The morning sunlight bathed the streets of Konoha. The air didn't carry the scent of dust typical of reconstruction; instead, after a light rain last night, it held the refreshing coolness of early summer.
Except for the Fourth Hokage's 'head' on the distant Hokage Rock—which was half-shattered and currently being repaired behind scaffolding—the entire village looked no different than usual.
However, beneath this tranquility, dark undercurrents were surging, thicker and stickier than even during wartime.
In front of a dango shop on the commercial street, a noisy argument shattered the silence of the morning.
"Ow! They're hitting people! The Uchiha lords are committing assault in broad daylight!"
A man reeking of alcohol slumped on the ground, clutching his knee and wailing loudly.
He didn't actually have any injuries, but that didn't stop him from putting on a tearful performance, his eyes occasionally darting toward the growing crowd.
Standing before him were three Uchiha clansmen in deep blue Police Force uniforms.
The leader, Uchiha Yashiro, had an ashen face, his hand gripping his sword hilt so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Scoundrel Lai, stop your slander!" Yashiro gritted his teeth, his voice suppressed with rage. "You're the one who suddenly rushed out and bumped into us! We didn't even touch you!"
"Didn't touch me? Then why did I fall?" Lai San rolled around on the ground, pointing at the distant Hokage Rock being repaired, his voice booming. "Everyone, come and see! This is our Konoha Police Force! That night, someone invaded the village and even blew up the Hokage's statue, yet these high-paid Uchiha couldn't catch a single person! Now, because they can't catch the enemy, they're taking their anger out on us civilians!"
These words were like a stone cast into a still pond, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples.
The villagers, who were originally just watching the spectacle, saw their gazes shift subtly.
"It's true... the explosions that night were terrifying. I thought another war was starting." In the crowd, a thin man in a hood lowered his voice, muttering cynically, "The Police Force reacted so slowly. If that person hadn't blown up a statue but a residential area instead, would we even be standing here talking?"
"I heard the attacker had a Sharingan..."
"For real? Could the Uchiha be playing both sides?"
"Shh! Don't talk nonsense. Didn't the Hokage debunk those rumors?"
"Debunk them? Ha, who knows if he's just trying to appease the public..."
The whispers buzzed like flies. Although there weren't the tragic casualties of the Nine-Tails Incident to cause direct pain, these 'traitor' rumors were far more effective at triggering the most primal suspicions in people's hearts.
A young clansman behind Yashiro couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward and roared, "What are you all talking about! We received the high-alert order that night too! If we hadn't guarded all the entrances, the enemy might have..."
"Shut up!" Yashiro snapped, extending a hand to stop his clansman, though his trembling shoulders betrayed his inner frustration.
Seeing this, a glint of triumph flashed in Lai San's eyes. He suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Yashiro's leg, and screamed, "Look! They're getting nervous! I hit the mark! These red-eyed freaks are planning a coup! They want to kill the Hokage!"
*Clang!*
Yashiro reached his limit. His long blade cleared its scabbard by half an inch, a cold light flashing.
"You're asking for death!"
"Stop!"
A golden flash cut into the center of the crowd without warning, appearing instantly between Yashiro and Lai San.
The wind pressure from the sudden arrival made everyone's clothes flutter.
When the wind settled, a figure wearing the Fourth Hokage cloak stood like a mountain at the front line of the conflict.
Minato Namikaze.
He held one hand against Yashiro's sword hilt.
"Lord Hokage!" Yashiro's pupils shrank as he recognized the newcomer. The rage in his eyes instantly turned into a sense of grievance. "He's slandering us..."
"I know." Minato's voice was calm, yet it carried an indisputable authority.
He turned around, looking down at the scoundrel on the ground.
Lai San clearly hadn't expected the Hokage to arrive so quickly. After a brief freeze, he immediately put on a mournful face and scrambled to grab Minato's leg.
"Lord Hokage! You have to help us! These Uchiha..."
Minato stepped slightly to the side, avoiding the man's filthy hands.
His deep blue eyes stared coldly at the man, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce right through his soul.
"Lai San, lives in the West District, a gambler," Minato said flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. "If I recall correctly, your leg was broken three days ago because you were caught cheating, not because you were bumped into today."
