Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 232: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Konoha.

"How is this possible? Our Konoha is supposed to be the strongest ninja village!"

The villagers of Konoha, emerging from the shelters, stared blankly at the scene before them.

The massive, grand gates that symbolized Konoha as the strongest ninja village were destroyed, leaving no trace of their original form.

Even the aftermath of the Tailed Beast Bomb's shockwave had stirred up an immense amount of dust, which settled over the village, making Konoha look as though it had just endured an unprecedented war.

"You must be joking! Our ninja, our Hokage—how could they let the enemy reach the village?!"

"Our home... will something like this happen again?"

From all corners of Konoha, villagers emerged from the shelters, their eyes dazed as they took in the scene before them.

Under the bright sunlight, the entire village was eerily silent. Dust and debris scattered across rooftops, creating an apocalyptic scene under the morning light.

The stark contrast was overwhelming.

The sudden appearance of the Tailed Beast from the Mist Village outside Konoha's gates, followed by its rampage, had dealt a shocking blow to Konoha.

For the first time, the high-and-mighty villagers of Konoha realized a harsh truth: their supposedly strongest ninja village might not be as invincible as they had believed.

War and death had loomed so close that they had almost descended upon Konoha.

"What on earth is our Hokage doing?!"

An elderly woman, tears streaming down her face, looked at her ruined village and couldn't help but cry out.

"My two sons died on the battlefield! Every time, they said it was for the village, that the war would soon be over, but year after year, the war has dragged on. Now the battle has reached our doorstep!

Back when the First and Second Hokage died on the front lines, they never let the flames of war reach the Land of Fire, let alone Konoha! But now... this has happened..."

One voice led to another. After years of war, the Third Shinobi World War had already inflicted tremendous damage on Konoha. More than half of its ninja had been killed or injured.

This was not an exaggeration but a grim reality.

This war had consumed Konoha's future potential. Countless young ninjas had died, depleting the foundation that made Konoha the strongest ninja village.

Without this war, over time, Konoha would have seen the emergence of more and more chakra-wielding ninja, or even ordinary villagers who had never graduated from the ninja academy.

Two families of villagers with only faint traces of chakra could continue to produce children with chakra—one, two, or even three.

These children would eventually form new families, spreading and multiplying.

But this war had directly consumed the foundation that the First and Second Hokage had painstakingly built, leaving Konoha with only a fraction of its former strength.

The Third Shinobi World War! It had drained Konoha's future potential!

"Hokage! Why hasn't the war ended yet?!"

The Tailed Beast's sudden attack this time unleashed the pent-up resentment of countless villagers. While most of the protesters were elderly, it marked the beginning of something larger.

In the history of the Naruto world, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, eventually resigned in disgrace after the Third Shinobi World War. Perhaps the seeds of that outcome were planted here.

Never underestimate human nature! At the same time, never overestimate it!

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...

Hokage's Office.

"Hokage-sama, the defenses of the village have been re-established. Several elite teams have been sent to investigate the outskirts of the village..."

"Hokage-sama, the villagers are reacting strongly..."

"Hokage-sama..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, having just returned to his office, wore an expression of utter exhaustion. But as he listened to the reports from the ANBU, his face did not improve.

Although the Three-Tails did not cause significant casualties, the psychological impact was enormous.

This incident had planted a sense of crisis in the hearts of all Konoha villagers—they realized that their Third Hokage could no longer protect them.

This was the selfishness of human nature.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also looked extremely grim.

"Hiruzen, this incident has caused a massive impact," Koharu said solemnly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone:

"Perhaps I've truly grown old. To think I allowed the Three-Tails to appear outside Konoha's gates... After this battle, I will take responsibility and resign as the Third Hokage. Konoha needs a new Hokage."

"Hiruzen!"

"Sarutobi!"

The raspy voice of the Third Hokage reverberated, causing both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu to pale.

While the impact of this incident was indeed severe, neither of them had expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to consider stepping down.

"Hokage-sama!"

At that moment, Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared with a flash, just in time to hear Hiruzen's words. His face immediately changed, though he seemed to realize something else, making his expression even darker.

