The flutter of a single wing from a powerful shinobi could bring disaster beyond imagining to ordinary people.
Early that morning, Hyuga Satoru followed his father, Hiashi, through one of the streets devastated by the Nine Tails' rampage the night before.
A somber heaviness hung thick in the air. The usual liveliness and bustle were gone without a trace. Here and there, in the corners of the street, he could still see the dried, dark red stains of blood.
Several storefronts bore signs reading "Temporarily Closed." The shopkeepers—who would usually greet Hiashi with smiles—now wore blank, exhausted expressions, their eyes empty and lifeless. The sight made Satoru's heart twist painfully.
"…"
He could feel the sorrow pressing down on him as if the entire village itself were grieving. Throughout their walk toward the Hokage Tower, Satoru kept his head slightly bowed, saying nothing.
"What you're seeing today," Hiashi said quietly, "is nothing compared to the wars of years past."
"The world of shinobi is cruel beyond words."
"That is why families exist—and why villages exist. Only by being strong—yourself, our clan, and our village—can you protect the people you truly care about."
"So, for the sake of the Hyuga… grow stronger, Satoru."
Perhaps sensing his son's emotions, Hiashi stopped once they had crossed the ruined street. Looking back at the devastation, he reached out and gently placed a hand on Satoru's head—a rare gesture of comfort.
"I understand, Father."
Satoru nodded softly. He had long known that the shinobi world was brutal—but seeing that cruelty unfold before his eyes still stirred something deep within him.
Hiashi nodded in return, and the two continued toward the Hokage Tower in silence.
The village was still reeling from the Nine Tails' attack.
After ensuring his wife and child were safe, Minato had immediately returned to duty, organizing emergency rescue and relief operations through the night.
By now, most of the evacuation and aid work had been completed, and the reports of casualties and property damage were being submitted to the Fourth Hokage's desk.
When Hiashi and Satoru arrived at the Hokage's office, they found Namikaze Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi meeting with Uchiha Fugaku.
Also present were the three Konoha advisors—Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura—all of whom had come early that morning to question the Hokage about the catastrophe.
Not only they—nearly every major figure in the village was gathered there: Hiruzen's eldest son, the ANBU commander; the jonin commander from the Nara clan; and others of similar standing.
Minato had already briefed Hiruzen on the situation and the enemy behind the attack. Yet even with the truth known, such a disaster demanded accountability. Someone had to take the blame.
And that "someone" was obvious—The Uchiha Clan.
"Uchiha Obito was one of your own," Danzo's voice cut through the room like a blade. "That traitor will be hunted down—by the Uchiha themselves!"
"Fugaku, you are the head of your clan. Now you should understand why I stopped your people from joining the battle last night!"
Danzo's tone was sharp and unrelenting. During the chaos of the previous night, he had briefly crossed paths with Fugaku—but from the look of things, neither Danzo nor his Root operatives had taken part in the fight against the Nine Tails. Instead, they had been busy "supervising" the Uchiha.
A few sharp knocks at the door broke the tension.
"Come in," said Minato.
The door opened, and Hiashi entered with Satoru in tow. After bowing to both Hokage, he said nothing, simply leading his son to stand quietly aside. Clearly, he had no intention of stealing the spotlight from Fugaku.
Those present gave the newcomers a brief glance before turning their attention back to the head of the Uchiha Clan.
The Sharingan that had glowed in the Nine Tails' eyes last night had changed everything.
Until now, the old tales of Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage's legendary rivalry had felt like distant myths—too far removed to seem real. Many of the younger shinobi even believed the "God of Shinobi" title belonged to Hiruzen, not Hashirama.
But after witnessing the Sharingan's control over the Nine Tails firsthand, everyone in the village had a new, visceral understanding of the Uchiha's terrifying potential.
What they once knew in theory—they had now seen with their own eyes.
And that realization bred not only fear… but deep suspicion.
After all, everyone had thought the Uchiha were merely one of several powerful clans within the village—perhaps a little stronger than most, but not overwhelmingly so.
But now?
Now they had demonstrated a power capable of "overturning the table."
How could the other clans possibly face the Uchiha as equals anymore?
This was the problem.
As Danzo grilled Fugaku with cold precision, his mind was already at work—searching for a way to eliminate this growing threat before it could destabilize the village's delicate balance.
The internal power structure of Konoha had taken decades to settle into equilibrium. The sudden resurgence of the Uchiha's perceived strength sent waves of unease through the leadership—none more so than Danzo himself.
Fugaku, maintaining composure under pressure, finally spoke:
"Regarding Uchiha Obito, our clan will investigate the matter thoroughly."
"The task of capturing the traitor—naturally, we will take responsibility."
"However… there is something that must be made clear."
"The Uchiha Clan had no knowledge of Obito's actions. We did not foresee his betrayal."
"What happened last night has nothing to do with our clan."
"Danzo-sama, please don't let this incident cloud your judgment against us."
Fugaku had expected this interrogation from the moment he arrived.
To the Uchiha, Obito's betrayal was a humiliation—a stain they could never wash away. Whether they were guilty or not didn't matter. To the rest of the village, the accusation alone was damning enough.
As the head of the Police Force, Fugaku already struggled with strained relations across Konoha. This incident would only make things worse.
Dissent among his own people had already begun to fester—resentment that grew with each passing year. Fugaku was walking a tightrope above an active volcano, and he knew it.
Danzo remained unmoved by his explanation. His expression was dark and heavy, betraying no hint of sympathy.
Fugaku's eyes shifted toward Hiruzen, hoping for support—but the Third only sat there in pensive silence, deep in thought.
Just as despair began to weigh on him, Minato spoke up.
"Fugaku," he said calmly, "the Uchiha are part of Konoha. We all understand that."
"Rest assured—Obito's actions will not affect how this village views your clan."
"I promise."
Fugaku blinked, taken aback.
"Lord Fourth…"
Minato's warm, steady smile carried no trace of suspicion. For the first time that morning, the tension in Fugaku's chest eased.
So there was still someone—someone in power—who believed in the Uchiha.
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