(For every 100 power stone bonus chapter, enjoy ^^)
The furious villagers of Konoha surrounded the Hokage Building on all sides.
The letters of gratitude from the Hidden Cloud Village had exposed the truth of the war between the Cloud and the Allied Ninja Forces.
Now the people's resentment toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others had grown even stronger.
The Third Raikage had led his village's elite personally into a battle against ten thousand enemies, fighting to the death to protect his people. Meanwhile, their own Third Hokage had stayed comfortably within the village, never once stepping onto the battlefield.
The four thousand Konoha shinobi sent to fight had been almost completely wiped out. Even Orochimaru had lost an arm. Yet the Supreme Commander, Danzō Shimura, had returned home without a scratch.
They constantly chanted slogans like, "Where the leaves dance, the fire burns bright. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village, and allow new leaves to bud," but the reality was that the new generation was constantly withering while the old generation of ninja lived perfectly fine.
Who was really protecting whom?
Faced with the angry crowd, Hiruzen Sarutobi was forced to step onto the rooftop of the Hokage Building.
After so many years in power, he understood all too well the force of public opinion.
If he couldn't calm their fury today, things would spiral out of control—and his position as Hokage would be in danger.
"Everyone, please calm down first. You can tell me any of your demands. As the Hokage, I will not shirk my responsibilities."
The villagers quieted for a brief moment at the sound of his voice.
Immediately after, someone shouted loudly, "Third Hokage, did Hatake Sakumo defect from the village because he was unhappy that you made him a scapegoat?"
"And what about the Uchiha Clan? You and those three advisors have been seizing their assets, haven't you?"
"Why didn't you go to the battlefield yourself? Aren't you supposed to be the strongest Hokage?!"
As the questions flew, Hiruzen raised both hands to calm the crowd. When silence finally returned, he spoke solemnly.
"I was deeply saddened by what happened with Sakumo. However, the Uchiha Clan's betrayal had long shown signs. As head of the Anbu, Sakumo failed to report any of it to me, which left the village completely unprepared."
"In the recent war with the Hidden Cloud, Sakumo mercilessly killed his own comrades. It's clear now that he had already conspired with the Uchiha. The reason he didn't flee the village with them was likely to stay behind and act as their informant."
"This was my fault as Hokage. Had I realized Sakumo's ambitions sooner, I would never have let him go unpunished!"
Hiruzen stood tall, publicly condemning Sakumo and pinning on him the crime of treason.
Then, he continued, "As for the Uchiha Clan…"
"They were always rebellious and arrogant—doing whatever they pleased while enjoying privileges that kept them from dangerous missions. They flaunted their power within the village… I'm sure everyone here has seen it yourselves."
"And as for this rumor that we seized their assets—nonsense! It's nothing but a ploy from the Hidden Cloud to sow division among us."
He let out a heavy sigh. "As for our defeat in war… believe me, my heart aches more than anyone's."
"The ones who died were all children I watched grow up!"
"To give everyone closure…" He lifted a hand. Two Anbu agents stepped forward, dragging a restrained Danzō Shimura into view. "This man is my long-time comrade and a village advisor."
"Today, he will die to atone for our losses."
Danzō looked up, completely stunned.
Are you kidding me, old man?
You didn't say I had to actually die when you dumped the blame on me!
Before he could protest, one of the Anbu raised his blade—and with a single swing, Danzō's head was severed cleanly.
Hiruzen turned back to the crowd, his tone grave yet composed. "Advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado have also agreed to offer funds and food from their clans to compensate everyone's losses."
"The village will do everything it can to help you through these hard times."
"I swear to you—I will not let anyone in Konoha live worse than they did before the Uchiha's defection!"
His voice was firm and confident.
After all, with the Fire Daimyō now dead, the entire Land of Fire was in his hands.
With the nation's resources behind him, restoring Konoha to comfortable living standards would be no difficult feat.
As for the rest of the country—well, they would just have to endure for now.
Hearing Hiruzen's promises, the anger faded from the villagers' faces, replaced by visible relief.
They no longer demanded the Uchiha's return, nor did they call for Hiruzen to step down.
Money and food—those were enough to quiet any rebellion.
When the crowd finally dispersed, Hiruzen exhaled softly.
Crisis averted.
He might have had to sacrifice a few benefits, but preserving his reputation and authority was well worth the cost.
Moments later, Danzō emerged from the shadows, glaring at Hiruzen resentfully. "Hiruzen, you just had me executed in public! How am I supposed to run for Hokage after this?"
Hiruzen waved him off calmly. "We'll give you a new identity later. No one will know."
Then his expression hardened, a flicker of cold killing intent in his eyes. "Yuzuru Uchiha… someday you'll lose your sight. I'll be waiting."
——
——
Far away, Yuzuru Uchiha stood atop Tobirama Senju's face on the Hokage Rock, stretching lazily with a smirk.
Everything was proceeding just as he expected.
But patience was key—the real show was only beginning.
He would make those ungrateful Konoha villagers repent in despair. And he would see Hiruzen, Danzō, and the rest of their ilk destroyed—abandoned by allies, stripped of honor, crushed by their own corruption.
He would reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to the Uchiha. The Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans would all meet the same fate the Uchiha once suffered in the original timeline—massacred to the last.
That day was not far away.
With a cold snort, Yuzuru activated Kamui and vanished.
——
——
Hidden Cloud Village.
As soon as Yuzuru returned, A led him straight to the Raikage's office.
Inside were the Third Raikage, Hatake Sakumo, Fugaku Uchiha, Mabuma, and Tōdai.
When Yuzuru entered, their eyes lit up with curiosity.
"So, Yuzuru," the Raikage asked, "how did those letters work out? What kind of faces did those Konoha fools make after reading them?"
Seeing their eager expressions, Yuzuru chuckled and told them everything—how the villagers had raged and despaired in humiliation.
When he finished, everyone in the room burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Brilliant! That's exactly how you deal with vermin like them!"
"Watching them suffer and regret—it's better than killing them outright!"
"I wonder if Hiruzen will finally step onto the battlefield next time. I've always wanted to test this so-called strongest Hokage myself."
As their laughter echoed, Yuzuru waved dismissively. "Alright, Raikage, I doubt you called me here just to gossip."
The Third Raikage nodded, grinning. "You're right, Yuzuru. I actually have good news for you."
"Your request has been granted. The Hidden Sand Village has agreed to send us a Bloodline Limit ninja."