Chapter 49: The Unlikely Scapegoat
A heavy silence descended upon the Star Shadow's office after Summer Star's revelation. The air, thick with dust and grief, now carried the weight of a terrible accusation. Neji's mind raced, connecting the dots with a cold, analytical precision that chilled him to the bone.
*I see,* he thought, his expression remaining an impassive mask. *This explains why Lady Tsunade provided Sasuke's file before our departure. She must have suspected his involvement from the secret missive. She sent us here not just to investigate, but to confirm.*
"Lord Star Shadow," Neji began, his voice measured and calm, a stark contrast to the tension in the room. "You mentioned the shinobi's Sharingan. Could you estimate his age?"
"Age?" Summer Star repeated, a flicker of shame crossing her features. It was a bitter pill to swallow—that her village, her home, had been brought to its knees by a child. "He… he was young. Perhaps thirteen or fourteen summers. No older than any of you." The admission was quiet, laced with humiliation.
"What?" Tenten gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "That's impossible! Someone our age couldn't possibly…"
"Do you think I would fabricate such a disgrace?" Summer Star's voice sharpened, her eyes flashing with a defensive anger born of profound injury. "My village lies in ruins! My people are dead! I have no reason to lie about the face of the demon who did this!"
"I… I apologize, Lord Star Shadow," Tenten stammered, bowing her head slightly. "I didn't mean to imply…"
Neji's mind was already made up. With a fluid motion, he reached into his flak jacket and retrieved a carefully folded piece of paper. He unfolded it, revealing an official Konoha ninja registration form. Staring out from the page was the pale, serious face of Uchiha Sasuke.
Tenten leaned closer, her eyes widening. "Neji, is that… Sasuke's file? Why do you have that?"
"It was given to me by Lady Hokage before our mission," Neji explained, his white eyes never leaving Summer Star's face. He understood Tsunade's gambit now. She needed visual confirmation. "It seems she had her suspicions about the perpetrator's identity."
"Verify?" Tenten's voice was a whisper. "You mean… you think *Sasuke* did this?"
"Lord Star Shadow," Neji said, stepping forward and placing the file on the desk before her. "Please. Look at this photograph. Is this the shinobi who attacked your village?"
Summer Star's gaze dropped to the paper. The moment her eyes landed on Sasuke's picture, her composure shattered. A raw, visceral hatred twisted her features. Her hand slammed down on the desk, making the wood groan.
"Him! It's him!" she seethed, her voice trembling with rage. She stabbed a finger at the photo. "Those cold eyes, that arrogant face! I would never forget it! Uchiha Sasuke… So, he *is* one of yours! Was this Konoha's doing? Did your Hokage order this slaughter?!"
The accusation hung in the air, toxic and suffocating.
"It *was* Sasuke…" Tenten breathed, the color draining from her face. The reality was too incredible to grasp. "But… he only defected half a month ago. How could his power have grown so much in such a short time? To destroy an entire village… it's unthinkable!"
"A genin? Is that what you claim he is?" Summer Star spat, her anger now directed at the Konoha shinobi. "The power he displayed was beyond any Jōnin I have ever faced! Are you calling me a liar? Or is Konoha simply trying to cover for its own monster?"
Neji stood his ground, his posture rigid but his voice diplomatically calm. "Lord Star Shadow, please, calm yourself. If Konoha wished to cover this up, we would not have provided his likeness. The truth is this: Uchiha Sasuke is a rogue-nin, a traitor to Konoha. He defected from our village approximately two weeks ago. His actions are his own, and they do not represent the will of Konoha."
He let that statement settle, his white eyes unwavering. "While we accept the blame for failing to recapture him, we cannot be held responsible for the independent actions of a missing-nin. To do so would be to blame the fox for the crimes of a single, renegade tooth."
"A traitor?" Summer Star's fury abated slightly, replaced by cold calculation. "So, he came to us after abandoning your village."
"That is the timeline, yes," Neji confirmed. "However, we must exercise caution. The Sasuke we knew during the Chunin Exams possessed skill, but not the cataclysmic power you describe. Such a rapid increase in strength is… unprecedented. We will report your identification to Lady Hokage. Konoha will investigate thoroughly. And when Sasuke Uchiha is finally apprehended, you have my word that Konoha will extend an invitation for you to be present during his interrogation, to see justice served."
Summer Star studied Neji, her anger cooling into a hard, grudging acceptance of the political reality. "Since that is—"
The office door burst open with a frantic bang. Naruto stood there, chest heaving, his face a mask of frantic urgency. Ang was right behind him, looking equally agitated.
"Neji! Sasuke, he—!" Naruto blurted out, his words tumbling over each other.
"Naruto!" Neji's voice cracked like a whip, a rare display of sharp authority. "Silence! Do not be rude!"
"But, Neji, you gotta listen—!"
"I said, *enough*!" Neji's glare was enough to make Naruto physically recoil. "We will speak of this later."
Naruto's fists clenched, frustration rolling off him in waves, but he bit his tongue, swallowing his words with a visible gulp.
Neji turned back to Summer Star and offered a shallow, apologetic bow. "My apologies, Lord Star Shadow. Naruto is often… impulsive. Please, pay him no mind."
A strange, thoughtful look passed over Summer Star's face as she observed Naruto's raw, genuine distress. She offered a thin, weary smile. "It is of no consequence. He is young, and passion is a trait of the young." She gestured dismissively. "You must all be weary from your journey. I will have Ang show you to a room where you may rest."
"We are grateful for your hospitality," Neji said with another bow.
"Ang," Summer Star commanded. "Please escort our guests to their quarters."
"Yes, Lord Star Shadow," Ang replied with a bow. He turned to the Konoha ninja, his earlier hostility now muted by formal duty. "Follow me."
He led them out of the office and through the battered village to a small, modest building. He slid open the door to reveal a single room with four simple beds and a low table in the center.
"You can stay here tonight," Ang said, his tone flat. "The village is still being rebuilt. Housing is… limited. You will have to share."
"This is more than adequate. Thank you," Neji replied.
"I will return at mealtime. Rest well." With that, Ang left, closing the door behind him.
The moment they were alone, the tense silence in the room shattered. Naruto whirled on Neji, his eyes blazing.
"Neji, why wouldn't you let me talk?!" he nearly shouted, his voice straining with pent-up energy.
"I know exactly what you were going to say," Neji replied coolly, taking a seat at the table. "It was about the Sharingan. About the attack."
"Yeah! Ang told me everything! Some guy with the Sharingan wrecked the place and stole their star! And you guys think it was Sasuke?!"
"We showed the Star Shadow Sasuke's photograph," Tenten interjected, her voice soft with disbelief. "Naruto… she identified him. She said it was him, without a doubt."
The blood drained from Naruto's face. All his frantic energy vanished, replaced by a cold, hollow shock. He stumbled back, collapsing onto one of the beds as if his legs could no longer support him.
"No…," he whispered, his voice small and broken. "That's impossible. It's absolutely impossible."
He looked from Neji's solemn face to Tenten's worried one, the horrifying, untrue conviction settling over the room like a shroud. Sasuke had become the scapegoat for a crime he did not commit, and the weight of that wrongful accusation was a burden they now all had to bear.
𝗚𝗨𝗬𝗦, 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗘𝗛𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪9