"Everyone, something significant happened in the Village last night. I believe all of you felt it."
"I know you have many questions. Please remain composed. We gathered everyone here to explain everything clearly."
"But before we begin, prepare yourselves. What you are about to hear is not easy to accept."
Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Koharu Utatane spoke slowly, her expression grave.
As her words settled, the already tense atmosphere grew heavier.
If even someone like Koharu spoke this way, then last night's events were far beyond ordinary.
"What happened is closely tied to the Hyuga clan. More precisely, it began because of them. I will let Hyuga Hizashi explain."
She stepped aside.
Hizashi Hyuga moved forward and began recounting the truth.
He spoke about how the delegation from Kumogakure attempted to kidnap Hinata Hyuga, and how Uchiha Ryūjin, a member of the Konoha Military Police Force, intervened and killed them.
That incident had caused a major uproar back then.
The official explanation had claimed it was an accident during a spar, that a Hyuga member failed to hold back and unintentionally killed the envoy.
Because of that explanation, both sides reached a settlement and peace talks continued.
But now, Hizashi's version was completely different.
The crowd erupted.
"Wasn't it said to be an accident?"
"Why is this different from what the Hokage told us?"
"I knew something felt off back then…"
Voices overlapped, filled with doubt and disbelief.
"Everyone, with so many of us standing here, is that not enough to prove this is the truth?"
Koharu's firm tone cut through the noise.
Standing behind Hizashi were numerous influential figures. Their presence alone carried weight.
Gradually, the crowd quieted.
"But if that's true, does that mean the Hokage lied to us?"
Someone shouted the question everyone was thinking.
Hizashi clenched his teeth.
"Yes. The Hokage concealed the truth. The situation was not what he claimed."
The moment those words fell, the crowd stirred again.
"That's impossible!"
"The Hokage wouldn't do that!"
"There must be some misunderstanding!"
The Hiruzen Sarutobi had ruled for years and held deep respect among the villagers. Hearing this shook their beliefs.
Hizashi raised his voice, steady and forceful.
"Listen carefully, and you will understand why he did it."
"Ryūjin killed the Kumogakure envoy to save Hinata. Yet to appease Kumogakure, the Hokage intended to execute him."
Murmurs spread again.
"But Ryūjin's strength exceeded expectations. The assassination failed."
"That failure pushed the conflict between the Village and the Uchiha clan to its peak."
"With tensions already high, the Hokage made a disastrous decision."
"He chose to eliminate the Uchiha clan entirely."
Silence fell.
"What you witnessed last night was the Hokage launching that extermination."
"He miscalculated the Uchiha's strength. The operation failed."
"And in that failure, many died. Including my brother, Hiashi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, and numerous others."
"For Konoha, it was a day of tragedy. Heroes died in a conflict that should never have happened."
The weight of his words pressed down on the entire plaza.
This version had been carefully constructed.
Ryūjin had to be seen as justified.
Only then could the villagers accept what came next.
Even so, this alone was not enough.
No matter the reason, Ryūjin had killed the Hokage. That fact alone made acceptance difficult.
So the next step was necessary.
Break the Hokage's image.
Completely.
As soon as Hizashi finished speaking, the plaza erupted again.
"This is impossible!"
"There's no way the Hokage would do that!"
"You're lying!"
But one after another, the figures on stage confirmed the story.
Koharu. Kushina Uzumaki. Ibiki Morino.
Their unified stance only deepened the confusion.
Why would so many influential figures lie together?
It made no sense.
At that moment, Koharu moved to the next step.
"Everyone, regardless of what you believe, one thing is certain."
"Konoha has suffered heavy losses due to internal conflict."
"Villages like Kumogakure and Iwagakure may take advantage of this."
"For now, avoid unnecessary travel. Stay vigilant."
"War could break out again."
The effect was immediate.
Fear replaced outrage.
Panic spread across the crowd.
People began worrying about survival, about their families, about what would happen if war came.
The question of how the Hokage died quickly lost priority.
From that day onward, Konoha entered a period of suffocating tension.
No laughter.
No ease.
Even children sensed it.
Every face carried unease, like a village in mourning.
Nara Suzaku and the others could only accept it.
This phase was unavoidable.
Soon after, whispers began spreading.
"The truth about Sakumo Hatake… it was leaked on purpose."
"Kakashi almost got eliminated too…"
"And what about Nawaki? That story never made sense."
"The Senju clan declining like that… under the Hokage's rule?"
Rumors grew, each one more detailed than the last.
They spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the Village.
Within days, the Hokage's image began to collapse.
Respect turned into suspicion.
Suspicion turned into resentment.
Public opinion shifted rapidly.
When enough people repeated something, it began to feel true.
Behind the scenes, this was no accident.
The Uchiha clan pushed the narrative forward, while the remaining leadership silently allowed it.
What had been planted earlier was now being nurtured.
And it was working.
Walking through the streets, Ryūjin listened to fragments of conversation drifting through the air.
His expression remained indifferent.
"At this point, public opinion isn't worth worrying about," he thought.
"Give it a few more days, and this will become the accepted version."
"After that, nothing will stop me from taking the Hokage position."
Then he frowned slightly.
"The only annoying part is that old man Shinku Yuhi keeping Kurenai away from me…"
For a moment, a dark thought crossed his mind.
"Should I just get rid of him?"
He scoffed at himself.
Yeah right.
Even he knew that was unnecessary.
Any father would react the same way.
After all, Ryūjin was the man who killed the Hokage and multiple high-ranking figures.
Letting their daughter near him would be madness.
"Whatever. No need to rush."
He shrugged and turned back toward the Uchiha compound.
Since revealing his strength, he had become the clan's symbol.
Fugaku Uchiha had already pulled him from routine duties.
And after everything that happened, it was better for him to stay out of sight for now.
"Lord Ryūjin!"
"Lord Ryūjin!"
Along the way, every Uchiha greeted him with admiration.
To them, he was no longer just a clan member.
He was their pride.
Their power.
Their future.
Meanwhile, beyond Konoha, the news spread rapidly.
"What? The Hokage is dead?"
"The Uchiha rebelled?"
"High-ranking officials wiped out?"
Every major village was shaken.
Investigations quickly confirmed the truth.
Gravestones had appeared.
Names carved into memorials.
The losses were undeniable.
For the shinobi world, this was a rare opportunity.
Even during the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had not suffered such damage.
Now, weakened by internal conflict, it stood vulnerable.
Villages began to stir.
Plans formed.
Eyes turned toward Konoha.
What they received, however, was a controlled version of events.
A version crafted to hide one crucial detail.
That a single man, Uchiha Ryūjin, had brought Konoha's leadership to its knees.