Two days later, at dawn.
As the sun rose over Konoha, villagers had already gathered along the main road near the village gates. Word had spread the day before—shinobi from the Kumogakure front were returning victorious, and preparations were to be made to welcome them home.
For the civilians of Konoha, this was a moment of pride.
"Hey, did you hear? Lord Namikaze Minato is leading the returning force!"
"Of course I did! If he hadn't captured the Fourth Raikage candidate A and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki on the battlefield, the war wouldn't have ended so quickly!"
"As expected of the village's Yellow Flash!"
"Yes, yes—but have you heard the other rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"It's about the Hokage. They say the prolonged war with Sunagakure was caused by poor decisions early on."
"I heard that too. Supposedly the war drained the treasury so badly that there wasn't enough money to pay death compensation or battlefield rewards. That's why they pressured the Uchiha to give up theirs. They were just the first target—other clans would've been next if they'd agreed."
"Is the village really that strapped?"
"Didn't we just sign a treaty with Kumogakure? Didn't they pay reparations?"
"Idiot. It's not that simple. The money hasn't arrived yet. And we gave up concessions in the Sunagakure negotiations."
"But… we won, didn't we?"
"They say the Third Hokage wanted to end the war quickly."
"End it? It lasted years! We win and still concede? Then what were those shinobi bleeding for?"
"That's not all. I heard Elder Utatane Koharu just finalized terms with Iwagakure too. Another deal where we give something up."
"Why? Why would the Hokage do that?"
"I heard Shimura Danzō opposed it—but he was suspended for it."
"The Third has grown senile."
"Hmph. And the Uchiha aren't helping either. Causing trouble when the village is already struggling."
"They were showing off in town yesterday. Can't they stay quiet for once?"
Whispers overlapped, fractured, and spread.
Even the shinobi maintaining order exchanged uneasy glances.
They knew more than civilians did.
They could feel it.
The air in Konoha carried the scent of a coming storm.
No one dared speak too loudly.
Then—
"They're here! They're back!"
A shout rose from the gate.
All heads turned.
At the far end of the road, dusty figures approached. At the front—
Blond hair catching the morning light.
Minato.
The moment the villagers recognized him, a deafening cheer erupted.
Whatever they had been whispering moments before vanished beneath the roar of welcome.
The returning shinobi straightened instinctively, fatigue forgotten.
Whatever turmoil awaited—
They were home.
Hokage Tower – Office of the Third
"Bang!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his palm against his desk, glaring across at Uchiha Fugaku.
"What exactly are the Uchiha trying to do?!"
"The rumors have reached me directly now!"
"You intend to drag me down and take my place?!"
Hiruzen's anger was no longer restrained.
He had chosen to resign in order to preserve his dignity—to absorb dissatisfaction before it fractured the village further.
But now—
The narrative shifting in the streets painted him not as self-sacrificing—
But incompetent.
A leader forced out by failure.
That was something he could not tolerate.
Fugaku bowed his head slightly, expression troubled.
"Lord Hokage, please calm yourself. I, too, am struggling with this."
"The First Elder… he has lost his reason."
"Lost his reason?" Hiruzen's eyes flashed dangerously. "At this rate, I might lose mine first."
Fugaku's tone grew cautious.
"When Yashiro and I confronted him, we learned something troubling."
"He suffered… in prison."
"His mind is no longer stable."
He hesitated—then lowered his voice.
"He spoke of founding a 'New Konoha.'"
Crack.
Hiruzen's fingers tightened reflexively.
A corner of the solid wood desk splintered under his grip.
"…What did you say?"
"He spoke of breaking from Konoha," Fugaku clarified carefully. "This is his personal madness. The clan does not support it."
"The Uchiha remain Uchiha of Konoha."
"I ask for time."
"Tomorrow, we will hold a clan assembly."
"I will dismantle his faction completely."
Hiruzen studied him for a long moment.
The killing intent in his eyes did not vanish—but it cooled.
"Fugaku."
"I am glad you came to me."
A pause.
"But I do not like your methods."
"The Uchiha are too volatile."
"I will give you one final chance."
"If you can resolve it—do so."
"If you cannot—"
"I will."
Fugaku straightened.
"I understand."
"The village needs stability. So does our clan."
"I will not allow anyone to endanger either."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
Outside the window, cheers from the village gates carried faintly through the air.
The Yellow Flash had returned.
But beneath the applause—
Something darker was moving.
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