Seeing Minato's arrival, Hiruzen couldn't help but show a trace of relief as he said wistfully:

"Minato, you're finally here."

But Minato Namikaze, filled with guilt, bowed his head and said hoarsely:

"I have failed you, Hokage-sama. I acted recklessly, and as a result, Jounin Shinnosuke was gravely injured. His other arm has been amputated, and he can no longer serve as a ninja."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank, and his mind went blank for a moment.

Although he already knew that his son had been seriously injured, he had never imagined that Shinnosuke would no longer be able to serve as a ninja.

Losing a leg or an arm was one thing—prosthetic limbs could be installed. But to lose the ability to continue as a ninja was a devastating blow, both to Shinnosuke himself and to his father.

"Third Hokage-sama!"

Minato Namikaze knelt on one knee, his bloodstained bandages still visible on his abdomen.

Even Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked worriedly at their old friend, fearing the impact of the news.

But no one could have expected that the 55-year-old Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would simply take a deep breath and bury his sorrow deep inside.

"Sarutobi Shinnosuke acted recklessly, leading a small elite unit into a confrontation with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. During the skirmish, his impulsive decisions and repeated strategic errors resulted in significant casualties...

Thankfully, Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Shirou's teams arrived in time to prevent a catastrophe..."

Hiruzen's raspy voice echoed in the office, causing the other three to freeze in shock.

Minato Namikaze looked up sharply, stunned by the words of the Third Hokage.

"Hokage-sama! This matter is not..." Minato began, but Mitokado Homura raised a hand to stop him, sighing.

"Minato, don't you understand? Someone has to take responsibility for this incident. You are Hiruzen's most promising candidate to inherit the Will of Fire. As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen must ensure the village's stability and protect its future.

The one who suffers the most right now is Hiruzen."

Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his Hokage hat, his eyes filled with pain.

All the blame had been placed on his son, Shinnosuke.

But there was no other choice. Given the current situation, someone had to bear the burden. And unfortunately, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, now crippled, had the least value to the village.

"Minato, you don't need to feel guilty. This is Shinnosuke's responsibility!"

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, composed his emotions, and said in a solemn tone:

"As the son of the Hokage, he must bear the responsibilities that come with the honor. This is what he should do. And Minato, you don't have the time to feel guilty. Your responsibilities will be even heavier!"

The appearance of the Three-Tails in Konoha had significant consequences. Making Sarutobi Shinnosuke take the blame, would give Konoha a new impression.

Their Third Hokage was impartial and selfless. Even when it came to his son, he didn't cover anything up. More importantly, even the son of the Third Hokage went to the frontlines.

And he ended up in such a tragic situation. This would make the villagers of Konoha feel ashamed but also foster a sense of unity. They would understand that everyone was fighting for the village.

Perhaps their Hokage had made some poor decisions or wasn't as strong as others, but he still lived up to the title of Hokage.

Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already sent out the message that he would take full responsibility for the Third Shinobi War and promised to step down, resigning from his position as Hokage.

This series of actions indeed helped calm the unrest in Konoha.

One had to admit, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a master of strategy.

"Hiruzen!"

Facing his old friends, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly waved his hand and said:

"Someone has to take responsibility for the war. As the Third Hokage, I bear an unshirkable duty. So, there's no need to discuss this matter further. Issue the order to the Anbu immediately to make this public."

"We understand!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu sighed deeply and eventually nodded heavily. They understood Hiruzen's plan.

After all, Hiruzen could no longer continue as Hokage, so it was better for him to take all the blame.

"Minato!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi then turned his gaze to Minato Namikaze, showing a complex yet gratified expression, and sighed:

"It's not that I'm biased against the Uchiha clan, but the village simply cannot withstand further turmoil right now. The losses from this Shinobi World War have been too great, and the Uchiha clan as a whole is too extreme in personality and incredibly militant...

Especially Uchiha Shirou. I'm sure you've read the books he's published over the past few years. They blatantly reveal his desire to instigate war..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't hold back at all, laying the facts bare with a heavy tone.

