This Really Was an Accident, Not a Conspiracy

Before long, news that every Uchiha Clan student had withdrawn from the Konoha Ninja Academy instantly spread throughout Konoha.

"What? The entire Uchiha Clan withdrew from the Konoha Ninja Academy? What happened?"

"Could what that brat called Uchiha Chuan said that day have been true? The spy leader was actually the Hokage's advisor?"

"Was it because of that 'setting the facts aside' nonsense?"

"Are the Uchiha going to fight the village?"

"Why exactly?"

In an instant, the Konoha villagers who did not know the truth panicked. They gathered in front of the Hokage Building, their faces full of anxiety and unease.

"Lord Hokage, why did the Uchiha Clan withdraw from school? Is something wrong with the village?"

"Lord Hokage, is the Uchiha Clan planning to rebel?"

"Lord Hokage, what should we do?"

The villagers' voices rose and fell, carrying a trace of panic. They did not know why the Uchiha Clan had withdrawn from school, but they knew this was definitely no small matter.

Inside the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, heard the villagers' questions, and his expression instantly turned ugly.

"What? Everyone from the Uchiha Clan withdrew from the Ninja Academy?" The Third Hokage's eyes widened, his voice filled with shock and confusion. He had clearly approved only Uchiha Chuan's withdrawal application. How had everyone in the Uchiha Clan suddenly withdrawn?

"Shitaka Sarutobi!" the Third Hokage roared, anger in his voice.

"Lord Hokage, you called for me?" Shitaka Sarutobi hurried in, his face carrying a measure of apprehension.

"Everyone from the Uchiha Clan has withdrawn. What is going on?" the Third Hokage asked coldly, his tone accusatory.

"Lord Hokage, didn't you tell Teacher Ikkaku to let the Uchiha withdraw if they wanted to?" Shitaka Sarutobi answered with an innocent look.

"I was talking about Uchiha Chuan, not every Uchiha!" The Third Hokage nearly spat blood from rage.

"Uchiha Chuan is no different from the other Uchiha." Shitaka Sarutobi rolled his eyes, sounding unconcerned.

"Idiot! Uchiha Chuan is Uchiha Chuan, but all the Uchiha withdrawing is a decision made by the Uchiha Clan! Given the Uchiha Clan's influence in the village, can the entire clan withdrawing from school possibly compare to Uchiha Chuan withdrawing alone?" The Third Hokage was furious, practically roaring.

"Ah, then what do we do?" Only then did Shitaka Sarutobi realize the severity of the issue, his face full of panic.

"What do we do? Of course we don't process their withdrawal paperwork! Stall for time first, then think of something!" The Third Hokage was so angry he nearly vomited blood, yet he still had to clean up the mess. After all, Shitaka Sarutobi belonged to the Sarutobi Clan.

"..." Shitaka Sarutobi fell silent, his face full of embarrassment.

The Third Hokage immediately had a bad feeling. His eyes widened as he asked, "Don't tell me you already approved all of them."

"Lord Hokage, because of what you said earlier, I approved them all." Shitaka Sarutobi gave a dry laugh, sounding helpless.

"You..." Seeing this, the Third Hokage felt a rush of blood rise in his throat. If he had not reacted quickly, he would have spat blood for sure. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fury in his heart, and said coldly, "Get out. Get the hell out right now!"

Shitaka Sarutobi slunk away, his face full of embarrassment and unease.

"Useless! You're all useless!" the Third Hokage roared. The composure he had cultivated over decades was destroyed in that moment. Sitting behind his desk, his expression was terrifyingly grim.

"Honored Advisors, should we still spread it?" A Root ninja stood before Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, his face carrying hesitation and confusion. He held a rumor-spreading plan that had just been prepared, his tone uncertain.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances and remained silent for a long time. They had originally planned to weaken the Uchiha Clan's influence by spreading rumors that "Uchiha Chuan was a fake genius." However, Uchiha Chuan's withdrawal, along with the entire Uchiha Clan's withdrawal from the Ninja Academy, had completely disrupted their plans.

"Spread it? Spread my ass!" Utatane Koharu finally snapped and began cursing. Her face was full of rage, her voice bordering on hysteria. "Would it still matter now? The entire Uchiha Clan has withdrawn from school. Who would still care whether Uchiha Chuan is a genius or not?"

Her voice echoed through the room, as if she wanted to vent every bit of her anger. The Root ninja beside her shrank his neck in fright and did not dare say another word.

"Damn it, Uchiha Chuan must be playing us!" Mitokado Homura said through gritted teeth, unwillingness in his voice. "He must have known that if he withdrew from school, we would definitely say he was a fake genius. But then he went and had every Uchiha withdraw from school, throwing Konoha into a panic and making all our efforts go to waste!"

"This Uchiha Chuan is practically a monster!" Utatane Koharu took a deep breath and forcibly calmed herself. Her eyes held a trace of wariness. "How did he know what we were going to do? Could he have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and gained the ability to foresee the future?"

"That can't be possible, can it? How old is he?" Mitokado Homura's eyes widened, disbelief in his voice. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is not so easily awakened, much less by a child."

"I must have been overthinking it." Utatane Koharu shook her head and gave a bitter smile. "Damn Uchiha Chuan. He's caused us so much trouble."

"What do we do now?" Mitokado Homura sighed, sounding helpless. "Our entire plan has been thrown into disarray. The Uchiha Clan has now become the focus of the whole village. If we spread rumors now, it will only make us look guilty."

"Let's go back first." Utatane Koharu waved her hand, exhaustion in her voice. "We need to make new plans for this matter."