The next day.
At the early morning high council meeting of Konohagakure—
"I'm sure everyone has heard the rumors by now…" said Homelander, donning the Hokage hat and ceremonial robe, standing solemnly before Konoha's senior leaders. "Just last night, a group of criminals escaped from prison. They infiltrated the eastern district, knocked out several innocent civilians and members of the Anbu, and attempted to assassinate the esteemed Lord Danzo."
As he spoke, the others listened.
When he mentioned the criminals beating up Anbu operatives, the Third Hokage raised an eyebrow, but continued puffing his pipe as if nothing happened.
The rest wore a mixture of disbelief and tension.
The clan heads of the Eight Great Clans looked completely stunned.
"What kind of criminals could possibly overpower Anbu? The Thunder and Wind brothers? But they don't exactly strike me as masterminds!" said Choza Akimichi, voicing what everyone else was thinking.
Danzo sat silently in a corner, staring down at the table without a word.
"Good question," Homelander nodded approvingly. "They weren't ordinary criminals, but rather someone who had previously colluded with the rogue ninja Orochimaru—Maruto Ite."
He slammed a photo of Maruto Ite onto the blackboard behind him and tapped it with a pointer, ensuring everyone could see clearly.
The room collectively gasped in realization.
"As expected…"
Murmurs of understanding spread.
The Third Hokage nodded slightly.
Now it all made sense.
Orochimaru, after being denied the Hokage position and exiled from the village, was known to harbor deep resentment. Leaving behind some forbidden techniques or potent secret drugs for his former assistant wouldn't be out of character.
"But then, why did we find traces of intense combat at the scene?" asked Shikaku Nara, stroking his stubbled chin with suspicion. "There were huge holes in the walls and strange slicing marks from unknown jutsu."
Homelander noticed the look in Shikaku's eyes. Being stared at so intently made him laugh awkwardly, despite the serious occasion.
He chuckled and confessed, "Alright, alright, it was me. I happened to sense some unusual chakra activity while using my sensory technique yesterday, so I rushed over to help. Lord Danzo can vouch for me. That group was a real handful, right, Lord Danzo?"
"…"
Danzo remained blankly focused on the table, seemingly in a daze.
"Lord Danzo?" Homelander tilted his head and called again.
This time, Danzo snapped out of it.
"Ah? Yes, yes… that's right."
He forced a smile — one uglier than crying.
The Third Hokage found this rather strange.
Shikaku grew even more suspicious.
But there was no concrete evidence to challenge the story.
The execution of Maruto Ite was scheduled for that afternoon.
The ceremony would be open for public viewing.
Even the Uchiha clan wasn't exempt.
As members of the Konoha Military Police Force, they were responsible for on-site security.
Public executions were rare, so news of a criminal being put to death stirred great interest. Both villagers and shinobi flocked to the square to witness the spectacle.
Before the condemned was even brought out, the entire plaza was packed.
The crowd buzzed with chatter, most of it scornful toward the criminal.
"If you ask me, we ought to get rid of that hidden threat from Uzushio too."
"Who? You mean Kush—?"
"Shhh—!"
"Ahaha, no need to go that far. Sure, tailed beasts are powerful, but we've got the Hokage, don't we? Even the Nine-Tails is still sealed away, right?"
"Heh, you're way too trusting, Umino. What if that monster breaks free one day and hurts your family?"
"You're just a worrywart…"
Their conversation abruptly stopped.
Because Kushina's husband — the war hero Namikaze Minato — had entered the crowd.
Having spent months patrolling the border to defend against possible attacks from the Hidden Cloud, this was his first time back in Konoha.
To his surprise, in the short time he'd been away, the village had already selected a new Hokage.
He was shocked… and quietly disappointed.
The last time he felt this kind of disappointment was when his mentor, Jiraiya, chose to leave the village.
As he stepped into the plaza, many people took notice.
Praise and admiration surged from the crowd.
But in the next moment, Homelander descended from the sky with Maruto Ite in tow, landing theatrically on the ground.
The cheers immediately shifted direction.
"Oh my god, the Fourth Hokage can fly?!"
"Has Flying Jutsu finally been developed?!"
"First time I've seen a ninja who can fly!"
"The Third Tsuchikage from Iwagakure can fly too, but not this fast!"
"Konoha's Hokage is unbeatable!"
"Long live the Fourth!"
"So handsome… I wish I could marry Lord Hokage… sob…"
Hearing the adoring cheers, Homelander's previously stern face morphed into a radiant smile.
"Hey! Is everyone doing alright?"
"Ohhhh!!!"
The crowd's cheers grew even louder.
At that moment, the village elders also arrived and stood among the people.
The Third Hokage put down his smoking pipe and greeted those behind him with a kind smile.
Whenever anyone asked why he stepped down, he patiently explained the Will of Fire.
And when he said, "...the flame burns on, ever eternal," tears shimmered in the eyes of those around him.
Except for the Uchiha.
They looked on with utter disdain.
Uchiha Fugaku, their clan leader, remained silent. But whispers of scorn spread among the other Uchiha clansmen.
Just then, the execution ceremony began.
To avoid unnecessary gore, Fire Style was chosen — two fire-style ninja would ignite flames in a crisscross pattern to ensure even burning.
Maruto Ite was a coward. Before the execution even started, his legs gave out and he collapsed, wetting himself in fear.
"Don't kill me! Please! I'm begging you!!"
He wailed, mucus and tears streaming down his face, nothing like a man who had allegedly attempted to assassinate Danzo.
But his crimes were unforgivable.
"Maruto Ite: sexual assault of minors, murder of civilians, theft, and attempted treason…" Homelander recited his charges, filling the onlookers with disgust and fury.
"Scum like that deserves to die!"
"Burn him already!"
"Not even death is enough for someone like him!"
"Exactly! Anyone trying to betray the village should be roasted alive!"
"When are we going to get rid of those red-eyed freaks too…"
The remarks quickly escalated.
The Uchiha heard every word.
Many of them clenched their fists, veins bulging, Sharingan glowing crimson.
"Clan head… did you hear that?" someone whispered to Fugaku.
Fugaku closed his eyes.
"They're putting on a show for us…"
Someone sneered.
"Seems like unless we kill them first, we'll never have peace in this village."
"This morning, someone even graffitied insults against us on the police station gate…"