A powerful ninja only needs to gently flutter their wings to create a disaster that ordinary people cannot survive.
Hyūga Shinichi, brought by Hyūga Hiashi to the Hokage Tower this morning, passed through a street that had suffered damage the previous night. A somber atmosphere permeated the air. The usual hustle and bustle were gone.
In some corners of the street, dried dark red bloodstains could still be seen. Some shops along the street hung up "Temporarily Closed" signs. Shop owners who usually greeted Hyūga Hiashi warmly now had exhausted and numb looks on their faces, their listless eyes deeply unsettling to see.
"..."
Hyūga Shinichi could clearly sense an atmosphere of grief enveloping him. The entire way to the Hokage Tower with Hiashi, Shinichi kept his head slightly lowered, walking in silence.
"Everything you see today is but a small scene compared to the past few years."
"The world of ninjas is this cruel."
"It is precisely because of this that families exist, and that the Village exists."
"Shinichi, only when you become strong enough, only when the family is strong enough, and the Village is strong enough, can you protect those you truly care about."
"For the Hyūga, strive to become stronger, Shinichi."
Perhaps sensing Shinichi's emotions, Hiashi stopped after they passed through the damaged streets. He looked back at the street they had just traversed, gently stroking Shinichi's head as if to soothe his son's feelings.
"I understand, Father."
Shinichi nodded silently. He naturally knew the cruelty of the ninja world, but seeing this cruelty truly unfold before him still touched his heart.
Hiashi nodded quietly, and then the father and son resumed their walk toward the Hokage Tower without further words.
...
The Village was in a state of turmoil, having just suffered the Nine-Tails' attack last night.
The Fourth Hokage, after settling his wife and child, immediately returned to his post, working through the night to arrange rescue and disaster relief missions for the ninjas. By this morning, the evacuation and rescue of civilians were mostly complete, and reports of losses from various units had been submitted to the Fourth Hokage.
When Hyūga Hiashi brought Shinichi to the Hokage's office, Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Hiruzen were meeting with Uchiha Fugaku. Also present were Konoha's Council Elders—Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzō—who, having also been concerned about the chaos that erupted last night, had arrived early to question the Fourth Hokage. Not only the Konoha Council but also prominent ninjas in the Village were summoned to the office. Sarutobi Hiruzen's eldest son, the Anbu Captain, the head of the Nara Clan's Jōnin ranks, and others were all present.
Namikaze Minato had already grasped the specific situation of the enemy and shared the intelligence with Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, with such a huge incident and the Nine-Tails causing such severe consequences in the Village, someone inevitably had to take the blame. And that person, without question, was the Uchiha Clan!
"Uchiha Obito is a member of the Uchiha Clan, and the pursuit of this traitor will be left to the Uchiha Clan!"
"Fugaku, you are the Clan Head. Given what happened last night, you should understand why I prevented your clan from joining the battle!"
Inside the office, Danzō's voice drowned out everyone else as he publicly questioned Uchiha Fugaku. It seemed the two had confronted each other when the chaos broke out yesterday. It appeared Danzō and his Root had no time to join the fight against the Nine-Tails but found the time to restrict and supervise the Uchiha Clan.
"Knock, knock—"
A guard ninja's knock interrupted the tense atmosphere in the room. After Minato gave permission, the door opened, and Hyūga Hiashi entered the office with Shinichi. After bowing to the two Hokage, Hiashi did not rush to state his purpose. Instead, he led Shinichi to the side, clearly having no intention of vying for the "protagonist" spot against Fugaku.
Everyone present briefly glanced at Hiashi entering the office, then directed their attention back to Uchiha Fugaku.
The Sharingan in the eyes of the Nine-Tails, which wrought havoc in Konoha, had fundamentally changed every ninja's perception of the Uchiha Clan.
The feud between Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage, Hashirama, was too distant. In the current era, most ninjas knew little of the Uchiha Clan's great power. Even many young ninjas believed the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was the true "God of Shinobi," the strongest ninja since Konoha's founding, and lacked a clear understanding of the past powerhouses.
But after last night's disaster, they realized that the Uchiha Clan possessed the power to control a Tailed Beast. This knowledge shifted from a theoretical "we know it's a thing" to a reality exposed to everyone. This made people fear the Uchiha's power and simultaneously become wary of the Uchiha Clan. Initially, we're all roughly on the same level; you, Uchiha, are a bit stronger, but still limited. But now, the Uchiha could suddenly "flip the table," prompting the other clans to question how they should interact with the Uchiha. This created a problem.
As Danzō questioned Fugaku, he secretly pondered how to neutralize the threat posed by the Uchiha. The delicate balance among Konoha's internal factions was fragile, and the Uchiha's sudden "increase in power" filled Danzō with an urgent sense of impending doom.
"The Uchiha Clan will thoroughly investigate the matter concerning Uchiha Obito."
"We will naturally take responsibility for the mission to arrest the rogue ninja!"
"However... there are things I must make clear."
"The Uchiha Clan was truly unaware of Uchiha Obito's activities, and we did not foresee his actions."
"What happened last night has absolutely nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan."
"Danzō-sama, please do not judge the Uchiha with prejudice because of that incident!"
Fugaku had come early this morning not only to face the expected scrutiny but also to explain the Uchiha's position to Konoha's high command.
Obito's actions were akin to getting one's pants dirty with mud; whether it was fecal matter or not, it was still considered filth by others. Due to the Military Police Force's special status, the Uchiha already had poor public relations in the Village.
Allowing this incident to fester would only make the situation for the Uchiha clan members more difficult. The voices of dissatisfaction within the clan had already surfaced and were growing stronger over the years. Fugaku felt like he was sitting on a volcano that could erupt at any moment, and everything he did was cautious, walking on thin ice.
Danzō was unmoved by Fugaku's explanation, his face remaining deeply grim. Fugaku, seeing that Danzō wasn't listening, could only look toward Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, seeing the latter's contemplative expression, Fugaku's heart sank.
"Fugaku, the Uchiha are members of the Konoha family, and we certainly understand that."
"Rest assured, the Obito incident will absolutely not affect the Uchiha."
"I guarantee it!"
In contrast to the Third Hokage's silence, Namikaze Minato's words made Fugaku's eyes light up.
"Fourth Hokage...."
Watching Minato's gentle smile, Fugaku felt a sense of immense relief.
There is still someone who trusts the Uchiha!
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