Recorded in History

Looking across the history of the shinobi world.

The Kage of every village had all been figures held in respect.

Having countless followers at a single call was merely the baseline.

Every Kage possessed steadfast convictions and unparalleled personal charisma.

Setting aside how dark those villages might be, one saying was indeed true.

It was not becoming Hokage that earned recognition; being recognized was what made a true Hokage.

Those who could become Hokage were all people who had made outstanding contributions to the village.

Yet none of that seemed to apply to the great Old Village Chief.

He had inherited the Hokage Position from his teacher. Back then, when someone had to cover the retreat, only a few other guards had acknowledged him. And in the end, he had not covered the retreat at all—his teacher had died instead.

After Taking Office, Lord Third had never made any particularly outstanding contributions either.

So naturally, after the war, he broke new ground in the shinobi world.

He was Removed from Power!

But that was not the end of it.

After the Old Village Chief had finally performed brilliantly during the Nine-Tails Attack and won recognition, that recognition had now vanished amid the terrifying tide of public opinion.

He had even made history in the shinobi world once more, becoming the only Kage ever to be Mocked to his face by every villager!

There was absolutely no second case like it in the entire shinobi world.

It Can Be Imagined that once this news spread throughout the shinobi world, Konoha would surely become a laughingstock. Sarutobi Hiruzen would also be recorded in shinobi history as a negative example for every village.

Of course, in a sense, this was a good thing for Sarutobi, who greatly wanted to leave behind a legacy and cared deeply about his reputation.

Don't Care what kind of reputation it was—at least everyone would remember him. Not just anyone could achieve that. That was a skill in itself!

At the scene.

Konoha's shinobi all felt rather uncomfortable as they watched their highly respected old leader receive such recognition from the villagers.

In truth, in their eyes, while the Third Hokage was somewhat incompetent, he was not entirely incapable as a ruler who maintained the status quo.

The Nine-Tails Attack truly had not been his doing, and it was Very Likely unrelated to the Uchiha Clan as well. Most likely, both sides had simply been slinging mud at each other.

But those were not matters for them to discuss.

Nor were they reasons for the villagers to point at the Hokage and Start Cursing.

There had never been such an unpopular Hokage in history!

When the Hokage was cursed, they would have no face to show outside either. This was practically a strategy of Mutual Destruction.

At the end of the day, a Kage was a village's spiritual totem. No one knew how to judge a Hokage who had reached this point.

Nara Shikaku now deeply regretted choosing the Old Village Chief's side so early.

With his intelligence, it was not difficult for him to imagine the outcome of today's incident.

Even if the Old Village Chief went all out and paid a price to preserve his Hokage Position in the end, the people's support had already scattered. His followers would be even harder to lead, and as supporters of the Third, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans would certainly be affected.

After a disaster on the scale of the Nine-Tails Attack, arguing over who was right and wrong was no longer meaningful. The price of the higher-ups' struggle being laid bare was a village torn apart.

So what benefit did this situation bring the Hyuga Clan?

Nara Shikaku could not understand that. He frowned and glanced at Hyuga Hitoshi.

As Konoha's Strategist and a genuine Brain Trust, he naturally understood that the villagers were not so easy to incite.

Anyone with eyes could see that the villagers who had spoken up and stirred the crowd had definitely been directed by someone behind the scenes.

What a joke. Did they really think the villagers had such Guts that they would openly point fingers and condemn the Hokage?

What bullshit.

Even a Hokage like Sarutobi had the Sarutobi Clan behind him, along with ANBU assassination squads. Under normal Circumstances, anyone with a brain would not be swayed so easily.

But today was different.

In this plaza flattened by the Nine-Tails, with all kinds of "Ironclad Proof" and the Old Village Chief's silent silence, the timing, place, and people had aligned. The weapon of public opinion had been amplified a hundredfold!

And once everyone was dissatisfied and someone boldly spoke up, everything followed naturally.

The law did not punish the masses. Even if they started Settling Scores Later, would they dare kill everyone?

This entire Combo was truly seamless, a straightforward open scheme.

Thinking of this, Nara Shikaku felt a little admiration for Hyuga Hitoshi.

But the farce had to end eventually. After some thought, Nara Shikaku considered the possibility of pushing Hyuga Hitoshi into power, then Stepped Forward.

