That night, several small teams from the Uchiha clan quietly moved through the village's residential areas.
A leaflet was slipped under the door of every household, the operation carried out with remarkable speed. The flyers disappeared quickly from the teams' hands, and when they regrouped, their packages were already empty.
"Did you all get there?"
In the moonlight, the face of the Uchiha who spoke beca visible. It was Midori, personally assigned to lead the operation by Fugaku.
"Lord Midori, we've covered everything," the group confird.
"Good, let's go back," Midori said, leading them calmly back to the clan's territory as if nothing had happened.
anwhile, Fugaku was already asleep, preparing himself for what would be a pivotal day tomorrow. A slight smile lingered on his lips in his slumber.
"Uncle, I think I'm about to fulfill your expectations," he murmured softly in his dreams.
...
The first rays of morning light illuminated the leaves of Konoha as the villagers opened their doors to begin a new day.
As doors swung open, flyers fell from the cracks, landing at the feet of curious villagers. Picking them up and reading the contents, gasps of shock filled the air.
A huge scandal! Could this really be done by Lord Hokage?
The flyers accused him of embezzling the war compensation funds to benefit his own clan—a despicable act that left villagers stunned and angry.
Soon, the streets buzzed with heated discussions. Families who had lost loved ones in the war were especially outraged, with so breaking into tears. Their kin had given their lives on the frontlines, only for the Hokage to enrich himself with money ant as life insurance for their sacrifices.
As the situation grew tenser, an ordinary-looking young man stepped forward and shouted, "Let's go ask Lord Hokage for so answers!"
Several villagers imdiately echoed his sentints, their emotions surging. No one paid attention to the young man or his unfamiliar face—just one among many in the crowd.
Similar scenes unfolded across the village. By the ti the villagers converged on the main road, they had beco an unstoppable sea of people. With subtle guidance from unknown individuals, the crowd moved not toward the Hokage Building but toward the Sarutobi Clan's territory.
"Captain, should we stop them?" an Anbu operative asked his captain as they observed the growing crowd.
"We just have to report the situation," the captain replied helplessly. Fighting the villagers wasn't an option. Besides, his own family had received the flyer, and he too wanted to uncover the truth behind its accusations.
"Yes," the Anbu Ninja responded, watching the crowd pass in front of him.
"Let's report," said the Head Ninja before vanishing.
By the ti the news reached Hiruzen, the villagers had already surrounded the Sarutobi Clan's territory.
"What's happening?! What are they up to? Are they starting a rebellion?"
Hiruzen paced furiously in his ho, stomping his foot so hard that the floor beneath him cracked.
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, I suspect it's this flyer," the captain said, handing him a leaflet he had picked up on the street. The eyes beneath the captain's mask were fixed on Hiruzen, carefully observing his reaction.
Hiruzen took the flyer and scanned it quickly. His expression changed instantly. The compensation funds had only been moved a few days ago due to logistical delays—the money was paid by the Land of Wind, and their new minting made them traceable.
With the Sarutobi Clan's territory surrounded, if the villagers rushed in, the truth would inevitably be exposed.
"Stop the villagers from entering the Sarutobi Clan's territory. You are permitted to use force," Hiruzen commanded, his voice trembling slightly with urgency.
"Use force against the villagers?" the captain asked hesitantly. From Hiruzen's reaction, he had already pieced together the truth, and the order made him uneasy.
"What, are you going to disobey?" Hiruzen snapped, his eyes widening as murderous intent surged and enveloped the captain.
"No! I'll go right now," the captain replied hurriedly, turning to leave. Only then did he realize his back was soaked with cold sweat.
"Kawakaze Hatake, what a ruthless move," Hiruzen muttered, crushing the leaflet in his hand into a ball. It crumbled to ashes as it fell to the ground.
He could not afford to appear in person at this mont, so he summoned the Shadow Guard, hoping they, along with the Anbu, could protect the Sarutobi Clan. As long as the funds remained undiscovered, there was still room to maneuver.
But Kawakaze had anticipated this move. He watched calmly as the villagers confronted the Anbu and Shadow Guard surrounding the Sarutobi Clan's territory.
From a distance, Fugaku no longer concealed himself. He flashed forward, appearing at the front of the gathered villagers.
"Fugaku Uchiha?"
One of the shadow guards frowned, puzzled by Fugaku's unexpected presence.
"Everyone, quiet for a mont! Let introduce myself," Fugaku said, his tone calm and authoritative. "My na is Fugaku Uchiha, the current Uchiha Clan Head."
The villagers quieted down, their attention focused on him.
"Everyone gathered here today is simply seeking the truth, and I believe Lord Hokage would not do such a terrible thing," Fugaku continued. "We'll just wait for Lord Hokage to co, or we'll go to the Sarutobi Clan and find out the truth. You won't solve the problem by arguing here."
His composed deanor and the weight of his title seed to reassure the crowd, giving them a sense of direction.
"Lord Fugaku, what if Lord Hokage doesn't co?" one of the "villagers" asked.
"Yes, yes, what if he doesn't co?" others chid in.
"If he doesn't co, it might an there's sothing to hide," one villager added thoughtfully.
"The Hokage may be busy with other things," Fugaku replied, maintaining a polite and impartial tone. "I don't believe he would do such a thing. I will personally take you in and prove Lord Hokage's innocence."
His words carried an air of sincerity, as though he truly intended to defend Hiruzen.
"Okay, we'll trust you for once," a majority of the villagers agreed, choosing to bide their ti with the Anbu and Shadow Guard.
"May I ask how long Lord Hokage will take?" Fugaku inquired with a slight smile, addressing the Anbu captain who had earlier reported the situation to Hiruzen.
The captain hesitated. The idea of using force at this point was unthinkable—not only because of the crowd but because confronting Fugaku directly in front of so many witnesses could lead to severe consequences. Defeating the Uchiha Clan Head here would only escalate the situation further, possibly leading to retaliation.
"Erm, Lord Hokage is busy," the captain replied vaguely, then fell silent.
Fugaku studied the captain's words and expression with a knowing look.
"We'll wait for another hour," Fugaku announced to the gathered villagers. "If Lord Hokage doesn't co, I'll take you in."
He spoke with calm assurance, unfazed by the possibility of the money being hidden.
"No way. No one is getting into the Sarutobi Clan territory," a ninja from the Sarutobi Clan said, stepping forward with a determined look, clearly ready to fight.
Idiot! thought the Shadow Guard nearby. Saying sothing like that makes it sound like there's a problem even if there isn't. You could find another excuse to fight, but this is as good as admitting guilt.
"Oh?" Fugaku responded, his voice laced with mock curiosity. "If you won't let in, does that an Lord Hokage really embezzled the compensation money for the ninjas killed on the frontlines?"
He began to walk forward slowly, a confident smile on his face as his Three Tomoe Sharingan appeared.
The Sarutobi Clan ninja froze under the weight of Fugaku's gaze. The swirling red pupils stared directly into his eyes, and he found himself swallowing nervously.
"I-I-I..." The ninja stamred, unable to form a coherent response.
He was caught between two impossible choices: retreating and looking weak, or standing firm and adding fuel to the villagers' suspicions. Fugaku's deliberate pressure left him stranded, like a man on fire with no way out.
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