Although Madara Uchiha had been dead for decades, Sora's writing about him didn't really stir controversy anymore.
But the Uchiha clan massacre? That happened just a few years ago.
It had not only drained Konoha's strength, but also deeply fractured the unity between the village's major clans.
To some clans, it felt like this: If even the powerful Uchiha could be wiped out with a single order, what chance did the rest of them have?
Maybe Danzo believed that fear and instability would bring the village together.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted unity under the Will of Fire — his version of it.
To this day, Konoha had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the Uchiha's extermination.
Officially, they had claimed it was the work of a deranged Uchiha Itachi.
But what could drive someone to such a horrific act?
The ninja world had always had its share of madmen, but for someone like Itachi to fall that far — there had to be a reason.
And truthfully, Danzo's manipulations had fanned the flames behind the scenes — but Hiruzen wasn't ready to throw his old comrade under the bus.
So, the Uchiha massacre became one of the biggest threats to Konoha's stability since the Nine-Tails attack.
Of course, Hiruzen knew this was far too heavy a question to expect a mere child like Sora to answer.
His attitude was simple: As long as Sora didn't cross any red lines, he'd support him.
After all, it was only a matter of a few tens of thousands of ryo — Hiruzen could pay that out of his own pocket if needed.
But what he didn't expect… was that Sora's answer would leave even him stunned.
"Hokage-sama, I've got a rough idea for that," Sora said, eyes lighting up with passion as he gestured excitedly, as if ready to start writing on the spot.
"I'm planning to write 'The Legend of Uchiha Itachi.' It'll detail his struggles and transformation."
"It's a tragic romance — noble clan heir meets commoner girl, family taboos and societal pressure, love that crosses borders and villages!"
Then Sora outlined his plan:
Start with Itachi graduating early and going to war as a child. There, shaken by the horrors he witnessed, he meets a foreign girl. They fall in love.
But tragedy follows — the woman he loves is killed by his own father. Enraged, Itachi strikes down his parents for standing in the way of love… only to be witnessed by another Uchiha.
With no other choice, Itachi is forced to slaughter the clan.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
Logically, the story made sense. But emotionally, his brain outright rejected it.
He had known Itachi personally — knew his character, his motives.
He couldn't imagine any woman who could make Itachi Uchiha fall in love.
And yet… Sora's version reminded him of something important: his own beliefs didn't matter.
What mattered was whether the people believed it.
Hiruzen looked out of window.
...Well. Apparently, this kind of logic worked just fine for ordinary folks.
Realizing this, Hiruzen's expression shifted.
He had thought Sora wanted to vindicate the Uchiha. But clearly, he had overthought it.
This boy wasn't trying to rewrite history.
He was a clever, talented opportunist — using the name Uchiha to build fame.
And someone like that... might be worth supporting.
He raised a hand, cutting off Sora's enthusiastic monologue before it ran until nightfall.
"All right, I get the gist. You're looking for funding, correct?"
Sora cleared his throat and nodded eagerly. Deep inside, he was certain he had won.
Sure enough, Hiruzen wrote out an order.
"I'll have the administration assign you a formal position," he said. "You'll also be given access to Uchiha clan records to avoid making basic mistakes."
"But there are three rules."
Sora quickly nodded. "Of course, Hokage-sama. Please go ahead."
"First, you're not allowed to alter known facts — that would be disrespectful to the Uchiha."
"Second, you must not insult the Uchiha, nor imply anything that slanders Konoha."
"And lastly…"
Hiruzen gave him a strange look, hesitating.
He considered warning Sora to tone it down — after all, if Itachi ever saw what Sora wrote, he might beat him within an inch of his life.
But in the end, Hiruzen let it go.
Surely Itachi wasn't that petty. If they ever met, at most, he'd give Sora a hard lesson — not kill him.
So instead, Hiruzen simply said:
"Third — all of your manuscripts must be submitted to the Hokage's Office for review. Only after approval can you approach a publisher."
Sora blinked, not answering right away, which made Hiruzen narrow his eyes.
"What? You don't agree?"
"No, no, Hokage-sama. I was just wondering… if the book sells — how will the royalties be split?"
Seeing Sora's cautious tone and remembering his background, Hiruzen chuckled warmly.
"All of it goes to you. Konoha doesn't need your money. Let it be your motivation to keep writing."
He had no idea what a massive fortune he'd just given away.
Sora certainly wasn't going to complain. Grinning ear to ear, he shook hands with the Hokage and left the office in high spirits.
Before even leaving the Hokage Tower, he went to the finance department to collect his first month's salary.
Fifty thousand ryo.
Considering that just a week ago, he only had 6,000 to live on for two months — he now felt like a small-time rich man.
Still, Sora stayed grounded.
He knew this was just the beginning.
With each new simulation, both his strength and standing in Konoha would continue to grow rapidly.
So instead of splurging, he turned directly toward Tenten's house.
He had the Hokage's support now — and he wouldn't miss out on Tenten's, either.