Public Opinion Manipulation!

Konoha!

Today, it is exceptionally lively.

Countless villagers are rushing from all directions toward a single destination.

"Have you heard? It seems the village higher-ups are about to drive the Uchiha to their deaths!"

"It's true. Not only are they forbidden from leaving the village, but they're also being denied mission quotas. They're being treated like common criminals!"

"And there's more—the relocation funds from a few years ago were never paid out. I heard quite a few of them have already starved to death!"

"Why would the village leadership treat the Uchiha like this? Aren't they one of Konoha's noble clans?"

"I'll tell you, but don't spread it around—they say it's the influence of the Second Hokage. He was determined to eradicate the Uchiha, so they've been subjected to all sorts of suppression and targeting!"

"What a tragic noble clan!"

One "rumor" after another keeps appearing among the villagers.

However, if one were to observe closely, they would notice that these "villagers" spreading the rumors disappear into the crowd quickly, only to reappear in the ranks of the villagers moments later with new identities.

Public opinion!

Uchiha White Dove is absolutely more proficient in this method than anyone else.

After all, in the era he transmigrated from, various rumors and fake news flew across the internet, and the battles fought there were truly spectacular. He doesn't take these minor tricks of the ninja world to heart at all.

If he hadn't worked in the entertainment industry before he transmigrated, his methods would have been even more exaggerated.

But even without that background, his tactics are far beyond what a place with such underdeveloped media as the ninja world can handle.

Under the rhetoric Uchiha White Dove prepared in advance, the villagers have developed sympathy and understanding for the Uchiha's actions.

After all, with the village leadership suppressing the Uchiha so miserably, it is understandable that they would gather to put some pressure on the higher-ups...

Hokage Building.

"The evil Uchiha really couldn't help but rebel. Damn them!"

After listening to the report from the Anbu in front of him, Danzo vented his dissatisfaction loudly.

He had suggested taking action many times before, but the other three had all disagreed. Now, the other side has indeed rebelled.

Hmm, although he looks angry, Danzo's emotions are actually quite calm; if anything, he feels a bit of secret joy.

After all, his demand for "Sharingan" has always been high. Furthermore, if the Uchiha rebel, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Hokage, will have to take responsibility. If he were to step down, wouldn't the position of Hokage fall to...

(Tsunade: That would be this one!)

Therefore, it is hard to say that Danzo, who has always suppressed the Uchiha and acted in such an extreme manner, wasn't intentionally goading the Uchiha into rebellion.

"Enough, Danzo!" Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped his old friend from taking advantage of the situation and explained, "They are just here to seek answers, not to rebel!"

If it were a real rebellion, would it be this slow, and would the majority of them be ordinary clansmen?

It can be said that it is precisely because of these factors that Sarutobi Hiruzen did not rush to order the assembly of the ninja army to suppress the rebellion.

"Then should we go and stop them?"

Utatane Koharu looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen; surely they couldn't just let that Uchiha procession reach the Hokage Building, right?

"...No, we must stop them immediately. The longer this drags on, the more troublesome it becomes!"

Mitokado Homura reminded them.

The villagers are gathering in greater numbers; if they really wait for the group to reach the Hokage Building, the impact will be too great.

Suppressing the Uchiha is their consensus, but this is something that can be done, not said.

The Uchiha are, after all, a noble clan of Konoha. Taking action against a clan within the village definitely touches the bottom line of many other ninja clans.

"Fine, let's go over and see what exactly they want to do!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and put on his Hokage hat, preparing to go and stop the Uchiha procession in person.

However, as he stood up, he cast a dissatisfied glance at Danzo.

This whole affair was caused by him.

His dissatisfaction wasn't because Danzo had moved against Shisui, but because Danzo hadn't cleaned up his mess properly, and at the same time, he had kept the Mangekyo so tightly under wraps that Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't get his hands on it.

But no matter how much dissatisfaction he felt, Sarutobi Hiruzen had to suppress it; the top priority was to resolve the backlash from the Uchiha.

Originally, he thought nothing major would happen, as they all knew Uchiha Fugaku's personality.

But who could have known that Uchiha White Dove, a guy who had been extremely low-key in the past, would suddenly jump out and create this scene.

