(Bonus chapter for +500 power stones, enjoy ^-^)
Inside the Hokage's office, the air was thick with smoke.
Like the rest of Konoha's citizens, Sarutobi hadn't slept a wink that night.
Spread across his desk were nearly a hundred letters of gratitude from the Hidden Cloud Village.
Each one was more infuriating than the last.
But the worst of them all was the letter personally written by Yuzuru Uchiha—so venomously sarcastic that Hiruzen nearly died of rage upon reading it.
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"Dear Third Hokage, I hope you've been in good health lately.
After leaving Konoha, I finally came to understand something. The one person our Uchiha Clan should be most grateful to… is you.
To help us make up our minds about leaving, you used your ugly face to constantly oppress and isolate us. Truly, you went to great lengths for our sake.
Later, during the Nine-Tails' rampage, Konoha suffered heavy losses. Yet you still managed to gather ten billion ryō in reparations—just so we could live comfortably outside the village. I was truly moved to tears.
Not long after, for my own safety, you used public opinion to drive out Hatake Sakumo, granting me the protection of such a powerful bodyguard as the White Fang himself.
Then, when you saw that our Land of Lightning lacked funds for infrastructure, you nobly sent more of your people to die—again donating another ten billion ryō.
When we lived in Konoha, the Uchiha clan was deeply dissatisfied with you, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, but now that we have left the village, we have discovered your merits.
Please, take care of yourselves, and keep Konoha firmly in your control. If anyone dares to challenge your rule, remember this—
Uchiha Yuzuru will always be your most loyal supporter.
—with loyalty 'Rogue Ninja' Uchiha Yuzuru!"
The sheer level of mockery made Hiruzen's face flush as red as a monkey's.
He was overcome with regret.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have risked the entire village falling to the other great nations just to make sure the Uchiha Clan was erased from existence.
At that moment, the office door slammed open with a thunderous bang.
Hiruzen looked up to see Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado storming in.
"Danzō," Hiruzen frowned, "didn't I put you under house arrest?"
"House arrest?" Danzō snapped. "House arrest my ass! The whole village is spreading rumors that I'm the idiot who led four great villages into a failed alliance! They're demanding I kill myself to atone!"
He had originally planned to use the ninja alliance fiasco to boost his reputation and turn it into political leverage for the Hokage seat.
Well, he got his fame—infamy.
Now, with his name ruined, how could he ever become Hokage?
Koharu quickly joined in, "And me! Those letters accuse me of embezzlement and stealing Uchiha property—it's outrageous!"
She paused briefly, then added in a huff, "Completely slanderous!"
Homura followed up anxiously, "Hiruzen, we have to confiscate every one of those letters. We can't let them spread any further!"
Listening to their complaints, Hiruzen sighed. "It's too late. Those letters are everywhere now. The villagers read them the moment they fell. Even if we confiscate them, it won't change anything."
"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Danzō barked.
Hiruzen's gaze darkened as he looked at the three. "Someone has to take responsibility."
"Danzō, your reputation is already in ruins—you'll play the villain this time."
"What?!" Danzō's face twisted. "Hiruzen, do you have to dump every mess on me? The village is in chaos, and you're the Hokage! If anyone's to blame, it's you. Frankly, you should step down."
"Danzō," Hiruzen said in a measured tone, "I'm thinking of your future. Even if I resigned now, do you really think anyone would elect you Hokage with your current reputation?"
Danzō hesitated, his voice lowering. "Still… I'm not taking the blame for this."
"Then pay for it," Hiruzen said calmly. "The villagers' anger all boils down to empty pockets and empty bowls. If you give them enough money, you won't have to take the fall."
"No way." Danzō refused immediately.
He needed his funds—to recruit, to fuel his experiments. How could he waste them on villagers? That would cost a fortune!
"Then you'll take the blame," Hiruzen said simply.
Danzō scowled but said no more.
His Root division already had a child who'd awakened Wood Release. Success was close. His money couldn't be squandered now.
Let his name rot—once he gained enough power, the Hokage's seat would be his eventually.
Seeing Danzō fall silent, Hiruzen turned to Koharu and Homura. "We'll each pull some money from our clans. It'll calm the villagers and restore some goodwill."
"As long as the mountain stands, there'll always be firewood. Money can be earned again—but if the people turn on us, we're done."
Hearing his words, the two elders reluctantly nodded through tears.
To appease everyone, they'd have to bleed hard this time.
They cursed the Uchiha for this disaster—those cursed troublemakers.
And themselves, for not being ruthless enough when they had the chance.
Next time, they swore, they wouldn't make the same mistake. They'd erase the Uchiha name just as completely as the Senju's.
While they were discussing, an Anbu operative appeared in the office.
"Hokage-sama, the villagers have gathered outside. It won't be long before they surround the Hokage Building. Should we evacuate you, sir?"
The four turned toward the window.
Not far from the building, a massive crowd of villagers was already marching in their direction, filling the streets like a living wave.
——
"Third Hokage!" someone shouted from below. "Two wars, and every time the Third Raikage charges into battle himself—while you hide safely in the village! Why?!"
"Those wars took countless young lives, yet you four are untouched! We demand you explain to us what Will of Fire even means!"
"And what about the Uchiha Clan? Did they really leave because you oppressed them to the breaking point?!"
"And Hatake Sakumo—what truly happened to him? Why do those Cloud bastards claim you manipulated public opinion and made him the scapegoat?!"