The atmosphere in the chamber had already frozen.
Now it cracked.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened to an alarming degree.
Beside him, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane looked equally grim.
Only Danzo Shimura remained relatively composed.
Danzo had already reached agreements with Orochimaru. The Hyūga had not outright refused cooperation either. A little more pressure and they would fall in line.
Compared to that, the Uchiha issue was… secondary.
In Danzo's mind, the Uchiha were a problem best dealt with after he ascended.
No need to waste energy now.
"Third-sama," Jin pressed calmly, "would you say my assessment of Fugaku's dereliction is reasonable?"
Hiruzen's cheek twitched.
"Reasonable… perhaps in part."
He inhaled slowly before continuing.
"But rumors are inherently difficult to control. Most people who repeated them did so while misled. Fugaku cannot possibly arrest everyone who spoke unwisely."
"This matter cannot be entirely blamed on him."
Then Hiruzen shifted his gaze toward Jin, voice layered with meaning.
"The best way to prevent rumors… is to prevent the conditions that give rise to them."
"After all, there is no smoke without fire."
"If one's conduct leaves no room for criticism, malicious words will fail to spread."
"Perhaps," he added pointedly, "the Uchiha should first examine their own shortcomings. Consider why the villagers harbor such resentment."
A few heads subtly nodded.
It sounded reasonable.
Measured.
Statesmanlike.
Jin smiled.
Coldly.
"Examine ourselves?" His tone sharpened. "Absurd."
"Before speaking, Third-sama, perhaps you should think."
The temperature dropped.
"What exactly did the Uchiha do wrong?"
"Was it wrong for Fugaku to refuse the suspension of pensions and disability subsidies?"
He stepped forward slightly.
"Do you know what those pensions mean to a household that has lost its sole breadwinner? To a widow raising children alone?"
"Do you know what disability compensation means to a shinobi who has lost a limb and can no longer serve?"
His voice rose—not hysterical, but resonant.
"Perhaps Third-sama has spent too long in this office to remember what it means to bleed on the battlefield."
"But understand this."
"A single sentence from you—a single order—can shatter dozens of families."
"If shinobi risk their lives at the front only to find their families abandoned, who will fight for this village next time?"
"We have already shed blood for Konoha."
"Must we shed tears as well?"
The words struck hard.
Several department heads from smaller clans visibly stiffened.
Their families were far less affluent than the Uchiha.
They understood.
They felt it.
Hiruzen clenched his jaw.
"Uchiha Jin, do not exaggerate! The village had its difficulties. That proposal was made under unavoidable circumstances!"
Jin laughed softly.
"Even more laughable."
"If the village truly faced hardship, then issue a public notice. Suspend pensions for all casualties of the war equally."
"The Uchiha are not unreasonable. We could accept shared burden."
He paused.
"To speak plainly, our clan has sufficient means. We could support our own fallen."
"But you did not address everyone equally."
"You approached only the Uchiha."
His eyes locked onto Hiruzen's.
"So I ask you—"
"Was that targeted pressure?"
"Or is the so-called strongest village in the shinobi world so impoverished that it depends on squeezing the Uchiha alone?"
Hiruzen faltered.
For the first time in the meeting, he had no immediate reply.
Homura intervened quickly.
"Uchiha Jin, do not misinterpret events. The village did indeed face hardship. Because we knew suspending compensation would cause discontent, we intended to personally explain the situation—clan by clan."
"The Uchiha are Konoha's foremost clan. Approaching you first was natural."
He spoke smoothly.
An elegant reframing.
Jin nodded slowly.
"So Elder Homura acknowledges that the village's handling of the matter was flawed, which led to the subsequent chain of events?"
Homura only wanted the subject moved along.
"It is true the village could have handled it more prudently."
A small concession.
Harmless.
Or so he thought.
Jin's smile sharpened.
"Then if this was the village's mistake—"
"Why must the Uchiha examine ourselves?"
His voice rang through the chamber.
"Villagers call us arrogant? When have we failed to answer the call in the First War? The Second? The Third?"
"Have Uchiha lives not been given in defense of this village?"
"Or do you personally rush to risk your lives for strangers?"
The question cut.
Silence thickened.
"They say we are cold in enforcement."
"But when villagers violate regulations, are we to ignore them?"
"We enforce the rules set by the village."
"If the regulations are flawed—"
"Is that the fault of the enforcer?"
"Or of the lawmakers?"
He swept his gaze across the high platform.
"You demand we examine ourselves at every turn."
"Have you examined yourselves?"
His final words struck like a hammer.
"If something is wrong—"
"Perhaps you should look inward first."
A stunned hush filled the room.
Somewhere, someone muttered under their breath:
"…Damn."
And no one could quite say whether it was shock—
Or reluctant admiration.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/warewolvesTL