Konoha.
After the chaos of the Nine-Tails' rampage, the skies above Konoha were shrouded in dark clouds for three consecutive days. But by the third day, the clouds slowly dispersed, and beams of sunlight began to shine through, illuminating the land of Konoha.
The warm sunlight seemed to dispel the fear left by the Nine-Tails' attack but within the bustling village of Konoha, an oppressive atmosphere still lingered.
Ninjas patrolled everywhere—on the streets, rooftops—Konoha remained under its highest alert.
As more Konoha ninjas were mobilized to join the patrols and security teams, carts of vegetables and food were delivered door-to-door, both as supplies and to spread the shocking news throughout Konoha.
"What?! The Third Hokage's upper echelon has been conducting human experiments all along, and on their fellow ninjas no less?!"
"No way! The Nine-Tails' attack on the village was orchestrated by the Third's leadership?!"
"That's nothing! Danzo Shimura secretly experimented with the First Hokage's Wood Release cells, assassinated Uchiha Fugaku, and stole Sharingan eyes. I heard that the mysterious figure during the Nine-Tails' attack had a single Sharingan!"
"Exactly! The mysterious person not only had a single Sharingan but also had an arm enhanced with specialized Wood Release cells…"
"Unforgivable!"
"Don't worry, everyone. The village was founded by the Senju and Uchiha clans. Now that things have stabilized, everything will be back to normal by tomorrow at the latest…"
As these revelations spread, the sins of the Third Hokage's leadership were laid bare for all to see. The double-edged sword of public opinion now turned against them with a vengeance.
Initially, the people of Konoha were terrified as they learned of these developments. However, upon hearing that the Senju and Uchiha clans had joined forces to stabilize the village, a sense of relief began to spread.
This relief was especially marked by the actions of the patrol teams. Not only did they expose the crimes of the Third Hokage's leadership, but they also continuously reassured people in the name of the Senju and Uchiha clans.
At this point, the Senju and Uchiha were not the obscure entities they had become in the original story. Following six brutal years of war, the Senju and Uchiha were synonymous with strength.
"Don't worry, everyone. The ninjas of the Senju and Uchiha clans are working together to protect the village once again…"
On the streets of Konoha, the voices of Senju, Uchiha, and countless other Konoha ninjas resounded loudly.
Hiding within their homes, the civilians let out sighs of relief. From the looks of it, the unrest seemed to have come to an end.
Under the dazzling sunlight, the young Uchiha Itachi, wearing his Konoha forehead protector, gazed toward the Hokage building with eyes full of admiration.
"Sasuke, Shirou-sensei has won! One day, you must also become as strong as Sensei to protect the village."
As he played with his younger brother in his arms, Uchiha Itachi, bathed in sunlight, smiled warmly.
At that moment, the faceless stone visage of the Third Hokage on the Hokage Rock stood out starkly.
On the rooftop terrace of the Hokage office building, a meeting of the Jonin was once again convened.
This time, the meeting was held on the open terrace, partly because of the large number of attendees and partly to ensure transparency.
One by one, the arriving Jonin wore somber expressions. After all, with such a major incident in the village, none of them were naïve enough to think that war or even civil strife could be avoided. Worry was inevitable.
As the Jonin gathered on the terrace, they stood in silence, sunlight shining down on Konoha. Yet, a heavy tension pervaded the air.
"Lord Shirou, these are the documents retrieved from Root…"
When the evidence of Root's crimes was presented, the faces of those present changed dramatically. Shirou took a deep breath and said firmly:
"Show everyone! Let them see how our Third Hokage's leadership has been protecting the village and upholding their so-called Will of Fire!"
"Everyone, these are the results of research conducted during the Third's administration. Root desecrated the First Hokage's remains… later orchestrated the death of Uchiha Fugaku to obtain Sharingan eyes…"
"And these findings also include the Aburame clan's nano-scale poison bugs, the Kurama clan… One atrocity after another…"
As the dark experimental data from Root was revealed, anger spread among the assembled Jonin.
They could understand the existence of darkness in a ninja village—when it was directed at rogue ninjas or enemies.
But to learn that such atrocities were committed against their comrades, especially with the discovery of Uchiha Fugaku's remains and other bodies in Root's custody, left everyone in stunned silence.
Under such circumstances, it would have been shocking if the Uchiha hadn't rebelled.
Though bathed in sunlight, every ninja on the terrace felt a chill in their bones as they processed the unforgivable evidence before them.
