Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 180: The Betrayal of the Pot King! The Uchiha Aren't Short of Money!

In the conference room, as Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over the stage to the people below, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy. No one dared to speak first.

After all, the very nature of this meeting was absurd. Forget the losses for now—what really mattered was the Uchiha.

Where on earth did the Uchiha clan get a tailed beast? A 12-year-old Jonin, partial Tailed Beast transformation, and all this chaos.

Wasn't this just the Uchiha clan showing off their strength?

And what about that little Uchiha brat? A disciple of the Legendary Sannin, a key member of Root?

Whose side was he even on? What the hell was this?

The Third Hokage, can't you give us some direction here? How are we supposed to take sides?

At the conference table, the heads of various clans sat in a daze, their minds spinning.

They glanced at the Third Hokage, then at the silent and expressionless Danzo, and then at Uchiha Hachidai, who represented the Uchiha clan since Fugaku and Setsuna were absent. Hachidai wore an enigmatic smile that seemed to mock the entire situation.

What was happening in this world?

Wasn't Danzo supposed to be the first to jump up and vehemently oppose the Uchiha? Why was he staying silent?

With no one else stepping forward, all eyes turned to Orochimaru, sitting to the side, lost in thought.

The silent message was clear:

"That's your student. Aren't you going to say something?"

Orochimaru's face was a picture of frustration.

If he stood up now, he'd be paying compensation.

And not just a little—an entire billion! Did they think he was an idiot? Didn't they realize his experiments cost money?

Especially since that idiot Uchiha Ci had just made him set up a new cell research lab, upgrading it with centrifuges, vacuum pumps, new PCR machines, live-cell analyzers, polymer carriers, transfection reagents, protein measurement kits, spectrophotometers, and more.

The point was: Orochimaru was broke.

Even if he turned into "Muda-maru" today, he wouldn't stand up. No one could make him!

At that moment—

BANG!

The sound of a palm slamming onto the table echoed through the room.

The sudden noise snapped everyone to attention.

This level of force—was it the Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin, standing up? After all, she was the primary victim of this incident.

But when they looked up, they were dumbfounded.

The person who had stood up was none other than Koharu Utatane, the only female elder in Konoha's council.

Despite her age, Koharu's voice was firm and commanding.

Her face stern, she turned to Hiruzen and said coldly:

"Regardless of the situation, using a partial Tailed Beast transformation in the village is madness. The damage to the village is unforgivable!"

"Third Hokage, this requires severe punishment! Even if he is Konoha's new Jinchuriki, there must be consequences!"

"I propose that Uchiha Ci be imprisoned in the Shadow Rock Prison and placed under strict 24-hour surveillance to prevent further disturbances!"

Her words left everyone with mixed reactions. But after some thought, they understood her stance.

Among Konoha's three elders, Koharu oversaw finances, while Homura Mitokado handled daily administration. This division of roles was common knowledge. Koharu was also the nominal head of the Barrier Team.

Given that Uchiha Ci had damaged Konoha's barrier system and created a financial mess, it was no surprise that Koharu would target him.

At that moment, Kushina, seated near the Barrier Team's representatives, stood up.

Her smile didn't reach her eyes, and her fiery red hair seemed to ripple like flames.

Smiling, she said, "Third Hokage, I believe it's more appropriate to hand that little brat over to me. I'll teach him how to be a proper Jinchuriki!"

Despite her smile, her words sent a chill down everyone's spine, making them instinctively shrink back.

After a moment of thought, Hiruzen stroked his chin and nodded. This seemed like a good idea.

He didn't know how the Uchiha clan had obtained a Tailed Beast, but leaving the boy with Kushina—an expert in sealing techniques—and under the watchful eyes of the Barrier Team and Anbu seemed like the safest option.

However, unbeknownst to everyone, this was part of Koharu's plan.

She had convinced Kushina to align with her before the meeting, ensuring they played good cop and bad cop to secure control over Uchiha Ci.

Compensation for the damages? Koharu, as the "victim," could waive it in favor of securing political capital.

Just as Hiruzen was about to finalize the decision, someone unexpected stood up.

"Ridiculous!"

Danzo Shimura banged his cane on the floor, glaring coldly at Koharu.

"I object!"

Everyone stared in shock.

Danzo, defending an Uchiha?

What he said next left them even more stunned.

"Uchiha Ci's use of partial Tailed Beast transformation was indeed wrong, but he didn't harm any villagers. Moreover, he's just a 12-year-old child!"

"A genius of his caliber—able to control a Tailed Beast at such a young age—should be praised, not punished!"

He glared at Koharu and Kushina, his voice icy.

"Do you intend to imprison, torture, or hand him over to this irrational woman out of spite?"

"Have you all forgotten the ideals of the First Hokage?"

"And let's not forget Uchiha Ci's contributions on the battlefield!"

Turning to Hiruzen, Danzo slammed his cane down and demanded, "Hiruzen, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Then, pointing at Koharu, he continued, "And you, Koharu, your actions are nothing short of despicable!"

"We should not punish this child. Instead, we should reward him generously for his talents!"

Danzo's impassioned speech left the room in stunned silence.

No one knew how to react to these pro-Uchiha words coming from Danzo, of all people.

Just as the room fell into a tense quiet, another furious voice erupted.

"Reward him?! Reward that lunatic Uchiha who blew up my home?!"

A blonde-haired woman in a green jacket emblazoned with the kanji for "Gambling" slammed her hand onto the table, shattering it and the floor beneath.

Tsunade Senju, a woman of overwhelming presence, glared at everyone like an enraged lioness.

Meanwhile, in the Uchiha section, their members could barely contain their glee.

This was the moment they had been waiting for!

Uchiha Hachidai stood up, his face twisted as if suppressing laughter. With mock seriousness, he declared:

"Tsunade-sama, the Uchiha clan will fully compensate the Senju clan for all damages!"

"We, the Uchiha, are not short of money!"

"Furthermore, Uchiha Ci has been sent to Konoha Hospital, critically injured from the transformation."

"We request that Konoha's best medical expert, Princess Tsunade, treat him. After all, this concerns Konoha's second Tailed Beast. Surely, Tsunade-sama won't refuse, right? Here's a blank check—fill it out as you wish!"

With that, Hachidai tossed a checkbook onto the table and led the Uchiha clan out of the room.

The moment they stepped outside, the sound of laughter echoed.

"Hahaha! The Senju clan finally got a taste of their own medicine!"

"Hey, Hachidai, why didn't you ask if Ci could blow up the Senju compound again?"

"Quiet! Tsunade might still hear us!"