The four of them, accompanied by the Anbu, moved quickly toward the Uchiha procession.

They had to stop them as soon as possible.

The longer it dragged on, the more villagers would gather, and the greater the commotion would become.

The speed of ninjas is naturally incomparable to that of ordinary people.

Moreover, they could ignore obstacles and move in a straight line, so in less than a minute, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw the procession.

It didn't feel like much when watching through the crystal ball.

But only when witnessing it with one's own eyes could one truly feel the pressure brought by the Uchiha procession.

A force composed of over a thousand Uchiha!

With ninjas accounting for more than a third of the number, it could be considered "the entire nest taking flight."

Even Uchiha Fugaku had silently joined the ranks.

He knew very well that if he did not come along this time, his tenure as clan head would be at an end.

After all, Uchiha White Dove's goal was to demand an explanation from the higher-ups; if Shisui had been harmed by them, he would make them "pay blood for blood," standing entirely on the side of moral righteousness.

If he, as the clan head, did not support such a cause, how could he have the face to remain in his position?

Therefore, Uchiha Fugaku did not want to come, but he had no choice but to come.

One only needed to look at his dark, sullen expression to know exactly what he was thinking.

Uchiha Fugaku's heart leaned toward dialogue with the higher-ups to achieve reconciliation with the village.

That was why he had previously allowed Shisui to join the Anbu and had even sent his own proudest eldest son in as well, which was meant to demonstrate his sincerity.

Although the escalating actions of the village higher-ups had shaken his resolve, he had not yet completely turned to the Hawk Faction, leaving his mood incredibly complex—especially when seeing Uchiha White Dove at the front of the procession, so beloved by the clansmen.

Have I truly been wrong?

The thought surfaced quietly in his mind.

However, before he could think it through, he saw the procession come to a halt.

At the very front.

White Dove raised his right hand, clad in an elbow-length glove, signaling the group to stop.

Ninjas were naturally disciplined, and the ordinary clansmen were also highly obedient, so the entire force came to a rapid halt.

This was the difference between a ninja clan and ordinary people.

Military-style training... those who know, know.

Thus, Konoha was less of a village and more of a military fortress.

Swish! Swish!

Anbu members wearing masks and vests occupied the high ground on both sides of the street, surrounding the area below from a position of superiority.

Although the Uchiha ninjas looked solemn, they remained in the ranks, waiting in silence after glancing at White Dove and seeing no signal from him.

From this, one could see that White Dove's long-term management had not been without effect.

The key was that he now held another identity.

The strongest of the Uchiha!

Previously, this status belonged to Uchiha Shisui, so even when the latter stood on the side of the village higher-ups and pulled all sorts of questionable maneuvers, the clansmen were dissatisfied but had no choice but to forgive him.

Even the Dove Faction was only able to contend with the Hawk Faction because of Shisui.

But now?

White Dove had emerged suddenly, defeating Uchiha Fugaku in a single battle; in the absence of Shisui, he was already the strongest powerhouse of the Uchiha.

If Shisui were to appear, his own prestige might be greatly diminished, and the clansmen would not support him so fervently.

But the problem was, now that Shisui might have been secretly harmed by the village higher-ups, he was the undisputed "strongest" of the Uchiha. It was no wonder that when he stood up and waved his arms today, so many people supported him.

His momentum was at its peak!

At this moment, White Dove's prestige could rival that of Uchiha Fugaku.

After all, the One Heart Chamber of Commerce had brought significant benefits, and combined with his strength in defeating Uchiha Fugaku and his willingness to stand up for his clansmen against the village higher-ups, it was only natural that the Uchiha, who had been stifled for so long, would support him from the bottom of their hearts.

Even the Dove Faction Uchiha were following in the ranks, were they not?

However, the Uchiha procession's sudden halt also caused the Konoha F4 to tense up; they exchanged glances and nodded in tacit agreement.

A united Uchiha did not align with their expectations.

Step, step!

The four of them, surrounded by a crowd of Anbu and the heads of various ninja clans, slowly arrived at the front of the Uchiha procession.

On the wide street, the two groups stood in confrontation, with a dozen-meter-wide no-man's-land in between, making the divide between the two sides starkly clear.