Chapter 100: The Spring of Konoha (Part Two)
After Obito had turned to stone and shattered into fragments, it was only then that Kakashi, now no longer worried, dared to lead his men to the battlefield.
Upon seeing Uchiha Douguang standing tall in the center of the ruins, all present finally let out a sigh of relief.
"How is it?" Kakashi stepped forward, asking from behind.
"The true mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' incident, the villain who assassinated the Fourth Hokage... has been executed." Douguang turned and looked at the crowd gathering behind him.
With that declaration, the entire crowd erupted in wild cheers.
Though the night had its twists and turns, they could finally declare that their revolution was a complete success.
While the others cheered, Kakashi stood silently, his gaze fixed on the shattered remains of Obito's body. His thoughts were elsewhere.
As the celebration settled, Douguang turned back toward the group.
"Time to go home. We still have some cleanup to do tonight."
"Yes, sir!"
Douguang clapped Kakashi's shoulder. "Come on, tell Genma and the others to start preparing to send the border troops back. You'll be staying here. I'll take care of the official order tomorrow."
"…Understood." Kakashi gave a silent nod. He glanced again at the pile of broken stone—Obito's grave—and silently followed Douguang's lead.
Meanwhile, back in the Hokage's office, Uchiha Fugaku received the signal of the mission's success. He slowly rose, gave Sarutobi a cold stare, and said:
"Third Hokage, we'll need to keep you here in the tower for a few days. The Police Force will ensure your safety in the meantime."
Sarutobi didn't answer.
The initiative was no longer in his hands.
What he had to think about now was what he could offer to Douguang in exchange for a dignified retirement.
With the masked man now revealed to be the true mastermind of the Nine-Tails' attack, Sarutobi knew the public would turn on him. The scapegoat he'd long relied on—Danzo—was now gone. The full weight of the blame was shifting to him.
On the way back to Police HQ, Douguang received a report regarding Itachi's death.
"Douguang-sama, what do we do with Itachi's body?" asked Uchiha Tsuru, the elder in charge of funeral affairs.
Normally, deceased Uchiha were buried in the family cemetery, their Sharingan removed and enshrined in the clan's shrine. Itachi's case, however, was unique and needed Douguang's personal approval.
After a brief silence, Douguang sighed. "Bury him in the clan cemetery. Keep it simple—no ceremony."
"…Understood." Tsuru nodded solemnly.
…
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, along with Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza, were politely escorted to the detention wing near the Naka River—the "South Naka Grand Hotel."
As they passed by the cells holding the two former advisors, Koharu and Homura stared at them in disbelief.
"Jiraiya? Shikaku? You too?" Homura gasped through the bars.
"Don't tell me—Douguang really launched a coup?" Koharu banged on the bars, shouting.
Jiraiya said nothing. He was in no mood. The other three wisely ignored the scene.
Uchiha Inaho simply glanced coldly at the pair and ordered, "You both seem full of energy. Still refusing to confess, I see? Get in there and 'motivate' them a little."
…
When Douguang entered the interrogation zone with Kakashi, the first thing he heard was their screams echoing through the corridor.
Frowning, he waved a hand.
One of the guards left, and within moments, the screams ceased—muffled, probably gagged.
Douguang and Kakashi then visited the cell holding Shikaku and the others.
Given that they had saved Kakashi during the ambush, the Police Force didn't mistreat them. They even had tea served.
Seeing Douguang and Kakashi enter, the three composed themselves.
"Shikaku-san, thank you again," Kakashi said with a slight bow.
"We're all from the same village. I just did what I had to," Shikaku replied calmly.
Douguang chuckled and sat across from them.
"You helped tonight, but technically, you also disobeyed direct orders during a village lockdown."
Shikaku didn't respond, so Douguang leaned forward.
"Let's cut to the chase. What I do with you depends entirely on your choices."
"We're listening," Shikaku said.
"From the official records, you three received intel about the masked man invading Konoha and went out to assist—without prior notice. That misunderstanding got you arrested. Now, according to the rules, your contributions and your crimes cancel each other out. Therefore, demotion."
Shikaku raised an eyebrow. "I thought there was no clause for 'merit offsets' in the shinobi code."
Douguang smiled. "Then how about this? Leading an unlawful assembly during a village lockdown would classify you as rioters. While the results were minor, it still deserves punishment. Therefore: resignation, retirement, and removal from all active-duty lists."
Shikaku sighed. "Understood. We'll resign tomorrow."
"Good. Now let's talk about rewards," Douguang said, glancing at Kakashi.
And Kakashi finally spoke up.
"There's a tradition, right? The Pig-Deer-Butterfly formation—each generation swears loyalty with ear cuffs. I wonder… do I have the honor of being the next witness?"
Shikaku smiled for the first time that night.
While the elders would lose their seats, their clans had just secured a future promise—and that was enough.
…
After that, Douguang and Kakashi stopped by Jiraiya's holding cell.
Same room as last time. But Jiraiya's spirit was utterly different.
Douguang silently dispelled the sealing technique on him.
"Bring Naruto home. He has school tomorrow," Kakashi said.
Jiraiya, still despondent, didn't respond. He just summoned a toad and passed on the message.
Not long after, the sleeping Naruto arrived in the arms of a giant toad.
"Jiraiya-sama, I think it's best if you stay here a few days," Kakashi said.
And with that, they left.
Douguang looked at the sleeping child on Kakashi's back.
"Take him home, then come to the Hokage's office. Let's finish this tonight."
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