The Uchiha fell, and the higher-ups feasted

"What?!"

"What did you say?!"

"The Uchiha Clan was wiped out!"

"And the perpetrator was Itachi Uchiha, who became an S-rank Missing-nin at just thirteen!"

"Holy shit—this is huge..."

The shocking news swept across the entire Ninja World like a raging storm, striking before anyone could react.

It spread as rapidly and wildly as a virus, reaching practically every corner until everyone knew. In an instant, sinister undercurrents stirred beneath the Ninja World's once-peaceful surface.

Ōnoki of Iwagakure said, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, nicely done. Send someone to investigate further... have our border shinobi probe them..."

"Activate our spies and see if there's a chance to steal the Uchiha orphan away. If not, just kill him... the best Uchiha is a dead Uchiha..."

"The Ninja World..."

"Must never allow a second Madara Uchiha to emerge."

The Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure said, "Damn it! Why wipe them out? If you didn't want them, you could've given them to us! Bastards... bastards..."

"Send people to track Itachi Uchiha's movements and bring me his Mangekyo Sharingan! Tell him the Cloud Village is willing to protect him and support him in raising a family in the Land of Lightning..."

Rasa of Sunagakure said, "Damn it, that bastard Shukaku went berserk again. I can't even spare the time to grab a share of the spoils..."

Yagura of Kirigakure (under control): ...

Amegakure: "Madara, was this your handiwork?!"

Takigakure: ...

Kusagakure: ...

The major ninja villages all reacted differently.

One thing they had in common, though, was sending people to probe the situation and see whether they could take advantage of it to squeeze some benefits out of the Land of Fire or Konoha.

"Hiss..." Far away, Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile when he heard the news. He murmured to himself, "Sarutobi Sensen... you and Danzo finally couldn't hold yourselves back..."

"Well, those captivating Mangekyō Sharingan truly do possess endless allure."

"The Uchiha Clan's Power of the Gods."

Orochimaru naturally set his sights on Itachi Uchiha, who had only just joined the organization, his eyes gleaming with greed and burning desire.

"He possesses the same Mangekyō Sharingan as Madara Uchiha? How fascinating..." He flicked his tongue over his lips.

"I'd love to dissect you right now and see what secrets lie inside... what an enviable clan..."

In Orochimaru's eyes, Itachi Uchiha was nothing more than a wet-behind-the-ears brat.

After all, the Uchiha Clan's destruction had surely been planned and orchestrated by Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo. Itachi Uchiha was merely the scapegoat they had chosen.

He did not doubt the Mangekyo Sharingan's power. He merely questioned whether someone as young as Itachi Uchiha could wield it.

However powerful a child that young might be, just how formidable could he really be? Orochimaru, after all, was one of the Sannin, a man who had survived countless brushes with death and fought his way through blood-soaked battlefields!

To Orochimaru, those mysterious, powerful Mangekyō Sharingan were already as good as his.

Elsewhere, Jiraiya let out a deep sigh upon hearing the news. Teacher... go too far, and you'll lose people's hearts...

Tsunade, meanwhile, wore a look of utter contempt and snorted. "Hmph... the village really has become filthy beyond belief!"

Qingwu saw the village's announcement.

"Heh... fucking disgusting. Playing the whore and demanding a monument to your virtue..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen even made a point of delivering a speech at the Hokage Building, going on about the meaning of fire and so forth before bowing in apology.

"This time, the fault was mine."

"I failed to recognize Itachi Uchiha's vicious ambitions."

"And allowed him to commit this horrific massacre."

"The Uchiha Clan's demise pains me deeply as well. They made many contributions to Konoha..."

"No matter how you look at it..."

"I failed in my duty as Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen once again removed his hat and bowed in apology.

Finally, addressing the probing moves from the various powers of the Ninja World, he declared that although he was old, he would do everything in his power to protect everyone, even if it meant dying in battle and burning up his own Will of Fire.

"Yeah! Long live Lord Hokage!"

"We believe in you, Third..."

"It's all those damned Uchiha's fault. I always said that whole clan was sick in the head. A bunch of jealous red-eyes..."

"Exactly! They fought among themselves. It had nothing to do with you, Third. Please don't blame yourself!"

"Without Lord Hokage, how could we have the peace we enjoy today?"

"..."

Clearly, Sarutobi Hiruzen's performance, aided by planted supporters in the crowd, actually won over the public for the moment and let him extricate himself from the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

"..."

The village's major clans were no fools.

Yesterday's joint operation by the Anbu and Root had involved both barriers and checkpoints.

The higher-ups had definitely participated in the Uchiha Clan's extermination. They might even have masterminded it.

For a time, they mourned the fate of their own kind.

A clan as powerful as the Uchiha had vanished just like that.

What about them?

They shared the same unease.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen settled it all with a single Jonin meeting.

"With the Uchiha Clan gone, the Police Force has vacancies. We now intend to reorganize it."

"I recommend Hyuga Hiashi, the Hyuga clan head, as the new chief. As for the deputy chief and the squad captains, see whether you have any suitable candidates to recommend."

"Rebuilding the Police Force concerns every villager, so everyone should participate actively."

"We'll extend an invitation to every registered shinobi. Anyone who passes the assessment can serve in the Police Force."

"Please recommend some outstanding new blood to fill the vacant seats at the Jonin meetings."

"That child Sasuke has no use for eight training grounds. The village will reclaim them and compensate him in cash."

"..."

There was no helping it. Sarutobi Hiruzen offered too much. Positions in the Police Force, large training grounds, and even some of the seats once held by the Uchiha were distributed among the various factions.

"Lord Hokage is wise!"

"We will always support the Third!"

"Thank you for giving us a chance to rise, Lord Hokage!"

"We swear to defend the Third to the death!"

"..."

The major clans and civilian shinobi all received tangible benefits. Many civilian shinobi fell to their knees on the spot and pledged their undying loyalty.

Danzo watched with intense jealousy. Hiruzen got to show off again. Damn it! At this rate, when will I ever become Hokage?

"All right, everyone. Go back and make your preparations."

"Take up your posts as soon as possible. We mustn't disrupt the village's operations or security and let opportunists exploit any openings."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was also very pleased with his performance. Just like that, he had resolved a crisis of trust. Watch and learn, Danzo...

Afterward...

The Konoha F4 met in secret.

What they discussed remained unknown.

Only...

According to an unnamed office worker...

When the elders left...

They were grinning so hard they couldn't close their legs... mouths.

Qingwu was delighted when he heard the news.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, oh, Sarutobi Hiruzen. You're really digging your own grave. On the surface, you resolved a crisis of trust."

"It looks like everyone is satisfied, but all you handed out were empty titles. The real spoils—the Commercial Street and the Uchiha's collections—were divided among the four of you. Nobody's a fool..."

"Their clan was wiped out, and the orphan is still unconscious, yet you couldn't wait to shift the blame and divide up the inheritance."

"They see their own possible fate in the Uchiha's destruction. That Root has already taken root."

"Now I understand why, during the Konoha Collapse Plan a few years later in the original story, everyone just went through the motions. They showed up but put in no effort, and nobody went to save Sarutobi Hiruzen. This was where it all started."

"You'd chilled all their hearts."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... you played yourself right into the grave..."

"Everyone's hoping their own Kage dies."

"You really are something..."