Within the Uchiha clan grounds.
Since Fugaku was still alive and well, Hizashi didn't press the matter further.
Kawasaki continued, "That's the first piece of news."
"And the second?"
"You know about Kakashi being attacked and his left eye being taken, right?"
Hizashi nodded. As the one in charge of the Police Force, he was naturally aware. The Third Hokage had even ordered the Hyuga to modify the village's defensive sensory barrier in response, a task that had kept Hizashi busy for several days. By altering the barrier's frequency and coverage, they could now swiftly detect anyone using Space-Time Ninjutsu. The Third Hokage, however, had not publicly disclosed the attacker's identity.
"The one who attacked Kakashi is the same person behind the Nine-Tails Rampage years ago."
"What?"
Hizashi was stunned. The Nine-Tails Rampage had inflicted catastrophic losses upon Konoha. The Hyuga clan had also participated in the battle, losing many skilled shinobi. In the aftermath, the Uchiha were forced to relocate to the village's edge, drastically altering Konoha's political landscape.
"That person is a traitor to our clan. His name is Obito Uchiha..."
Kawasaki then recounted all the information they had on Obito, including the fact that Kakashi had already seen his true face.
Hizashi immediately grasped the crucial point. "Does that mean the Uchiha clan was...?"
Kawasaki nodded. "Yes. The Uchiha have been scapegoated all these years."
"I plan to reveal Obito's identity, as well as the orders the village gave the Uchiha on the night of the Nine-Tails Rampage."
"That treacherous villain, Danzo, will never help the Uchiha. We need the Hyuga clan's support."
Hizashi considered it for a moment, then agreed. "I'm in."
Kawasaki shook his head. "You must go back and ask for Hiashi's approval. Although he will certainly agree, you cannot be the one to make this promise directly."
Hizashi paused, understanding that Kawasaki was looking out for him. "Alright, I understand."
"As for the specific plan, I'll have Akimitsu liaise with you. He will inform you of what the Hyuga clan needs to do."
"Also, I'm taking some Uchiha members to the Memorial Stone today. I'll need the cooperation of the Police Force."
Hizashi nodded, looking slightly puzzled. "What are you going to the Memorial Stone for?"
Kawasaki's eyes narrowed into a thin, dangerous line. "To dig up a grave..."
..
The afternoon passed, but the Konoha bulletin boards remained unchanged. As Kawasaki had expected, the village higher-ups were unwilling to admit their mistakes. He wasn't angry; it was all within his calculations.
He led several Uchiha members straight to the Memorial Stone. The area was always guarded by Anbu, so his arrival was immediately reported to the Third Hokage.
At the Konoha Memorial Stone.
Many visitors who had come to pay their respects were stopped by the Hyuga-led Police Force. They were told the area was under maintenance and would reopen in two hours. The villagers were confused. The Memorial Stone was just a large rock with graves beneath it. Why would repairs require them to close off the entire area? But since it was only for a short time, most didn't mind waiting.
Kawasaki and his group had been inside for a while. Just then, the Third Hokage arrived with his Anbu escort.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, seeing the Hyuga Police Force barricading the Memorial Stone and preventing villagers from entering.
The Hyuga in charge, Hayato, bowed and reported, "Lord Hokage, Kawasaki Uchiha brought his clansmen to the Memorial Stone today. He said he was relocating a grave. We blocked access to prevent any potential conflict between the Uchiha and the villagers."
The Third's eyebrow twitched. Relocating a grave? What grave? The names carved on the Memorial Stone belonged to those who had served Konoha with distinction, and the same was true for those buried beneath it. The bodies of all the past Hokage rested here as well.
Now, even the Anbu stationed here were being kept out. The Uchiha and Hyuga were guarding the entrance together, letting no one pass. What was Kawasaki up to?
The Third Hokage pushed past the blockade, and the Hyuga didn't dare stop him. As he entered, he saw Kawasaki standing there with his hands in his pockets. Before him, a grave had been completely desecrated. The tombstone was smashed to pieces, and the coffin had been unearthed.
The Third Hokage was livid. "Kawasaki, what is the meaning of this!?"
Seeing the fuming Hokage, Kawasaki offered a casual greeting. "Well, if it isn't the Third Hokage? What's the matter? I'm just here to move the grave of a hero from my clan. Is there a problem?"
