Half a month later.
As the New Year approached, the Hidden Cloud Village was lit up with lanterns and festive banners. Every villager's face shone with joy and celebration.
The war between the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Leaf Village had finally ended—with the Leaf's defeat and a massive indemnity payment.
The outcome shocked nearly everyone.
No one could have predicted that the Leaf—who had stood undefeated through the previous two Great Ninja Wars, conquering other villages with unmatched power—would lose in a one-on-one conflict against the Hidden Cloud.
The entire ninja world trembled.
Some marveled at the strength of the Cloud's shinobi, saying that even the Leaf's deep foundations couldn't withstand them.
Some mocked the Leaf for their shortsightedness—for handing over a clan as powerful as the Uchiha without hesitation.
Some regretted not offering greater benefits back then to win over the Uchiha themselves.
Yet despite differing opinions, one shared thought began to take root across the shinobi world—
The Uchiha had proven through action why they were known as the foremost noble clan in the ninja world.
The era of the Hidden Cloud Village… had arrived!
————
Hidden Cloud Village.
Raikage Tower.
The Third Raikage clapped Yuzuru Uchiha heartily on the shoulder and led him toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window.
"Yuzuru, look at the villagers outside—they're all cheering for your achievements!"
"You're the hero of our Hidden Cloud Village!"
Yuzuru replied calmly, "I only played a supporting role. When it comes to fighting on the front lines, I didn't kill nearly as many as your men did."
The Third Raikage shook his head, his tone serious. "You alone were worth a thousand troops. Without you, this war wouldn't have gone nearly so smoothly."
He wasn't flattering Yuzuru—just stating the truth.
With Yuzuru's aid, the Cloud had complete knowledge of the Leaf's troop distribution, trap locations, and attack-and-defense strategies.
It was as if they had fought with divine insight.
Through countless wars, never before had the Raikage experienced such an effortless victory.
Seeing Yuzuru remain unmoved, the Raikage continued, "The Leaf's reparations have arrived—ten billion ryō in total."
"The village will take five billion, and your Uchiha clan will take the other five. What do you say?"
"No problem," Yuzuru nodded.
Under his direction, few Uchiha clansmen had even taken part in the battle. To receive half of the indemnity was already more than satisfactory.
The Raikage looked at him curiously. "Yuzuru, you don't look as happy as I imagined."
Under normal circumstances, being cast out by the Leaf and then crushing them in turn should've been satisfying, shouldn't it?
Gazing out the window, Yuzuru spoke slowly. "My goals don't end here. Those who intend to win in the end don't wear smiles on their faces."
The Raikage blinked, his curiosity deepening. "Then why did you have us accept the Leaf's offer of reparations and ceasefire? Why not push all the way to the Leaf Village itself?"
Yuzuru shook his head. "This money is enough for us to develop in peace for a while. Pressing the attack would only backfire."
The Leaf's willingness to pay reparations had its reasons—Sand, Stone, and Mist were all watching hungrily from the sidelines, and the village itself had just suffered the chaos of the Nine-Tails' rampage. Its people only wanted peace.
But if pushed to the brink, the Leaf—and all the Land of Fire—would retaliate with everything they had.
Then, it wouldn't just be Orochimaru, Sakumo Hatake, and Jiraiya taking the field.
Tsunade might return to defend the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura would likely don their armor once again.
The great ninja clans would abandon any hesitation and fight to the death.
The Feudal Lord of Fire would ensure the village had full logistical support.
That was the true strength of the Leaf.
Even if the Cloud managed to win, the cost would be devastating.
And the Stone, Sand, and Mist would never let such an opportunity slip away.
All these factors had to be considered.
Thus—accepting reparations and a ceasefire was the best choice. His goals had already been achieved. It was time for the Uchiha clan to focus on growth—to rebuild and multiply.
————
Hidden Leaf Village.
The New Year should have been a joyful festival filled with laughter and lights.
But now, sorrow hung heavy over the village.
The streets were empty. White ribbons draped the houses and storefronts.
Only the taverns remained noisy.
Drowning their grief in alcohol had become the villagers' favorite form of escape.
Of course—only for those who could still afford to drink.
To pay the Cloud's ten billion ryō indemnity, Hiruzen Sarutobi had imposed a levy of ten thousand ryō on every household in the Leaf.
It didn't sound like much, but it was enough to drain two months of living expenses for many families.
The Uchiha's departure, the Nine-Tails' rampage, the war with the Cloud—months of chaos had stripped the Leaf of nearly all its economic strength.
If not for Orochimaru securing financial support from the Feudal Lord of Fire, many might have starved to death this winter.
A drunken shinobi slammed his cup onto the floor, shouting, "Why did the village end up like this? Wasn't the Leaf supposed to be the strongest hidden village?"
A burly, drunken civilian sneered. "Because of you useless ninja, that's why! We're out here rebuilding the village while you lot lose the war—and now we have to pay money to the enemy? Disgusting!"
"What did you just say?" A group of shinobi bristled in anger. "We risked our lives to protect this village, and you dare to insult us?"
"Am I wrong? If you can't beat the enemy, stop whining! Have you even tried to get stronger all these years?"
"Bastard! What do you know?!"
The man was punched to the floor by a ninja dressed in black. The shinobi's voice trembled with fury. "Those Cloud ninja weren't our match! If not for the Uchiha helping them control the Eight-Tails, we never would've lost so badly!"
"Yeah! And in that last battle, we were evenly matched until the Raikage himself charged in—what could we have done?"
"You complain about paying ten thousand ryō," another chunin shouted, eyes red. "My comrades and my wife all died on that battlefield! And now, not only do we get no compensation, we're forced to hand over money to pay the enemy who killed them!"
"Heh… he-he-he…"
Tears streamed down the ninja's face.
The tavern fell silent.
After a long moment, someone shouted, "If none of us are at fault, then whose fault is it?"
Everyone froze, frowning in thought.
Yes… who was to blame for what the village had become?