Uchiha Mei suddenly inquired.
At this moment, her palm, aside from some bloodstains, was completely unscathed.
"Plants and books!"
Takashi instantly understood her meaning.
This was an instruction to quickly take the items away, or destroy them if they couldn't be taken.
The most valuable things were in his mind.
And the plants were something he had spent a lot of time cultivating.
Though not indispensable, losing them would mean expending energy to cultivate them again, which would take too much time and effort, so they couldn't be abandoned.
The books were borrowed, so they naturally couldn't be damaged.
As for other things?
They were all just savings from work and daily life, not worth mentioning.
Uchiha Mei clapped her hands lightly.
Swish! Two Uchiha clan members appeared at the door.
"Lady Mei!" *2 they greeted jokingly.
After all, Uchiha Mei was the eldest daughter of the main family, so it was impossible for her not to have protection.
Especially within the village.
Danzo's malice towards the Uchiha was never concealed, so they couldn't afford to be lax.
"Take all these plants and books back, and deal with the rest!"
After giving her instructions, Uchiha Mei quickly left with Takashi.
The next actions had to be swift because the longer they delayed, the more passive they would become.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked up from his paperwork.
A document had appeared on his desk.
After reading its contents, he summoned an ANBU member with a serious expression.
"Go and invite Danzo and the two elders over!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The ANBU member swiftly disappeared.
Not long after...
Tap, tap!
The sound of a cane hitting the wooden floor echoed, and then the door was pushed open.
"Hiruzen, what do you want from me?"
Danzo asked bluntly, showing no regard for Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Hokage.
In truth, he considered himself the root of Konoha, on the same level as the Hokage.
"Address me as Lord Hokage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi reprimanded him, displeased.
Danzo's constant disrespect made it difficult for him to maintain authority. If he didn't assert himself regularly, who knew what Danzo might do next.
Danzo, of course, was unwilling to back down.
At that moment, two figures entered from outside the door.
"Sarutobi, you called us..." Mitokado Homura entered the office hurriedly, noticing the confrontation between the two and interjected, "Is something the matter?"
He was so used to their daily bickering that he didn't even bother asking for the reason anymore.
"Danzo, don't you think you owe me an explanation!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly glared at Danzo.
"What do you mean?"
Danzo feigned ignorance, his acting impeccable.
An outsider might have been fooled, but those in the office had grown up with him and could easily tell he was hiding something.
"You know exactly what I mean. Healing potions are not something the Root should be coveting!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi laid it out plainly, handing the document to the two elders.
"Hiruzen, you're spying on me!"
Danzo erupted in anger.
After all I've done for you, Hiruzen, you're spying on me? Are we splitting ways now?
At this moment, he conveniently forgot about the spies he had planted in the ANBU.
To him, that wasn't spying; it was protecting the Hokage.
"Danzo, the items must be under the control of the Medical Department!" Koharu Utatane spoke up immediately after reading the document.
If the contents of the document were true, the implications were too significant.
A potion that could compensate for the scarcity of medical ninjas would undoubtedly give Konoha a considerable advantage on the battlefield.
As for the original owner of the healing potion?
Apologies, but for advisors like them, they could handle it however they wished.
After some internal discussion among Konoha's F4, they finally completed the division of interests.
Next, they would move into the practical operation phase.
"Hiruzen, leave it to the Root. I guarantee I'll bring the items back!" Danzo's eyes gleamed with greed.
The ability to develop such a thing meant Uchiha Takashi's value was self-evident.
Although there was Orochimaru, a research genius in the village, Danzo couldn't control him. Now that someone else had emerged, he couldn't let the opportunity slip by.
So, from the beginning, Danzo never intended to just control the healing potion—he wanted everything.
"No way!" Hiruzen Sarutobi flatly refused. "Koharu will handle negotiations with the other party, and the Root is not allowed to interfere!"
Having grown up together, Hiruzen knew exactly what Danzo was thinking and naturally couldn't let him succeed.
Such talent was a treasure for Konoha and couldn't become the private property of the Root.
Of course, his willingness to protect was based on the premise that the other party admired the 'Will of Fire.' Otherwise, he wouldn't be so resolute.
Danzo, naturally unwilling, immediately argued back.
In the end, he couldn't win against the combined force of the three, and Hiruzen's words broke his defense.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Yes, the Hokage could do as he pleased, and no matter how unwilling Danzo was, he had to comply.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
Bang! Danzo slammed the door as he left.
With the Hokage's protection, the Root indeed couldn't act recklessly.
But it didn't matter; there would be opportunities in the future. After all, he wasn't focused on the healing potion but on the person.
"Hiruzen, be careful of Danzo!"
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses and reminded him. Danzo was becoming increasingly extreme lately.
"Don't worry!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't take it to heart.
As long as he was the Hokage, there was nothing to worry about.
It was this confidence that led him to never restrict the Root, allowing its power to grow.
In his view, the stronger the Root, the more it could handle things he couldn't bear, which was entirely beneficial.
On the other side, the main branch of the Uchiha clan was also holding a meeting.
Note, this was a small meeting of the 'main branch,' not a clan-wide meeting of the entire Uchiha, so there was no need to gather at the Naka Shrine.
The meeting place was the courtyard covered by two intertwined camphor trees.
The Uchiha clan had over a thousand members, divided into four branches.
The main branch was staunchly hawkish, and Uchiha Madara came from this branch. The current head was Uchiha Mei.
The second branch was dovish, and the yet-to-be-born Uchiha Shisui belonged to this branch.
The third branch was the current clan leader's faction, considered neutral, and Uchiha Fugaku was from this branch.
The fourth branch was fence-sitting. Because the head's daughter, Uchiha Mikoto, married Uchiha Fugaku, they supported the third branch in obtaining the clan leadership.
It can only be said that the background not introduced in the anime is incredibly complex in the real world.
As the head of the main branch, Uchiha Mei, although not officially in power, naturally had no problem convening an internal meeting of the branch.
The key was proximity!
All clan members lived in one area, so holding a meeting wasn't difficult.
Only when everyone was gathered did one understand what 'prestigious family' truly meant.
Because more than a dozen Jonin attended.
What does this mean?
There were only about a hundred Jonin in all of Konoha, and the Uchiha accounted for over twenty of them. (under estimation but whatever)
With such a high proportion, it's no wonder they faced exclusion from other clans.
If you're so strong, if we don't band together, we wouldn't even qualify to play with you.
Fortunately, the Uchiha only had strong high-end combat power, lacking top-tier strength. Without anyone comparable to the Sannin, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as Hokage, might not even sleep soundly.
Rustle!
As the door opened, the six kneeling members of the Uchiha main branch (only Jonin could participate in the meeting) all looked towards the two people entering through the door.
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