Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

*Swish!*

With a flash of movement, Uchiha Taiga appeared in front of a tree and thrust his palm forward.

*Buzz...*

First came a sharp, ringing hum.

*Boom!*

Followed immediately by a deafening explosion.

The massive trunk, thick enough to require two people to embrace it, was instantly blown open by the Rasengan. As the sphere of chakra detonated, a violently swirling current of air tore forward like a flurry of blades in the direction of his thrust.

A massive gaping hole was shredded right through the trunk. Amidst the billowing dust and debris, the great tree snapped cleanly in two.

"Hahaha!"

Uchiha Taiga laughed aloud, extremely satisfied with the Rasengan's destructive power.

This feeling was simply incredible.

Chakra was notoriously difficult to control, yet Taiga's mastery over it had already reached an astonishing level.

Because of this, everything felt completely natural and effortless.

"I didn't bring enough scrolls. Next time, I should learn a few more jutsu at home before coming out here."

Well, he had already mastered the Great Fireball Technique; all that was left was to accumulate experience and refine it. The same went for the Rasengan.

He had originally planned to spend the entire morning here, but barely half an hour had passed.

"I can't waste time. I should familiarize myself more with the Body Flicker Technique."

Among the Three Basic Jutsu, the only one he truly valued was the Body Flicker Technique. As for the Transformation Technique and Substitution Technique, learning the basics was enough; there was no need to delve deeply into them since he would eventually find better alternatives.

But the Body Flicker Technique was different.

This technique was something a ninja would use throughout their entire life. Strictly speaking, even the Flying Thunder God Technique could be considered a variation of the Body Flicker Technique, making its importance self-evident.

For the rest of the time, Uchiha Taiga went all out, practicing the Body Flicker Technique within the dense forest. His proficiency and experience grew at a speed far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

***

Konoha, Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the desk, staring blankly at the office before him.

Ever since the village elected the Fourth Hokage, it had been a long time since he last set foot in here. He never expected to return today, once again assuming the mantle of Hokage.

There was no joy in this return, only profound pain.

The Nine-Tails' rampage last night had brought immense devastation to Konoha. Even now, the exact death toll remained unknown.

His wife, Biwako, was dead. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was dead. The Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, was also dead.

All of this was almost too much for him to bear.

In this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly felt his age.

*Click.*

The door opened, and Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu walked in, leaving the ANBU ninja to guard outside.

The two elders took a seat on the office sofa, their expressions grave.

"According to the rules established by the First Hokage when the village was founded, I will temporarily resume the duties of Hokage until a Fifth Hokage is chosen," Hiruzen said. "Once the immediate aftermath of this incident is handled, I will travel to the Fire Capital to meet with the Daimyo."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu simply nodded, raising no objections.

"Now then, tell me. How severe are the village's losses?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

Mitokado Homura let out a heavy sigh before speaking.

"The preliminary statistics are in."

"Go on."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's fingers tightened.

"Casualties are approaching two thousand. Among them are two hundred and thirteen ninja: twenty-seven Jonin, one hundred and fifty-six Chunin, and thirty Genin. The rest are civilians."

Utatane Koharu added from the side, "The structural damage is even worse. A third of the residential buildings in the West District have collapsed, the outer wall of the South Gate is completely destroyed, and twenty percent of our granaries were burned down. The hospital's medical supplies are sufficient for now, but the wounded are still being brought in."

"What about the Uchiha clan?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

"Their compound is in the center of the village, so they didn't suffer much damage."

Mitokado Homura replied, "However, their people are all strictly guarding their own territory."

"Leave them be for now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively. "We need to prioritize the reconstruction efforts."

Utatane Koharu pushed up her glasses and said, "Funding is an issue. We've already used up most of the Daimyo's allocation for this year, and we can't secure any more funds at the moment."

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment. "Allocate a portion from the Hokage's direct treasury first. I will personally request additional funding from the Daimyo for the rest."

He continued, "Have the ANBU inventory our supplies and gather everything that is still usable."

"What about the wounded?"

Mitokado Homura asked. "The medical corps is currently short-handed."

"Have the Nara clan come over to help. They deal extensively with medicinal herbs, so they should be able to provide some assistance in that regard."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and walked over to the window. "Additionally, mobilize a group of students from the Ninja Academy. You must also assure the villagers that Konoha will not abandon them."

Utatane Koharu nodded. "I will make the arrangements."

"Good."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at them. "As for the Uchiha, do not send anyone over there for the time being."

"But... the Nine-Tails was clearly being controlled by someone from the Uchiha last night," Mitokado Homura said, furrowing his brow.

"I know, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the doing of the Uchiha clan as a whole."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice grew heavy. "The Fourth Hokage told me what happened last night. In my view, the Uchiha clan wouldn't be so foolish. Furthermore, the truth behind the Nine-Tails incident hasn't been fully investigated yet. We cannot afford any more chaos."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged a glance and nodded.

They had no objections to this.

After all, the most pressing matter at hand was rebuilding the village.

"Also, dispatch our ninja to the borders."

Mitokado Homura frowned. "Hiruzen, are you saying...?"

"Yes. The Nine-Tails incident cannot be hidden, and neither can the death of the Jinchuriki. Sooner or later, the other villages will find out, and we need to be prepared. Even though the Third Great Ninja War has ended, once news of the Nine-Tails spreads, the other major ninja villages will definitely make a move."

Hearing this, both of their hearts sank.

As advisors, they naturally anticipated such things, perhaps even thinking a step ahead.

"Understood. I will take charge of this matter," Mitokado Homura said.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, then let out a sigh. "And what about Danzo... how is he?"

Utatane Koharu spoke in a solemn tone. "A fractured sternum, an injured right arm, and his right eye was gouged out. His injuries are extremely severe."

This topic was even heavier.

"Uchiha Taiga... defeated Danzo using only taijutsu, without even relying on ninjutsu. The village needs to place much greater importance on his talent," Mitokado Homura said.

"Indeed."

Utatane Koharu nodded. "Uchiha Taiga was able to contend with the Nine-Tails using just taijutsu. Danzo was caught off guard and defeated by him, sustaining such heavy injuries that he likely won't be able to move around for the foreseeable future."

She then added, "Why don't we let Danzo rest for a while? We can temporarily suspend Root's operations."

Just then, the office doors were pushed open.

"That won't be necessary."

The voice drifted in through the doorway, followed by a man walking in while being supported by an attendant.

It was none other than Shimura Danzo.

However, Shimura Danzo looked incredibly wretched at the moment.

He was shirtless, his upper body heavily wrapped in bandages. Even though his right eye had been treated and bound, blood was still seeping through the gauze.

"I do not need rest, and there are no issues with Root. We will also participate in the village's reconstruction. But... Hiruzen, we must teach the Uchiha a lesson this time. We cannot just let this go."

His single exposed eye locked onto Sarutobi Hiruzen, his gaze sweeping across the desk. Though his face remained expressionless, only he knew what was truly going through his mind.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged another glance. The former said, "I agree with Danzo. When it comes to the Uchiha, mere vigilance is no longer enough. We must take a firm stance."

Utatane Koharu chimed in, "Exactly. Even if the Uchiha clan as a whole wasn't responsible for the Nine-Tails incident last night, they are undoubtedly connected to it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Danzo. "How did you obtain that Sharingan?"

Shimura Danzo fell silent.