Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

On this day, the sun shone brightly over Konoha.

The sky was a clear, washed blue without a single cloud. Sunlight spilled over the village rooftops, making the tiles gleam.

The streets bustled with people. Children chased each other in the open squares, their laughter echoing from one end of the street to the other.

The elderly sat under the eaves, soaking in the sun and chatting idly.

Shopkeepers stood at their doors greeting customers, wearing their usual welcoming smiles.

Everything was peaceful and serene.

Inside the Hokage building's conference room.

The doors were shut tight. Several ANBU operatives stood in the corridor, their expressions hidden behind masks as they kept a vigilant watch over the surroundings.

At the head of the conference room sat a long table. Orochimaru occupied the center seat, draped in the white Hokage robes. His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his golden, slit-like pupils gleamed faintly in the indoor lighting.

Tsunade sat beside him. Having just rushed back from the outside, she had washed away the grime of her journey. Though a hint of exhaustion lingered on her face, her eyes were sharp and clear.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat on Orochimaru's other side. Dressed in dark casual clothes, with his graying hair and deeply wrinkled face, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary old man.

Below them were rows of seats filled with the village's Jonin. Anyone qualified to be here was essentially a renowned figure in the village.

Some wore green flak jackets, while others dressed in casual attire. Hatake Kakashi sat in the second row, his mask covering half his face, leaving only one eye exposed. He stared blankly at the table, lost in thought.

The head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi, sat in the front row. His expression was calm, but the fingers tapping lightly against his knee betrayed his inner turmoil.

Nara Shikaku sat beside him, hands folded on the table, his brow slightly furrowed in deep thought.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza sat next to him. Though their expressions differed, all three wore looks of grave solemnity.

This gathering had an official title: the Jonin Council.

Whenever the Jonin Council convened, the matters discussed were invariably of critical importance to Konoha and the entire ninja world.

The last time the Jonin Council had been called was during the Nine-Tails incident.

This time, there was only one topic on the agenda: Uchiha Madara.

Orochimaru spoke with a faint smile, "The intelligence reports have been distributed, and I assume you have all read them. So, let us skip the pleasantries."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone present.

"Gentlemen, how should the village respond to this situation?"

As his words fell, a heavy silence settled over the room.

Many furrowed their brows. Some stared down at the reports on the table, some rested their chins on their hands in thought, and others exchanged hushed whispers with their neighbors.

No one spoke up immediately, simply because no one knew what to say.

Tsunade had already verified the authenticity of the news regarding Uchiha Madara.

The man who had ended the Warring States period and co-founded Konoha alongside the First Hokage had been resurrected through the Reanimation Jutsu.

Not only that, but he had fought Uchiha Taiga—and lost.

A legendary ninja returning from the dead, only to be defeated by a fourteen-year-old boy. To everyone in the room, the shock was undeniably massive.

The only silver lining was that Uchiha Madara had made an enemy of Uchiha Taiga and had ultimately been defeated by him.

The bad news, however, was that no one knew if Uchiha Madara could be resurrected again, nor did anyone know if he harbored malicious intent toward Konoha.

Given his overwhelming strength, if he decided to attack Konoha, who among them could possibly stop him?

Someone finally broke the silence. It was a middle-aged Jonin sitting in the back row, his voice hesitant.

"I think... we should wait and see. Uchiha Madara's target doesn't seem to be Konoha, but Uchiha Taiga. Let them settle their own grudges. We don't need to get involved."

An immediate rebuttal came from a veteran Jonin in the front row, his voice booming.

"Unacceptable! Do you know who Uchiha Madara is? The First Hokage died prematurely because of him. Now that he's resurrected, who's to say he won't target Konoha? If we don't prepare now, it will be too late when he comes knocking at our gates."

A third person spoke up. It was Nara Shikaku. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a steady weight.

"Preparation is absolutely necessary, but we need to be clear on how to prepare. Uchiha Madara's strength isn't something we can overcome just by throwing numbers at him. We need a concrete plan."

A fourth person chimed in. It was Uchiha Fugaku.

