Konoha’s Five-Element Ninja

Chapter 60: Reactions from All Sides

Snow continued to fall over Konoha, drifting endlessly from the sky. The first snowfall of the season had lured children from their warm beds, filling the streets with laughter and excitement, bringing a sense of life and joy to the village.

For most residents of Konoha, today was just another ordinary day. But for Shimura Danzo, today was a day of humiliation.

As several Root operatives, their tendons severed, knelt before him, the normally composed Danzo slammed his teacup to the ground, shattering it into countless shards. The room filled with a suffocating tension as no one dared to lift their heads to face their leader's uncontained fury.

"Who did this?" Danzo asked, his voice calm but brimming with cold malice.

"The Uchiha."

Danzo's anger subsided slightly. If the Uchiha had done this, it was at least understandable. The two sides had long since torn away any pretense of civility, their enmity needing only an opportunity to erupt into full-scale conflict.

Closing his eyes for a moment in deep thought, Danzo finally spoke in a tone heavy with restrained rage.

"Send Team C and Team D to infiltrate Akiyahara. The rest… withdraw."

The four elite Root squads—Teams A, B, C, and D—were Danzo's strongest operatives, each member possessing jōnin-level strength. Unfortunately, Teams A and B were currently engaged in high-priority missions in the capital and couldn't be recalled. This left him with only two of his trump cards to act.

But Danzo wasn't sending his men to support Sakumo Hatake's operation.

On the contrary, they were being dispatched to sabotage it from the shadows.

To expect a man like Shimura Danzo to act in good faith was to court disaster.

At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not, as usual, go to his office in the Hokage building early in the morning. Instead, he took Namikaze Minato on a walk through the village, watching the children playing joyfully in the snow.

"Minato," Hiruzen said, observing the laughing children. "Do you know at what age ninja were forced to enter the battlefield forty years ago?"

Minato hesitated before answering, "Around five years old?"

"Yes," Hiruzen nodded. "During the Warring States period, a five-year-old ninja was already expected to take lives. A tragic reality."

He pointed at a group of children running across the snow-covered street.

"But now, they can play without worry. Do you know why?"

Before Minato could answer, Hiruzen turned his gaze toward the Hokage Monument, particularly the stone face of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

"It was because of the tireless efforts of Lord First, who created the one-nation, one-village system that we have such peace today."

Notably, he made no mention of Uchiha Madara or the Uchiha Clan's role in founding Konoha.

Minato, astute as he was, noticed this glaring omission. But he did not comment on it, simply nodding in agreement.

Dissatisfied with Minato's lukewarm response, Hiruzen continued, "This peace was hard-earned—purchased with the blood of countless predecessors. As Konoha shinobi, we must uphold the Will of Fire and continue to fight for the village's prosperity."

Then, he turned and looked Minato directly in the eyes.

"Do you have the Will of Fire, Minato?"

Minato stiffened slightly before standing up straight and answering firmly, "Yes, Lord Hokage. My heart has always been devoted to the village."

Hiruzen chuckled. "I don't doubt your commitment, Minato. But there are some… who trample on the Will of Fire—who place their own ideals above the village's needs."

Minato's heart skipped a beat. He already knew whom Hiruzen was referring to.

"You mean the Uchiha Clan?" Minato asked cautiously.

"Not just the Uchiha." Hiruzen's expression darkened. "There are those who see their comrades as their personal army—who refuse to fight for the village itself. They are worse than the Uchiha."

Minato lowered his head, choosing to remain silent.

He knew exactly whom Hiruzen was targeting with his words—Sakumo Hatake.

That morning, hundreds of elite shinobi had followed Sakumo out of Konoha. Even a blind man could see where their allegiances lay.

Yet, Minato disagreed with Hiruzen's perspective.

Was it truly so wrong for powerful shinobi to command loyalty?

This was the shinobi world—where strength dictated status. The weak naturally followed the strong.

And Sakumo Hatake wasn't just any strong ninja—he was a living legend, a man who had stood at the peak of the ninja world.

Hiruzen's paranoia made Minato uneasy.

A Hokage was meant to guide and protect the village—yet it seemed the longer one sat in power, the narrower their vision became.

Minato, who had dreamed of being Hokage since childhood, found himself quietly reevaluating that goal.

Hiruzen noticed Minato's silence and felt disappointed.

He couldn't understand why none of his students or subordinates saw the world the way he did.

Tsunade and Jiraiya had gone their own way, distancing themselves from the village's politics.

Even Orochimaru—his most promising disciple—had openly opposed him during the meeting.

Didn't Orochimaru realize that everything he did was for their benefit?

That his centralization of power was necessary to ensure Konoha's future?

Growing frustrated, Hiruzen lost interest in conversation and silently turned toward the Hokage Tower.

For the first time, he truly understood the loneliness of leadership.

At the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Shinichi convened a private council meeting.

The sole topic: Konoha's Fire Nation Daily should dedicate its entire front page to praising Sakumo Hatake's achievements—to build his public image as a hero of the village.

"Helping someone in their time of need is far more valuable than mere flattery," Shinichi stated. "Assisting Sakumo now will earn us a long-term ally, rather than an unreliable fair-weather friend."

Despite their centuries-old rivalry, the Uchiha desperately needed new allies in Konoha.

Many believed that the rift between the Senju and Uchiha after Madara's defection was irreparable.

But those who understood history knew the truth—once a bond was forged, it could endure for generations.

With the Senju Clan's withdrawal from Konoha's politics, the Uchiha had lost both an ally and an adversary.

Now, they stood alone, the sole opposition to the Hokage's faction.

If they could win the favor of the civilian ninja faction, they would gain valuable political leverage—a necessity for long-term survival.

After finalizing the newspaper's headline decision, Uchiha Shinichi stepped out into the courtyard, staring at the thin layer of snow accumulating on the ground.

For the first time, he felt tired.

'Perhaps it's time to retire.'

Thinking of his well-respected son, Uchiha Shinichi smiled to himself.

'Once Fugaku returns, I'll pass the title of clan leader to him. I've done my part.'

Far from Konoha, Hayama was completely unaware of the village's shifting politics.

He had only one goal—to reach Akiyahara as fast as possible, slaughter any obstacles in his way, and finish this mission before the New Year.

With so many forces in play, the mission had evolved beyond a simple operation.

It had become a battlefield of political maneuvering, where survival depended not just on strength—but on knowing whom to trust.

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You can read advance chapters ahead on patreon.com/fishkiss69, I will upload 1 extra chapter every day there.

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