"Unbelievable! They did this to our comrades…"
"And the timeline of this research—it began more than a decade ago…"
One by one, the Jonin, who had faced life-and-death situations without faltering, now looked on in disbelief, anger, and sorrow.
At that moment, four seats were brought out for the meeting. The individuals occupying them had already changed.
Sitting in these seats were Uchiha Shirou, Senju Tsunade, Uzumaki Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto—symbolizing the end of the Third Hokage's regime.
Strikingly, there was no opposition or dissent among those present.
Uchiha Mikoto had proven her strength during the battle against the Nine-Tails. With Uchiha's second Mangekyo Sharingan user, she was more than qualified to sit here.
Uzumaki Kushina, the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, had an undeniable record of achievements during the Third Ninja War. Who would dare to object?
"Jiraiya-sensei, I'm sorry."
Among the crowd, Namikaze Minato bowed his head toward Jiraiya, seemingly apologizing for his temporary defection.
However, Jiraiya, looking at the four leaders and the evidence of Root's crimes, let out a bitter smile and a sigh:
"Minato, you made the right choice. If things had continued as they were, the village would have suffered even greater unrest."
Even Jiraiya had to admit, with this mountain of evidence, that all the good the Third Hokage had done for Konoha was now overshadowed. He was destined to become the village's first Hokage to go down in history as a criminal.
Among the patrolling ninjas, many were seen with Sharingan eyes and red armbands bearing distinctive insignias, their fervent expressions speaking volumes.
There was no doubt—that Konoha had undergone a monumental shift.
"Everyone, the corruption of the Third Hokage's leadership has been proven beyond a doubt. From unauthorized experimentation with the First Hokage's cells to the assassination of fellow ninjas, the theft of kekkei genkai, and the horrifying crimes uncovered in Root."
Shirou's voice echoed with righteous anger. There was no need to fabricate charges against Root—the evidence was damning enough, and it was only the tip of the iceberg.
With witnesses and physical evidence, bolstered by Namikaze Minato's silent testimony, the Third Hokage's faction had been plunged into the abyss.
"Root conducted inhumane experiments on our comrades under the guise of protecting Konoha! These so-called leaders who constantly preached the Will of Fire secretly betrayed the village long ago!"
"During the war, all of us—even children under ten from the Ninja Academy—marched to the battlefield. And yet, our Hokage and his elite families not only cowered in the rear but also greedily…"
Shirou left no room for leniency, harshly condemning the Third Hokage's leadership. The evidence laid out for everyone to see left no room for doubt.
The color drained from everyone's faces.
As he spoke, Shirou's gaze shifted to the ninja representing the Sarutobi clan. Sarutobi Asuma, seeing Shirou's encouraging look, stepped forward. Though only fourteen, he took a deep breath and declared loudly before everyone:
"I, Sarutobi Asuma, swear as a Konoha ninja that every word in these reports is true! And there's even more that hasn't been uncovered yet! For instance, during the war, a certain senior Jonin of the Mitokado clan embezzled frontline supplies, selling them at high prices on the black market… And the grandson of the Koharu clan hid in the rear…"
Good heavens!
Even Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. If Namikaze Minato's defection could be rationalized as a response to the Third's tolerance of Root's darkness, Asuma's public denunciation of his clan was utterly unprecedented.
The old man's biological son stepped forward to add insult to injury and stomped him while he was down!
It completely shattered his worldview.
"Losing was inevitable!"
Seeing this scene, a sudden thought flashed through Jiraiya's mind.
Inside and out, the place was full of people loyal to them. How could they possibly win?
Under the direct testimony of Sarutobi Asuma himself, the evidence was irrefutable!
There was no room for doubt. What Asuma revealed was even more detailed than the investigations conducted.
Many Konoha shinobi were shocked and deeply disheartened.
The scandals surrounding the Third Hokage's administration were far too numerous. Just the dirt unearthed from the Root was already impossible to cover up, not to mention Asuma's damning testimony.
The Third Hokage's regime represented an era. Today, they are witnessing the end of that era with their own eyes.
"In the face of Konoha's turmoil, the village cannot be left without a Hokage. I propose that Uchiha Shirou temporarily assume the position of Hokage, while I, Senju Tsunade, act as the interim Hokage advisor!"
Sitting at the head of the table, Tsunade faced the countless loyalists of the Sarutobi faction who cast their gazes upon her. She chose to ignore them entirely and directly voiced her proposal.
