Chapter 37: Uchiha Itachi Returns To The Village!
Senior Izumi, you guessed right.
The secret she blurted out in her emotional agitation had already spread through every street and alley of Konoha Village in less than a few hours.
No matter where she went with her senior, she could hear the villagers’ discussion topics shift from Senior Ikeizumi to the Hokage’s Eldest Son.
Clearly, the other ninjas of the Uchiha Clan had no responsibility or obligation to keep the Third Hokage’s eldest son’s secret.
When they realized that the Hokage’s Eldest Son Sarutobi Shinnosuke harbored such a special secret, they became excited instead.
And they unhesitatingly spread this “secret information.”
Rumors involving the Hokage always spread very quickly.
Moreover, the rumors grew increasingly outrageous, with some people even embellishing them during discussions.
——”I heard that because the Hokage’s eldest son killed many war orphans, that plague god from the Uchiha Police Force killed the Hokage’s eldest son!”
——”No wonder many war orphans from the Konoha Village orphanage mysteriously disappeared. So… so they became subjects for human experimentation?”
——”Will the village not be satisfied with using those war orphans as experimental subjects in the future…”
——”Is the Hokage condoning this? Otherwise, why would his eldest son be the mastermind behind the human experimentation?”
——”Don’t discuss it randomly. Keep an eye on your own kids from now on. Those high-and-mighty people only see us as expendable materials.”
——”I heard the Hokage’s Eldest Son killed many Konoha Village villagers.”
——”…”
“Sorry, senior…” Senior Izumi lowered her small head and apologized: “I didn’t know things would turn out like this. Your teacher’s reputation during his lifetime… seems to have been ruined by me.”
She wanted to cry but had no tears.
She hadn’t expected these rumors to become so outrageous in the end, even affecting the Hokage.
And this was only after half a day.
If a few more days passed…
What then?
Senior Izumi felt the terror of “public opinion” for the first time. Endless malicious public opinion surged toward a deceased person, making even her, a bystander, feel chills.
She couldn’t imagine how painful it would be for a living person to be crushed by such malicious public opinion.
“When Shinnosuke Teacher did those things against justice, he should have foreseen that something like this would happen today.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said flatly: “Rookie, you did nothing wrong.”
Senior Izumi was stunned.
Uchiha Ikeizumi looked at some villagers who, during the discussions, suddenly became indignant about Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s actions.
“Even if the facts have deviated, it has made some people realize just how terrifying the ‘evil’ in the Ninja World truly is.”
Uchiha Ikeizumi said: “Because of your ‘leaking the secret,’ they are starting to learn to distinguish between justice and sin. If they take it as a warning and spit on sin, it means the Ninja World can still be saved.”
“This is a good thing.”
“You did very well.”
A divine light suddenly surged in Senior Izumi’s eyes, which had nearly lost their sparkle, and a faint mist covered her watery eye sockets.
She hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Mm!!!”
Senior Izumi didn’t know why, but she just wanted to respond emphatically.
Perhaps…
It was because she had finally! Finally! Finally been praised by her senior!
“Senior, I think from now on, whatever we do, we should reveal the truth behind it. And not just tell a few people, but let everyone in the village know the true face of ‘evil.'”
“Senior… wouldn’t that be a bit better?”
Senior Izumi’s courage was gradually building.
But only a little, not much. When she realized she seemed to be teaching her senior, she hurriedly changed her words: “This is just my foolish opinion. Senior can ignore it…”
“Good.”
“Eh?”
…
“Hokage, there seem to be many rumors in the village quickly spreading that are detrimental to Senior Shinnosuke’s reputation. Some rumors do involve the truth… but most are exaggerations from spreading misinformation.”
Hokage’s Office Building.
An Anbu Ninja found Sarutobi Hiruzen and reported in a low voice to this Third Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath.
The mountain of documents on the desk remained untouched.
The negative emotions of losing a son lingered in his heart.
When he spoke, his voice was extremely hoarse, thick with exhaustion, and he seemed to have aged several years overnight: “What rumors?”
The Anbu Ninja detailed them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned tightly.
“Where did the rumors originate?” Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
The Anbu Ninja replied: “They seem to have come from the Uchiha Clan.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
Uchiha Clan…
“Hokage, should we stop them?” the Anbu Ninja asked.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his brow in headache and said: “The more we try to stop them, the more they’ll believe it. Just like with Naruto—if we try to stop the villagers from discussing him as the demon fox incarnate, they’ll only become more convinced he is.”
…
Root Base.
“Lord Danzo, the direction of public opinion seems to have changed.” A Root Ninja reported to Shimura Danzo: “Last night, we spread many rumors about Uchiha Ikeizumi in the village as per your orders. However…”
“After rumors about Sarutobi Shinnosuke suddenly emerged, the villagers seem more concerned about the dirty deeds this Hokage’s Eldest Son once did.”
“As for Uchiha Ikeizumi…”
“He seems to have done so many such things that the villagers are somewhat numb to him.”
Danzo snorted coldly.
He knew such a public opinion offensive had little effect on Uchiha Ikeizumi. After all, Uchiha Ikeizumi wasn’t Hatake Sakumo—that Uchiha kid didn’t seem so fragile-hearted.
He had sent Anbu Ninjas to spread the rumors just to alienate Uchiha Ikeizumi and Sarutobi Hiruzen further.
He just hadn’t anticipated losing control of public opinion’s direction.
However…
“Heh, with Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s reputation tarnished, his father the monkey will surely be affected too. Whether that naturally evil Uchiha kid is affected or the monkey is, it’s no bad thing for me.”
Danzo said darkly: “Fan the flames. Make sure Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s reputation can never recover. Best to pin some of the blame on that monkey.”
“Yes, Lord Danzo!”
…
A day passed.
In the mouths of Konoha Village villagers, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had become an “evil scientist who captures his own villagers for wicked human experimentation and harms ninjas with special bloodline limits.”
Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to restore some reputation for his deceased eldest son.
Public opinion had completely spiraled out of control.
Just like what Hatake Sakumo had faced back then.
And in this process.
Someone…
Returned to the village.
“Phew, half a month.” Uchiha Itachi stood quietly outside the village gate with two Anbu Ninja subordinates.
A gentle smile curved on his small poker face.
“I wonder if Sasuke missed me.”
…
…
