Sarutobi Hiruzen had practically exhausted every ounce of his political skill just to barely stabilize the situation. Even so, the major clans of Konoha were no pushovers. Their willingness to unite under the Hokage was based entirely on self-interest: so long as following the Hokage maximized benefits, they would follow him. But if the Hokage failed to bring them profit—or, worse, caused them losses—then why would they continue to acknowledge him as the leader?
Another month passed, and small-scale frictions between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire began to surface again.
Bound by the peace treaty, the shinobi sent by Kumogakure to provoke Konoha were all disguised as defectors. But the entire ninja world knew one thing clearly: among the Five Great Villages, Kumogakure had the fewest missing-ninja.
Now, suddenly, over a hundred "Kumo defectors" appeared? Anyone with a brain could tell these were official Kumo shinobi merely pretending.
Yet Konoha couldn't call them out openly. Even if they did, Kumogakure would simply deny everything. Konoha had no choice but to send their own forces to intercept, and before long, the situation reverted to what it had been before the war—no large-scale battles, just constant harassment and endless skirmishes.
It was as if the entire war had been fought for nothing. Everything returned to the starting point. Nothing had changed.
This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation plummeted even further. His initiative to negotiate a truce was already heavily criticized—many shinobi saw it as cowardly. If peace truly followed afterward, they might have tolerated it; after all, even if Konoha gained nothing, at least fewer people would die.
But now? No benefits gained, and people continued dying.
Who could endure that?
With the situation worsening by the day, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to personally visit Root. No one knew what he discussed with Danzō. But the very next day, all kinds of rumors began spreading through Konoha.
"It's all Hyūga Hizashi's fault! If it weren't for his son, this war never would've started!"
"It's not just the Hyūga. The Uchiha shouldn't have captured the Two-Tails' jinchūriki! That's what made the war escalate!"
"I heard the Uchiha and Hyūga's raid squad killed too many Kumo shinobi. That's what provoked them into going all-out! Otherwise, the war wouldn't have been so brutal!"
All kinds of twisted, fabricated rumors spread across the village.
Those who actually fought on the battlefield scoffed at such nonsense—the stories were illogical and full of holes.
But civilians didn't have such discernment. Especially the grieving families who had lost loved ones—people who were already furious, heartbroken, and dissatisfied with the meager compensation they received after the war. Whether the rumors were true or false didn't matter—these stories gave them somewhere to vent their resentment.
"My son was only sixteen! Not even married yet, and he died on the battlefield. H-how can I live with this… Hyūga Hizashi, give me back my child!"
"She's right! Even if the Hyūga aren't entirely responsible, the conflict began because of them! Shouldn't they compensate us?"
"My poor boy…!"
In an instant, both the Hyūga and the Uchiha became public enemies—despised by the masses. If not for the fear of provoking clans they couldn't defeat, these people would have marched straight to the Hyūga and Uchiha compounds to block their gates.
The Hyūga and Uchiha were already resentful toward the Hokage faction after the "last-minute replacement" on the battlefield. Now that these rumors appeared, how could they not realize who was orchestrating the smear campaign?
The Hyūga held their anger in.
But the Uchiha—proud and fiery by nature—would not tolerate such insults.
Anyone who spread rumors about them was dragged off on the spot. Within a few days, several violent conflicts had already broken out.
Civilians obviously couldn't defeat the Uchiha. Combined with the Uchiha's already poor reputation, many civilians automatically interpreted these arrests as the Uchiha "feeling guilty." That only convinced more ignorant villagers that the rumors were true, leading even more people to join in the gossip.
The Uchiha, however, didn't care. Whoever slandered them would be taken away—simple and direct. Before long, open hostility between the Uchiha and Konoha's civilian population reached a boiling point.
As the bridge between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, Shisui could not allow this to continue. For days, he had been mediating with the Uchiha Police Force—sometimes even resorting to physical confrontation.
Itachi had been following Shisui this entire time, watching everything unfold.
"Why… why did things become like this? Our clansmen are far too impulsive."
Typical of "Saint Shisui," he immediately placed all blame on the Uchiha. Even Itachi couldn't continue listening.
