March, Year 41 of Konoha. The weather was gradually warming as spring settled over the Land of Fire.
Nearly three months had passed since the attack. With the vast machinery of the Land of Fire set into motion, Konoha had entered a period of large-scale reconstruction.
Despite the turmoil shaking the ninja world, Konoha's daily operations remained largely unaffected.
Life, after all, had to go on.
The Hidden Mist shinobi who had been detained for several months were finally released. In exchange, Kirigakure agreed to compensate Konoha with a substantial amount of supplies.
However, the Three-Tails remained in Konoha.
Kirigakure simply could not afford to redeem the enormously expensive Tailed Beast. Left with no alternative, they mortgaged it to Konoha and allowed it to remain there for the time being.
It was a desperate measure.
Kirigakure itself had suffered a disaster even more devastating than Konoha's. After barely managing to rebuild, it now faced the burden of paying enormous war reparations.
Years of the Bloody Mist era had crippled the village's economy. Under such circumstances, where would they find the funds to redeem a Tailed Beast?
The cost alone was enough to drive them into ruin.
Yet abandoning it entirely was out of the question. A Tailed Beast was still a Tailed Beast.
As a result, Kirigakure drafted an agreement to "temporarily" mortgage the Three-Tails to Konoha.
Naturally, housing such a dangerous creature frightened many Konoha shinobi. To ease concerns, Kirigakure was required to pay annual storage fees as well as compensation for the trouble and risks involved.
That became yet another massive financial burden.
These days, Kirigakure was forced to tighten its belt just to survive, perhaps even more severely than Sunagakure.
The ninja world could be strange at times. After a single conflict, the village that suffered the greatest decline was not Konoha, but Kirigakure.
Meanwhile, Sunagakure, once firmly at the bottom among the Five Great Nations, had climbed a position in the rankings.
Not that it was entirely bad news.
Though Kirigakure was drowning in debt, at least the Fourth Mizukage had disappeared.
For countless oppressed shinobi, the mountain that had loomed over their lives had finally collapsed. It was like cleaning the house before welcoming new guests.
The people of Kirigakure rejoiced.
Of course, as the village responsible for toppling that mountain, Konoha could hardly expect gratitude from the Hidden Mist.
As the young Mei Terumī once put it:
"Right now, two mountains weigh upon the people of Kirigakure. One is the Bloody Mist era, and the other is Konoha's dominance. One mountain has already fallen, but an even taller one still stands before us. The road ahead remains long."
Mei Terumī had every reason to think that way.
During the two months she spent detained in Konoha, the village had no intention of supporting idle prisoners. The Hidden Mist shinobi were sent to construction sites, hauling timber, moving stone, and assisting with rebuilding efforts.
After completing her labor "reform," her resentment toward Konoha and Hayashi reached an entirely new level.
Amid the ongoing reconstruction, the heavily damaged Hokage Building was finally restored.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a sentimental man. As a result, the new structure was built almost exactly as the previous one had been.
At that moment, a meeting was underway inside the conference hall.
"The Aburame Clan has long hoped to possess a forest suitable for raising kikaichū. After discussion, the village has decided to relocate your clan compound to this area."
A massive map of Konoha lay spread across the conference table.
Danzo stood beside it, expression dark as ever, using a pointer to indicate various locations.
"The Hatake Clan compound suffered severe damage during Sasori's invasion. The village has decided to relocate it here."
The location Danzo indicated was considerably closer to Konoha's center than the previous Hatake compound. It also included a large training ground.
For all practical purposes, that training ground now belonged to the Hatake Clan.
This was partly a reward for Sakumo's contribution during the battle against Sasori and partly recognition of his years of service to the village.
Danzo continued speaking.
One clan after another received notices regarding adjustments to their compounds.
Relocating clan compounds was a major matter.
When Konoha had first been founded, the Senju and Uchiha clans occupied the most central locations in the village.
Other clans received land according to the order in which they joined Konoha and the strength of their respective families.
After decades of growth and multiple village expansions, the issue of clan territories had become increasingly complicated.
The Aburame Clan, for example, required forests for raising insects. Yet after years of expansion, much of their original woodland had disappeared.
They often had to travel long distances simply to maintain their insects.
This had once allowed Danzo to restrict them through assignments connected to the Military Police Force.
Now, with Fugaku's attack having caused extensive damage throughout Konoha, the Third Hokage intended to use the reconstruction as an opportunity to reorganize the major clan compounds.
It was, in essence, a political game.
Everyone wanted the best location.
Everyone wanted the largest territory.
Everyone wanted training grounds, forests, and valuable land.
No clan wished to be pushed to the outskirts of the village, where a trip to the Ninja Academy could take half a day.
The difference between locations was enormous.
Some areas were prime real estate near the village center. Others were practically on the edge of civilization.
Of course, desires alone determined nothing.
Who received the best land, who settled for less, and who ended up watching others benefit all followed established rules.
The logic behind it was simple.
Status.
Contribution.
Influence.
The two Shinobi World Wars and the recent Konoha invasion provided excellent benchmarks.
At the same time, the village planned to reclaim territory from several once-prominent clans that had long since declined.
Some possessed only a handful of surviving members yet still occupied vast and valuable areas.
Naturally, this did not apply to the Senju Clan.
Even if not a single Senju remained, no one would dare reassign their compound.
That land represented more than territory.
It represented an era.
It was one of Konoha's symbols.
After all, even though half of the Third Hokage's monument had been damaged, the monuments of the First and Second Hokage remained untouched.
As for the four major clans led by the Sarutobi Clan, very little changed.
The Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mitokado clans had been among Konoha's earliest supporters. Their locations were already excellent and required few adjustments.
Furthermore, after nearly twenty years of Hiruzen's leadership, these influential clans had accumulated more than enough advantages. Expanding their compounds further was unnecessary.
The Uchiha Clan also remained where it was.
Originally, Danzo had hoped to use the reconstruction as an excuse to move the Uchiha compound to a more remote district, much like he had attempted after the Nine-Tails incident in another timeline.
This time, however, the Third Hokage rejected the proposal outright.
For one thing, Hayashi was still alive. As long as he remained in the village, relocating the Uchiha to the outskirts was simply not an option.
More importantly, the clan was integrating into village life remarkably well. The commercial district had returned to prosperity, and there was no reason to target them further.
In addition, during Fugaku's attack, not only had Hayashi played a major role, but numerous Uchiha shinobi had fought on the front lines. After the battle, the clan had also contributed a significant amount of supplies to assist with reconstruction.
Taken together, their actions left little room for criticism.
Even so, Danzo's small schemes inevitably found their way to Hayashi through various channels.
So, after the meeting ended, Hayashi approached him with a bright smile.
He casually patted the elder on the shoulder and said warmly,
"Never pay attention to rumors and slander. You're the best."
Danzo froze on the spot, completely dumbfounded.
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