"Elder..."
Kohaku quietly stood beside the village gate while looking at the gathered leadership.
The Hokage.
The elders.
Several clan representatives.
And dozens of smiling officials.
His eyes slowly moved across their spotless robes.
Not a single stain.
Not a single tear.
Not even dust.
Then he looked toward the villagers gathered nearby.
Everyone was waiting for the shinobi returning from the war.
A faint smile appeared on Kohaku's face.
Whether it was amusement or annoyance was difficult to tell.
"Don't you think they're showing off a little too much?"
He muttered.
Setsuna quietly glanced toward him.
Then toward Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage currently stood at the front of the crowd with a warm smile on his face.
As if he had been standing there for hours waiting to welcome every returning shinobi personally.
Soon—
More villagers began gathering around the gate.
And seeing the opportunity, Hiruzen stepped forward.
"My fellow villagers"
His calm voice immediately attracted attention.
The crowd gradually became quiet.
Many villagers looked toward him with anticipation.
Hiruzen slowly smiled.
"This war has been difficult for everyone."
His eyes moved across the crowd.
"For the shinobi who fought on distant battlefields."
"For the families who waited for them to return."
"And for every person who continued supporting the village during these difficult years."
The villagers quietly listened.
Then Hiruzen's voice became slightly firmer.
"Our enemies believed that by attacking us from every direction..."
He paused briefly.
"...they could break Konoha."
The atmosphere became quieter.
"They believed that numbers alone would be enough."
A faint glint appeared in his eyes.
"But they forgot something important."
The villagers unconsciously leaned forward.
"Konoha was built upon trust."
"Upon unity."
"Upon loyalty to one another."
His voice echoed through the entrance.
"The other villages may have copied the structure of our village."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"They may have copied our systems."
Then he slowly shook his head.
"But trust is not something that can be copied."
The villagers immediately began nodding.
"It was built through the efforts of the First Hokage."
"The Second Hokage protected it."
"And it continues to live within every shinobi who carries the Will of Fire."
Applause slowly began spreading through the crowd.
Meanwhile—
Kohaku quietly watched from the side.
Then he looked toward Setsuna again.
"...See?"
A faint snort escaped from Kohaku's nose.
His eyes moved toward the cheering villagers.
"The war isn't even officially over yet..."
He shook his head.
"And they've already started acting as if they were the ones who ended it."
Setsuna quietly listened to Kohaku's words.
Then he looked toward Hiruzen, who was still speaking to the gathered villagers.
A trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.
"Hmph."
A cold snort escaped from his mouth.
"He's doing what he's always done best."
Kohaku glanced toward him.
But Setsuna didn't explain further.
He had lived long enough to understand Hiruzen's methods.
Victory.
Sacrifice.
Unity.
No matter the situation—
Hiruzen always knew how to place himself at the centre of the story.
Setsuna slowly turned around.
"Let's go."
His voice was calm.
The group of Uchiha behind him immediately followed.
They quietly moved toward the opposite side of the village entrance.
Away from the crowd.
Away from the cheering villagers.
And away from Hiruzen's speech.
At this moment—
Setsuna had no interest in listening to another lecture about the Will of Fire.
He had heard enough of those over the years already.
"Sister Tsunade, when is Minato going to arrive?"
Kushina asked once again.
Her voice already carried visible annoyance.
Tsunade's expression immediately darkened.
For the entire morning—
Kushina had been asking the same question repeatedly.
Again.
And again.
And again.
'Just why did that old man send Minato to recall the Cloud Border shinobi...?'
Tsunade gritted her teeth internally.
One week earlier—
Hiruzen had ordered Minato to travel personally and recall the remaining shinobi stationed along the Cloud border.
The war was already over.
The Five Kage peace talks had begun.
The border no longer required large-scale deployments.
And according to Hiruzen—
The shinobi who had spent years fighting on the frontlines deserved time to rest.
They needed to return home.
To their families.
To the people who had been waiting for them.
As the commander responsible for that battlefield—
Minato had been tasked with bringing them back safely.
Unfortunately—
That also meant Kushina had been forced to wait.
And everyone around her had suffered because of it.
Tsunade looked directly at Kushina.
Then suddenly—
She grabbed the hand Kushina was using to shake her shoulder.
Firmly.
Very firmly.
"He'll arrive soon."
Tsunade's voice sounded dangerously calm.
"So stop asking me the same question every five minutes."
A vein visibly twitched on her forehead.
The endless romance of young couples was already testing the limits of her patience.
Kushina immediately froze.
Then she slowly looked toward Tsunade.
And for a brief moment—
She shuddered slightly.
Because the smile currently on Tsunade's face...
looked more frightening than any enemy.
"I'll just wait."
Kushina immediately nodded her head.
"Don't worry."
A forced smile appeared on her face.
"Yes."
She nodded once more.
"I can wait."
For a brief moment—
The area became completely silent.
Tsunade quietly stared at her.
Kushina sat perfectly straight.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
Not asking any questions.
Five seconds passed.
Ten seconds.
Then—
"...Sister Tsunade."
Kushina carefully raised her hand.
