Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 286 Disheartened

At this time, Konoha Village was tense and rife with conflict. The lower and middle-ranking ninjas blamed the Hyuga clan for their discontent and anger. They firmly believed that the Hyuga clan had betrayed the entire village and harmed the rights of all villagers for their own benefit. This viewpoint spread widely among them, making the Hyuga clan the target of everyone's anger.

However, unlike ordinary ninjas, clan ninjas and elite ninjas held a greater degree of understanding and sympathy for the Hyuga clan. They knew that the Hyuga clan was forced to make this decision under duress, and that the mastermind behind it was none other than the Konoha leadership. This understanding fueled their resentment towards the Konoha leadership and led them to deeply question their decisions and actions.

The actions of Konoha's leadership not only harmed the Hyuga clan but also disappointed and worried other clans. They began to consider how to protect their own interests and whether they should continue to trust Konoha's leadership. This crisis of trust spread within the village, bringing unprecedented turmoil and unrest to Konoha.

At the same time, the Hyuga clan also felt pressure and criticism from all sides. They were caught in a dilemma, unable to explain their actions, and could only silently endure the misunderstandings and condemnations from the outside world. Faced with this situation, the Hyuga clan no longer wanted to waste their energy on Konoha. They had completely lost faith in Konoha Village, and misunderstandings and condemnations could not change their decision.

In the midst of this turmoil, the future of Konoha Village has become uncertain. The village needs to find a balance between protecting the interests of each clan and ensuring overall unity and stability. Otherwise, Konoha Village may fall into division and chaos, losing its former glory.

The Konoha leadership was now in complete panic. They never expected the Hyuga clan to make such a decisive decision—to completely evacuate the entire clan from Konoha. They had arrogantly assumed the Hyuga clan wouldn't dare disobey their orders. After all, they believed the Hyuga clan knew perfectly well that Konoha wouldn't let them leave, even if it meant annihilating them within the village. But the Hyuga clan's decision to evacuate the entire clan caught them completely off guard.

The conference room in the Hokage Building was filled with a suffocating atmosphere, so oppressive it was almost unbearable. Every high-ranking official in Konoha felt that immense pressure, one they could not ignore.

They knew perfectly well that the Hyuga clan's decision was entirely due to pressure from their superiors. However, Konoha could not tolerate the Hyuga clan leaving the village so easily. After all, this not only concerned Konoha's reputation and dignity, but also the balance and stability of the entire ninja world.

However, they lacked the courage to issue an order to stop or destroy the Hyuga clan. Caught in this dilemma, they could only shift blame in the meeting room, trying to find a scapegoat, or simply issue the order to annihilate the Hyuga clan.

Everyone remained silent, secretly calculating how to preserve their position and reputation. No one wanted to become the target of public criticism, nor did anyone want to bear such a heavy responsibility. Thus, they were locked in a stalemate, none daring to speak easily, fearing that a single wrong word would bring them endless trouble.

In this tense atmosphere, time ticked by, and the Hyuga clan's migration drew ever closer to its end. The Konoha leadership realized that if they didn't make a decision soon, it might be too late to stop the Hyuga clan's departure. But they remained hesitant, unable to make a decisive choice.

Nara Shikaku sat at his desk, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with regret and helplessness. He never imagined that he would have agreed to Jiraiya's request and taken on this thankless and demanding position as a Jonin class leader because of a moment of weakness. Now, the situation in Konoha was getting worse and worse, and all of this was inextricably linked to these so-called "high-ranking officials."

These people are nothing but a bunch of selfish, short-sighted fools! He had firmly opposed continuing to pressure the Hyuga clan, believing it would only escalate tensions and bring no benefit to the village. However, these high-ranking officials ignored his objections and insisted on doing so. Not only that, they spread baseless rumors, attempting to incite the villagers' emotions. Faced with this situation, Nara Shikaku protested multiple times, but ultimately, under their pressure, he had to abandon his efforts to stop the spread of rumors.

Now, things have finally spiraled out of control, yet these high-ranking officials are too frightened to take responsibility. Nara Shikaku looked at this group of incompetent fools, his heart filled with despair. He knew all too well that the future of Konoha Village was in their hands, and they were powerless to protect it. If they continued like this, Konoha Village would be destroyed sooner or later.

