The night of Konoha was still alive with voices.
Although the Uchiha's attack had not resulted in many deaths, the village itself lay in ruins.
Even the newly rebuilt Hokage Building had not been spared.
Now, every clan in the village was busy reconstructing their homes.
The rubble and broken tiles were being cleared, vacant land prepared for rebuilding.
Obito had led his grandmother outside the village to rest while he carried away the debris, one piece at a time.
At that moment, young Kakashi and Rin arrived to help.
Obito blinked in surprise.
"Rin, Kakashi, don't you two need to take care of your own homes?"
Kakashi answered coolly, "My house is fine. It's already been cleaned up."
Rin smiled warmly. "My parents are still tidying things up. I came over to lend a hand."
"My eyes are getting sand in them again…" Obito muttered, his emotions swelling.
Kakashi rolled his eyes wordlessly.
Soon after, Uchiha Mikoto walked over as well.
"Let me help too," she said softly.
Many shinobi who had been away on missions began returning, only to find the village reduced to rubble.
One of them was Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, who returned scarred and weary with more than ten companions. They had been prepared to face punishment for the failure of an S-rank infiltration mission, only to be greeted by the sight of a destroyed Konoha.
Their mission had been to infiltrate Sunagakure, but the operation failed. To save his comrades, Sakumo had revealed the network of Konoha spies that had been hidden in Sunagakure for thirty years.
The cost was immense—Konoha's web of intelligence in the Sand was entirely uprooted.
Yet, in doing so, Sakumo had saved the lives of every single one of his companions.
He knew what this meant. The failure not only ruined the mission but also crippled Konoha's ability to gather intelligence in Sunagakure. As the commander, he would bear full responsibility.
Even so, Sakumo had no regrets. His comrades lived. That was enough.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Sakumo, you've returned?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. I failed to live up to your expectations."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile faded as he looked at the battered group behind Sakumo. His expression stiffened.
"What happened?"
"Lord Hokage… I regret to inform you… all of our undercover agents in Sunagakure have been exposed."
Hiruzen's chest tightened, and for a moment, he nearly coughed up blood.
All of them?
Thirty years of covert work, gone.
Among those standing behind Sakumo was an elderly man who had once been placed in Sunagakure by Tobirama Senju himself. For decades, he had masqueraded as a simple sake vendor, sending vital intelligence back to Konoha.
Now, even he had been forced to return.
Hiruzen's heart bled at the sight.
"What… happened?" he pressed, his voice trembling.
The old man tried to explain, but Sakumo stopped him.
"It was my failure, Hokage-sama. I take full responsibility."
Hiruzen's face twitched, his jaw tight. After a long silence, he placed a hand on Sakumo's shoulder.
"…Enough. I understand. Look around you—Konoha has suffered greatly. Go home. Tend to your family. We'll address this later."
What else could he say? Thirty years of intelligence wiped away. A reckoning would come—but now was not the time.
The priority was restoring order to Konoha before enemy villages seized the opportunity.
And indeed, Hiruzen's fears were correct.
The moment Uchiha Ryoma unleashed the Celestial Barrier Shock, enemy spies hidden in Konoha relayed word back to their villages.
Now, the Third Raikage of Kumogakure, the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage Rasa of Sunagakure, and the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki of Iwagakure were all gathering their armies. Each prepared to strike Konoha while it lay weak and vulnerable.
Strike Konoha when it's down—kill it while it's sick.
The Third Raikage, still grieving the loss of his son, suspected Konoha's hand in the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. Chiyo and Rasa too were eager to redirect their people's anger outward—at Konoha.
Ōnoki, however, was no reckless fool like the Raikage. He possessed not only the devastating Dust Release but also a sharp and calculating mind. Iwagakure would take advantage of Konoha's suffering.
Only Kirigakure remained still, too shaken by Hashirama Senju's overwhelming power in the past. Their forces hesitated, wary of another confrontation.
And as all of this unfolded, Uchiha Ryoma had just finished dinner. Patting his stomach, he let out a satisfied sigh.
Preparations were already underway for his wedding, set to take place in just seven days.
At the same time, the village elders had scheduled tomorrow's emergency council meeting—where Ryoma would be officially nominated as the Fourth Hokage.
A star that had risen suddenly, Uchiha Ryoma now blazed so brightly that no one could stand against him.
Ryoma hadn't expected that the woman who had stolen Minato's heart would also take his place as Hokage.
In this parallel world, Minato Namikaze was nothing more than a sharp blade beneath Ryoma's hand.
"In that case," Ryoma muttered, "I'll let you live safely. The Nine-Tails Rebellion… I'll shoulder it myself."
He had intended to rest, but the noise outside was unbearable. So, together with Kushina, he stepped out into the night.
Most of the homes in Konoha had collapsed, yet the Uzumaki compound still stood firm.
That was because Ryoma had used Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique to rebuild the damaged courtyard directly.
After dinner, Ryoma felt his chakra beginning to recover.
The First Hokage truly was like an endless charging battery. Even after clashing with Uchiha and exhausting himself with two uses of Sage Art: Wood Release—True Several Thousand Hands, his chakra was already replenishing.
As he walked, Ryoma spotted the three students of Team Minato, along with Uchiha Mikoto, working to clear the rubble.
When Mikoto saw him, her eyes lit up, only to dim again when she noticed Kushina beside him.
"Kushina, Ryoma!" she greeted with a faint smile.
The other villagers quickly followed, bowing in respect.
"Lord Ryoma!"
