Investigating the Culprit

The next day!

The sky was overcast, thick with dark clouds that pressed down, making it hard to breathe.

A fine, silken rain drizzled over the ruins and the scattered pedestrians.

The droplets were light, yet they carried a bone-chilling cold that seeped into everyone's heart, leaving them with a sense of endless sorrow and desolation.

These villagers had just endured a massive upheaval of life and death yesterday; many remained mired in the grief of losing their loved ones, unable to pull themselves out.

However, when a shocking piece of news suddenly arrived, everyone braced themselves, donned mourning clothes, and hurried toward the Memorial Stone in the village.

Upon reaching the stone, what met their eyes were the bright, smiling black-and-white photos of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, along with a pair of coffins beneath them.

Faint sobbing, coming from who knows where, acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the emotions of everyone present.

"Lord Fourth was so kind, so great, how could he..."

"And Lady Kushina, they both gave their lives to protect the village..."

"That kind and gentle Hokage, the Minato who brought us peace, why did he have to suffer such a tragedy..."

"We want revenge! We must avenge them!"

"Third Hokage, please tell us what happened yesterday. Why did the Nine-Tails appear? Why did Minato and Kushina lose their lives? Why did all of this happen..."

The cries from the crowd rose and fell like a tide. Everyone's heart was filled with the immense grief and rage of losing their kin and their Hokage; they swore to seek justice for the fallen!

Looking up, the hero who had fought the Nine-Tails so majestically just yesterday now seemed to be carrying the weight of several heavy mountains. His back was hunched, and a few striking white hairs had sprouted at his temples.

He looked like a completely different person compared to before.

The passing of his wife, Biwako, the death of his beloved student Minato and his wife, and the many ninjas lost to the Nine-Tails yesterday... all of this left this man, well past his prime, feeling utterly exhausted.

At this moment, facing the indignant crowd clamoring for revenge, he could only helplessly raise a hand, attempting to quell the noise, and comforted them in a hoarse voice: "Enough. Today is a day to see off Minato and his wife. As for what happened yesterday, once the Anbu has finished their investigation, we will certainly inform everyone. For now, let us quietly see off our compatriots who perished yesterday..."

With that, he took the lead, walking forward to gaze quietly at the coffins, as if he could see their former expressions and smiles through the wood, before gently laying down a bouquet of white chrysanthemums.

Just as he turned to leave, the crowd vaguely saw droplets sliding down the Third Hokage's face, though it was impossible to tell if they were rain or tears.

Once everyone had stepped forward to bow, offer flowers, and embrace one another for comfort, the low sobbing gradually subsided, and the coffins were finally laid to rest.

The crowd slowly dispersed; after all, life had to go on, and their shattered homes needed to be rebuilt.

Those who remained were representatives of the various clans in the village. At a gesture from Hiruzen Sarutobi, they gathered at the Hokage Building to prepare for a post-incident meeting.

Upon entering the conference room, Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and spoke first: "Yesterday, a sudden, unexpected incident occurred—the Nine-Tails went berserk.

This event not only led to the unfortunate passing of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, but also claimed the life of the medical ninja Biwako." At this point, a flicker of pain crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart once more.

After a brief pause, he continued: "As well as the medical ninja Tian Lu, an Anbu squad, and a Root squad."

"In addition, 13 Jonin also sacrificed their lives heroically. As for the casualties among other Chunin, Genin, and ordinary villagers, the numbers are too high to count."

"Currently, based on the traces found by the Anbu, we only know that someone seized the opportunity while Kushina was giving birth and the Nine-Tails' seal was unstable to launch a sudden attack. Although the specific process is unknown, the result is already obvious," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, looking at everyone present with a grave expression.

"Everyone here is an elite of Konoha. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to speak up."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished, Uchiha Fugaku stood up and faced the crowd: "I know that everyone here saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes yesterday, and many of you must still believe that this matter has something to do with my Uchiha clan, but..." Uchiha Fugaku paused here and looked around.

At this moment, he indeed saw hatred in the eyes of many, yet Uchiha Fugaku was not affected by their gazes. He took a deep breath, patted Uchiha Chen beside him, and said in a deep voice: "I know you do not trust me, and you do not know who this person beside me is, or why I brought him to this meeting."

"However, if I tell you that Uchiha Chen once witnessed the Fourth Hokage fighting a ninja outside the village, and that he possesses significant intelligence regarding that ninja, would you be willing to give us some time?"

Uchiha Fugaku's words were like a heavy bomb, instantly causing an uproar in the crowd. People began to whisper, their words filled with suspicion and distrust toward the Uchiha clan.

At this point, two elders could no longer hold back and stood up to express their views. "Is the Uchiha clan trying to fabricate a person who doesn't exist to clear themselves of suspicion?" "Without concrete evidence, we will never easily believe you!"

Faced with the questioning and distrust of the crowd, as well as the stern rebuttals of the two elders, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been silent, could no longer tolerate it. He slammed his hand on the table and roared: "Enough!

I choose to trust the Uchiha clan!" This sudden roar made the entire room fall silent, and everyone's eyes focused on the Third Hokage.

He then looked at the silent Uchiha Chen and said softly: "Chen, you saved my other grand-student a few days ago. I trust you. Please, tell us the intelligence you have on the culprit." He swept his gaze over the crowd: "As for the truth of it, I can discern that myself." He took another puff of his pipe, waiting for Uchiha Chen's reply.

"Thank you for your trust, Third Hokage. I will tell you everything I saw yesterday," Uchiha Chen said with a serious expression, his eyes showing a look of being flattered by the Hokage's trust.

With that, he narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to be lost in memory.

"Yesterday, I was outside the village..." Just as Uchiha Chen was about to continue, a sharp, piercing voice came from above, interrupting his words.

"Wait, first explain what you were doing outside the village so late yesterday?" Utatane Koharu's voice carried undisguised suspicion and questioning. Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, fixed tightly on Uchiha Chen.