Lai San's face froze, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
"Furthermore," Minato pointed to the hooded man who had been stirring up the crowd earlier, "that's your debt collector, isn't it? How curious that a creditor and a debtor are coordinating so perfectly today?"
The crowd broke into an uproar. Seeing things go south, the hooded man lowered his hat and tried to slip into an alley, only to be pinned down by two Anbu who appeared out of nowhere.
"Take them away," Minato commanded.
The Anbu moved swiftly, dragging both Lai San and the hooded man off.
The farce seemed to have been resolved with decisive efficiency.
Uchiha Yashiro breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes showing a touch of gratitude toward Minato.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage..."
However, Minato did not offer his usual warm smile.
He scanned the area, looking at the villagers who hadn't dispersed despite the truth being revealed.
Doubt still lingered in their eyes.
"Lord Hokage!"
An older woman in the crowd suddenly shouted, "That scoundrel might be lying, but the questions in our hearts are real! Bombing the Hokage Rock is a declaration of war against the village! Why did the attacker have the Sharingan? Why couldn't the Police Force stop him? You always tell us to trust the Uchiha, but what if the next thing blown up isn't a rock, but us?"
"That's right! Lord Hokage, you can't harbor a hidden danger just because you're merciful!"
Questions and accusations rose one after another.
Minato stood there, looking at the villagers he fought so hard to protect.
Although the Nine-Tails hadn't been released and no massive loss of life had occurred, fear was not something that required a pile of corpses to grow.
As long as there was even a tiny crack of insecurity, rumors would spread like poisonous weeds.
The root of the opponent's scheme lay in the Uchiha's long-standing reputation and behavior.
If he told the truth—that it was Obito, a plot by Uchiha Madara—the Uchiha clan might be cleared of suspicion, but Konoha would face even greater upheaval. Kakashi would break down, and Obito would be backed into a corner.
He chose to hide the truth, and so he had to bear this misunderstanding.
"The village will give everyone an explanation regarding this matter."
Minato took a deep breath, his voice amplified by chakra to reach the entire street. "But until the investigation results are out, I do not want to see anyone turn their spear against their own comrades. The Uchiha clan is part of Konoha. That night, if they hadn't quickly sealed off the surrounding areas, the enemy might have caused even more damage."
Having said that, he turned to Yashiro and whispered, "Take your team back. For the next few days, reduce patrol frequency and avoid crowded areas."
Yashiro opened his mouth to speak, but looking at Minato's slightly lonely back, he ultimately said nothing. He gritted his teeth and waved his hand. "Withdraw!"
Minato used the Flying Thunder God and vanished under the weight of many complicated gazes.
On a roof across the street.
Shikaku Nara had his hands in his pockets, an unlit cigarette in his mouth, his brow furrowed deeply.
"What a masterful play..." Beside him, Choza Akimichi stuffed a skewer of grilled meat into his mouth, grease splattering. "No one died, but this soul-crushing tactic is incredibly smooth. That fellow Danzo wants to roast the Uchiha over an open fire."
"Using the villagers' fear of the unknown." Shikaku sighed. "Destroying the Hokage Rock carries more symbolic weight than actual damage. Danzo is hinting to the villagers: this was a warning, next time it will be a massacre, and the traitor is right beside you. Once this seed of distrust is sown, no matter what Lord Minato does, his stance will be questioned."
"What should be done then?" Inoichi Yamanaka joined them, his expression grim. "If he punishes the Uchiha severely, he'll drive them to revolt. If he protects them, the Hokage will lose the people's support."
"Lord Minato's foundation is still too shallow." Shikaku shook his head. "Danzo is counting on exactly that."
"Perhaps we could..."
...
The Hokage's Office.
Minato leaned back in his chair, exhausted, his Hokage cloak tossed aside.
Sunlight streamed through the window, but it couldn't brighten the gloom in his eyes.
"What? Already losing steam?"
A purple toad hopped onto the desk and unceremoniously patted Minato's hand with its webbed foot.
Gamakon curled his lip, his toad eyes full of mockery. "Weren't you quite the hero on the street just now? 'I do not want to see anyone turn their spear against their comrades,' tsk, tsk, that line almost moved me to tears."
