The moment the council meeting convened, the head of Root, Shimura Danzō, immediately launched an attack—his sights locked on the Hokage's seat.
Yet he wasn't entirely delusional. He knew full well that he couldn't become Hokage at this moment, so he pushed forward his ally, Orochimaru. But the instant Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth, Danzō's initial confidence shattered into dust.
"Now is not the time to be arguing about this! Our first priority is to determine who caused this catastrophe…"
"The enemy not only unleashed the Nine-Tails—they also murdered the Fourth Hokage and his wife. That is unforgivable!"
Hiruzen took a slow pull from his pipe. After a brief hesitation, he didn't answer Danzō directly. Instead, he spoke with iron resolve: they must avenge the Fourth Hokage.
"That's right! Revenge…"
"We must find them!"
"Vengeance for the Fourth Hokage must be carried out!"
"I'll kill whoever did this!"
Everyone present was stirred by Hiruzen's words. Their respect for the Third Hokage swelled even further.
Orochimaru, who had been quietly waiting on the side with faint anticipation, let a thin, bitter smile tug at the corner of his lips—one that soon twisted into a cold sneer.
Was he mocking himself?
Or everyone else?
But in the next breath, he returned to his usual icy composure—more frigid than ever. Anyone who looked at him felt a chill crawl up their spine.
No—he wasn't just cold.He was colder than before.
Hiruzen might not have realized it, but that brief hesitation wounded his disciple's pride deeply.
Again and again.Another crack in their already fractured master-disciple bond.
"The Sharingan we saw in the Nine-Tails' eyes explains everything! It was under control…"
"So this has to be the work of the Uchiha clan."
Danzō recognized the direction his old friend was steering the conversation, and instantly understood. Still, as long as the target was the Uchiha, he didn't mind stepping into the trap.
When it came to dealing with the Uchiha, Danzō was a consummate professional.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"That was the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Our Uchiha clan does not have such eyes right now! Don't you dare frame us!"
Uchiha Fugaku shot to his feet, voice booming with anger.
The Uchiha absolutely could not bear this accusation; otherwise, they would become the village's laughingstock—objects of scorn and hatred.
Then who did it?
"Heh… if it wasn't the Uchiha, then who else could possess a Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Fugaku, who exactly are you trying to fool?"
"Tell us! Who among your clan has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"To control the Nine-Tails and commit such an atrocity—the desire to destroy Konoha never fades, does it?!"
"They deserve punishment!"
For once, Danzō put on a façade of righteous indignation. His words made Fugaku's face flush crimson. He didn't know how to answer.
Damn it! Who could it be?
Many present had seen the Mangekyō in the Nine-Tails' eyes with their own eyes. Now suspicious—and even hateful—gazes settled on Fugaku.
Exactly.
Uchiha. Sharingan.They were synonymous.
And Mangekyō Sharingan?What other clan could possibly possess it?
It had to be an Uchiha.
"Due to the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails, rebuilding the village is now our top priority."
"Let us now discuss how we will proceed…"
Hiruzen, a seasoned political tactician, knew this was not the time to move against the Uchiha. With a subtle shift, he redirected the conversation away from dangerous territory.
A gesture was enough.Konoha would eventually need a scapegoat—and the Uchiha were ideal. But it was too early to press them.
Fugaku, politically inexperienced, glanced at Hiruzen gratefully. Yet as discussions continued, his expression grew increasingly grim—until his face turned utterly pale.
They wanted to relocate the Uchiha Clan from the village center… to the outskirts.
The Konoha leadership was openly targeting them. It seemed the desire to eradicate the Uchiha had never died out.
But could he refuse?
Surrounded by eyes filled with suspicion and hatred, Fugaku's lips curled into a bitter smile. He shut his eyes in silent despair.
Better not to see.Better not to feel.
Standing beside him, Hyūga Hiashi watched this unfold. But instead of feeling satisfaction, he felt an unexpected heaviness—a fox mourning the death of a rabbit.
The Uchiha were a prestigious clan in Konoha, yet now they teetered on the brink of decline.Who would be next?
With Minato dead, it seemed the old guard of Konoha was ready to stir up trouble once more.
Why was disaster always drawn to this village?
"Good work."
"You've worked hard too."
Time flew. Two days passed. Haruno Shō continued working overtime.
His exceptional medical ninjutsu earned widespread praise. Combined with his precise chakra threads, he could resolve many difficult cases with only a simple operation.
Although his chakra reserves remained the one blemish on an otherwise brilliant record, the Konoha Hospital leadership nevertheless nominated him for Special Jōnin—a special appointment meant to replenish the massive losses in the Nine-Tails' attack.
Jōnin formed the backbone of a village's combat strength. Their numbers alone acted as deterrence. Maintaining a healthy jōnin population was essential.
Three days later, the village finally began to recover from the Nine-Tails' assault. Most of the wounded had already been treated, and the medical corps no longer needed to work around the clock.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you—!"
"Surprised, Danzō?!"
"Why… why couldn't you just stay dead?!"
"Danzō, I'm warning you—do not cross the line again. I am the Hokage."
"Hmph. You'll regret this…"
Like an old warhorse, Hiruzen effortlessly dismantled Danzō's schemes, reclaimed the position of Hokage, and used the situation to stabilize the village and elevate his authority.
One could only imagine the shadow cast over Danzō's heart.
During this period, most of the victims had been treated—but many lives had still been lost.
Shinobi and civilians alike.
The sudden surge in burials made the Konoha Cemetery a chilling sight…