"Kira?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression twitched at the mention of that name.
He still remembered it vividly.
Years ago, this same man had publicly humiliated him, scolding him in front of countless villagers. It took years for the Third Hokage to recover his prestige and restore his authority in the eyes of the people.
"Don't tell me… he's here to do it again?"
A heavy sense of dread settled over Hiruzen's heart.
"Lord Hokage…"
An Anbu ninja suddenly appeared before him, half-kneeling, his voice trembling as if he had seen something unthinkable.
"Lord Hokage, when we were collecting the Uchiha clan's bodies, they suddenly started burning on their own—and we can't stop the flames!"
Before the report even finished, Hiruzen could already see it with his own eyes.
On the long street, the fallen Uchiha corpses were engulfed in eerie blue flames that danced and flickered hauntingly, refusing to die out.
"Damn it! Don't just stand there—put out the fire! The Uchiha were Konoha shinobi too! We can't let their bodies be destroyed!"
Danzo roared, his voice echoing through the night.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Water Style: Water Wave Technique!"
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Dozens of shinobi rapidly formed hand signs, unleashing torrents of water toward the flames.
But it was useless.
No matter how much water poured down, the fire burned hotter, spreading faster until every Uchiha body turned to ash.
Within moments, the entire clan's remains were gone—reduced to dust under a ghostly light.
"What the hell is going on!?"
A sudden cry broke out from a corner.
Everyone turned in shock. A man wearing a Madara-style mask was frantically slapping at his body — flames just like the ones consuming the corpses were crawling up his clothes.
"Getting your hands on Uchiha Sharingan isn't that easy," said the dragon-masked man from the rooftop, his tone dripping with mockery.
"You… it's you!" the masked man shouted furiously, tossing away several glass jars filled with Sharingan eyes. Only then did the flames on his body die out.
He glared up at the dragon-masked figure with pure hatred.
Everything he'd gained from the Uchiha massacre — gone in an instant. Burned away.
His rage was boundless.
"For the sake of Uchiha's bloodline and their Sharingan, the so-called 'leaders' of Konoha joined forces to orchestrate this massacre," the masked man continued mockingly. "And you, an outsider, helped them slaughter the clan with your own hands. Pathetic."
All around, the Anbu present exchanged uneasy glances.
Even Hiruzen's eyes grew wary.
Everything that had happened tonight was strange — from the moment Anbu declared a Level 1 alert, to how the entire Uchiha massacre happened without the village even realizing it.
And Danzo… the moment he arrived, he blamed everything on Uchiha Itachi.
The whole situation stank of conspiracy.
"Kira, enough nonsense!" Hiruzen barked. "The Uchiha were our comrades—our Konoha brethren! They may have had their differences, but as Hokage, I worked tirelessly to bring reconciliation between them and the village!"
"Reconciliation?" The dragon-masked man chuckled darkly, the corners of his mouth curling beneath the mask.
"Tell me then, Lord Third Hokage—where's your proof? Show everyone here what reconciliation you're talking about!"
"This matter involves village secrets," Hiruzen said tightly. "It cannot be revealed publicly."
Naruto—hidden beneath the mask—smirked.
He raised his hand, and with a wave, a light-screen appeared in the sky over the Uchiha compound.
It flickered, then came to life.
Hiruzen's heart sank.
Here we go again.
Sure enough—again.
The projection showed a young Uchiha Shisui meeting with Danzo.
Without warning, Danzo snatched one of Shisui's eyes, setting him ablaze, and ordered Root operatives to hunt him down.
Gasps spread through the watching Anbu. Their eyes turned cold and disgusted as they looked at Danzo.
"Shisui… is this true?"
Inside Red Sun Town, where the Uchiha spirits were watching, Fugaku turned to Shisui with suspicion.
Shisui looked uncomfortable.
"The part where Danzo took my eye—yeah, that's real. The chase happened too," he admitted. "But later, when Itachi and I met again and staged the rest… that was acting."
He remembered how awkward it had been when Naruto first made him and Itachi re-enact the entire event. Their acting had been terrible at first, but under Naruto's relentless coaching, they'd eventually mastered the scene over two grueling weeks.
He never thought Naruto would use that footage now.
The screen shifted again.
It showed Uchiha Itachi reporting Shisui's death to Hiruzen — Danzo's theft, the entire betrayal laid bare.
Hiruzen's hesitation… his fake tears… and the pitiful "punishment" he gave Danzo — merely three rounds of self-reflection — all displayed for everyone to see.
"Hey, Lord Third Hokage!" Naruto's voice thundered from above. "Is this your idea of reconciliation with the Uchiha?"
"What a display of great sincerity!"
"The proudest genius of the Uchiha clan, murdered in cold blood — and the killer stands right in front of you, with mountains of evidence! And what do you do? You tell him to take a few months off and think about what he's done!?"
"Even a Hokage should know the meaning of justice! Reward and punishment must be clear — that's the bare minimum of leadership!"
"But no — the man who murdered your own shinobi gets to come back as an elder, throwing his weight around the village, barking orders like nothing happened!"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! You old fool!" Naruto's voice rose with fury. "Is the title of Hokage just your Sarutobi family's personal property!?"
Every word struck like a hammer — furious, sharp, and impossible to ignore — as the truth of Konoha's hypocrisy burned beneath the moonlit sky.
-------------------------
For advanced chapters, visit patreon.com/Varnok