"Shisui, how can this be our clan's fault? Our people risked their lives on the battlefield, killed countless enemies, earned countless merits—for the sake of protecting Konoha! Protecting these very civilians! But now? Instead of gratitude, they believe these ridiculous rumors? Isn't the problem with them?"
Shisui inhaled slowly, eyes fixed on Itachi.
"Itachi, yes, the civilians are wrong. But they were merely misled. As Uchiha, what we must do is calm them, minimize the damage—not escalate conflict. Acting head-on solves nothing."
Itachi snorted lightly.
"That may be true… but Father already rejected Hyūga Hizashi. I doubt he has any solution."
"What? Hizashi approached the clan head?"
Itachi nodded.
"Last night. Hizashi came to Father, hoping our clans could work together to clarify the truth. But Father refused. I don't understand him. Is he really willing to let these people slander us? To let our clan's battlefield achievements be reduced to nothing? How can we face our fallen kin?"
Shisui instantly understood: Uchiha Fugaku was trying to bow out.
Despite being naïve, Shisui wasn't stupid. He recognized exactly where these rumors came from.
He even understood why Hiruzen did this. But for someone like him—an ultimate, hopeless loyalist—nothing Sarutobi Hiruzen did could change his loyalty. Just as pathetic simps forgive everything from their "goddess"—cheating, carrying someone else's child, stealing their money—Shisui would forgive anything the Third Hokage did.
To Shisui, Sarutobi Hiruzen was like a beautiful streamer behind a computer screen—his filters were so thick they defied logic.
In Shisui's eyes, everything Hiruzen did was for the "greater good," for "the village," for "the Land of Fire." That was all that mattered.
"In any case, I believe Lord Hokage will resolve this. We just need to restrain our anger and wait for the truth to surface."
Itachi frowned deeply, disgust and disillusionment building within him.
While Itachi's faith was collapsing, Hyūga Hizashi—guided by Uchiha Rokuro—arrived at the home of Uchiha Setsuna.
Seeing Uchiha Rokuro's dark, sleep-deprived eye bags, the nearly ninety-year-old Uchiha Setsuna personally peeled an orange for him.
Hyūga Hizashi observed quietly.
It was clear that Uchiha Rokuro was already being nurtured by Setsuna as his successor.
Hizashi couldn't help but think of his own son, Hyūga Neji. In a few years, Neji would enter the Academy. In Hizashi's eyes, his son was a prodigy among prodigies—his Byakugan restored to perfection, brimming with potential. With Neji's talent, completing the Academy's six-year curriculum seemed unnecessary.
Once he graduated, the village would assign a jōnin as his squad leader. As clan head and father, Hizashi couldn't take that role. But Rokuro—already possessing jōnin-level strength and soon to be an adult—was the perfect candidate.
The thought flickered in Hizashi's mind, though he suppressed it for now. There were still years to go.
Setsuna spoke first.
"Clan Head Hizashi, you're here because of those rumors circulating around the village, aren't you?"
"You're correct, Elder Setsuna. With your experience, I'm sure you already know who's spreading these lies."
"Heh… Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō's old trick. They used the same method against Hatake Sakumo. Unfortunately for them, Sakumo didn't fall for it—he chose suicide instead, flipping the table on them. And now they're using this tactic again… clearly they intend to suppress our clans."
Nearly ninety years old, Uchiha Setsuna had long since seen through every political scheme imaginable. Hiruzen's ploy was crude and obvious.
Hizashi sighed.
"Even so, the current situation is extremely unfavorable for us—especially for the Hyūga. The war began because of the attempted kidnapping of my son. I'm the one involved. Even if I step forward to clarify things, no one will believe me."
"I approached Clan Head Fugaku earlier, but he preferred to 'let things settle.' I understand his position, but I cannot agree with his method."
Setsuna scoffed—he was increasingly annoyed with Fugaku's cowardice.
This was also why he placed his hopes on Rokuro. Uchiha Rokuro was only ten years old, yet both his strength and political instinct far surpassed Fugaku.