Ryoma, now the hero who had saved Konoha, was met with reverence wherever he went.
"Stand aside," Ryoma said calmly. "I'll handle this."
Though puzzled, the shinobi obeyed, clearing the way.
Ryoma's hands blurred through complex seals.
"Wood Release: Serial Pillar Houses!"
Chakra surged through the earth. Roots burst from the ground, rising into towering trees that grew into houses at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The dusty air filled with the scent of fresh wood.
Before the stunned crowd, new homes sprang up in rows, forming entire streets in an instant.
"It's a miracle!"
"Thank you, Lord Ryoma!"
"Thank you!"
Some villagers nearly fell to their knees, but Ryoma quickly helped them up.
"No need for that. Raise your heads."
The goodwill he earned was undeniable.
Kushina, Mikoto, and Rin all watched with wide eyes, faces glowing with awe.
Even Obito and young Kakashi were struck speechless.
"I want to learn Wood Release too!" Obito declared, clenching his fists.
Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"It's a Kekkei Genkai, idiot. Just like your Sharingan—you can't copy it."
From behind, a voice called out in admiration:
"Ryoma, your power is incredible."
Turning, Ryoma saw Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang.
Kakashi's face lit up, and he rushed forward with joy.
"Dad!"
Sakumo's stern features softened as he embraced his son.
"Yes. I'm back."
Ryoma allowed them their reunion, turning away to continue his work.
Street by street, he rebuilt Konoha, his Serial Pillar Houses transforming the ruins into a new wooden village. Though the jutsu consumed enormous chakra, Ryoma's reserves—bolstered by Hashirama's vitality and Indra's power—made the impossible possible.
By the time dawn neared, Konoha had been reborn.
Wooden houses lined the streets, their walls sprouting green shoots, the entire village now blending seamlessly into the forest.
This—this was the true Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Biwako Sarutobi, along with the village's senior council, watched with joy as home after home rose from the earth.
They had expected rebuilding to take weeks. Instead, Ryoma had done it all in a single night.
On that chaotic night, every villager, every shinobi, found shelter.
Hiruzen exhaled deeply.
"Ryoma's strength alone is worth ten thousand men."
The advisors nodded quickly.
"Hokage-sama is right. Lord Ryoma is too powerful."
Smiles spread across the villagers' faces as they moved into their new homes, the air inside fresh with the scent of living wood.
Kakashi followed his father inside, knocking on the walls in wonder.
"Dad, is Wood Release really a Kekkei Genkai? Can't anyone without the bloodline learn it?"
Even calm, logical Kakashi couldn't help but dream after seeing such a miracle.
And if even Kakashi was moved, what of the others?
Soon after, Hiruzen and the council approached Ryoma and Kushina.
"You've worked hard, Ryoma. You too, Kushina," Hiruzen said warmly.
Kushina shook her head. "It's nothing, Hokage-sama. This is our duty."
But Ryoma barely acknowledged him, his gaze fixed elsewhere.
"It seems," Ryoma said flatly, "that only the Uchiha clan remains."
At that, one of the elders quickly stepped forward—Masao Utatane.
"Lord Ryoma, a moment!"
Ryoma raised a brow. "Hm?"
The elder bowed slightly.
"We believe… the Uchiha clan should be relocated to the outskirts of the village. During this crisis, they failed to notify us in time, causing great loss of life and resources. Their negligence cannot be ignored.
By moving them to the edge, closer to the village's defensive posts, they will be better suited as guards."
The words of the Konoha elder immediately found support among the other council members.
"Elder Masao speaks wisely!"
"I agree—the Uchiha should relocate."
On the surface, the proposal was framed as a matter of strengthening the village guard. But in truth, today's chaos had given the higher-ups an excuse. The suspicion aimed at the Uchiha clan was now being voiced openly.
Uchiha Fugaku, who had just arrived, went pale at the accusations.
"Elder Masao, your words are unfair!" Fugaku said firmly. "The Uchiha have done their utmost to protect the village—"
Before he could finish, another elder cut him off.
"Yet it was Uchiha Madara who nearly destroyed Konoha! If your clan wishes to clear its name, then moving to the outskirts is the least you can do."
Ryoma's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't expected history to bend back toward its original path so soon. The seeds of alienation were already sprouting, and the elders were eager to isolate the Uchiha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. His silence was damning, for it revealed tacit agreement.
During the battle, Ryoma had seen the Third Hokage waver. Yet now, Sarutobi's stance was clear—he still leaned toward the council.
After all, suspicion of the Uchiha was no new thought. It had been Tobirama Senju himself who first voiced the doctrine of vigilance against them. His students—Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura, and Masao—had inherited his mistrust, passing it down like a legacy.
At that moment, a voice echoed in Ryoma's mind:
[Ding! Based on the host's current situation, three choices are available!]
[Option 1: Support the elders and forcibly relocate the Uchiha clan to Konoha's outskirts.
Reward: S-Class Forbidden Jutsu – Heavenly Curse.]
[Option 2: Refuse to involve yourself. Take Kushina and leave at once.
Reward: S-Class Character Card – Uchiha Sasuke (Cursed Seal of Heaven).
Effect: Uchiha Mikoto Favorability -10.]
[Option 3: Reject the proposal. In defiance of the elders, construct a six-story complex within the Uchiha's original territory using Wood Release.
Reward: S-Class Character Card – Uchiha Itachi (Night of the Massacre).
Effect: Uchiha Mikoto Favorability +10, Uchiha Fugaku Favorability +10.]
...
TN:
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