Konoha Village.
The streets bustled with people, yet every face carried the same look of exhaustion.
Thinking back on the past year, it was hard to believe how much had happened.
First, the Uchiha Clan defected. Then came the rampage of the Nine-Tails.
Soon after, war broke out with the Hidden Cloud Village.
Not long following that, the ninja alliance formed by the daimyō of various nations also ended in failure.
After all this, both the ninjas and the civilians of Konoha were living in poverty.
Many spent their days struggling to make ends meet, barely able to afford a single proper meal.
No one had ever imagined Konoha would fall into such a miserable state.
Suddenly, a few spiraling vortexes appeared in the sky.
Moments later, countless objects began to fall from them.
The villagers' expressions turned to panic.
"Oh no, we're under attack!"
"It's explosive tags—everyone, run!"
"Help! I don't want to die!"
Chaos erupted as the people scattered in terror, clutching their heads and sprinting in every direction.
But soon, they realized something wasn't right.
The vortexes in the sky vanished, and the expected explosions never came.
Cautiously, people stepped back into the streets, only to see that what had fallen from the sky weren't explosive tags at all—but letters.
"Strange… what's going on?"
"No idea. Is the village putting on some kind of performance?"
"Wait—look! The envelopes say 'Letter of Gratitude.'"
Seeing that there was no danger, the villagers began to curiously pick them up.
Each envelope had the words "Letter of Gratitude" written boldly on the front.
Everyone looked at each other, utterly confused.
So much spectacle… just to deliver thank-you letters?
Even if someone wanted to thank them, did they really need to send this many?
That almost scared them to death!
Driven by curiosity, the villagers tore open the envelopes.
A second later, their faces turned red with fury.
Because every single letter had come from those bastards in the Hidden Cloud Village!
"Thank you, dear brothers of Konoha, for sending us the Uchiha Clan and powerful men like Hatake Sakumo. You're truly good people…"
"You probably don't know this, but our Cloud Village used to be dirt poor. Many couldn't even afford food. But ever since the Uchiha Clan came, we've had so many mission requests we can't even finish them all! Even after raising prices, clients still line up to hire us. In that sense, Konoha has been a real benefactor to us. Anyway, I'm off to eat some barbecue—eight meals a day now, and I'm stuffed every time, but what can I do? There's just too much money to spend!"
"Brothers of Konoha, now that we in the Cloud have defeated the Allied Ninja Forces, we're officially the strongest village in the ninja world. Guess what? You lost ten thousand men, and we didn't lose a single one! This glorious victory is all thanks to the Uchihas you looked down on. You know Yuzuru Uchiha, right? With a single swing, he killed thousands of your people. Hehehe…"
"Oh, and did you know the Uchiha had a ridiculous number of jutsu scrolls and training resources? Truly a noble clan. Our Cloud ninjas have all benefited greatly—our power has skyrocketed!"
"Also, the Land of Lightning is now booming with infrastructure—roads, bridges, houses… everything's being rebuilt beautifully! Don't worry though, we're not spending a single coin. Your war reparations cover it all perfectly."
"Thinking about it now, if you hadn't driven the Uchiha Clan away, how could we be living so well? Words can't express our gratitude. When we meet someday, we'll even bow to you. For now, this letter will have to do to express our deepest thanks from the Hidden Cloud Village."
"We must also extend special thanks to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane. If it weren't for their constant oppression of the Uchiha Clan and seizure of their assets, the Uchiha would never have left Konoha. And if they hadn't made Hatake Sakumo the scapegoat, the famed White Fang wouldn't have joined us either! Such great people truly deserve long lives. We hope they stay in power forever—because if they don't, we other villages will be the first to protest! Thanks again!"
"Almost forgot—my Uchiha brothers asked me to tell you that after leaving Konoha, they realized it never rains outside the village. Everyone treats them like treasures now, and they're living happily. So please don't worry."
"And one last question—now that all the people you hated have left the village, are you living happily?"
"…"
Reading those letters, the faces of Konoha's people turned crimson with a mix of rage and shame.
Many trembled so hard they nearly fainted.
Once, they had lived in abundance while Cloud's ninjas starved.
But now the roles had completely reversed—Konoha's citizens were starving while the Cloud was feasting on barbecue.
Two wars, countless comrades dead… yet Cloud suffered almost no losses.
Their missions overflowed, their country prospered—all with Konoha's reparations. That money had come from every family's desperate sacrifices!
And then they dared to wish Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane long lives—hoping they'd keep control of Konoha?
Who asked for your opinion on our Hokage elections?!
You just want those four to keep ruining our village, don't you?!
And at the end, you even have the nerve to ask if we're happy?!
How could we be happy, you bastards?!
If your people had died, your village gone hungry, your money stolen—you think you'd be smiling?!
Infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!
This was no different from getting insulted to their faces.
Life was already unbearable, and now they had to be mocked on top of it!
What sin had they committed to deserve this?
Yet no matter how angry they were, the villagers still couldn't resist opening more letters to see what else those Cloud ninjas had written.
And so, cursing as they read, many ended up staying awake the entire night.
Not because they weren't tired—but because humiliation wouldn't let them sleep.
When the sun rose again, the eyes of Konoha's villagers were bloodshot, almost glowing red like the Uchiha's Sharingan.
The cruelest kind of jealousy isn't seeing others live better—it's watching those you once looked down on walk away and find the life you always dreamed of, while yours only gets worse.
The streets of Konoha were still crowded, yet eerily silent.
After a long pause, a hoarse voice broke the silence.
"Do you think… if we apologized to the Uchiha and begged them to return, they'd come back?"
"Konoha was built by the Uchiha Clan. This is their true home!"
No one answered. The truth was plain for all to see.
Unless every Uchiha had lost their mind, they'd never return to Konoha.
Still, that question lingered in everyone's minds—
If the Uchiha had never left, would their lives have been as prosperous as those Cloud ninjas described?
The answer was obvious.
Before the Uchiha left, that was exactly the kind of life Konoha enjoyed—peaceful, stable, abundant.
Now, all the suffering Konoha faced was tied to their departure.
In that moment, the villagers finally felt it—an ache of regret so deep they realized what they had truly lost.
T/N: Please have a look at my new novel (Minecraft: Transmutation Tablet & Group Chat)