Setsuna had already decided: in a few years, once Rokuro reached adulthood, he would push him to become the next Uchiha clan head. As for Fugaku—he could step aside voluntarily. If he cooperated, Setsuna would give him dignity. If not… Setsuna would force dignity upon him.
The old man refused to die until he saw the Uchiha revive. Now that hope existed, nothing would stop him from supporting Rokuro.
"Rokuro, what do you think about all this?"
Intentionally testing him, Setsuna tossed the problem to him.
Hizashi also looked toward Rokuro. After multiple missions together—and with Rokuro being the one who devised the plan to cut off the Land of Lightning's supply line—Hizashi held great respect for his strategic mind.
Rokuro placed the orange aside and wiped his mouth.
"The reason Sarutobi Hiruzen is doing all this is simple: the defeat in the war has shaken his position as Hokage. And recently, the Hyūga and Uchiha have grown closer, which threatens him. Solving this issue is simple: just force the Hyūga and Uchiha to completely break ties. I assume that's why Clan Head Fugaku rejected you."
Hizashi nodded slightly—he had thought of the same.
"But in my opinion, Fugaku's method treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Even if our clans sever all ties, that doesn't erase the fact that Hiruzen's last-minute decision cost Konoha the war. Konoha is a village of shinobi, not civilians. The civilians may not know the truth, but the shinobi do. Such cheap tricks cannot work forever."
"When these schemes stop producing results, Hiruzen will only escalate his underhanded tactics. And then what? Should our clans continue yielding? The Uchiha have already been pushed to the outskirts of the village. How much further can they retreat? Move out of the village altogether?"
Hizashi leaned forward slightly.
"And what do you propose, Rokuro?"
Rokuro turned and faced him directly.
"Hizashi… do you still believe Sarutobi Hiruzen is fit to be Hokage?"
Hizashi hesitated briefly, then spoke honestly—no longer concealing his thoughts.
"To be frank, back when I was only the head of the Branch Family, I still respected the Third. Under his rule, Konoha lacked ambition, but it was stable. But after the Caged Bird incident, and after this war—I see now that the Third has grown old. Too old. He's become timid and conservative. He might still serve as an advisor… but as Hokage? He is no longer qualified."
To speak such boldly disrespectful words—there was no question that Hyūga Hizashi's heart was overflowing with resentment and distrust toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And who could blame him? Ever since Hizashi took the position of clan head, Hiruzen had caused him trouble one incident after another.
Not everyone was a coward like Uchiha Fugaku, nor were they blind loyalists like Uchiha Shisui. Normal people could clearly distinguish who supported them and who held hostility toward them—and Hyūga Hizashi was no exception.
Hearing Hizashi's blunt declaration, Uchiha Setsuna cast a meaningful glance at Rokuro.
Months ago—long before any of this happened—Rokuro had told him that if the Uchiha wished to revive their clan, perhaps even secure the Hokage position someday, the single most crucial step was to ally with the Hyūga. Ideally, to form a strategic military and political coalition.
At the time, Setsuna agreed with Rokuro's reasoning, but he didn't believe it could be achieved so easily.
And yet—in just a few short months—they had already reached this point.
Silently marveling at his decision to place his trust in Rokuro, Setsuna now watched him with burning anticipation, curious how he would respond.
"Captain Hizashi, you've fought your way up through merit. You're far better than certain second-generation types who rely entirely on bloodline and connections. Since that's the case, things become simple. The Uchiha and Hyūga cannot back down, and Sarutobi Hiruzen has already made his move—so we'll simply counter his move."
Hizashi leaned forward slightly.
"And how do we counter it?"
"Simple. They're launching a public-opinion offensive, right? If they can do it, why can't we? Besides, they're spreading lies. All we have to do is spread the truth."
Rokuro smiled faintly, his tone calm yet sharp.
"Starting tomorrow, send people disguised with the Transformation Technique and Shadow Clones to pose as ordinary villagers. Have them spread rumors on the streets—reveal how Sarutobi Hiruzen replaced our forces at the last moment and caused us to lose the war. And while you're at it, spread word of our battlefield achievements in full detail—the more detailed, the better."
Hizashi hesitated.
"Will that really work?"
Rokuro chuckled.
