Konoha Shinobi Village, Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could not remain indifferent to the devastating news that Uchiha Kai and others had been killed. The moment the matter reached his ears, he immediately summoned Aizen and Minato to get a clearer understanding of the situation.
When Aizen and Minato arrived, their shocked expressions spoke volumes as they relayed the events of the day to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naturally, Aizen conveniently left out any mention of the more questionable actions he had taken.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen listened, his suspicions solidified—this had to be the work of Zashi!
Who else in all of Konoha had the capability to command such a skilled swordsman and wield powerful Lightning Style techniques?
As for the Hokage faction, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew full well that if it had been anyone from his faction, he would be the first to know.
He was confident in his judgment—if this wasn't Zashi's doing, Sarutobi Hiruzen would gladly write his name backward!
However.
Even though he was sure of the perpetrator, deciding the next course of action left Sarutobi Hiruzen with a headache. Zashi had executed this operation flawlessly, leaving behind no direct evidence to link him to the deaths of Uchiha members.
Moreover, even if there was evidence, with Zashi's growing influence and his alignment with the new faction, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't move against him lightly. But if he appeared too biased in favor of Zashi, it would undoubtedly stir resentment among the Uchiha clan and other prominent shinobi clans.
After all, even though many clans disliked the Uchiha, Zashi's reckless actions would cause unrest among them.
The situation was reminiscent of the tension that arose when Sarutobi Hiruzen took measures against the Hyuga clan in the original work.
So, how to handle the aftermath of this incident was what troubled him the most.
"Lord Hokage, I'm here representing the Uchiha clan, and I demand justice!"
At that moment, a fiery figure burst into the Hokage's office, loudly addressing Sarutobi Hiruzen. Following closely behind him was Uchiha Fugaku.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Tajima, his headache intensified. This was exactly what he had feared.
"Patriarch Tajima, please be assured that we are thoroughly investigating this matter, and I promise we will provide a satisfactory resolution," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied diplomatically.
"Hmph! What is there to investigate? You and I both know the truth—this is clearly the work of that scoundrel Zashi! Who else could it be?" Uchiha Tajima shot back, his voice laced with anger.
Sarutobi Hiruzen internally agreed with Tajima's assessment but knew he couldn't openly admit it.
"Patriarch Tajima, I—"
However, just as Sarutobi Hiruzen began to speak, a loud voice suddenly interrupted him.
"Rubbish! Uchiha Tajima, you're a fool if you believe that! This is undoubtedly the handiwork of that deceitful and hypocritical Sarutobi Hiruzen! And you're buying into his lies!"
At that moment, the enraged Zashi stormed into the office, first hurling insults at Uchiha Tajima, then turning his wrath toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The room grew tense as both Uchiha Tajima and Sarutobi Hiruzen's faces darkened with anger, their fury barely contained.
"Zashi, you can't just talk nonsense! You claim we did it, but what evidence do you have?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked darkly.
"That's right, Zashi! Do you think you can clear your name by just spouting baseless accusations? Do you think we're all fools?" Uchiha Tajima's face flushed with anger.
"Hmph! I don't have any evidence, but I'm certain that Sarutobi Hiruzen orchestrated this incident, and it's likely you were the one who killed Uchiha Kai's people, you bastard!" Zashi retorted coldly, his gaze shifting sharply toward Aizen.
This accusation instantly infuriated both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato. For Sarutobi, whether he had done anything himself or not, he knew the truth, and having Zashi continuously hurling baseless accusations at him was unbearable. As for Aizen, why was he suddenly dragged into this mess? It made no sense.
Minato, on the other hand, was equally enraged. Aizen was like a brother to him, and he knew the man's character inside out. After parting ways with Uchiha Kai, Aizen had been with him the entire time. There was no way Aizen could have done something as heinous as killing Uchiha Kai and his team.
In the past, despite their differing factions, Minato had held deep respect for Konoha heroes like Zashi, but now, that respect had plummeted to zero. Of course, given his position, Minato couldn't openly voice his displeasure, but Sarutobi Hiruzen was in a different position.
"Zashi! I don't care what kind of nonsense you're spewing, but as Hokage, I'm officially ordering you to get out of here, immediately!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was cold as he pressed down on his Hokage hat, his eyes hidden in the shadows, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Hearing this, Zashi's expression darkened, but he gritted his teeth and started to protest, "Sarutobi"
But before he could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen's patience snapped.
"Out!!" he roared, slamming his hand down on the table with a thunderous crack.
Zashi's eyes flashed with cold fury, but he bit back his words, finally spitting out, "You may have won this round, Hiruzen, but mark my words, this isn't over! You will pay for what you've done!"
With that, Zashi stormed out in a rage.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Zashi's figure disappear, his face grew as dark as a stormy sky. Initially, for the sake of Konoha's stability, he had considered showing some leniency towards Zashi, but Zashi's brazen attitude had completely extinguished any such thoughts.
Turning to Uchiha Tajima, Hiruzen's expression was unreadable as he said, "Patriarch Tajima, I'll be convening a meeting with all the elders of Konoha shortly. You should join us, and we'll discuss today's events together."
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's firm stance, Uchiha Tajima couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. "Understood," he replied, trying to hide his satisfaction.
And so, Zashi found himself completely alienated, not just from the Hokage faction but also from the other major ninja clans, soon to be facing the grim reality of being ostracized by all of Konoha.
In truth, Zashi's uncontrollable anger today, which had driven him to the brink of irrationality, stemmed from a deep-seated fear—an ominous premonition that he was about to be cast out and isolated. Of course, in his mind, this was all part of Sarutobi Hiruzen's grand scheme.
Witnessing the scene unfold, Aizen couldn't help but smile slyly, reveling in the success of his manipulations.
And in this tense environment, time slipped by unnoticed, and another year passed