The next day!
The sky was gloomy, thick with dark clouds that pressed down on everyone.
A fine drizzle fell over the few people wandering among the ruins.
The raindrops were small, yet seemed to carry a bone-deep chill. One by one, they seeped into everyone's heart, filling it with endless sorrow and desolation.
The villagers had only just endured the upheaval of life and death the day before. Many were still lost in grief over their loved ones, unable to pull themselves out of it.
But when shocking news suddenly reached them, they still rallied, donned mourning clothes, and hurried to the village's Memorial Stone.
Before the stone, they saw black-and-white photographs of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, their smiles radiant, with two coffins beneath them.
A faint sob sounded from somewhere. Like a fuse, it instantly ignited the emotions of everyone present.
"The Fourth Hokage was so kind, so great. How could he..."
"And Lady Kushina, too. They both gave their lives to protect the village..."
"Why did such a kind and gentle Hokage, Lord Minato, who brought us peace, have to suffer such a terrible fate..."
"We'll avenge them! We have to make their killers pay!"
"Third, please tell us what happened yesterday! Why did the Nine-Tails appear? Why did Lord Minato and Lady Kushina lose their lives? Why did all this happen..."
The cries of the crowd rose and fell like waves. Everyone was consumed by the immense grief and fury of losing their loved ones and their Hokage. They swore to see justice done for the dead!
When they looked up, they saw that the Shinobi Hero, who had fought the Nine-Tails with such power the day before, now seemed to carry several heavy mountains on his back. His shoulders were hunched, and a few stark white hairs had appeared at his temples.
He was almost unrecognizable from the man he had been before.
The death of his wife, Biwako, the loss of his beloved student Minato and his wife, and the many shinobi who had died because of the Nine-Tails the day before... It had all left the old man, already past fifty, utterly exhausted.
Now, faced with the enraged people clamoring for revenge, he could only raise a hand helplessly, trying to quiet them. In a hoarse voice, he consoled them. "All right. Today is the day we see Minato and his wife off. Once the Anbu have finished investigating what happened yesterday, they'll inform everyone. For now, let's quietly pay our respects to our comrades who lost their lives yesterday..."
With that, he led the way forward and stood silently before the coffins, as though he could see the faces of the departed within. Then he gently laid down a bouquet of white chrysanthemums.
As he turned to leave, people thought they saw droplets rolling down the Third's face, though they couldn't tell whether they were raindrops or tears.
After everyone had stepped forward to bow to the departed and offer flowers, they embraced one another and offered comfort. Their low sobs gradually subsided, and at last, the coffins were laid to rest.
The crowd slowly dispersed. Life had to go on, after all, and their ruined homes still needed to be rebuilt.
Only representatives of the village's various clans remained. At Hiruzen Sarutobi's gesture, they went together to the Hokage Building to hold a meeting about the aftermath.
Once they entered the conference room, Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe and took a long drag before speaking first. "Yesterday, an unexpected disaster struck—the Nine-Tails went berserk.
"This incident not only resulted in the tragic deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, but also claimed the life of the medical ninja Biwako Sarutobi." A pang of pain passed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart as he spoke.
After a brief pause, he continued, "It also claimed the lives of the medical ninja Tian Lu, an Anbu squad, and a Root squad."
"On top of that, thirteen Jonin died in the line of duty. The number of casualties among the other Chunin, Genin, and ordinary villagers is too great to count."
"Based on the many clues the Anbu have uncovered so far, we know only that someone took advantage of Kushina going into labor and the Nine-Tails' unstable seal to launch a sudden attack. We don't know exactly what happened, but the outcome is plain to see." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked around the room, his expression grave.
"Everyone here is one of Konoha's finest. If you have any ideas, please speak up."
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Uchiha Fugaku rose and addressed the room. "I know everyone here saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes yesterday. Even now, many of you probably still believe that my Uchiha Clan had something to do with this. But..." He fell silent and looked around the room.
Sure enough, he saw hatred in many people's eyes. Yet Uchiha Fugaku wasn't swayed by their stares. He took a deep breath, patted Uchiha Chen beside him, and said solemnly, "I know you don't trust me, and you don't know who the person beside me is or why I brought him to this meeting.
"But what if I told you that Uchiha Chen witnessed the Fourth Hokage fighting a shinobi outside the village, and that he knows a great deal about that shinobi? Would you be willing to give us some time?"
Uchiha Fugaku's words struck like a bomb, setting off an uproar in the room. People began whispering among themselves, their words full of suspicion and distrust toward the Uchiha Clan.
At that point, the two elders could no longer hold back, and spoke up. "Is the Uchiha Clan trying to invent someone who doesn't exist to clear themselves of suspicion?" "Without solid evidence, we'll never believe you!"
Faced with everyone's doubts and distrust, and the two elders' harsh rebukes, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had remained silent until then, finally lost his patience. He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Enough!
"I choose to believe the Uchiha Clan!" His sudden roar silenced the entire room. Everyone turned to the Third.
Then he looked at Uchiha Chen, who had yet to say a word, and spoke gently. "Chen, just a few days ago, you saved another of my former students' grandchildren. I trust you. Please tell us what you know about the culprit." He glanced around the room. "I can judge for myself whether it's true." He took another drag from his pipe and waited for Uchiha Chen to respond.
"Thank you for trusting me, Third. I'll tell you everything I saw yesterday." Uchiha Chen spoke with a serious expression, putting on a look of surprise and gratitude at receiving the Hokage's trust.
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to sink into his memories.
"Yesterday, I was outside the village..." Just as Uchiha Chen was about to continue, a sharp, grating voice suddenly came from above, interrupting him.
"Wait. First, explain what you were doing outside the village so late yesterday." Utatane Koharu's voice brimmed with suspicion and accusation. Her keen eyes fixed on Uchiha Chen.