As autumn gave way to spring, Hidden Leaf Village remained relatively uneventful.
The returning Sand Ninja had been ambushed by rogue ninjas after leaving the Land of Fire, causing subsequent troubles for Hidden Leaf.
The shinobi world had been unusually peaceful during this time.
…Until today, when news suddenly spread throughout the village.
The Hidden Leaf News Agency had opened.
Ever since the Sand Ninja's departure, Uchiha Yato had been preparing for this.
Kakashi was now four years old. In about a year, according to the original timeline, Shimura Danzo and his faction would make their move.
Yato absolutely refused to let Hatake Sakumo—now under his wing—suffer the same fate.
To win the information war, he first needed to control the source and spread of information.
That was the purpose of the Hidden Leaf News Agency. If necessary, he could suppress unfavorable news to prevent Sakumo from enduring the same torment as in the original story.
But why couldn't Yato just overturn the table outright?Previously, it was just Hatake Sakumo's verbal agreement, and up until now, he was still considered part of the higher-ups.
One could say he was physically present in one camp but his heart belonged to another.
Hatake Sakumo had once suggested to Uchiha Yato whether he could fake his death to escape and break free from the Hidden Leaf's leadership.
Uchiha Yato outright refused, insisting that he walk the streets of the Hidden Leaf openly and honorably.
If it really came down to a confrontation, the Uchiha clan had two Kage-level powerhouses on their side anyway.
It was unclear which side Orochimaru would take, while Tsunade and Jiraiya were also wavering.
In a few more years, once the new generation grew stronger, there would be even less to fear.
And now was the perfect opportunity to use this situation to strip Danzo of public support.
It would also let Danzo experience the same pain Hatake Sakumo had endured back then.
Now, Shimura Danzo was not far from death—all that remained was for him to lose the people's trust and for the Third Hokage to abandon him completely.
As for the promotion of the Hidden Leaf Newspaper, Sarutobi Hiruzen was very supportive.
Uchiha Yato's proposal had previously laid out the plan in great detail.
This would allow the villagers to better understand the Hokage's policies.
Uchiha Yato even thoughtfully took the initiative to speak publicly, eliminating the need for Sarutobi Hiruzen to give speech after speech.
Instead of traveling everywhere to preach the Will of Fire, now it could all be conveyed in a single sheet of newspaper.
To make it convincing enough, Uchiha Yato even dedicated the first three issues to glorifying Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Though Hiruzen claimed it wasn't necessary and that it was taking up resources,
Uchiha Yato insisted, "This newspaper was established under the Third Hokage's support."
"Of course, we must let the villagers know that these are the Hokage's ideals."
This was Uchiha Yato's second scheme—to flatter Sarutobi Hiruzen to death.
It would both satisfy Hiruzen's vanity, making him increasingly arrogant,
and provoke Shimura Danzo's burning ambition to become Hokage.
If once or twice didn't work, repeated provocations would eventually create a rift.
As a publicly recognized Kage-level powerhouse, Uchiha Yato's flattery of Hiruzen was particularly satisfying in secret.
...
Soon, the Hidden Leaf Newspaper, jointly established by various ninja clans, began printing its issues.
The layout was simple—just a single sheet of paper.
The initial content naturally praised the Hokage.
Uchiha Yato even proposed glorifying the deeds of the First and Second Hokage.
But precisely because of this, many unscrupulous writers began spinning all sorts of romantic pairings.
(More on that later.)
To pique the villagers' interest in the newspaper from the start,
Uchiha Yato deliberately included a few sensational stories for hype.
Headlines like: "Shocking! The Man Who Appeared at the Widow's Door at Midnight!"
Or: "Horrifying! A Certain Elder Actually Did THIS!"
And so on.
These eye-catching titles immediately drew in swarms of gossip-hungry readers.
Some had hoped to exploit this for profit, but Uchiha Yato firmly declared this was for the people's benefit and couldn't be overpriced.
A single issue cost only five ryo—an incredibly cheap price.
While everyone benefited, only our dear comrade Shimura Danzo suffered unfair treatment.
The reason was simple—the "certain elder" in Uchiha Yato's headline was clearly him.
But he hadn't done anything wrong—he was just caught on camera by a Hyūga paparazzo entering the Root headquarters.The photography team is currently led by the Hyuga clan, whose Byakugan provides unparalleled advantages in capturing shots and positioning.
Of course, this isn't to say the Uchiha's Sharingan is lacking, but each clan has its specialties, and it's important to ensure every ninja clan feels involved.
For example, when shooting humorous or quirky photos, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's assistance is needed.
When gathering precise intel, their help is also indispensable.
For delicate operations, the Aburame clan lends their expertise.
It's safe to say that Uchiha Yato has effectively utilized the strengths and talents of every ninja clan within the Hidden Leaf Newspaper.
Our very own Shimura Danzo was once ambushed by Uchiha Yato leading a group of young chunin from various clans, all armed with cameras.
This incident ultimately led to Danzo becoming a key analyst for the village's gossip squad (the elderly aunties and uncles discussion group).
And Uchiha Yato, being particularly mischievous, mixed a bit of truth with a bit of fiction in the rumors he spread.
Like how Shimura Danzo remained unmarried because of... certain inadequacies!
Or how Danzo had been holding the Hidden Leaf Village back for decades—otherwise, the village would have been 20 years ahead!
As a result, Shimura Danzo was no longer the ignored figure he once was when walking down the streets.
Previously, if he spotted a promising Root recruit, he could still pass himself off as a Hidden Leaf elder or the Hokage's advisor to swindle them.
But now, practically everyone in the village knew exactly who he was.
He became the second most talked-about figure in the Hidden Leaf.
Who was the first, you ask?
Why, none other than our very own Uchiha Yato, of course.
Yato understood that if he kept himself out of the spotlight, Shimura Danzo might scheme against him.
So, he made himself the center of attention—no amount of negative press could outweigh the sheer force of being the main topic.
Most of Yato's antics were harmless pranks.
Like handing out wedding candies at a funeral procession, telling people to "share in the joy."
At first, the mourners were understandably upset, but thanks to Yato's antics—and his dashingly handsome face—their grief was somewhat lightened.
Whether it was the shift in mood or the deceased elder genuinely wishing for happiness, no one could say.
But not only did the funeral proceed smoothly afterward, even the portrait of the old man seemed to be smiling.
This lighthearted atmosphere quickly spread throughout the Hidden Leaf Village.
The civilians didn't need to understand the darkness of the shinobi world—they could live under the village's protection in blissful ignorance.
But alas, the good times didn't last.
News soon reached the Hidden Leaf.
"Hatake Sakumo Fails Mission to Save Comrades."
With the Hidden Leaf Newspaper's influence, this story spread like wildfire, reaching every villager within two days.
Instantly, Uchiha Yato and Shimura Danzo were dethroned from the top of the gossip charts.
Hatake Sakumo now stood at the center of the storm.
Both Yato and the village's higher-ups knew—
The opportunity had arrived!
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