Tsunade's eyelid twitched.
"What?"
Kushina hesitated for a moment.
"When you said he'll arrive soon..."
Her voice became smaller.
"...how soon?"
Crack.
A vein immediately appeared on Tsunade's forehead.
At this moment—
Toyoma quietly observed the surroundings.
The Hawk faction remained gathered around him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Uchiha gradually moved toward Fugaku's side.
No matter what had happened during the war—
Most Uchiha still chose to follow the Clan Head.
Not Uzuku.
Not Toyoma.
And certainly not the Hawk faction.
Uzuku quietly walked over.
"What should we do with the spoils?"
His voice was low.
Earlier—
Toyoma had allowed the Mist shinobi to leave.
But not before stripping them of almost everything they carried.
Weapons.
Equipment.
Money.
Supplies.
Jiraiya and Fugaku had both attempted to stop it.
Only for Toyoma to calmly reply:
"I'm simply taking compensation for my dead clansmen."
Then he had looked directly at them.
"And if either of you insists on interfering..."
His voice had turned colder.
"...then you're forcing my hand."
In the end—
Neither Jiraiya nor Fugaku had pressed the issue further.
Toyoma remained silent for a moment.
Then, finally, said,
"Give everything to the families of those who didn't come back."
Uzuku nodded quietly.
No further explanation was needed.
Then Toyoma's gaze shifted elsewhere.
Toward Fugaku and Jiraiya.
The two were speaking calmly now.
The earlier tension had already faded.
"Minato is an exceptional shinobi."
Fugaku's voice carried genuine admiration.
"A man others can entrust their lives to without hesitation."
Jiraiya smiled slightly.
"Minato has always been like that."
There was unmistakable pride in his eyes.
"His talent is remarkable, but what truly earns people's trust is his character."
Several Uchiha nearby quietly nodded.
One of them suddenly spoke.
"If Minato-sama becomes Hokage..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...perhaps the clan's relationship with the village will finally improve."
The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Fugaku immediately frowned.
"Don't say things like that."
His voice was calm, but firm.
"The Third Hokage has also done much for the village."
Then he glanced toward Jiraiya.
"And Elder Kagami was one of his comrades."
A brief silence followed.
Fugaku shook his head slightly.
"Many in the clan still carry resentment from old matters."
His expression became somewhat helpless.
"I'm still trying to mend that."
Jiraiya quietly listened.
He understood what Fugaku was doing.
Partly apologising.
Partly showing support.
Partly distancing himself from the growing dissatisfaction inside the clan.
Whether that would work or not—
Even Jiraiya wasn't sure.
Then his gaze slowly moved elsewhere.
Toward the group gathered around Toyoma and Uzuku.
The Hawk faction.
Watching.
Silent.
Separate.
For a brief moment—
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.
'Uchiha... really do have different voices.'
For the first time—
He realised the clan standing before him was no longer moving as a single group.
Far away from the returning shinobi column—
A lone figure silently watched from the top of a cliff.
The orange spiral mask hid his expression completely.
Only a single eye remained visible through the opening.
His gaze stayed fixed on one person.
Uchiha Toyoma.
The wind quietly passed through the forest below.
Then suddenly—
A dark figure emerged from the ground beside him.
Black Zetsu.
"Obito..."
His hoarse voice echoed softly.
"That boy may become a problem for our plans."
Obito remained silent.
His gaze never left the distant group.
Black Zetsu continued,
"His space-time technique is far too troublesome."
A trace of seriousness appeared in his voice.
"Its unpredictability may make it more troublesome than Flying Thunder God."
For a brief moment—
Even Obito's visible eye narrowed slightly.
Because he understood exactly what Zetsu meant.
Toyoma did not require markers.
Nor did he need preparation.
As long as something remained within his sight—
He could instantly move it elsewhere.
People.
Weapons.
Supplies.
Even entire groups.
The unpredictability alone made the technique dangerous.
"What's worse..."
Black Zetsu's gaze settled on Toyoma's figure.
"...nobody fully understands the limits of his ability."
The forest became quiet again.
Not even the Uchiha themselves seemed capable of understanding Toyoma completely.
His methods.
His decisions.
His goals.
Everything about him felt unusual.
Then Black Zetsu slowly added,
"Targeting him now would be a mistake."
Obito finally spoke.
"I know."
His voice remained calm.
But his thoughts drifted toward everything Toyoma had done during the war.
The Mist battlefield.
The prisoners.
The Hawk faction.
The constant conflicts with both Konoha and his own clan.
A normal person would have cared about reputation.
Power.
Recognition.
Political influence.
Yet Toyoma seemed indifferent to all of it.
The only people he consistently protected were the Hawk members.
Nothing else appeared capable of changing his priorities.
For someone like that—
Predicting his next move was difficult.
And unpredictable people were always the most dangerous.
Obito quietly watched the distant figure one last time.
Then slowly turned away.
"Leave him alone for now."
His voice remained cold.
"Until we understand him better."
Beside him—
Black Zetsu silently nodded.
For the first time—
There was an Uchiha neither of them wished to approach carelessly.
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