Sitting in the front row toward the right, his complexion was grim, and his voice was low. "I believe we should send someone to contact Uchiha Taiga and find a way to bring him back to the village."

The conference room fell silent for a moment.

Some looked up at Uchiha Fugaku with complicated expressions.

Others lowered their heads, staring at the table with subtle looks.

Some shook their heads slightly, while others remained expressionless.

Yet, no one openly rejected the proposal.

Not because they agreed with it, but because they couldn't think of a better alternative.

Everyone present was well aware of Uchiha Taiga's strength. The things he had done before leaving the village, coupled with his recent victory over Uchiha Madara, were testaments to his overwhelming power.

If someone like that could stand on Konoha's side, the village's safety would be guaranteed.

But they also knew the reasons behind Uchiha Taiga's departure. Getting him to return would clearly be no simple task.

When Uchiha Fugaku made the suggestion, he was fully aware of how difficult it would be.

But he had no other choice. As the head of the Uchiha clan, if Uchiha Madara truly attacked Konoha, the Uchiha clan would bear the brunt of his wrath.

He needed power—power capable of standing against Uchiha Madara.

And in the entire ninja world, the only known person capable of defeating Uchiha Madara was Uchiha Taiga.

The meeting dragged on for a long time, filled with endless debates.

Some insisted on waiting and seeing, some advocated taking the initiative to hunt down Uchiha Madara, some suggested bolstering the village's defenses, and others believed they should contact the other four great ninja villages to form a united front.

Opinions clashed, but no consensus was reached.

Finally, Orochimaru adjourned the meeting, telling everyone to go back and think it over before reconvening.

After the meeting, Orochimaru returned to the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen followed behind him. Along the way, his brows were tightly knitted together in a deep frown, clearly troubled.

The two entered the office and closed the door, shutting out the fading footsteps in the corridor.

Orochimaru sat behind the desk, folding his hands on the table as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Sensei, Uchiha Madara was resurrected using the Reanimation Jutsu. That jutsu is a forbidden technique developed by the Second Hokage."

He paused.

"I don't know how it leaked, but I imagine Uchiha Madara must have schemed in the shadows to obtain it. As it stands, his malice toward Konoha is quite obvious."

Sarutobi Hiruzen had naturally thought of this as well.

His frown deepened as he sat in the chair opposite Orochimaru, remaining silent for a moment.

"What are you thinking?"

Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled.

"I believe we should use the Reanimation Jutsu to resurrect the First Hokage and the Second Hokage to deal with whatever might come our way."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression changed drastically.

"Absolutely not!"

Orochimaru's smile didn't waver.

"If we don't do this, what will the village use to fend off Uchiha Madara? Sensei, you don't honestly think that just because Uchiha Taiga defeated Uchiha Madara, the village can do the same, do you?"

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened.

He fell silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as his mind churned, weighing the options and struggling with the decision.

He knew Orochimaru was speaking the truth, but he also knew what resurrecting the First and Second Hokage meant.

It was a profound disrespect to the dead.

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth, then closed it again, before finally uttering a single sentence.

"Let me think about it."

Just then, a rapid knocking came from the office door.

Orochimaru looked up toward the door.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and an ANBU operative hurried in, dropping to one knee and speaking urgently.

"Lord Hokage, Clan Head Fugaku of the Uchiha clan has led a group out of the village."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"Left the village? Where to?"

"According to the report from the main gate, Clan Head Fugaku left a message before departing, stating that he is going to find Uchiha Taiga."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was shocked and abruptly stood up from his chair.

"This is bad! Send someone to intercept them!"

He glared at the ANBU operative with sharp eyes.

But the ANBU ninja simply kept his head bowed. He didn't respond, nor did he move, remaining kneeling on one knee.

"Sensei, let it be."

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head to look at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, hands folded in front of him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Let them try. It's better for Clan Head Fugaku to make contact with Uchiha Taiga than for us to send someone else."

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru's smiling face. He took a deep breath, slumped powerlessly back into his chair, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.