In an instant, countless Jonin's eyes flickered. However, most Konoha ninjas genuinely breathed a sigh of relief. The fuse for an internal conflict had finally been extinguished.
As for the family ninjas loyal to the Third Hokage faction, they all looked utterly despairing.
With Tsunade personally stating this, it made clear that she would not compete for the Hokage position, signaling the loss of their final hope.
If Tsunade had inherited the position of Hokage, there would at least have been some familial sentiment involved. It would have been far better than Uchiha taking the position, especially considering how they had suppressed the Uchiha clan over the years—they were well aware of their actions.
At the same time, Tsunade's words carried significant weight, directly stabilizing Konoha once again.
"I agree!"
"Agreed!"
"Seconded!"
"Support!"
In just a moment, one by one, the Konoha shinobi on the Hokage platform nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the Uchiha ninjas' eyes turned red, their expressions filled with emotion.
Hokage!
This was practically a regret and obsession etched into the bones of the Uchiha clan. Never in their lives did they imagine they would witness this moment.
As the interim Hokage, Shirou swept his gaze across the room and issued one order after another in a cold tone to stabilize the village.
"For the stability of the village, I, Uchiha Shirou, in the name of the Hokage, announce the following arrangements:
Appoint Senju Tsunade as Hokage Advisor, assisting the Hokage in administrative affairs while concurrently serving as the head of the Medical Division.
Appoint Senju Nawaki as the head of the Anbu and Uchiha Yashirp as the deputy head of the Anbu. The two must reorganize the Anbu as quickly as possible.
Appoint Hyuga Hizashi, Aburame Shibi, Uchiha Tetsuka, and Senju Ki as the head and deputy heads of the Intelligence Division. They must take over all intelligence-related work immediately.
Uzumaki Kushina will serve as the head of the Barrier Division, while Uchiha Mikoto will oversee the Police Force."
With each order issued by Uchiha Shirou, countless shinobi had already mentally prepared themselves. Meanwhile, Tsunade smiled when she heard his words.
Shirou was more mature and stable than she had imagined. Konoha didn't belong to one person; it required the collective strength of everyone.
Shirou's approach didn't monopolize power but instead divided the power among everyone. This especially made the Senju clan nod in approval, believing it was the best distribution.
Even Senju Nawaki couldn't help but smile.
The Senju clan had been out of power in Konoha for a long time. His sister now held a significant position as the head of the Medical Division while also serving as a Hokage advisor—a position of considerable authority. More importantly, the Senju clan had once again gained influence within the Anbu.
It could be said that they were back in the center of power.
If the Senju clan was satisfied, then the Uchiha clan was ecstatic. Their eyes were red with emotion, and they were beyond thrilled.
In the past, the Uchiha clan had been confined to the Police Force, with no presence elsewhere. But now, not only had an Uchiha become Hokage, but they also had a hand in all divsions.
"Thank you, Lord Shirou!"
"The Hyuga Branch Family will not let the Hokage down!"
The other families that had assisted in the coup were equally ecstatic, shouting in excitement.
A new era brings a new ruler, and this was the reality. With Uchiha Shirou, the new Hokage, now in power, naturally, his loyal subordinates would be placed in charge of Konoha.
As for the previous heads of these divisions, they didn't dare voice any objections. Many kept their heads low, fearing they would attract attention.
At this time, keeping a low profile was the wisest choice.
"The crimes of Root are unforgivable. I hereby appoint Namikaze Minato and Orochimaru to establish an investigation team. They must uncover the heinous crimes committed over the years."
Root's existence was necessary for handling Konoha's darker missions, but Danzo had gone too far.
With Shirou's cold command, it was clear that Orochimaru would become the new head of Root.
Konoha's six major divisions were now entirely replaced with personnel from the Uchiha and Senju factions.
This scene left Jiraiya deeply shocked. This guy's methods and decisiveness had completely reshaped Konoha from the inside out, placing his people in control.
Compared to the reshuffling of Konoha's divisions, the impact was minimal for the ordinary ninja.
In contrast, the previous heads of these divisions—who hailed from the Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans—had long enjoyed privileges and power.
The Intelligence Divisions, previously dominated by the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans, had their authority diminished before the Third Shinobi War when they took the blame for the Third Hokage's failures. Tsunade had already divided its power long ago.
At this moment, Nara Shikaku, realizing that they had only lost a fraction of their influence, felt relieved rather than pained.
He was somewhat grateful. Fortunately, their power had already been reduced before the Third Shinobi War.