Konoha's night was still filled with the sound of people's voices.
Even though Madara's arrival hadn't caused too many deaths, the entire village of Konohagakure had been destroyed.
Even the Hokage Building—rebuilt not long ago—couldn't escape the disaster.
Now every clan in the village was rebuilding their homes at full speed.
First came clearing the ruins: hauling away broken bricks and tiles, leveling the rubble, and opening up empty lots again.
Kazu had his grandma rest outside the village, and he personally carried debris out piece by piece.
At that moment, Kakashi and Rin came over to help.
Obito looked genuinely moved. "Rin, Kakashi… don't you guys have to rebuild your own houses too?"
Kakashi replied coolly, "My place wasn't much to begin with. It's already cleaned up."
Rin smiled. "Mom and Dad are handling ours. I came to help here."
Obito sniffed dramatically. "Man… there's sand in my eyes again…"
Kakashi rolled his eyes without a word.
Then Mikoto Uchiha came over too. "Let me help as well."
Many ninja who were away on missions returned and saw the ruined state of Konoha—and froze on the spot.
For example, the scarred White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake, returned with more than ten comrades. They had come back ready to accept punishment for a failed S-rank undercover mission… only to find Konohagakure in ruins. Sakumo was stunned.
Their infiltration of Sunagakure had failed. In order to save his teammates, Sakumo exposed Konoha's covert operatives embedded in the Sand for decades.
Of course, even after blowing a thirty-year network, Sakumo still fought like hell to bring everyone home alive.
But he also knew what that meant: this wasn't just a "failed mission." It had put Konoha's intelligence work in the Sand in an extremely dangerous position.
And as the one responsible, Sakumo knew exactly what awaited him if he returned—punishment, blame, and a long list of accusations.
But even knowing that, he hadn't hesitated. He chose his comrades… and he never regretted it.
"Hiruzen-sama!"
"Sakumo… you're back?"
"I'm sorry, Hiruzen-sama. I've failed to meet your expectations!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been smiling at first, but when he heard those words—and saw the dozen-plus ninja behind Sakumo, all covered in wounds—he froze.
"…What happened?"
"Hiruzen-sama, I'm sorry. All of our operatives in Sunagakure have been exposed!"
Hiruzen almost spat blood.
All of them?!
He swallowed a curse that nearly escaped his mouth.
Then Hiruzen's eyelids twitched when he noticed an old man behind Sakumo.
This was one of the operatives buried in the Sand for decades—an old man who ran a liquor stall in Sunagakure.
He'd gone from young man to old man in the desert.
He hadn't been planted by Hiruzen, but by Hiruzen's teacher, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—and for thirty years he'd sent back vital intelligence to Konoha.
And now… uprooted.
Hiruzen's heart bled.
The people behind tried to speak, but Sakumo stopped them.
Sakumo said deeply, "Hokage-sama, this was my responsibility. I accept whatever punishment you decide."
Hiruzen's face twitched, but he still patted Sakumo's shoulder.
"Alright. I understand. And you can see Konoha's situation right now… go clean up your home first. We'll talk after."
What else could Hiruzen say?
A thirty-year intelligence network was gone—there would be a reckoning later.
But right now, that wasn't the most urgent problem.
The priority was restoring order in Konohagakure as fast as possible.
If the other four great villages attacked while Konoha was crippled… it would be catastrophic.
And just as Hiruzen feared, the other villages' spies had already sent the news back the moment Madara used Heavenly Obstruction Shock Star.
Now Kumogakure's Third Raikage, Sunagakure's newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, and Iwagakure's Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, were all mobilizing troops—gathering forces to strike Konoha while it was down.
Hit the sick man while he's coughing, and finish him off.
Especially Kumogakure. With his son taken from him, the Third Raikage suspected the Third Kazekage's disappearance was linked to Konoha.
Meanwhile, Chiyo and Kazekage Rasa aimed the Sand's internal tensions outward—toward Konoha.
Nothing unifies a village faster than a common enemy.
Iwagakure was simply looking to profit from the chaos.
Ōnoki wasn't reckless like the Raikage. He was powerful, yes—wielding Dust Release, a Kekkei Tōta that surpassed ordinary kekkei genkai—but he was also sharp and calculating.
The only village that wasn't moving much was Kirigakure.
Not because they were calm—because they were scared out of their minds.
That bay had turned into a beach. After witnessing True Several Thousand Hands, Mist ninja weren't eager to "go out to sea" anytime soon.
And meanwhile, the instigator—Kazu—had just finished eating, patting his stomach.
After dinner, the decision was made: Kushina would marry Kazu, and the wedding date was set for seven days later.
At the same time, Kazu was about to become the Fourth Hokage.
At tomorrow's provisional high-level meeting, Kazu would be nominated as Hokage.
There was basically no one left who could oppose him.
Even though Kazu had appeared like a shooting star in a very short time… this meteor was simply too bright.
Kazu himself hadn't expected that in this world he'd "stolen" both Kushina and Minato's future seat.
In this parallel world, Minato would probably end up as Kazu's sharpest blade.
"In that case… I'll let you live peacefully. If something like the Nine-Tails incident ever happens, I'll take it on myself."
Kazu had originally wanted to sleep, but the noise outside was too loud, so he stepped out with Kushina.
Everyone else's homes had collapsed—yet the Uzumaki compound remained standing.
Mainly because Kazu had used Wood Release: Four-Pillar Architecture earlier to rebuild the battered compound.
After eating, Kazu could feel his chakra starting to recover.
Honestly, Hashirama's body really was like a wireless charger. He'd fought Madara all afternoon, used Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands twice, nearly emptied out… and now his reserves were already coming back.