Nara Shikaku secretly made up his mind: if Tsunade's return didn't force these useless people to relinquish their power and withdraw from management, he would resign without hesitation. He had to consider his clan's fate; he couldn't let them sink along with Konoha. After all, how could a village that couldn't even guarantee its own safety protect its clan? Perhaps leaving was the best option.

boom!

With a loud bang, the conference room door was violently pushed open by a powerful force, making a dull thud. Everyone turned to look, and saw a figure appear in the doorway—it was Shimura Danzo.

One of Shimura Danzo's eyes was covered by an eyepatch, while the other eye gleamed with a chilling light that sent shivers down one's spine. He was followed by two stern-faced subordinates who entered the conference room with him.

Danzo Shimura swept his gaze across the people in the meeting room with a gloomy expression, his eyes revealing an air of superior authority and disdain. After casually glancing at them, he walked straight to the head seat and sat down without any ceremony.

Many of Konoha's high-ranking officials showed a hint of excitement upon seeing Shimura Danzo's arrival. Their previous orders were, in fact, decisions made on Shimura Danzo's advice. Now that Shimura Danzo had personally appeared, it meant that all responsibility would fall on him alone. This way, no matter what happened next, they could remain uninvolved and unaffected.

Danzo Shimura currently holds no official position; his previous roles as Hokage's assistant and Anbu training center were stripped by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Yet, he brazenly sits in the main seat, acting as if he's in charge. However, the Konoha high-ranking officials present show no sign of objection, instead appearing to accept it as the proper course of action.

Nara Shikaku's face instantly darkened, a deep sense of despair welling up within him. He couldn't understand how these so-called Konoha high-ranking officials had climbed to their positions, nor could he comprehend why they wielded such power over Konoha. He had always hoped for change in the village, but faced with such an incompetent group, he felt utterly disappointed. However, Nara Shikaku knew he bore a heavy responsibility and could not allow the village to descend into an even deeper crisis.

He had long known that Shimura Danzo was behind those absurd orders, and his reappearance here clearly brought no good news. Nara Shikaku decided he couldn't stand idly by; he had to stop Shimura Danzo from issuing orders that could bring even more serious consequences to Konoha.

Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and resolutely said, "Danzo-senpai, please excuse yourself for now. This is a meeting of Konoha's high-ranking officials. You currently hold no official position and it is not appropriate for you to participate, so as not to disrupt the normal order of the meeting." He looked directly at Shimura Danzo without fear, even though there were several Root ninjas standing behind him, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

Everyone present wore expressions of surprise. They never expected that Nara Shikaku, the newly appointed Jonin squad leader, would suggest that Shimura Danzo leave the meeting room. It's important to understand that Shimura Danzo was the only person in Konoha with his own directly subordinate Anbu, a privilege reserved for the Hokage and granted to him by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although he had been dismissed by Hiruzen, he still controlled his Anbu forces, making him arguably the most powerful person in Konoha at the time.

Danzo Shimura narrowed his single eye slightly; he never expected Shikaku Nara to suggest he withdraw from the meeting. However, the immediate priority was dealing with the Hyuga clan's downfall; other matters could wait.

Danzo Shimura, who was never one to hold a grudge, clearly harbored resentment towards Shikaku Nara. However, the pressing matter of the Hyuga clan prevented him from dealing with Shikaku, the newly appointed Jonin class leader. Nevertheless, given the influence he wielded in Konoha, dismantling the Nara clan shouldn't be a problem. As someone who had been navigating the upper echelons of Konoha for many years, he certainly wouldn't use his power to intimidate others at the meeting.

After giving Nara Shikaku a cold look, Shimura Danzo slowly spoke, "Although I do not hold any official position, I am still a Jonin of Konoha. The village is currently in a dangerous situation, and we Jonin should naturally come to pay attention to the village's decisions and offer some suggestions to help the village overcome this crisis."

Nara Shikaku frowned deeply. He knew there was no chance of getting rid of Shimura Danzo. Moreover, this place would soon become Danzo's personal fiefdom, and no matter how much he objected, it would be futile. Those present wouldn't listen to his opinions; they would only act on Shimura Danzo's orders.

"Forget it, I'd better go back to my clan and keep an eye on my people!" Nara Shikaku looked around dejectedly, then left without saying a word. He was going back to make final plans for his clan.