Reborn In The World Of Naruto

Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was suffocating, the air heavy with unspoken accusations and the acrid scent of Hiruzen's smoldering pipe. The once-proud chamber, adorned with symbols of Konoha's history, felt like a courtroom where the walls themselves whispered the truth of long-forgotten sins. The light filtering through the tall windows seemed harsh, exposing the lines of worry etched deep into the faces of the village's highest authority figures.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat at the head of the table, his eyes clouded with fatigue and burdened with memories. His hands trembled slightly as he set down his pipe, the thin tendrils of smoke curling around his weathered face. Across from him sat Danzo Shimura, his single eye glinting with cold calculation. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado completed the grim quartet, their usual composure shattered, replaced by deep furrows of concern and the pallor of fear.

"This is bad. This is so very bad," Koharu muttered, her voice a brittle whisper. Her eyes darted anxiously, as though seeking a shadow to hide in.

"How did it come to this?" Homura's voice was barely audible, more a question to the fates than to the room. His hands clenched and unclenched, unable to grasp the unraveling of their carefully constructed empire.

Danzo's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Ungrateful fools," he spat, the venom in his tone palpable.

"Damn it all. Those ungrateful idiots. So what if we did all that? They dare accuse us, after all we've done for them? We sacrificed everything for the good of the village, and this is our reward? Ridiculous. Do these rotten brain fools truly not understand it was all for the good of the village?" Danzo spat, the venom in his tone palpable. They did so much for these people and now these same people were accusing them. Telling them to step down. Hah! As if Danzo would accept that.

His eye burned with a mixture of indignation and fury. To him, the villagers were mere pawns in the grand game of power and survival, their protests a nuisance. He saw them as ignorant sheep, unable to comprehend the weight of the decisions made for their so-called protection.

Hiruzen's weary gaze fixed on the desk before him. Memories played out like ghosts before his eyes: the faces of comrades lost, the burden of leadership, the bitter compromises made in the name of peace. He exhaled a slow, shuddering breath. One wrong move and Konoha would be embroiled in a Civil War. Something the Cloud Village definitely wanted and would surely take advantage of.

'Where did it all go wrong?' he wondered, the question a hollow echo in his mind. When did my pursuit of peace turn into a hunger for power?'

He recalled the words of a long forgotten being. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. The irony was bitter, the truth unavoidable.

"Sensei..." he whispered to himself, the word carrying the weight of regret.

'I did everything I could to protect this village. I even discriminat- I mean kept the Uchiha in check, just as you once did.' He rubbed his temples, the throbbing ache a reminder of the chaos spiraling beyond his control.

Danzo's voice pulled him back to the present. "I have a plan."

All three turned to him, their eyes desperate for a solution, any solution. The room seemed to still, anticipation thickening the air.

"We need a scapegoat," Danzo continued, his voice cold and measured. "Someone we can pin the blame on."

Koharu's brow furrowed. "Who do you plan to pin the blame on? The other Hidden Villages?"

Danzo's eye narrowed in disdain. "Are you truly that dense?"

The insult stung, and Koharu's face flushed with anger. "What did you just say?!"

"So, you're not only blind to the reality before us, but deaf as well," Danzo shot back, his voice dripping with contempt. "No wonder we're in this mess."

"YOU—"

"Enough!" Hiruzen's voice thundered, his fist slamming onto the table. The room fell silent, the air crackling with suppressed fury. "Danzo, continue."

Danzo said. "As I was saying, we need to pin the blame on someone. We can't blame any of the Hidden Villages as that might spark a war."

"But, we need someone influential to bear the brunt of this. The people won't believe us if we blame some nameless scapegoat." He was right. If they pinned the blame on some nobody, the villagers wouldn't believe them. After all, someone who did such crimes needed to have enough influence to get away with it, just like politicians.

Silence stretched, the implication hanging heavy in the room.

"Our best option," Danzo continued, his voice a low murmur, "is to blame a clan."

However most of the influential Clans were a part of the Hokage's Faction. If they pinned the blame on even any one of these Clans, all the other Clans would abandon the Hokage and his Faction for betraying their own allies. Without any support from those Clans, the Hokage and the Elders would soon lose power and be held accountable for their crimes.

"Danzo, you know very well we can't do that. If we do then-"

"Who said anything about blaming Clans from our Faction?" Danzo said before Hiruzen could finish what he was saying.

The words hung in the air, heavy with menace. Hiruzen's eyes widened as realization dawned. "You don't mean—"

Danzo's smirk widened, his eye gleaming with malice. "Yes. The Uchiha."

The room fell into a stunned silence, the weight of the suggestion sinking in.

"AAAGH!"

Suddenly, a distant scream pierced the silence. They turned sharply, their eyes snapping to the window.

***

Outside the Hokage Tower: Minutes Earlier,

The place was a sea of anger, thousands of voices rising like a tidal wave. The crowd surrounded the Hokage Tower, a human wall of fury demanding answers. Shouts echoed through the air, each one a dagger aimed at the heart of the regime.

"We want justice!"

"Step down, you corrupt snakes!"

The shinobi formed a tense line between the protesters and the entrance. Among them stood Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy, their expressions grim.

"This is spiraling out of control," Guy muttered, his usual optimism replaced by anxiety. "What do we do, Kakashi?"

Kakashi's visible eye remained calm but hard. "We hold the line. We can't let them through. We need to buy time."

"For now, we focus on not letting the villagers get past us. Otherwise they're going to storm the Hokage Tower. We can't have that. We need to buy time so that the higher ups can come to a decision." Kakashi said.

"Why not use Earth Release jutsu to create walls? That would prevent the civilians from trying to get to the tower." Guy suggested.

"Seriously Guy? Haven't you ever read the Laws?" Kakashi asked back with an eyeroll.

"No? Is that necessary?" Guy asked back.

"It's alright Guy. Don't put too much pressure on your brain and just focus on not letting the people pass." Kakashi said with a sigh.

"Okay!" Guy said with a thumbs-up.

However, things weren't going as they planned. The shinobi couldn't use violence against civilians and hence the people kept on pushing forward.

One of the shinobi finally had enough and made a huge mistake.

"I've had enough!" The shinobi said that and made hand signs and used fire style jutsu on the people.

A burst of fire exploded from the shinobi's mouth.

Present time,

"AAAGH!!"

The flames roared towards the crowd, a terrible, unstoppable wave of destruction. Screams filled the air, panic surging like a wildfire.

Then, from the side, another wave of fire surged—stronger, faster. It crashed into the first, snuffing it out in an instant.

The crowd turned, eyes wide with shock. A figure stood at the edge of the square, his silhouette framed by flickering embers. Black hair, a white-and-red fan emblazoned on his back.

A voice rose from the crowd, a mixture of awe and relief.

"It's... Uchiha Fugaku!"

***

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