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The Hokage's office in Konoha was still lit up well past dark. Bad news had kept the village leadership working nonstop all day. Rest wasn't an option. Only someone who didn't love Konoha would even think about sleeping right now.
And these three loved their village more than anyone.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't even had time to light his pipe. The whole room felt heavy and tense, with no trace of smoke in the air.
They were still assigning people, moving supplies, and arguing over the bigger picture when Taiichi walked in.
Koharu Utatane frowned the second she saw him. Homura Mitokado looked ready to snap. Before either of them could speak, Koharu asked, "Taiichi, it's been hours. Why haven't you left yet?"
The question carried a sharp edge. In a crisis like this, every able body was supposed to be moving. Staying in the village this long felt like slacking.
Hiruzen looked up from his scrolls, clearly annoyed, waiting for an answer.
"Hokage-sama, Elders, I just got back from the southern camp. Jiraiya-sensei sent me to report the results."
Taiichi gave them his brightest, sunniest smile. For a second the three older shinobi wondered if every piece of bad news they'd heard today had been some kind of genjutsu.
Hiruzen studied that grin and felt a flicker of hope. "You came straight from the front? How many Cloud ninja did you kill to make you rush back with good news?"
He figured Jiraiya had launched a counterattack and scored a solid win. Enough to lift everyone's spirits a little.
"Hokage-sama, you see right through everything," Taiichi said, laying it on thick. Then his voice brightened. "We wiped them out. All of them except the new AB combo and one jonin. Minato-senpai and I finished the rest on the eastern coast of the Land of Rivers."
The scroll in Homura's hand hit the floor. Nobody bothered to pick it up.
"Say that again," Hiruzen said, eyes locked on Taiichi. "This isn't the time for jokes."
Taiichi knew how crazy it sounded. He smiled and repeated it clearly. "Except for the new AB combo and one jonin who got away, Minato-senpai and I wiped out the entire Cloud strike force."
Hiruzen's face split into a wide grin. "Good. That's damn good."
Even Koharu and Homura looked genuinely relieved. The Cloud ambush on their camp had been humiliating. Now Konoha had answered it fast and hard. They hadn't just defended themselves—they'd made an example. Anyone thinking about testing Konoha would have to think twice.
"Don't celebrate too early, Hokage-sama," Taiichi said, grinning wider. "There's more good news."
Hiruzen was already relaxing. The pressure in his chest had eased. He reached for his pipe, packed it full, and took a long, satisfied drag. Koharu and Homura didn't even complain about the smoke this time. They just leaned in, waiting.
"We took back everything Cloud stole from Wind Country. Five full boxes of storage scrolls packed with ore and minerals."
Hiruzen choked on the smoke so hard he started coughing. He stared at Taiichi like the kid had grown a second head.
Cloud had spent two months raiding, lost half their people, and still came away with a haul. Then Taiichi and Minato had rolled up and taken every last bit of it. Hiruzen almost felt bad for them.
Almost.
He stood up, walked over, and clapped Taiichi on the shoulder. "You and Minato did incredible work. You saved this village from a massive loss."
Taiichi rubbed the back of his neck, still smiling. "It's what we're supposed to do. Protecting the village is everyone's job."
That answer hit Hiruzen right in the heart. Will of Fire, plain and simple. He couldn't have been prouder of his student's student.
"Come on, tell us everything. How did you and Minato take down that many Cloud ninja?"
Koharu and Homura pulled their chairs closer. They wanted details.
Taiichi told the story—how they tracked the Cloud force, how Minato handled A while Taiichi kept Killer B busy, how they worked together to force the retreat. He left out a few personal tricks, like his Fire Body technique. Some cards stayed close to the chest.
By the time he finished, all three elders were fired up. They looked ready to jump into the fight themselves.
More than that, they finally understood just how strong Taiichi and Minato had become. Having two shinobi like that during a war like this was a blessing for Konoha.
Once the Cloud story was done, Taiichi handed over Jiraiya's scroll about Yohei. He didn't wait for them to read it. He said his goodbyes and left. There were still wounded waiting back at camp, and his shadow clones could only do so much.
After he was gone, Hiruzen checked the seal on Jiraiya's scroll, made sure it hadn't been opened, then started reading.
His frown slowly eased. By the time he finished, he was almost smiling.
