, the Shimura family's influence would inevitably wane. Their earlier decision to withdraw support now seemed prudent.

"Hokage-sama, have you identified who or what force was responsible for Advisor Danzo's death?" asked Nara Shikaku, the sharp-minded head of the Nara clan.

As a key figure in Konoha, Shikaku had already been informed of Danzo's disappearance but was unaware of any progress in the investigation.

"No. The last confirmed location of Advisor Danzo was in the Land of Rice. Beyond that, we have yet to uncover who or what was responsible for his death," the Third Hokage replied, his gaze subtly drifting to Uchiha Fugaku, who had remained silent since the meeting began.

The Third Hokage strongly suspected the Uchiha clan's involvement in Danzo's disappearance. However, lacking concrete evidence, he could not openly accuse them.

This did not mean he was entirely passive. Over the past few days, rumors had spread throughout Konoha—rumors that six members of the Uchiha clan had been killed in the Land of Rice and that Uchiha Fugaku had personally led a team there to exact revenge.

These rumors, intentionally disseminated by the Hokage's office, had a clear purpose.

"Advisor Danzo disappeared in the Land of Rice, didn't he? And wasn't Clan Head Fugaku also in the Land of Rice at the same time?"

"Could this be more than just coincidence?"

"The Uchiha clan and the Shimura family have always been at odds. Perhaps there's a connection..."

Though no one spoke aloud, many began eyeing Uchiha Fugaku with suspicion.

The Third Hokage's intent was clear: to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Konoha's leaders, steering suspicion toward the Uchiha clan.

"Uchiha Fugaku, tell me—did you kill Advisor Danzo?!"

The accusatory shout came from Shimura Naoya, the head of the Shimura family. His face was flushed with anger as he glared at Uchiha Fugaku.

Knowing Danzo's plans to deal with Uchiha Fugaku, Naoya was convinced that Danzo's death was the Uchiha clan's doing.

"Head Shimura," Fugaku finally spoke, his tone calm but laced with warning, "you may eat whatever you like, but you cannot say whatever you want."

His composed demeanor only served to infuriate Naoya further.

"Then how do you explain the disappearance of Advisor Danzo in the Land of Rice and your coincidental presence there at the same time?" Naoya retorted.

"I went to the Land of Rice because six members of my clan were ambushed and killed by bandits there. This is a fact known to everyone here."

Fugaku's gaze briefly landed on the Third Hokage. It was clear to him that the rumors about his trip to the Land of Rice were the Hokage's doing, aimed at creating this very situation.

"As for why Advisor Danzo was in the Land of Rice," Fugaku continued, "I wouldn't know. If you want answers, I suggest you ask Advisor Danzo himself."

Naoya Shimura's face turned red with frustration, but he couldn't respond.

The other attendees exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from incredulous to amused.

Fugaku's statement was both logical and pointed—how could one ask questions of someone who might already be dead? While it was a sharp retort, it left many with a strange, indescribable feeling.

"You... you're just deflecting!" Naoya finally stammered.

Fugaku gave him a cold, dismissive look and chose not to respond.

"Hokage-sama," Nara Shikaku interjected, his tone calm but firm. "Why did Advisor Danzo go to the Land of Rice in the first place?"

It was a question that had been on everyone's mind. Danzo rarely left the heavily fortified Root base. For him to journey to a minor country like the Land of Rice, which lacked even a formal ninja village, was unusual.

"There's been no information uncovered regarding the purpose of Advisor Danzo's trip," the Third Hokage said after a slight pause, his expression unreadable.

Of course, the Hokage knew the reason for Danzo's journey, but revealing it would cause an uproar.

"Hokage-sama," Shikaku said after a moment of silence, "if we want to uncover the truth about Advisor Danzo's death, we should begin by investigating why he went to the Land of Rice."

Shikaku's keen intuition told him that understanding Danzo's purpose was key to solving the mystery.

"Very well. I will instruct the Anbu to focus their investigation on this matter," the Third Hokage replied with a curt nod.

The purpose of this meeting had been to challenge Uchiha Fugaku and cast doubt on him. However, with Naoya Shimura silenced and Shikaku redirecting the discussion, the Hokage's attempt to corner Fugaku had effectively failed.

Suddenly, the meeting room trembled slightly as a faint rumble echoed through the building.

(End of this chapter)

Want to read 70 more chapters check out my patreon!!!

https://www.patreon.com/john_smith_

Every 300 Power Stones+1 (5 ⭐ Review) = 1 Chapter+1Chapter