He wanted to have a proper talk with the Clan Head of the Hyuga Clan.

But unfortunately, before he could approach, A Figure came rushing in from the distance, charging straight into the center of the plaza and dropping to one knee with a thud.

In an instant, he drew everyone's attention.

But it was not because he had knelt before the condemned Hokage-sama.

It was because of—

His Ninja Vest, already dyed red with blood!

The atmosphere in the plaza abruptly changed.

Anyone could tell that this man had just gone through a fierce battle and paid a tremendous price to return to the village!

A heavy feeling spread through everyone's hearts.

Even though the villagers and shinobi had their suspicions, they all fell silent and waited in torment.

"Lord Third, the Fourth Raikage has gathered Kumogakure's main forces and launched a frontal assault on the Land of Fire! They have already broken through two defensive lines in succession! Akagi-sama requests reinforcements!"

It was over!

War was coming!

Everyone in the plaza felt their vision go dark, despair filling their eyes.

After the Nine-Tails Attack, they had all guessed that Konoha's enemies would take advantage of its weakness, yet they had still clung to a sliver of hope.

After all, Konoha was far too weak right now. The previous war had Severely Weakened the village, and Flames of War arriving at such a Crucial Moment was definitely not good news.

The shinobi's expressions turned solemn as they silently clenched their fists.

Even Uchiha Fugaku released Kakashi and sighed.

Other than lunatics, no one liked war.

Kumogakure had come in force. The Raikage's claim that he wanted to hold a victory banquet in Konoha was no empty boast. The pressure at the Front Line was likely even greater than imagined!

Everyone's mood was heavy.

But there were exceptions to everything.

For example, the Old Village Chief, who had just been under immense pressure, and all his little companions, now breathed sighs of relief!

In wartime, they had to stand united against outsiders!

Deep in Sarutobi's eyes, there was even a trace of wild joy. Perfect, Raikage Kid! Isn't this my chance to make amends for my mistakes?

Danzo, meanwhile, looked at the Old Village Chief with envy.

He had thought the Old Village Chief was about to be Removed from Power again, but fate had decreed otherwise. The Old Village Chief was still standing!

Perhaps because the pressure had eased, the Old Village Chief's intelligence swiftly seized the High Ground as well.

The Third Hokage's expression turned solemn as he straightened his back and looked around.

"Regarding the Nine-Tails Attack, this old man can swear on his life that it was absolutely not my doing!"

The Old Village Chief had sworn an oath. Though it was not particularly convincing, it still drew everyone's attention again.

"But Clan Head Fugaku was right earlier. Following Clan Head Fugaku's method, the Nine-Tails Attack could indeed have been prevented from causing greater losses. At the time, this old man was fighting the Nine-Tails and did not consider that. It was a genuine dereliction of duty!"

Sarutobi said with a pained expression.

"However, this old man swears that I absolutely did not order Shimura Danzō to obstruct the Uchiha Clan. That was not my command!"

Fuck you, Sarutobi! Was the dog the one who told me to keep an eye on the Uchiha?

Danzo was furious and wanted to tear all pretense apart with Sarutobi on the spot, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu firmly covered his mouth.

"Danzo! The bigger picture! Think of the bigger picture!"

That was right.

Someone had to come out and take the blame now. Danzo knew it too, but he felt miserable. He was utterly Frustrated!

"As for the Sharingan that controlled the Nine-Tails, its chakra signature matches Kakashi's Sharingan. This old man will investigate the matter."

Sarutobi's face was stern.

"As Hokage, this old man will never let off anyone who harms Konoha! This old man will definitely give everyone an explanation! Please rest assured!"

"But for now, dealing with Kumogakure is the highest priority! I ask for everyone's understanding!"

After speaking, the Old Village Chief Let Out a Breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and shot Fugaku a covert glance.

"In half an hour, we will convene a war preparedness meeting!"

And Hitoshi Clan Head, who had Witnessed everything, gave a mocking laugh. He covertly made a stopping gesture before speaking softly.

"Tch. Boring."

Thanks to Rain Festival for the two monthly passes, thanks to reader 2023 for the monthly pass, and thanks to everyone for the Recommendation Tickets. A new author with a new book asks for your support—if you're passing by, please add it to your favorites! As usual, asking for votes!