Koharu and Homura watched him, curious. Whatever was in that scroll had clearly shifted his mood.
Hiruzen passed it over without a word.
They read it together. Koharu's expression stayed cautious. Homura looked quietly pleased.
When they finished, Hiruzen asked, "What do you think of Jiraiya's suggestion?"
"I still say we keep a close eye on the Uchiha," Homura answered. He didn't push further. He knew Danzo would have plenty to say on the subject.
Homura spoke up next. "Before today I would've had doubts about the power balance Jiraiya mentioned. But after hearing what Taiichi and Minato just did against Cloud… maybe we don't need to worry as much."
Hiruzen nodded. That was exactly what he'd been thinking. With strength like that on their side—and with Taiichi's medical skills backing Yohei—the Mangekyō didn't feel like an immediate threat. Especially since the boy had already chosen to stand with the village.
Maybe the Uchiha problem could actually be handled during his time as Hokage. Leave the next generation a stronger, more united Konoha.
"We'll follow Jiraiya's plan for now," Hiruzen said. "I'll speak with Fugaku myself. We'll start by sending more Uchiha children into the Academy."
Neither elder objected.
"Also, spread the news about Minato and Taiichi wiping out the Cloud force. I want every village to understand what happens when someone tries to attack Konoha."
Koharu and Homura both smiled and nodded. That part they were happy to handle.
While the Hokage's office wrapped up their meeting, another one was happening across the village in a large Uchiha clan hall.
Nearly twenty jonin had gathered—everyone currently in the village. The mood was strange. Some looked excited. Some looked worried. A few seemed lost. Others acted like none of it mattered.
Uchiha Fugaku sat at the head of the table, rubbing his temples. The news from the southern front had hit the clan like a lightning strike. After so many years, another pair of those eyes had appeared. The higher-ups in Konoha weren't the only ones shocked. The clan leadership was still reeling.
Ever since Madara and Izuna, plenty of radicals had tried forcing the Mangekyō to awaken—some through the cruelest methods. None of them had succeeded. The attempts had terrified the whole clan until the elders shut it down hard.
Since then, the clan had kept quiet about the Mangekyō. Most of the younger generation only knew about the three-tomoe Sharingan. They'd never even heard the name Mangekyō.
"Fugaku, I say we demand Yohei be returned to the clan immediately," the Second Elder said. "He doesn't belong out there anymore. Bring him back to the Police Force where we can protect him."
Before Fugaku could answer, the Fourth Elder cut in. "That's a bad idea. We're at war. Yohei's already deployed. Pulling him back without a real reason will make every other clan look at us sideways."
"What do I care how they look at us?" the Third Elder snapped. "We're the Uchiha. If we want one of our own back, we take him back. I'll recall one and send two replacements to the front if it makes them feel better."
The Fourth Elder laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You really think we can still act like that? Those days are gone."
"You calling me a liar, old man?" The Third Elder's chakra flared. His eyes were already turning red.
The Fourth Elder met his stare without blinking. He wasn't backing down.
"Enough," Fugaku barked from the head of the table.
His voice didn't carry enough weight yet. The two elders kept glaring at each other.
Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan spun open on its own. A vein pulsed on his forehead.
Just as things were about to get ugly, the Great Elder finally spoke.
"You're all too old to be acting like this. Hotheaded fools. You planning to fight right here in the clan hall? Want me to spar with you, Kazehana?"
His tone was calm, almost lazy, but it cut straight through the tension. The room went quiet.
The Third Elder scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I wouldn't dare, Great Elder."
The Second Elder shot him a quick look, then turned to the Great Elder. "Kazehana's words were rough, but he's not wrong. Other clans have done the same thing. Why should the Uchiha be the only ones who can't protect our own people? Is the village treating us differently?"
The Great Elder stayed silent. This was between the radicals and the conservatives. He wasn't picking a side.
He glanced at the Fourth Elder. Your turn.
The Fourth Elder hesitated. What was he supposed to say? That the village already distrusted the Uchiha, so anything they did would be seen as suspicious? That other clans could get away with things the Uchiha never could?
If he said that out loud, half the room would call him a traitor.
While he struggled for an answer, Fugaku spoke again from the head of the table.
"You all seem to have forgotten something important. What does Uchiha Yohei himself want?"
The room went still.