Minato gave a bitter smile and rubbed his temples. "Mr. Gamakon, please don't tease me. You saw the situation. Even without casualties, this trust crisis Danzo manufactured is more troublesome than the Nine-Tails."
"No kidding. Danzo is playing politics while you're playing house. How could it be the same?"
Gamakon rolled his eyes and sat cross-legged on a pile of documents. "You think people will be grateful because no one died? Naive! So naive!"
"It's precisely because no one died that people have the leisure to be suspicious and afraid." Gamakon held up a finger and wagged it. "Blowing up the Hokage Rock is a slap in the face; it's an insult. Danzo gave them a perfect explanation—the Uchiha want to revolt, and there's a traitor. The logic is seamless. It explains the Police Force's dereliction of duty and feeds the public's curiosity and fear of the Sharingan."
"And you, the Fourth Hokage, not only fail to help them root out the traitor, but you stand in front of the suspects. Tell me, who else would they suspect but you?"
Minato fell silent. He knew Gamakon was right.
"Directly moving against Root would indeed trigger a civil war, but sitting and waiting for death has never been my style." Minato stood by the window, his back to Gamakon. His voice was calm but carried a trace of coldness. "Since Danzo wants to use public opinion to set the Uchiha on fire, I'll let him get burned by his own flames."
Gamakon raised an eyebrow, a flash of surprise and admiration in his eyes. "Oh? It seems our Lord Hokage already has a plan?"
"He used a bottom-tier thug like Lai San to create chaos. It looks clever, but it leaves a massive flaw." Minato turned around, his eyes sharp as blades. "Lai San is just an abandoned pawn, but the hand behind him has reached too far. The Barrier Corps had absolutely no reaction when the Hokage Rock was bombed that night; that in itself is the biggest red flag."
"You want to start with the Barrier Corps?" Gamakon leaned against the desk, interested.
"No, those are conventional means; they won't yield results." Minato shook his head, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth. "I'm going to use unconventional methods. Master Jiraiya happens to be in the village. As a best-selling author, his control over public opinion is second to none."
"I want to ask Master Jiraiya to spread some rumors among the people—that the attack on the Hokage Rock happened because someone tampered with the barrier, and someone is trying to cover up the truth by framing the Uchiha to seize control of the Police Force."
"Gwahaha!" Gamakon couldn't help but laugh out loud, his wide mouth stretching. "Using a conspiracy theory against a traitor theory. That's ruthless. I didn't expect the usually sunny and upright Yellow Flash to be so calculating in psychological warfare."
"For the sake of the village, sometimes one must resort to certain means." Minato's expression remained unchanged as he continued. "As for that Lai San... I'm going to release him."
"Release him?" Gamakon's eyes lit up, seemingly guessing Minato's intent. "You mean..."
"A public release, announced with great fanfare, stating that since he is a first-time offender who was misled, the Hokage is being merciful and will not pursue charges." Minato walked to the desk, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. "Danzo is suspicious by nature. A man who failed his mission but was released by me with leniency and unharmed—in Danzo's eyes, that man is a ticking time bomb."
"Because of that suspicion, Danzo will definitely want to eliminate this threat." Gamakon took over the thought, his smile becoming increasingly wicked. "And you've already set the stage for a perfect sting operation."
"Exactly." Minato nodded. "I'll have Kakashi change clothes and follow him in secret. Once Root moves to silence him, we'll catch them in the act in front of everyone. Then, the villagers will see for themselves who is truly uneasy and who is murdering their own comrades."
Gamakon stretched and sighed, "Combining sowing discord with luring the snake out of its hole. Beautifully played. Minato, you're looking more and more like a mature Hokage. As long as your heart is clean, it's fine if your methods are a little dirty."
"That's something you taught me, Mr. Gamakon." Minato smiled faintly, picking up the Hokage hat from the desk and placing it calmly on his head.
The shadow covered half of his face, leaving only his icy blue eyes visible—eyes no longer filled with confusion, but only the authority and decisiveness of a Kage.
"Someone, come."
An Anbu immediately knelt before him.
"Go invite Master Jiraiya. Also, summon Kakashi Hatake."
"Yes, sir!"