"Rasa, you little bastard! You've gone too far!"
"Damn him!"
"Sunagakure deserves to burn!"
"Is he trying to start a war with Konoha?"
"We finally had a few peaceful days and he's already this arrogant?"
"Interviewing Uchiha Yashiro and printing every word in the Ninja World Big Events Weekly… is he declaring war on us?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was shaking with rage, teeth grinding so hard they might crack. In that moment he hated Rasa and Sunagakure more than anything else in the world.
"Despicable coward!"
He cursed for a long time before he could even breathe normally again. Then he picked up the newspaper and forced himself to read the interview.
Interview Subject: Uchiha Yashiro
Q: Was the Nine-Tails really controlled by the Uchiha?
A: If we Uchiha could control the Nine-Tails, we would've done it long ago. Why wait until now? That Sharingan pattern in the fox's eyes is obviously Konoha's lie.
Think about it—if we had created the Nine-Tails rampage on the day of our rebellion, wouldn't our chances of winning have skyrocketed? Why didn't we? Even if we lost, our casualties wouldn't have been nearly as bad.
Q: What do you think of Minato Namikaze?
A: Minato was actually a decent man. Most people in Konoha, brainwashed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, treat the Uchiha like trash. Minato was one of the few who actually saw us as people. One of his students was even Uchiha. If he had become Hokage, we would've faced far less discrimination. We never would've been forced into rebellion. We were pushed into a corner.
Minato was a good man. But good men don't last long in Konoha.
Q: Who do you think wanted Minato dead?
A: Do I even need to say it? Obviously Hiruzen Sarutobi. That old bastard is famous for his greed for power. Minato threatened his position, just like the Uchiha did. That's why he targeted us too.
Think about the Will of Fire. "Where the leaves dance, the fire lives on." It means the older generation should sacrifice themselves to create a better future for the next one. Minato had no choice but to use the Reaper Death Seal to contain the Nine-Tails. That jutsu costs your life. Hiruzen knows it too. So why didn't he use it? Why did Minato have to die?
Hiruzen never lived up to the Will of Fire, yet he's sat in the Hokage seat for decades. Isn't that ironic as hell?
Since Sunagakure said he could speak freely, Yashiro held nothing back. He said whatever came to mind, true or not, as long as it hurt Konoha and Hiruzen. And it worked.
Hiruzen was furious. Beyond furious. But he held it together inside the Hokage Tower. The second he got home, the dam broke.
Bang!
Bang!
Crash!
His study was completely destroyed. Books, scrolls, furniture—everything smashed to pieces.
"Uchiha Yashiro!"
"How dare you spew this much bullshit? Do you really think I can't touch you?"
"I will kill you!"
Killing intent poured off him in waves. He wanted nothing more than to rip Yashiro apart with his bare hands and burn the remains to ash.
A figure stood outside the door, too afraid to enter.
After a long time, Hiruzen finally stopped.
"Father, are you okay?"
Shinosuke looked at him with genuine worry. "Konoha's been through so much. Mother's gone. You have to stay strong. If you let this break you, those bastards win."
"I know."
Hiruzen's expression softened as he looked at his eldest son. Shinosuke—Shino—had solid talent, worked hard, and was already showing real skill with combined ninjutsu despite his young age. He had real potential to inherit the Hokage seat one day.
"Shinosuke…"
Hiruzen sighed. "The village is in terrible shape. Biwako is dead. Every other great village is circling like vultures. That newspaper interview wasn't just about Yashiro—it was Sunagakure testing us. If we show weakness, they'll all pounce and tear Konoha apart."
Asuma frowned. "So we're attacking Sunagakure?"
Hiruzen's face hardened. "Don't be stupid. Attacking Sunagakure now would only drag us into a long war we can't afford. We're going after the Uchiha. The words in that paper came from Yashiro's mouth."
Asuma still looked unconvinced. "But you said it was Sunagakure probing us."
"If Rasa were as childish as you, Sunagakure would've already attacked us for real."
Hiruzen turned to his eldest son. "Shinosuke, put together a strike team. Head to the Land of Water and hit the Uchiha Navigation Group. Even if you can't wipe them out, make sure they bleed."
Shinosuke nodded. "Yes, Father."
Attacking the Uchiha group would satisfy some of the rage, but the damage from the interview was already done. Hiruzen had no idea how to counter it publicly.
"This slander is too much. How could I possibly kill Minato? I supported him more than Orochimaru. My own wife died helping deliver Kushina's child. They're destroying my name, my legacy. Rasa… you'll pay for this. People reap what they sow. Heaven is watching."
On the other side of the village, Danzo read the same newspaper and couldn't stop smiling.
"With public opinion like this, Hiruzen will be forced to step down even faster. Orochimaru will become Hokage soon… and then I'll be the one truly running Konoha."