The news reached Konoha.
In the Hokage's office:
"That bastard Uchiha Makoto—what is going on in his head? Damn it, he's blown this completely out of proportion!"
Senju Tobirama raged helplessly at his desk. Makoto's move had caught him off guard and wrecked his plans.
He had intended to join hands with Akatsuki Village to pressure the Hidden Cloud. No matter what, Konoha was the strongest village in the ninja world. If its shinobi suffered inexplicable casualties on a mission, even if the goal was to keep the peace, they could not just let it slide. The Cloud would have to issue a public apology and pay a reasonable indemnity. Faced with simultaneous pressure from Konoha and Akatsuki, the Cloud would not dare escalate. The matter could then be minimized, kept among the upper echelons, and quietly closed.
As for the chūnin's family, paying ample compensation would keep things calm. Konoha was humane in that regard.
But Uchiha Makoto had used every resource at his disposal to make the matter public and then demanded terms no one could accept.
Thirty million ryō for a single chūnin, five million for each injured. Two squads, eight people, over a hundred million in total. It was extortion.
And forcing the Cloud shinobi involved to be tried in Akatsuki, with the Raikage himself required to kneel before the graves of the dead chūnin to confess. Even Tobirama went dark at the sight of those demands. How was that different from signing a defeat treaty outright?
Even Li Hongzhang wouldn't have dared sign something like this.
Tobirama could see it clearly now. Makoto never intended a peaceful resolution. He wanted a blowup. That naturally evil brat was a complete menace.
Things had slipped totally out of control.
What stung Tobirama most was that Akatsuki's public statement had firmly tied Konoha to them. Rumors across the ninja world had everyone convinced Akatsuki was Konoha's ironclad ally. Tobirama had half wanted to preen in his brother's glow; now he wished he could distance Konoha from Akatsuki entirely.
A clarification now would do nothing.
The Light Shadow came from the Uchiha, and had just forged a political marriage with the Uzumaki, blood allies of the Senju. Who would believe there was no connection between Akatsuki and Konoha?
You're obviously wearing the same pair of pants.
As Konoha's ally, would Akatsuki really issue a statement without consulting them first?
Who would buy that?
Akatsuki's stance was Konoha's stance.
"Tobirama, what is going on?"
"Everyone out there is talking about the clash with the Hidden Cloud, and the mood is furious. They're demanding justice. The atmosphere is frightening."
Uzumaki Mito hurried in and spoke to Tobirama.
"What exactly is Akatsuki trying to do?"
"Don't tell me they plan to start this war themselves."
Tobirama's head pounded. Mito had just sketched the state of Konoha's mood. With Akatsuki blasting the matter across the world, Konoha's anger now matched theirs. The village was united and indignant. If the Cloud dared say no, they would wait only for the high council to speak and then march with Akatsuki to punish the Cloud.
"Rise of the Shinobi Village and the Dignity of Shinobi!"
"The Wolf-Warrior Spirit and Its Importance to a Village!"
Those essays had not only flooded Akatsuki, they had spread rapidly through Konoha via New Ninja. For that, one had to thank Mito's wholehearted support. New Ninja had already been popular, but not to the point of daily, universal purchase. Once Mito created a special fund to deliver warmth along with free copies, it became a household staple.
The pieces were not just effective on Akatsuki's rank and file. They worked on Konoha's, too. Most shinobi think alike. Whether they join Konoha or Akatsuki, they want a strong backer behind them.
Now that Akatsuki had hoisted the banner, New Ninja's influence in Konoha rose another step. The shinobi were ecstatic. Since Konoha was Akatsuki's ally, the Light Shadow's attitude almost stood for Konoha's leadership. Who wouldn't want a leader like that?
So they thought.
Tobirama wanted to tear Uchiha Makoto limb from limb. The matter was no longer in his hands at all. Makoto had seized the tempo and was dragging Konoha along on a tide of public opinion.
Those so-called compensation terms were no different from defeat clauses. Any leader strong enough to found a great village had bathed in mountains of corpses. Faced with such garbage demands, they'd shred the paper and toss it in the trash without a glance.
Tobirama genuinely feared this would trigger a war. Konoha would not lose, but the war would be entirely avoidable.
And then a more terrifying thought struck him.
How had this spread so fast through Konoha? Was it really just New Ninja? Could a mere periodical have such power?
No. Impossible.
It couldn't be.
Had Uchiha Makoto planned this alone, or as part of a group? Had Konoha's Uchiha fanned the flames? What role were they playing?
Were those naturally evil Uchiha taking advantage of Makoto's momentum, secretly plotting with him to boost their influence in Konoha and then… gods, it was too horrible to contemplate.
War is the best chance to steal power.
If the Uchiha's influence suddenly surged, they would seize the moment to grasp more. They were already cofounders of Konoha.
What next?
Drape the Hokage's ceremonial robes over Madara's shoulders?
Terrifying. Truly terrifying.
Tobirama's mind spiraled through self-spun scenarios until even he scared himself.
Naturally evil Uchiha.
I will never let you succeed.
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