"Did you hear? A ninja from the Aburame clan attacked Kumogakure and got captured alive."
"Huh? I heard it was an attack on the Raikage that led to the capture."
"No way—it was someone impersonating the Raikage's father who got caught! Now Kumogakure is putting pressure on the village, demanding an explanation from the Aburame clan. Otherwise, they'll declare war!"
"Whatever the case, I really hope we can avoid war. If a small sacrifice can keep the peace, I think the Aburame clan should consider the bigger picture—just like the Hyuga clan did back then."
Whispers and speculation rippled through the villagers. Thanks to someone fanning the flames, most people believed this would end the same way it did with the Hyuga—one person sacrificed to preserve harmony and stability.
...
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Bang! Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his fist on the desk in frustration. Across from him, Shimura Danzo sat calm and composed—like the roles of aggressor and appeaser had been reversed.
Hiruzen was unraveling. The growing pressure and negative sentiment in the village had become too much. The public outcry had reached a breaking point—this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
It was like Konoha was cursed. Lately, things had been going downhill fast. Now history was repeating itself. Kumogakure had captured Aburame Torune alive and was demanding a response from the Aburame clan. Strangely, details of the confrontation had leaked within Konoha, and now all eyes were on the leadership, waiting for a decision.
...It was all too similar to what happened with Hyuga Hizashi.
"Hiruzen, calm down. We're already on the back foot. My recommendation is to let the Aburame clan handle this themselves," Danzo said coolly.
"Shut up!" Hiruzen shot Danzo a furious glare. How dare he try to play political games at a time like this?
Kumogakure was demanding compensation—either the Aburame handed over their nano-poison beetle secrets, or it would mean war.
Hiruzen didn't believe it would come to a fight. Kumogakure was likely bluffing, but the situation had already backed him into a corner. Opportunists like Danzo—or the one who impersonated "Uchiha Itachi" and attacked Torune—wouldn't miss a chance to exploit the chaos.
No matter what decision Hiruzen made, it would give his enemies ammunition. If he compromised, he'd be branded a coward forever. But if he stood his ground, he'd be accused of double standards. After all, how could he explain treating the Aburame differently from the Hyuga?
...The Hyuga might not have the guts to do anything about it, but Danzo and that shadowy mastermind pulling the strings? They were wild cards.
Danzo would absolutely stir the pot to push for Hiruzen's removal. The person behind the scenes probably wanted nothing more than to plunge Konoha into deeper chaos.
Hiruzen knew Danzo too well. The man had no real sense of the bigger picture. Even if the village was on the verge of collapse, Danzo would continue scheming, believing—delusionally—that only he could lead Konoha to greatness.
"I managed to get in touch with Itachi through secret channels. He's been undercover in the Akatsuki and hasn't returned to Konoha since. The one who attacked Torune that night was definitely an impostor," Hiruzen muttered, taking a drag from his pipe. "Danzo, this is not the time for self-serving agendas."
"Heh." Danzo scoffed, clearly unmoved. He had his own plans.
"Could it be Ōnoki?" Utatane Koharu offered her take. "This kind of manipulation between Konoha and Kumogakure feels like his style."
Hiruzen said nothing, deep in thought, searching for a way out. If things came to it, he might just have to use Danzo as a sacrificial pawn.
...
Rumors swirled like wildfire. Even the Ninja Academy wasn't immune to the tension. Sasuke noticed right away—both Hyuga Hinata and Aburame Shino seemed visibly shaken.
To be honest, Sasuke was quite pleased. Seeing Konoha in turmoil brought him a twisted sense of joy.
"I wonder what the Third Hokage is going to do," he mused.
The shadow beside him replied, "I don't know what choice he'll make either. But often, your enemies understand your weaknesses better than you do. Hiruzen has been in power for far too long. The other Kage have had plenty of time to figure out his playbook."
"He loves moral grandstanding. When things get tough, he always falls back on that 'sacrifice the few for the many' logic—convincing himself, and everyone else, that it's for the greater good. Then he sends a few poor souls to their deaths, and they end up just names on the memorial stone. All in the name of the 'Will of Fire.' He won't hesitate to make a small sacrifice to protect the big picture. The only question is—who's the sacrifice this time?"
Sacrificing the few to protect the many might sound noble on the surface, but it always carries a hidden cost: human rights. If it's so easy to sacrifice one person now, what happens next time? Fear will creep in—anyone could be next. And people driven by fear? They'll do anything to avoid becoming the next offering.
No competent leader uses that card unless they've truly hit a dead end—and even then, they'd never let it become public. The villagers may know, deep down, that they're expendable. But that knowledge can't be made explicit.
Once the people lose trust, it's nearly impossible to win it back.
Sasuke let out a sigh. "Anyone could be sacrificed. The Uchiha were so arrogant before—talking openly about a coup like they didn't even care who heard them. They thought the village wouldn't dare act against its founding clan. That entitlement got them killed."
The shadow nodded.
Then Sasuke added, "Itachi must be in agony right now. He wiped out his clan to keep the village stable—and now, that same village is spiraling into chaos because the Uchiha are gone. Just imagining Itachi tormented by that irony... it makes me feel good."
A twisted smile crept onto Sasuke's face—one that could terrify children into silence.
"Once I let go of all those useless emotions, I realized... I understand Itachi more and more. His worldview is so shallow. He acts like he's burdened by immense guilt, but deep down? There's pride. Pride in his sacrifice, in playing the martyr. He's like some monk in a cult, finding satisfaction and glory in his own suffering."
"I used to think killing Itachi would be my revenge. But now? Killing him would only validate his narrative—'I died for peace, for my brother's sake.' That's way too kind."
"I want to turn him into a joke—a clown. A ridiculous, pathetic clown whose name becomes a punchline across the entire ninja world. A laughingstock for the ages."
The shadow remained unmoved by Sasuke's speech. In fact, he almost wanted to laugh. The Uchiha bloodline's rebellious streak was no joke. Who knew? Sasuke might just flip sides again when it really counted.
Obito had changed sides mid-battle, after all.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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