Chapter 170:
"Sasuke… is something bothering you?"
Sitting beside Sasuke on the bed, Sakura's heart was fluttering wildly. Even so, she still noticed that something was off with him.
"Yeah… Sakura, have you ever felt like… the village isn't quite right? There's something sick about the current Hidden Leaf Village. Whether it's the criminals causing destruction or the Fox Spirit Hero who's supposed to stop them, in essence, they're no different. They both hurt innocent villagers."
Hearing Sasuke's words, Sakura subconsciously nodded.
"Sakura, I want to save the Hidden Leaf… Will you help me?" Sasuke turned to look at her, his gaze serious.
"..." In silence, Sakura recalled her conversation with Tsunade—how even criminals could become good people, how even they could save the Hidden Leaf.
"I will, Sasuke," she answered solemnly with a nod. "But… what do we do?"
"…I'm going to become Hokage." Sasuke's expression made it clear he wasn't joking.
"The Hidden Leaf will be saved by the person you least expect."
"And that includes you, Sakura," Sasuke said, looking directly at her.
"Oh—Sasuke, should we bring Naruto in too? With his help, your chances of becoming Hokage would be much higher." Sakura suggested, but seeing Sasuke's conflicted expression, her voice gradually trailed off.
"The truth is, Sakura… Naruto is the Fox Spirit Hero."
"…What did you say!?"
Hidden Leaf Village Plaza.
A massive crowd had gathered. The Leaf Police Force had shown up to maintain order.
"Clown! He's just a clown!"
"Get the clown off the stage!"
"Throw him back in jail!"
…
Similar jeers echoed nonstop from the crowd. Standing toward the back, Sakura watched Sasuke nervously as he stood at the front of the platform.
"I used to hate everyone. I knew that everyone hated me. So… please, allow me to let go of the Uchiha clan's pride and apologize to you all. Truly… I am so very sorry!"
The crowd seemed stunned by Sasuke's sudden gesture. The jeering died down as his apology echoed.
"Has Sasuke… really changed?" Shikamaru muttered, puffing on a cigarette as he observed Sasuke on stage.
"To be honest, I hate speaking in front of a crowd. So I'll keep this short… Citizens of the Hidden Leaf, I've decided to run for Hokage!"
"What!?"
Shikamaru choked on his cigarette the moment he heard Sasuke's announcement and began coughing violently.
"If you don't even know how to smoke, don't pretend you're Asuma-sensei," Ino said, patting him on the back.
"That's not it! I'm saying—is he seriously running for Hokage!? The clown!?"
"Actually, I have some rather interesting data," Sasuke continued. "During the conflicts between the Fox Spirit Hero and various criminals, the economic damage caused by the Fox Spirit Hero has consistently exceeded that caused by the criminals themselves. That means many people weren't hurt by criminals—but by the so-called 'protector' fighting in their name!"
"Nowadays, it seems the village's higher-ups care only about their own profit. While they line their pockets, they've handed the village's safety to a mysterious fox-masked man whose origins are unknown! The reason I became a 'clown' in the first place… was because of this. And today, I'll reveal the painful truth of why I became the Clown…"
Hokage's Office.
"Damn it!"
Watching the Clown's speech, Tsunade furiously smashed her desk into pieces.
There was no way she would allow the Clown to become Hokage.
"…And so, we're all victims of the corruption at the top of the Hidden Leaf! I've done many terrible things—things that haunt my conscience even now."
As Sasuke finished speaking, applause suddenly rang out from the crowd.
One person started clapping, and others quickly followed.
Whether or not Sasuke truly felt remorse, at the very least, his words had moved the crowd.
However, the first person to clap was actually a member of the Jar Gang.
"Thank you… Thank you, everyone. Honestly, I don't believe I can become a good person, nor do I think I deserve to be one. The scorn you've all shown me is natural. But because you've opened your hearts and accepted me, I want to do something for you. That's how I intend to atone."
Sasuke choked with emotion.
The crowd was genuinely moved. Some even became his fans.
After all, someone good-looking always has a natural advantage—no matter the field.
"I hope everyone understands—this speech isn't about me running for Hokage. That's just the method. Our true goal is far greater. We want to eliminate crime from the Hidden Leaf. Not by killing criminals—but by helping them find work and reintegrate into society, just like I did."
"When we succeed, we'll all be heroes of the Hidden Leaf! So—who will join me!? Let's save the village and become its pride!"
Sasuke's words were met with enthusiastic cheers from the villagers.
"Shikamaru, the latest message from Lady Hokage—she wants us to bring the Clown in," Ino said.
"Man… Why does all the dirty work fall to us lately?" Shikamaru sighed, extinguishing his cigarette.
Ever since Danzō's death and the dissolution of the Foundation, all the shady tasks had been dumped onto the Leaf Police Force.
"Captain Shikamaru, what are you doing here?"
Standing tall on the stage, Sasuke looked down at Shikamaru, who had pushed through the crowd.
"I'm here to bring you in, Clown."
"Bring me in? Where to? The Hidden Leaf Prison? The ones who truly belong in prison are the corrupt higher-ups!"
"I hope you can understand, Clown…"
"I'm not the Clown anymore! I'm Sasuke now!" Sasuke roared at him.
Just then, the Fox Spirit Hero descended from the sky and slammed Sasuke to the ground.
"What are you doing, Naru—Fox Spirit Hero!" Sakura cried as she rushed to Sasuke's side.
"I'm just trying to keep things from getting out of hand," the Fox Spirit Hero replied, looking down at Sasuke pinned beneath him. "Sasuke… what exactly are you trying to do?"
"What am I trying to do? Fox Spirit Hero, everything you've done has been pointless. Arresting more criminals won't change anything. If we don't deal with the root cause, there'll always be more."
"The village's leaders are not the root of all crime."
"No, they are. Their inaction is the root cause. No one chooses to become a criminal—people are forced into it."
"I'm running for Hokage to ensure that everyone in the Hidden Leaf can live happy lives. So no one will ever have to become a criminal out of desperation again. And you, Fox Spirit Hero… It's time for you to retire. Go live a normal life."
Sasuke said, still pinned to the ground by the Fox Spirit Hero.
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