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Luckily, the Uchiha clan had prepared adequately. Otherwise, if the guests had arrived and discovered it was all a bluff, it would have been utterly humiliating.
"What is the Uchiha trying to pull?! What does Kazuki even mean by this?!"
Utatane's furious roar echoed in the night.
"Don't try to stop me, Hiruzen! I'm going to see Tsunade! This is unacceptable! The Uchiha must give us an explanation!"
"I'll go with you," sighed the Third Hokage.
Leaving the remaining matters to the ANBU, he joined Koharu and Mitokado as they headed to the Hokage's office.
---
In the Hokage's Office.
"Tsunade," Koharu began as soon as she walked through the door, her frustration evident.
"Do you even know what today is? Why are you allowing the Uchiha to behave so recklessly? A coming-of-age celebration? More like a blatant excuse to throw a massive party under the guise of a birthday!"
Having anticipated their reaction, Tsunade calmly set down her paperwork, stretched lazily, and asked with feigned curiosity:
"What's so special about today?"
"You—!" Koharu was at a loss for words.
Tsunade's tone grew sharp:
"There's nothing major happening in the village today. How the Uchiha celebrate is their business. Or is there some rule in the village that bans birthdays and celebrations altogether?"
Danzo committed countless crimes. He was a criminal in the village's eyes. He's dead now. You should quietly take care of his funeral and move on.
But you come here, making a scene, to question me?
What's wrong with the Uchiha celebrating?
What rule says they can't?
"It's because today is Danzo's—"
BANG!
Tsunade slammed the table, her expression furious:
"What do you want me to do? Issue a decree for the entire village to mourn him? Do you even realize that if we announce his death publicly, most of Konoha would cheer and clap in celebration?"
She couldn't contain her anger. These so-called elder advisors were nothing but a headache. They had no useful contributions but excelled at pointing fingers.
"Do you know what would happen if you buried Danzo in the cemetery? Every day, someone would spit on his gravestone! Why are you still so concerned about him at a time like this? I've already allowed him to stay in Konoha Hospital, draining the village's resources until his death. I've even permitted you to bury him in the cemetery—that's my greatest concession. If you're so attached to Danzo, fine, take him back home and worship him there!"
"Tsunade, that's not what we meant," the Third Hokage interjected, trying to defuse the situation as her words grew harsher.
"Then what do you mean?" Tsunade snapped, her chest heaving in anger.
"Danzo targeted the Uchiha for years. Now he's dead, and the Uchiha are celebrating under the pretense of a birthday. That's already restrained. If it were me, I'd dig up his grave and desecrate it."
Cough!
The Third Hokage coughed loudly to cut her off.
Digging up graves? That was going too far. After all, the dead deserved some dignity.
After venting her anger, Tsunade gradually calmed down and sat back down in her chair.
"I hope this ends here. How the Uchiha celebrate is their business. If you're unhappy about it, go home and rest. As for Danzo, handle his burial discreetly. I'm genuinely worried his grave will become a target for public scorn."
Telling the Uchiha to stop? On what grounds?
People are allowed to celebrate birthdays however they please. Don't bother me with this nonsense; I'm not intervening.
If you're bold enough, go tell the Uchiha yourself and see if they listen.
"Let this matter end here. I'll remind the Uchiha not to repeat this, but that's all."
After seeing off the Third Hokage and his advisors, Tsunade slumped into her chair, rubbing her temples in frustration.
Shizune, who had been silently observing, quickly brought over a cup of hot tea.
"Tsunade-sama, should we—"
"There's no need to prepare anything. We're heading straight to the Uchiha compound. They sent us an invitation, didn't they? We should at least make an appearance."
"Huh?!"
Shizune was stunned. Wasn't showing up at the Uchiha compound now akin to pouring fuel on the fire?
"What's with the surprise? Didn't you hear the ANBU's report? All the other clans have gone. If we don't show up, won't it seem like we're disrespecting the Uchiha? Stop wasting time and get ready. If we're late, you'll be stuck drinking dishwater."
---
At the Uchiha Compound.
The clan's main courtyard was filled with guests, with Fugaku acting as the host.
Though he hadn't expected so many unexpected guests, he dutifully stayed to entertain them.
Fortunately, the guests were accustomed to Fugaku's perpetually stern expression.
Anyone else hosting without smiling might have offended the guests, but Fugaku's demeanor was already well-known.
"Clan leader, the Hokage has arrived," someone whispered in Fugaku's ear.
"Are you serious?!"
Fugaku was utterly taken aback.
It was already unbelievable that so many unexpected guests had come, but now even the Hokage herself was here?
The announcement was quiet, but all the guests heard it.
"The Hokage is here?
It seems the relationship between the Hokage and the Uchiha is better than we thought."
"Prepare to greet the Hokage—"
"Clan leader, she said not to trouble yourself. She's gone directly to the elder's quarters."
"..."
Fugaku's mouth twitched.
"I knew it."
---
At Kazuki Residence.
"You really know how to pick your moments," Tsunade said, eating as she spoke.
"I regret telling you about this now. The old man and those two annoying elders came straight to the office, demanding I stop the Uchiha celebration."
Kazuki didn't care in the slightest.
"So what if they did? If you didn't issue an order, there's no way the Uchiha would stop. We've already crossed the line with them. One more offense won't matter."
Tsunade could see that Kazuki had no intention of stopping. She lowered her voice and warned him:
"Just this once. Don't make things harder for me again. Those elders are the village's senior figures, and constantly targeting them doesn't look good."
"I understand."
*****
T/N: Check out my new works:
1. Naruto: Starting as a Defector in The Hidden Mist Village
2. Cunning Three Kingdoms