Outside of Konoha, tension continued to rise across the ninja world. Every major village except Konoha had sent spies into Rain Shinobi Village, hoping to uncover what was really going on. But they all shared one fate—complete silence.
The truth was brutal: Payne's Six Paths were merciless. Any intruder that made it into the heart of Rain was immediately eliminated.
Still, that didn't stop the other villages. Whether it was to retrieve their lost operatives or dig deeper into the rumors surrounding the Akatsuki and the Senjutsu chakra user, they sent more people. More lives were lost, and as the body count rose, so did the probability of war.
Obito, watching this unfold from behind his mask, was troubled.
He wanted chaos, yes—but not yet, and certainly not centered on Rain Shinobi Village.
He didn't want Akatsuki to be the one to face the full fury of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. That wasn't the plan.
So he decided to redirect the storm.
"According to my intel," Obito said, forming a swirling portal with his space-time technique, "Iwagakure's Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi, is currently isolated. He had a falling out with the Third Tsuchikage and left the village. He's out there with no protection."
Black Zetsu appeared beside him, peering over the edge of a mountain ravine.
"So they really let a Jinchūriki roam freely," Black Zetsu chuckled. "Ohnoki must have nerves of steel."
"Let's see how strong his nerves are when Cloud and Stone go to war over this."
---
Back in Konoha, the grand meeting hall of the Hokage Tower had been opened to nearly every ninja clan in the village, both large and small. The normally quiet, private room was now filled with murmurs and hushed speculation. Everyone knew something big was about to happen.
"Andrew? Fugaku's not attending?" asked Hyuga Hiashi as he spotted Andrew walking in—casually munching on a tri-colored dango skewer.
Andrew smiled at the Hyuga patriarch. "Lord Fugaku is busy. He's now the CEO of the Uchiha Group—raking in millions of ryo a minute! No time for these little meetings."
"CEO? Uchiha Office? What does that even mean?" several leaders whispered.
Seeing their confusion, Andrew sighed and pulled Hiashi aside to explain. After a few minutes, a visible twitch appeared at the corners of Hiashi's mouth.
"Wait… so after leaving Konoha, the Uchiha clan got even richer?"
That's right. The Uchiha had withdrawn from the village, built an empire, and were now only maintaining a small Konoha office out of courtesy—just to give face to the Hokage.
---
The Third Hokage, along with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the village elders, entered the room. The chatter stopped instantly.
"Let's begin," Hiruzen said, voice calm but weary. His old eyes scanned the room and paused momentarily on Andrew's dango-filled hands.
"As you know," he began, "Konoha has recently endured a series of crises. You all deserve the truth behind them."
He spoke candidly: about the experiments with Wood Style, the forbidden use of Shodai cells, and how Danzo conspired with Orochimaru to continue the research in secret.
"These crimes, including the use of war orphans as test subjects, have deeply damaged our village."
Shock rippled through the room. Angry whispers turned to shouts. One table was smashed with a furious punch.
And then Hiruzen dropped the final bombshell.
"The Nine-Tails attack... may have been linked to Danzo. And the Uchiha clan, long targeted and marginalized, were victims in his schemes."
All eyes turned to Andrew.
But he didn't flinch. He had known all of this already. What moved these people now was guilt, not justice.
They weren't apologizing—they were just realizing they had hated the wrong people.
Finally, Hiruzen bowed his head.
"As Hokage, I accept responsibility for my failures. I can no longer serve in this role. That is why I've called you here—to choose the Fifth Hokage."
There was a long silence.
And then, unexpectedly, a previously quiet shinobi stood up. "I nominate someone from the Uchiha clan," he said. "We owe them that much. And besides, they now have the power and resources to protect Konoha."
Andrew raised an eyebrow. He could tell this guy was from the Sarutobi clan, trying to make amends on Hiruzen's behalf.
One by one, other clan representatives began nodding in agreement.
"The Mito clan has no objection."
"We support the nomination."
"Even the Shimura clan agrees..."
Hyuga Hiashi leaned toward Andrew. "They're trying to win your favor. Be careful."
Then, the Third Hokage himself looked at Andrew and gave the tiniest nod.
It was clear: they wanted an Uchiha Hokage.
But Andrew laughed.
He stood up, still holding his snack, and addressed the entire room.
"Uchiha has no interest in becoming Hokage."
"We've moved on. We have our own business empire to run. In a few days, you'll all see—the Uchiha Group will be launching operations across the entire continent."
Gasps filled the room.
"We don't have time to manage Konoha. And honestly? The title of Hokage doesn't mean much to us anymore."
The silence was deafening.
Years ago, the Uchiha had begged for power and inclusion. They were denied, pushed out, vilified. And now, in Konoha's darkest hour, the village was ready to offer everything.
But Uchiha no longer needed it.
"When we needed the village, you turned us away," Andrew continued. "Now that you need us, you expect us to save you?"
He smiled, not in anger—but with cold certainty.
"Sorry, but Hokage is something we Uchiha no longer care about."
---
Highlights Recap (Bolded):
Spies from all major villages vanish in Rain Shinobi Village, killed by Payne's Six Paths.
Obito plots to trigger a conflict between Cloud and Stone by targeting Four-Tails Jinchūriki Roshi.
Andrew arrives at the Hokage meeting representing Uchiha, casually announcing the clan's immense wealth and success.
The Third Hokage confesses to his failure and steps down, exposing Danzo's crimes.
Multiple clans nominate an Uchiha for Fifth Hokage.
Andrew firmly rejects the nomination, stating the Uchiha have moved beyond Hokage politics.
"Hokage is something we Uchiha no longer care about."
---
----------------------------------------------------
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
-----------------------------------------------------