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The Third Hokage sighed deeply, shoulders slumped beneath the weight of decisions past and present. At this point, he had nothing left to sayāonly nodding in resignation.
Yamanaka Haiyi had initially wanted to escort Orochimaru back to the Intelligence Department for a more thorough interrogation. But seeing the expression on Hiruzen's face, he wisely swallowed that impulse.
After all, Orochimaru was once his prized student. Despite his status now as an S-class rogue ninja, the emotional attachment hadn't fully disappeared. Treating him like a common criminal or a spy? That was something even the Third Hokage struggled to do.
After ensuring that a fresh squad of Uchiha clan members had reinforced the prison's security, Andrew stepped out of the underground facility. Things like this couldn't be rushed. If he acted too impulsivelyāsay, by outright killing Danzoāit would only complicate matters further.
Now that the scandal was exposed, Andrew intended to let Hiruzen handle the cleanup himself. If the Hokage failed, then the mess would be entirely on his hands.
Outside the prison, Andrew noticed two familiar figures waiting near the gates.
Tsunade and Jiraiya hadn't left. Apparently, they were waiting for him.
"You're not going back with the Third to the Hokage Office?" Andrew asked with a faint smirk as he approached.
"No need," Jiraiya replied with a sigh, brushing hair from his face. "The old man can manageāfor now. He needs time to gather himself. But tell me something, Andrewā¦ do you know more about the Akatsuki Organization than you let on?"
It was a casual question, but the undertone was sharp. Jiraiya and Tsunade both suspected that the Uchiha clan, especially someone like Andrew, had done their own digging into the Nine Tails Rebellion. Now that Orochimaru had linked the masked man to the Akatsuki, they hoped Andrew might be holding additional cards.
"Jiraiya-sama, you're reading too much into it," Andrew replied with a lazy shrug. "Akatsuki is just a mercenary group, from what I've gathered. Similar to the Uchiha-run protection agency we manage hereājust that their network is broader. If you're really interested in learning more, I suggest you head to the Rain Village. That's rumored to be where their base of operations is located."
He said it lightly, but the message behind his words was loaded.
Yes, go ahead, Jiraiya. Go find your poor, broken disciples. They were twisted and driven mad by the very root of Konoha's darknessāDanzo.
Tsunade, however, wasn't as concerned about Akatsuki's structure. She narrowed her eyes. "Andrew, do the Uchiha know who really instigated the Nine Tails Rebellion? And if you do, why not say it earlier?"
She couldn't understand why the clan had stayed silent for so long, even when under immense suspicion.
"Tsunade-sama," Andrew said with a weary tone, "we've always believed someone outside the clan orchestrated the Nine Tails attack. But saying it back then? It would've made no difference."
"No one listened. No one cared. And with Orochimaru now confirming Akatsuki's involvement, we finally have an opening. It's our responsibility to handle it now."
"I'm heading back to report all of this to our clan leader. You're both welcome to stay here and do as you please."
His words were laced with sarcasm, and Tsunade could feel the bitterness radiating from his back as he walked away.
"It seemsā¦ the Uchiha won't be coming back," Jiraiya murmured. The sight of Andrew's retreating figure filled him with a sense of melancholy.
The Uchiha hadn't revolted. They hadn't made any aggressive moves. But emotionally, they were already severed from the village. Once, they had yearned for power and respectāsome even hoped to one day hold the title of Hokage. Now, that ambition had soured into alienation.
On the surface, they were still part of Konoha. But inside, a wall had been builtābrick by bitter brick.
"Screw it," Tsunade muttered, rubbing her temples. "This whole day's given me a headache. Jiraiya, come have a drink with me. I don't care about politics right now. I just want to drown these damn memories."
She didn't elaborate, but the truth was clear. Today's revelations had stirred long-buried griefāmemories of Nawaki, of betrayal, of how far her teacher had fallen.
ā
Back at the Uchiha district, the atmosphere was tense.
"Orochimaru knows all this?" Uchiha Fugaku asked, his voice trembling slightly with barely contained emotion. "After all these years, we finally have proof that the Nine Tails attack wasn't our doing?"
Every member of the Uchiha clan had carried that burden for too long. They had been suffocating beneath suspicion, shame, and silence. Now, for the first time in years, there was hope.
"Fugaku-sama," Andrew responded with resolve. "Let's quietly deploy some of our protection teams near Rain Village. Don't engageājust be visible. Let the major villages take notice. Also, leak the news that the Akatsuki leader possesses the Rinneganāthe fabled Eye of the Immortal."
"That alone will stir up every power in the ninja world."
The Akatsuki had remained quiet for now, and that was a problem. As long as Obito stayed hidden, the Uchiha would remain under a cloud of doubt. So Andrew decidedāif Akatsuki wouldn't move, he'd force their hand.
"The power of the Rinnegan is too tempting," he muttered. "Once the Five Great Nations start poking around, Akatsuki will have no choice but to respond. And when Obito moves... his secrets will follow."
If Obito still wanted to collect all the Tailed Beasts and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he couldn't let Akatsuki be crushed. Even if Obito hesitated, Black Zetsu wouldn't. That schemer had been manipulating things for a millennium. He wouldn't let his plans die now.
As long as Obito revealed himself, the truth about the Nine Tails incident would finally surfaceāand Uchiha's innocence would be undeniable.
"Got it. I'll send out the orders," Fugaku affirmed. "Also, Itachi will be returning soon. He plans to help Sasuke awaken his Sharingan..."
"Not yet," Andrew interrupted. "Tsunade's probably passed out drunk somewhere, and we'll need her support. Have Itachi wait outside the village a while longer. He'll need a disguise anyway."
ā
That same night, Konoha buzzed with an unusual level of activity.
ANBU operatives moved swiftly across rooftops, their presence far more noticeable than usual. The Hyuga clan had also been mobilized, working in tandem with ANBU to uncover more hidden projects tied to Danzo.
The Root headquarters had already been sealed off, but now, the Shimura clan compoundārecently rebuiltāwas under strict inspection.
Danzo had clearly operated outside the Hokage's knowledge on several occasions, and each new revelation hit Hiruzen like a blow to the chest.
He had believed he understood Danzo. He had been wrong.
ā
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha district, things were calmāat least on the surface.
But young Sasuke couldn't help noticing a shift.
The adults no longer smiled as brightly. Conversations were whispered, not shared openly. A subtle sadness had spread across the faces of his clansmen.
Konoha might have removed its surveillance of the Uchiha, but that didn't mean the clan felt safe. For years, they had been accused, watched, doubted. That damage didn't heal overnight.
To Sasuke, it was strange. Even as a child, he sensed the tension. The eyes of his people no longer burned with prideābut with resignation.
He didn't understand yet. But one day, he would.
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