The chaotic night of the Nine-Tails tragedy had passed.
Konohagakure began to rapidly restore order in the wake of the disaster. However, the entire village was thick with a sense of grief, pain, and... hatred.
In this catastrophe, many civilians who failed to evacuate in time were killed. During the struggle to delay the Nine-Tails, a large number of shinobi had also fallen in battle. The Great War had not ended long ago, and people had just begun to hope for a new era of peace. This sudden tragedy made the sorrow and pain cut even deeper.
Uchiha Fugaku had been busy all night. It was only at noon that he finally stepped out of the Military Police Force headquarters. He was worried about his family. Last night, even his wife, Mikoto, who had already retired from active duty, had come out to help. Since the Uchiha compound was located on the outskirts of the village, they didn't need to fight for space in the shelters. Only his eldest son, Itachi, and his newborn son, Sasuke, had been home.
Even though he had received word that both sons were safe, Fugaku remained uneasy.
As he walked home, Fugaku's heart grew heavier. He noticed that many people on the street looked at him with glares of resentment and loathing, even if they didn't dare meet his eyes directly.
The Sharingan... Who was it last night? Fugaku thought helplessly.
He knew exactly where this resentment came from. Everyone had seen it last night: that damned Nine-Tails possessed a pair of Sharingan. This implied it was being controlled by someone from the Uchiha. Yet Fugaku could say with absolute certainty that this had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan. As the Clan Head, he had never planned such an event. It went entirely against his goals and philosophy.
In fact, to put it bluntly: if this had truly been an Uchiha plot, he would be standing as the Hokage-slayer today.
Many experienced shinobi in the village understood this as well. It was logistically impossible for the clan to have orchestrated it. But the problem remained: the Sharingan was a burden only the Uchiha could carry. Even if they didn't do it, they were the only ones who could be blamed.
As Fugaku was lost in thought, an Anbu operative appeared before him with a flicker. Fugaku stopped and looked at the shinobi.
"Fugaku-sama," the Anbu said in a low voice. "The Third Hokage requests your immediate presence at the Hokage's office for a meeting."
Fugaku's expression softened slightly. "I understand."
From those few words, he gleaned some vital information. At the very least, the village leadership didn't truly view them as the culprits. The Third Hokage calling him to the office meant they weren't being completely ostracized. Furthermore, the word "meeting" implied that he wasn't the only one summoned, further proving that Hiruzen wasn't targeting him specifically.
This lifted Fugaku's spirits slightly. The Anbu operative vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Might Guy were also intercepted by Anbu and told to gather at the office. Both had been waiting for this command. Even if no one had come, they would have sought out the Third Hokage themselves; they had seen Diarmuid last night and had a wealth of intelligence to report.
However, the primary task until now had been restoring order to the village, so they hadn't wanted to disturb the Hokage.
Kakashi's state today was abysmal. He looked like a hollow shell of himself. He had already learned the news: his Sensei, the young Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato... had sacrificed himself last night.
To Kakashi, this was a bolt from the blue. Over the last few years, Team Minato had been utterly dismantled. First, Obito died in battle; then, Rin died by his own hand. Now, even his Sensei was gone.
Kakashi's heart was filled with despair and suffocating pressure. Beside him, Might Guy opened his mouth several times to speak, but found himself unable to find the words.
Comfort Kakashi? Looking at Kakashi's back, Guy knew that any words of comfort right now would only make the pain worse. In the end, he remained silent. Before he knew it, they had entered the Hokage Residence.
The building was a hive of activity, with shinobi responsible for various logistical tasks rushing to and fro.
"Kakashi, Guy," a voice called out from ahead.
They both looked up to see Yuhi Shinku and Hyuga Hiashi.
"I'm glad to see you're both safe," Shinku said with a weak smile, though sadness lingered in his eyes. He had been saved by the Fourth Hokage last night, yet before he could even offer his thanks, the Lord Fourth had perished.
Hiashi let out a small sigh. "Let's go. The Lord Third is waiting."
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage's office. The normally spacious room was now incredibly cramped. Many people were gathered, the entire power structure of Konoha, including heads of various noble clans, unit commanders, and squad leaders. Many bore visible injuries.
It was also apparent that many who should have been standing there were missing. This meant they were either late, or... they had sacrificed themselves last night.
