Disaster, after all, passes with time. The Nine-Tails incident was no exception.
But that night, many families were broken and many lives were lost.
Even though several days had passed, they still couldn't forget that terrifying Nine-Tails. Before it, they were like ants, without the slightest power to resist.
Fathers, mothers, older brothers, older sisters, younger brothers, younger sisters, first loves, spouses...
All of it was destroyed by it!
During the day, their minds wandered. At night, they trembled in their dreams.
They hated it, yet they were filled with an uneasy dread, fearing its immense power. Their hearts were filled with desolation and a sense of helplessness.
Living had, at this moment, become a form of torture.
Some leaned against ruins, staring blankly. Some hid behind broken walls, weeping. Some stood in impoverished alleys, their eyes red with grief. Some knelt in leaky houses, filled with regret.
Sorrow enveloped Konoha, no one could muster even a sliver of a smile.
At this time, a rumor began to spread—The Uchiha's Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails.
The bewildered villagers felt as if they had finally spotted the enemy's silhouette through the fog.
"It's all the Uchiha's fault!"
"It must be an Uchiha conspiracy!"
"The Uchiha killed my parents!"
Some people felt a sense of relief by shifting all the blame onto the visible Uchiha clan, whom they felt they could provoke.
Others believed the rumor was unreliable and continued to hate the Nine-Tails.
But two years later, those who hated the Nine-Tails would hear another rumor—about a young boy who was the demon fox.
At that time, they would all find their redemption.
"Heh." Hiromi only wanted to laugh.
[Mission Name: You Think You Have It Worst?]
[Mission Content: Kill the Konoha Villagers!]
[Mission Rewards: Sage Body + Death Controlling Possessed Blood + Harem Jutsu]
Hiromi: "..."
—
The Hokage Building.
Many things happened on the Nine-Tails Night, the most important being that the Fourth Hokage Minato had died.
The retired Third Hokage Hiruzen had no choice but to step forward and continue to protect Konoha.
This was a time of great upheaval.
The appeasement of the disaster victims, the reason for the Nine-Tails' appearance, the arrangements for the Fourth Hokage's son, and so on... as well as the Uchiha clan's thoughts.
As it happened, an Uchiha was right in front of him.
"Shisui."
Shisui had just been thinking about Hiromi's missing parents.
Upon hearing Hiruzen's voice, he immediately snapped back to his senses, knelt on one knee, and lowered his head, saying, "Present."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly, making his expression look somewhat stern, but in the next second, he relaxed, looking like a kind old grandfather one might see anywhere.
"What's wrong? You seem distracted. Did something happen?"
Shisui breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a warmth in his heart. He had wanted to ask for several days, but seeing the village's condition, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Now that Hiruzen had asked, he could finally speak up.
"Hokage-sama, on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, Uchiha Kazuto and Uchiha Shizuka went to help, but they haven't returned. Has something happened?"
Shisui deeply respected Hiruzen because he could see that Hiruzen truly wanted to resolve the misunderstandings between the Uchiha clan and the village.
However, he didn't see Hiruzen's pupils suddenly constricting upon hearing this.
Hiruzen was greatly shocked.
Uchiha... someone is missing?
Did they defect? Or were they captured by spies?
"Shisui." Hiruzen's voice was very serious.
"Present." Shisui's head lowered even further in a firm gesture of obedience.
"You are a descendant of Kagami. As a bridge between the village and the Uchiha clan, do you understand the gravity of this matter?"
"I understand. Currently, I am the only one who knows. When clan members asked, I told them they had gone on a mission."
Hiruzen was satisfied with Shisui's answer. He gave an 'Mm' of approval and relaxed slightly, then asked, "Why do you think they disappeared?"
Upon hearing this, Shisui's pupils constricted.
Even Hiruzen didn't know their whereabouts?
Then the only possibility was that they had been killed or captured. Both possibilities shared one common outcome: they were unlikely to return alive.
Shisui thought of the three-month-old Hiromi, and his eyes couldn't help but darken.
He just opened his mouth when he heard the heavy thud of a cane hitting the floor from behind, followed by a cold declaration.
"They must have defected."
In the next second, Shisui saw a foot and a cane stop beside him.
He felt the person glance at him before saying, seemingly devoid of emotion, "As expected, the Uchiha clan is a clan of evil. To take advantage of the chaos of the Nine-Tails incident to defect. It seems the appearance of the Nine-Tails indeed has a great deal to do with the Uchiha clan."
The more Shisui heard, the more alarmed he became. If the High Command really thought this way, the Uchiha clan's situation would become even more unbearable.
He hurriedly spoke up, "That's not it. The appearance of the Nine-Tails has nothing to do with the Uchiha."
Danzo gave a mocking sneer, as if he had heard a childish joke, "Nothing to do with it? A Sharingan that can control Tailed Beasts, heh."
Turning his gaze to Hiruzen, he said, "Hiruzen, issue a wanted order."
Hiruzen, who had been silent, said calmly, "I believe in the Uchiha clan."
"Hokage-sama..." Shisui was deeply moved.
"Humph."
The cane in Danzo's hand struck the floor with a loud thud, as if to broadcast his anger.
Hiruzen glanced at Danzo and said calmly, "Shisui, you may leave now."
"Yes."
Shisui departed.
Only Hiruzen and Danzo remained in the Hokage Office.
Danzo said, "Hiruzen, this time it was the Nine-Tails. Next time, there's no telling what other tail it might be."
Hiruzen said, puffing on his pipe, "This incident happened because Kushina's seal was weakened during childbirth."
Danzo comtinued, "The Sharingan can control people's hearts."
Hiruzen replied, "They don't know who the new Jinchuriki is."
"Humph!" Danzo begrudgingly accepted this statement.
Then, as if notifying Hiruzen, he said, "That child will be raised by my Root."
"No." Hiruzen's reply was very decisive.
"Hiruzen! You..." Danzo stared at Hiruzen in disbelief.
"Go investigate the reason for the disappearance of Uchiha Kazuto and Uchiha Shizuka." Hiruzen said.
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
Disappearance... rather than missing?
It seems you suspect they defected as well, Hiruzen.
Danzo gave a soft "humph," seemingly in agreement, yet also as if expressing dissatisfaction before turning to leave.
Hiruzen watched silently, saying nothing.