Kazu spotted his three Team 7 students—plus Mikoto—clearing debris and walked over.
Mikoto's eyes immediately lit up when she saw Kazu.
But when she noticed Kushina behind him, her smile turned a little bitter.
"Kushina… Kazu."
The people nearby also bowed respectfully. "Kazu-sama!"
Now that Kazu was the hero who saved Konoha, every ninja treated him with genuine respect.
Kazu nodded. "Step aside. I've got this."
Everyone looked confused, but they still did as he said.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Architecture!"
Kazu's hand seals were fast and intricate. Chakra surged.
Roots burst from the earth and rose, growing into trees—
—and at a speed visible to the naked eye, the wood reshaped itself into homes, pushing away dust and debris around them.
People covered their faces, but their eyes went wide with disbelief.
In front of them, house after house rose from nothing—brand-new.
Not just one house either.
A whole row formed—then another—until it became an entire street.
"It's a miracle…"
"Thank you, Kazu-sama!"
"Thank you, Kazu-sama!"
Many were about to kneel, but Kazu quickly helped them up.
"Don't. Seriously. It's nothing."
That single act sent Kazu's goodwill through the roof.
Kushina, Mikoto, and Rin stared with sparkling eyes, like they'd just watched a legend happen in real time.
Obito and Kakashi were stunned too.
Obito clenched his fists. "I wanna learn Wood Release too!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Wood Release is a kekkei genkai, idiot. Like your Sharingan. You can't just 'learn' it."
Then a voice spoke behind Kazu, full of admiration.
"Kazu… you're incredible."
Kazu turned and saw Sakumo Hatake.
Kakashi's eyes lit up instantly. He ran forward, joy breaking through his usual calm.
"Dad!"
Sakumo's stern face softened into a smile as he hugged him.
"I'm back."
Kazu didn't interrupt their moment. He turned away and kept moving forward, continuing to use Four-Pillar Architecture to rebuild street after street.
The technique consumed a lot of chakra, but Kazu had Hashirama's absurd reserves—plus Indra's power. If he went block by block, he could still manage it.
And every time he used the jutsu, the hand seals also helped sharpen his efficiency.
By the time most of the night had passed, Kazu had rebuilt Konohagakure into a wooden village with a strong forest vibe—tree houses and wood structures everywhere.
Wooden walls, fresh grain, even occasional green shoots sprouting along the sides.
Now this looked like the real "Hidden Leaf."
Hiruzen and Biwako Sarutobi—along with many of Konoha's top brass—watched the buildings rise and couldn't hide their joy.
They'd expected the work to take at least a full day.
Instead, Kazu did it in a single night.
On this restless night, every villager and every ninja in Konoha gained a place to sleep.
Hiruzen sighed. "Kazu alone is worth ten thousand people."
The high-ranking ninja beside him nodded rapidly. "Yes, Hokage-sama. Kazu-sama is unbelievably strong."
With smiles on their faces, villagers moved into their new wooden homes. The moment they stepped inside, they felt a fresh, forest-clean scent.
Kakashi followed Sakumo into their new place, tapped the wood, and asked quietly,
"Dad… is Wood Release really something only a bloodline can have? So no one without it can learn it?"
Even Kakashi—usually the most rational—felt his heart stir after seeing a "miracle" like that.
Not to mention everyone else.
Hiruzen led a group of Konoha's higher-ups toward Kazu and Kushina.
"Good work, Kazu. Kushina."
Kushina quickly said, "It's nothing, Hokage-sama. This is what we should do."
Hiruzen smiled… but Kazu didn't even look at him. He just stared ahead.
"…So only the Uchiha district is left."
At that moment, a Konoha elder stepped forward quickly.
"Kazu-sama, wait."
"Hm?"
Kazu looked at the old man.
The elder said hurriedly, "Kazu-sama, we believe the Uchiha Clan should relocate to the outskirts of the village."
"As the police force, they failed to notify us in time during this incident. The village suffered huge losses in manpower and property—clearly a failure in efficiency."
"Moving them to the outskirts would also make it more convenient for the police force to operate."
Several other elders immediately echoed him.
"Elder Homura has a point!"
"I agree—the Uchiha should move."
On the surface, it was framed as "police efficiency."
In reality, Madara's attack had reignited suspicion toward the Uchiha Clan.
Fugaku Uchiha, who had just arrived, went pale the moment he heard it.
"Elder Homura, that isn't fair. Our Uchiha have done everything we can—"
Before he could finish, someone snapped back.
"But Madara was the founder of your clan! If the Uchiha want to clear their name, you need to move to the edge of the village!"
Kazu hadn't expected history to still be drifting toward the same track.
Konoha's leadership isolating the Uchiha… still happening.
The fact that Hiruzen didn't speak also made it clear: deep down, he was tacitly allowing it.
During the battle, Hiruzen's mindset had been shaken.
But now, he leaned back toward the elders—because the "beware the Uchiha" idea had been passed down since Tobirama.
These elders were Tobirama's students. Their beliefs were inherited, generation after generation.
[Ding. Based on the current situation, three choices have been generated!]
[Option 1: Agree with the elders and forcibly relocate the Uchiha Clan to the outskirts of Konoha. Reward: S-rank Forbidden Technique – Heavenly Curse]
[Option 2: Stay neutral. Take Kushina and leave immediately. Reward: S-rank Character Card – Sasuke Uchiha (Curse Mark of Heaven). Mikoto Uchiha favor -10]
[Option 3: Build a six-story building in the Uchiha district. Reward: S-rank Character Card – Itachi Uchiha (Night of the Massacre). Mikoto Uchiha favor +10. Fugaku Uchiha favor +10]