The fallen leaves carried the news to Konoha.
Hokage's Office.
"Uchiha Makoto—that bastard—what the hell is going on in his head?! Damn it, he's blown this whole thing completely out of control!"
Senju Tobirama sat in the office, seething in helpless rage. Makoto's actions had caught him totally off guard, shattering all of his carefully laid plans.
Originally, Tobirama had intended for Konoha to coordinate with Akatsuki Village and apply joint pressure on Kumogakure.
No matter what, Konoha was widely acknowledged as the strongest ninja village in the shinobi world. Their ninja had suffered unexplained casualties during a mission—there was no way they could just let that slide.
Even if the goal was to settle things peacefully, they still had to make a stand.
Kumogakure would be forced to issue a public apology and pay reasonable compensation. Faced with pressure from both Konoha and Akatsuki Village, Kumogakure wouldn't dare escalate matters further.
Big issues would be reduced to small ones.
Small issues would fade away.
Only the upper echelons needed to know the truth—there was no need to make it public.
As for the chūnin's family, generous compensation would be enough to settle things. In that regard, Konoha was already being more than humane.
But—
Uchiha Makoto had mobilized all his resources.
He not only publicized the incident, but also proposed conditions that no one in their right mind could accept.
Thirty million ryō for a single chūnin.
Five million ryō for each injured ninja.
Two squads, eight people in total—over one hundred million ryō.
That wasn't compensation.
That was extortion.
And then there was the demand that all Cloud ninja involved be handed over to Akatsuki Village for trial, with the Raikage himself personally coming to kneel before the fallen chūnin's graves in repentance.
When Tobirama read those terms, his vision went black.
How was this any different from demanding a signed defeat treaty?
Even Li Hongzhang wouldn't dare sign something like this!
Tobirama could see it clearly now—
Makoto never intended to resolve this peacefully.
That innately wicked little Uchiha brat was a complete and utter menace.
Now the situation was completely out of control.
What enraged Tobirama the most was that Akatsuki Village had firmly bound Konoha to its public declaration.
According to rumors spreading through the shinobi world, Akatsuki Village was considered Konoha's ironclad ally.
Originally, Tobirama had even felt a bit smug about having such a "partner."
Now?
He wished Akatsuki Village were as far away as possible.
But issuing a clarification now would be completely pointless.
Uchiha Makoto—the so-called Hokage of Akatsuki Village—was an Uchiha by blood.
He had recently cemented political ties with the Uzumaki Clan, Konoha's blood-allied family, through marriage.
Claiming Akatsuki Village had nothing to do with Konoha?
Who would believe that?
You're practically wearing the same pants!
As Konoha's ally, Akatsuki Village made such a major announcement—
and you expect people to believe they didn't consult Konoha beforehand?
Who are you trying to fool?
Akatsuki Village's stance is Konoha's stance.
"Tobirama, what exactly is going on?"
Uzumaki Mito hurried into the office, speaking anxiously.
"Everyone outside is talking about the conflict with Kumogakure. Emotions are running extremely high—people are demanding justice."
"The mood is terrifying."
"What does Akatsuki Village want to do?" she asked urgently.
"They're not planning to start this war, are they?"
Tobirama's head throbbed.
Mito had just summarized Konoha's internal situation.
Because Akatsuki Village had made the incident public, Konoha's public sentiment was no calmer than Akatsuki's.
It could be described as unanimous outrage—
righteous fury—
everyone ready to fight.
The moment Kumogakure dared to say "no," they would immediately wait for Konoha's leadership to speak, ready to form a joint allied force with Akatsuki Village and march on the Hidden Cloud.
"The Rise of the Ninja Village and the Dignity of Shinobi!"
"Civilization Within, Ferocity Without!"
"The Importance of the Wolf-Warrior Spirit to Ninja Villages!"
These essays weren't just circulating in Akatsuki Village.
Through New Ninja, they spread rapidly throughout Konoha as well.
For that, Tobirama had to "thank" Uzumaki Mito's wholehearted support.
New Ninja had already been popular—but not to the point where every household bought it daily.
Mito's special funding initiative—distributing aid alongside copies of New Ninja—had directly pushed the magazine into every corner of Konoha.
These propaganda pieces weren't just super-effective on Akatsuki's rank-and-file ninja.
They worked just as well on Konoha's.
Grassroots ninja were the same everywhere.
Whether they joined Konoha or Akatsuki Village, what they wanted was a powerful backer.
Now Akatsuki Village had raised the banner.
New Ninja's influence in Konoha surged again.
And Konoha's ninja were thrilled—
Akatsuki Village was Konoha's ally.
Lord Hokage's stance almost certainly represented Konoha's leadership.
Who wouldn't want a boss like that?
Of course—
That was only what they thought.
Right now, Tobirama wanted nothing more than to tear Uchiha Makoto apart with his bare hands.
The entire situation had slipped from his grasp.
Makoto had seized the initiative completely—
and hijacked Konoha's public opinion along with it.
Damn it!
Those compensation terms were no different from a defeat treaty.
Any figure capable of founding a great ninja village had clawed their way up from seas of corpses.
Faced with conditions like these, they'd tear the paper to shreds and toss it in the trash without a second glance.
Tobirama was genuinely afraid that this would trigger a war.
Konoha wouldn't lose—but this war was entirely avoidable.
And then—
a far more terrifying thought crept into Tobirama's mind.
How had this spread through all of Konoha so quickly?
Was New Ninja really that powerful?
No.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Was this all planned by Makoto alone?
Or was there a group behind him?
Did the Uchiha Clan in Konoha secretly fan the flames?
What role were they playing in all of this?
Could those innately wicked Uchiha be using Makoto's influence—coordinating with him behind the scenes—to expand the Uchiha Clan's power within Konoha?
And then—
No.
That was too horrifying.
Tobirama had never hesitated to assume the worst when it came to the Uchiha.
If war broke out, Kumogakure would certainly lose.
Makoto, as the public architect of victory, would see his prestige skyrocket.
And the Uchiha Clan's influence within Konoha would rise along with it.
War had always been the most efficient way to seize power.
With their influence suddenly soaring, the Uchiha would undoubtedly exploit the opportunity to demand more authority.
After all, they were already one of Konoha's founding clans.
So what would they do next?
Put the Hokage's ceremonial robes directly on Uchiha Madara?!
Terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying!
Tobirama's thoughts spiraled out of control, constructing scenario after scenario—each more frightening than the last.
Innately wicked Uchiha!
I will never let you succeed!
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