Fugaku stood among the crowd. He felt a wave of relief that the upper echelons of Konoha didn't show him any overt hostility or hatred. However, there was a palpable sense of distance. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good.
Kakashi and Guy stood together, observing the room, noting that the Third Hokage had not yet arrived.
After another five or six minutes, the door opened. Hiruzen walked in. He wasn't wearing his formal robes; instead, he wore tattered, blood-stained laminated armor.
Since the Fourth Hokage, who was supposed to be in command, had passed away, Hiruzen, according to protocol, would temporarily resume all Hokage authority until a new successor could be chosen.
Hiruzen didn't speak. With a somber expression, he moved through the crowd and sat behind the desk.
Many knew that Hiruzen's mood was likely terrible. Minato was a successor he had hand-picked and held in high regard. Given Minato's age, he could have served as Hokage for decades without issue. He was supposed to be the architect of Konoha's restoration, yet he had died so young and so suddenly. All of Hiruzen's hopes for Minato had been shattered.
Furthermore, some knew that the Lord Third's wife was currently in the hospital being resuscitated. It was uncertain if she would survive.
Thinking of this, they glanced at the Anbu Commander standing nearby like a ghost... that was Sarutobi Shinnosuke. He wore his Anbu mask, hiding any trace of emotion. The Sarutobi clan was truly remarkable; while the mother and wife were in the hospital, the husband and son remained at their posts.
Once seated, Hiruzen spoke. "I won't waste time with pleasantries. The village is still in a state of combat readiness. None of you can afford to relax. Based on our intelligence and assessment of last night's events, there were at least two enemies. There may be more still lurking within Konoha. We must remain vigilant."
"Yes, Lord Third!" the shinobi responded in unison.
Hiruzen nodded. "Now, each department will begin reporting. We will reconstruct the events of this disaster, and then—"
Suddenly, a somber, raspy voice interrupted. "I believe the most urgent priority is selecting a new Hokage. The sacrifice of the Lord Fourth is deeply tragic, but a village cannot remain without a leader for a single day. A body needs a head to function. With morale currently scattered, we must choose a new leader to stabilize the people."
At the sound of that voice, many eyes turned.
It was Shimura Danzo!
This man was rarely seen on ordinary days, but whenever something involved the position of Hokage, he always jumped out to make his presence known.
Anger flared in Hiruzen's eyes as he looked at Danzo. "Danzo! Where was your Root last night? Why were you not seen in action?!"
"The Root was, of course, deployed last night," Danzo said calmly. "We were patrolling the perimeter of Konoha to guard against enemy forces that might have tried to take advantage of the chaos."
Technically, this excuse wasn't a "wrong" move. However, everyone in the room knew that when Konoha needed power most, this man had actively avoided the front lines to preserve his own strength. This only deepened the resentment many felt toward Danzo, especially those who had lost family members. They couldn't help but think: If you had helped, maybe the losses wouldn't have been so great...
Fugaku looked at Danzo in surprise. Is this guy crazy, or is he secretly helping the Uchiha? Jumping out to say this right now diverted all the pressure away from the clan. What a saint!
Truthfully, while Danzo often acted like a master schemer, whenever the Hokage position was involved, his IQ seemed to plummet, leading him to do the most bizarre things. For instance... his later plan to use a Sharingan to control the other leaders at a Five Kage Summit to become the head of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Was that something a sane person would do? Or like now, everyone was still drowning in grief, yet Danzo couldn't wait to seize power.
Hiruzen had been looking at Danzo with fury, but after hearing Danzo finish, he felt a strange thought. Did I misunderstand Danzo? Is he... secretly supporting me? Why else would he say something like this at a time like this?
After a moment's thought, Hiruzen said tentatively, "If that's the case, then let's not delay. Let's hear from everyone. You are all high-ranking members of Konoha. Regarding Danzo's suggestion..."
Before Hiruzen could finish, the Jonin Commander, Nara Shikajin, spoke up immediately. "I support the Third Hokage continuing to hold the position of Hokage."
As soon as he spoke, the other high-ranking officials chimed in one after another, voicing their support for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Danzo: ???
Wait, this isn't right. Shouldn't we nominate candidates first, give everyone time to think about who to support, and then hold a vote? I have a whole series of procedures prepared! I even wrote a speech! Why are you just voting right now?!
Are you all playing foul?!