"Oh, it'll work beautifully. Public opinion is a double-edged sword. Once enough voices appear, the villagers will split into different camps based on their own beliefs. Some will keep cursing us—but others will start cursing Sarutobi Hiruzen. To win a public-opinion war, the key lies in details."
"No matter what the truth is, the side whose rumors contain the richer, more consistent details will appear more credible. And our story is the truth—it will withstand scrutiny. Their nonsense, on the other hand? Every point they make collapses on contact."
Hizashi and Setsuna exchanged a glance. Both nodded—this was indeed feasible.
"We can certainly win the battle of public opinion," Rokuro continued, "but that's merely a small matter. What we must truly prepare for is Sarutobi Hiruzen's next move."
Hizashi frowned.
"Next move? What else does he intend to do?"
Rokuro spread his hands casually.
"As long as he feels his position as Hokage is unstable, he'll use every possible method to suppress the major clans. And the Uchiha and Hyūga are his first targets. Once you understand that, you'll know what must be done."
Seeing that they still hadn't grasped the core of his reasoning, Rokuro spelled it out plainly.
"In simple terms—cut ties. Sever every dependency the clans have on the village. For example—look at the Uchiha. Ever since being forced to relocate to the village outskirts, nearly all their businesses have collapsed. Now, the entire clan's income comes from the funding allocated to the Police Force."
"That is the vulnerability. If Hiruzen decides to reduce that funding for any reason, the Uchiha will be devastated. So instead of waiting for that inevitable cut, we should find alternative income sources now."
Uchiha Setsuna's expression darkened. Unlike Shisui's naïve idealism, Setsuna knew well how vital money was to a ninja clan.
Ninjas were strong not only because of bloodline. Food, supplies, training materials—everything cost money.
Chakra was a fusion of mental and physical energy. Unless one was an Indra or Asura reincarnation with metaphysical cheat codes, the law of energy conservation still applied.
In other words—if a ninja couldn't afford to eat properly, their strength would plummet.
Beyond that were the medicines—stimulants, healing salves, antidotes—all essential to survival. And all expensive.
If the clan treasury collapsed, the Uchiha's strength would decline as a whole, and in the worst case, internal conflict would erupt.
The Hyūga were better off. They hadn't been exiled to the village edge; they still maintained shops on the main streets. Combined with mission pay, this kept their clan stable—for now.
But Rokuro's words made Hizashi realize the danger.
The Hokage was still the political head of the village. If Hiruzen wanted to target them discreetly, it would cause endless trouble.
Seeing that both men understood, Rokuro no longer wasted breath.
Truthfully, the most effective solution would simply be to eliminate Sarutobi Hiruzen and the rest of the "F4." But the cost would be catastrophic.
Even if they succeeded, the Uchiha and Hyūga would be branded as traitors—hunted by all of Konoha and the entire Land of Fire.
Worse still, if the other clans banded together afterward and installed their own Hokage, the Uchiha and Hyūga would have wasted their efforts completely.
Such a foolish move could never be taken.
After reminding them of everything necessary, Rokuro excused himself and returned home.
Then, with a flash of Flying Thunder God, he teleported to the laboratory outside the village. He arrived just in time to hear Uchiha Ashikaga and Uchiha Izumi cheering.
"Success! This is the optimal genome—no hereditary defects, fully integrating all advantages. It's even more perfect than the Hyūga genome we used last time!"
Rokuro rushed over immediately. After comparing everything carefully, he confirmed that this truly was the optimal genetic sequence.
"Excellent. After nearly half a year, we finally did it. Next, we can begin live testing."
Thanks to their previous experience, the physical enhancement of the test mice had been carried out simultaneously with the genome optimization. Now the laboratory held over a hundred strengthened mice.
Their chakra was faint, but their raw physical strength allowed them to bend iron bars as thick as a finger. They could already wrestle with low-level ninja beasts.
"Rokuro, be careful this time. Don't let the experiment rampage again."
"Relax. I'll add several extra sealing layers. And we still have half of the Two-Tails' chakra left—more than enough."
After all preparations were complete, the first live experiment of the Uchiha Bloodline Purification Project began.
END OF CHAPTER
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