Naruto: Saving the Uchiha

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Regrettably, no matter how much the Third Hokage racked his brains, he could never arrive at the correct answer.

A day filled with turmoil and speculation came to an end. Homura walked toward his home with light, unhurried steps. Along the way, observing the bustling streets and the happy smiles on the villagers’ faces, Homura felt a warmth of contentment in his heart. This happy and comfortable life the villagers enjoyed – he had contributed his share of effort to it. Even if he was merely a small, relatively unimportant piece of the puzzle, at least he was still a part of it.

Looking at the other villages, then back at the Leaf Village – even in the midst of war, the Leaf Village remained a place of peaceful living and prosperity, bustling with activity. Moreover, as the war dragged on, other villages and nations were impacted. Large numbers of wealthy individuals flocked to the Leaf Village to settle, travel, and seek protection, indirectly giving the Leaf’s economy a significant boost. The once lawless, ungoverned zone had now transformed into a thriving commercial district. Homura deeply admired Kazuki’s bold vision and daring.

Even though their political stances were at odds, he had to admit that Kazuki’s foresight was not something old fossils like themselves could even compare to. Had it been any of them, would they have dared, when the village was in such a chaotic state, to forcefully push forward the construction of a new commercial center? Not only that, but without the village needing to spend a single coin – merely providing the land – the various clans would pay for the construction themselves. Looking at it now, it had indeed been a wise decision. The current commercial district was incredibly lively. Even though the majority of the shops belonged to the various clans, the village had still retained a considerable number.

After all, the division of the cake had to be equitable. Not to mention the shops reserved for the village itself, even the tax revenue alone was no small sum. Looking at the present, and then thinking back just a few years – who would have dared to believe the Leaf Village could reach this stage? Changes like these were simply too numerous to count. Perhaps I truly have grown old, to be this prone to sentimentality.

Chuckling wryly and shaking his head, Homura quickened his pace, intending to return home and rest. His daily workload was anything but light. Due to the heavy volume of work, constant overtime, and unstable rest hours, he spent very little time with his family. For the sake of convenience, Homura was currently living alone, to avoid disturbing his family with his comings and goings.

Pushing open the door, Homura turned on the light. But the very instant the light flickered on, he froze completely. Because there was someone sitting in his home. To be precise, there was more than one person. It was just that only one person was sitting openly and brazenly in the living room; the rest were concealed within the shadows.

"Elder Homura, good evening," Kazuki greeted, sitting cross-legged in the living room and raising his teacup toward Homura.

"L-Lord Advisor... good evening," Homura stammered, his heart lurching. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He had already guessed why Kazuki had come uninvited and was waiting for him in his own home. "My apologies, Lord Advisor. I harbored no ulterior motives. I sent word to Sarutobi only because the village had already publicly issued the announcement. Coupled with the fact that Sarutobi places great importance on the Nine-Tails, that was why I specifically dispatched someone to deliver the news to him."

"I am aware of that," Kazuki nodded, setting down his teacup. He lifted his head and looked at the flustered Homura. "If I hadn’t permitted it, your message would never have been sent out. Do you understand?"

Damn! Had his clan defected to Uchiha Kazuki’s side?! Why wasn’t I informed?! Homura’s face turned more unsightly.

"Your clan has not betrayed you. It was merely that the person you entrusted to deliver the message was somewhat clumsy and was caught by the Anbu, that’s all," Kazuki clarified, resolving Homura’s internal doubts and, in a way, giving him a reassuring pill. His clan hadn’t betrayed him. Homura breathed a sigh of relief. But that relief was immediately followed by a renewed surge of tension, because Kazuki had come knocking to hold him accountable. If this matter wasn’t handled well, both he and his clan would be plunged into a major crisis. How was he to quell Kazuki’s displeasure? Homura was frantic with anxiety. He was terrified. He was desperate.

Kazuki clasped his hands together and asked in a light, unhurried tone, "Do you know why I am sitting here?"

"I beg the Lord Advisor to administer punishment," Homura said, decisively capitulating. He decisively admitted his fault. Whatever punishment Kazuki decided upon, he would accept it.

"No, no, no," Kazuki suddenly smiled. "You haven’t committed a mistake, let alone a crime. As an elder of the village, there’s no need for you to be so excessively formal with me. Relax a little. Come, have a cup of tea. I must apologize for arriving uninvited and making use of your tea set."

It seemed the situation hadn’t escalated to an irretrievable point. Homura quickly kicked off his shoes and hurried into the living room, sitting down opposite Kazuki. After glancing at Kazuki’s seated posture, he wisely switched from a formal kneeling position to sitting cross-legged. Kazuki poured Homura a cup of tea, pushed it toward him, and spoke calmly. "You were quite right. The news of my sealing the Nine-Tails was made public, so you technically did nothing wrong by relaying it. I am here merely to offer you a simple reminder, Elder Homura."

Here it comes!! Homura’s heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

"Your act of transmitting information to Lord Third – it is a behavior I find displeasing. Furthermore, you did it stealthily, like a thief. Since it was public information, there was no need for such furtiveness. You could have transmitted it openly and directly."

So my mistake was being overly cautious?! Understanding the root of the issue, Homura felt a strong urge to slap himself. He knew Kazuki hadn’t let go of his resentment and grievances toward the Third Hokage. Kazuki would certainly be unhappy about him passing information to Sarutobi. So he had thought to do it covertly. But he had chosen the wrong person for the task, and they were caught directly by the Anbu.

Kazuki, pretending ignorance, had allowed the message to still be sent. Then, two days later, he had come to have a heart-to-heart with Homura, laying everything out with disarming frankness.

Kazuki rose to leave. "No need to see me out. Disturbing Elder Homura’s rest was my fault."

Holding down Homura, who had hurriedly tried to rise and see him off, Kazuki departed with the hidden figures in the shadows.

"Haaah..." Only after confirming that Kazuki had truly left did Homura collapse onto the floor without a shred of dignity. His back was already soaked through with cold sweat. He had genuinely believed Kazuki had come to cause real trouble. Thankfully, it was merely a small rap on the knuckles.

Consider your clan’s interests more. Don’t engage in these pointless little schemes. I don’t like it. You can maintain your normal social connections, but do it in the open. Don’t act like a thief.

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