"If he were to take over, Konoha would be thrust into the flames of war. This would be a disaster not only for the village but for the entire Shinobi World. More importantly, the forces behind the Uchiha clan... they consist of an entire network of families!"

Hearing this, Utatane Koharu nodded gravely and said in a heavy tone:

"Hiruzen is right. The village has just stabilized. If it were just about the Uchiha, that would be one thing. But behind them lies a network of families. For us old folks, this might not matter, but what about the other clans?

This would inevitably lead to a conflict between the old and new powers. What Konoha needs now is not turmoil, but a peaceful and stable transition. That's also why Hiruzen chose you, Minato."

In political struggles, there is no absolute right or wrong—only differing positions.

After all, who in politics is truly clean?

From their perspective, Konoha was already weakened to this extent. Another clash between new and old powers would undoubtedly cause further instability in the village.

Minato Namikaze fell into silence after hearing this. He had witnessed the village's losses over the years. No one wanted to see another conflict arise.

"And Minato, I can gradually hand over everything to you without causing any conflict."

Suddenly, Hiruzen Sarutobi brought up the matter again, essentially confirming that he had chosen Minato as the Fourth Hokage.

This left Minato Namikaze shocked, and he blurted out, "Lord Third, what about Lady Tsunade?"

However, as soon as Tsunade was mentioned, all three of them looked grim, with Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turning especially dark.

"Minato! If it were the Tsunade of the past, I would have chosen her without hesitation. But now, look at this intel!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a grim expression, pulled out top-secret documents from the side of the desk. What greeted Minato's eyes were detailed reports indicating behavior that was too intimate between the two individuals.

A man and a woman being that close?

Seriously?

Could that simply be a normal companionship?

What was worse, Minato Namikaze's pupils shrank as he read further. The reports revealed that the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan had secretly started forming teams among their younger generations, even hinting at possible intermarriage.

Seeing Minato's shocked expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely:

"Tsunade has already been influenced by the Uchiha. The biggest problem is that she has chosen the wrong man. This isn't about me looking down on women, but women are often deceived by sweet words...

No matter how sharp or wise they may seem normally, they can still be misled by notions of love and romance. This is why, in major matters, men often hold power. This isn't prejudice but a fact! And besides..."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression grew even more solemn. He slowly raised his head and stared directly at Minato Namikaze.

"You've seen the classified information about the Uchiha clan, Minato. You must have noticed the Six Paths ninja tools in Uchiha Shirou's possession. While these tools have been passed down through the Uchiha clan, they were lost during the founding of Konoha...

The last documented owner of these tools was Uchiha Madara. According to the Second Hokage's records, the tools were last seen at the Valley of the End—the battlefield where Madara fought the First Hokage."

At this moment, Minato Namikaze's expression grew increasingly serious as he finally understood the gravity of the situation.

"How were these tools obtained? Did Uchiha Shirou inherit Madara's dangerous will? Or is the Uchiha clan hiding some grand conspiracy...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's raspy voice carried a deep distrust and fear of the Uchiha clan. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu also nodded gravely.

"The Uchiha are too dangerous! Especially now, with their secret intermarriages with the Senju clan. Could this also be part of a conspiracy? With the current state of the Senju clan, is the Uchiha trying to absorb the Senju?

If that happens, Tsunade and the entire Senju clan might all adopt the Uchiha name!"

The growing threat of the Uchiha, as laid out, was terrifying. Minato Namikaze grew more serious than ever.

If Konoha truly faced such a powerful Uchiha clan, what kind of impact would that have on the village?

"Lord Hokage, I understand!"

At that moment, Minato Namikaze finally grasped the weight of the burden on his shoulders, so heavy it almost suffocated him.

"Minato, others may see being Hokage as an honor, but only after becoming Hokage will you understand—it's a responsibility. I believe you've already felt this pressure. Your challenges will be immense."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned resolute. He would not allow Konoha to fall into disorder.

He could step down, but Konoha must remain stable. A peaceful transition was the only option. Minato Namikaze could gradually take over all of Hiruzen's power.

Unlike the Uchiha and Senju clans, which were tightly-knit factions, Minato could take over without sparking conflict.