As the Third Hokage got closer, he recognized the grave. It belonged to Obito Uchiha. At the time, everyone believed Obito had died a hero. Since his body was never found, they had built a cenotaph for him, burying him with all the honors befitting a hero of Konoha. He never imagined Kawasaki would actually dig it up.
Realizing it wasn't someone else's grave, the Third's anger subsided slightly. "Kawasaki, what do you hope to achieve with this?"
Kawasaki didn't answer directly. "I checked the Konoha bulletin boards today. I didn't see any announcement about the Uchiha's orders on the night of the Nine-Tails Rampage."
The Third snorted. "Too much time has passed. The details need to be verified to ensure there are no errors. It takes time."
Kawasaki stared at the Hokage, his face devoid of expression, then turned away as if another word would be a waste of his breath.
Irked by his disrespect, the Third's anger flared again. "Kawasaki Uchiha! Answer me! What is the point of digging up this grave!"
Kawasaki shrugged nonchalantly. "No point. I'm just letting off some steam."
The Third was taken aback by the response, momentarily stunned. The surrounding Anbu were equally speechless. Kawasaki had caused such a scene just to blow off steam?
"Whether you Konoha officials want to admit your mistake is your business. But we Uchiha want to move the cenotaph of our 'hero' back to our clan grounds. I don't believe I need your permission for that, do I?" Kawasaki said slowly. "Or perhaps, Lord Third, you'd prefer Obito's grave to remain here?"
The Third's chest heaved. He issued an order to a nearby Anbu. "Go get Kakashi. Tell him Kawasaki is digging up Obito's cenotaph." He then fixed Kawasaki with a cold glare. "Kawasaki, you'd better not be planning any tricks."
Kawasaki yawned. "I'm not that bored. We'll leave as soon as we're done. Instead of worrying about me digging up a criminal's cenotaph, you should focus on announcing the truth of the Nine-Tails Rampage and admitting your mistakes. That would be a better use of your time."
The Third had been wondering what Kawasaki would do if he didn't make the announcement. He hadn't expected him to start digging up graves. Fearing Kawasaki had other schemes in mind, he had summoned Kakashi to assess the situation. As long as Kawasaki didn't touch anyone else's grave, he could let him vent. He would wait and see what other tricks Kawasaki had up his sleeve.
The Anbu soon reported that Kakashi had arrived. The Third grunted, turned, and left without another word to Kawasaki.
..
Kakashi had been brooding in his hospital room when the Anbu's message arrived. He shot up from his bed instantly. His reaction was so extreme because the Memorial Stone wasn't just home to Obito's cenotaph—Rin Nohara's grave was there, too. He was terrified for Rin's grave.
When Kakashi entered, the Third Hokage was already gone. Only Kawasaki Uchiha remained, standing over the scene. Kakashi's gaze swept past him to the grave behind. Obito's cenotaph had been completely torn open, the tombstone shattered into a pile of rubble.
"Yo, if it isn't the stone-hearted Kakashi?" Kawasaki greeted him upon his arrival.
Kakashi's mind was entirely focused on the graves, and he ignored the taunt. "Kawasaki, did you come here just to dig up Obito's cenotaph?"
In response to the accusation, Kawasaki waved a dismissive hand. "Do you think I'm that childish? Obito isn't even dead. What's the point of digging up an empty grave?"
Kakashi was stunned by the answer, momentarily at a loss for words. "Then you...?"
Kawasaki clapped his hands together. "Obito started the Nine-Tails Rampage because of Rin Nohara, didn't he? So I'm just going to dig up her grave."
"Kawasaki, you dare!" Kakashi roared.
"Lord Kawasaki, we've got it!" a voice called out.
Kakashi spun around to see several Uchiha members carrying a coffin toward them. His single eye instantly turned red with rage. In the distance, a neat, rectangular hole marked the spot where Rin Nohara's grave had been. There was no doubt that the coffin in their hands belonged to Rin.
"Kawasaki!! Let Rin go!" Kakashi bellowed, charging at the Uchiha clansmen.
At a wave from Kawasaki, the Uchiha members carefully placed Rin's coffin on the ground. They quickly stepped aside just before Kakashi reached them. He rushed to the coffin's side, frantically checking for any damage.
To his surprise, Rin's coffin was perfectly intact. Even the pit it had been removed from was perfectly cut, clearly excavated with a precise ninjutsu technique. Kakashi's surging anger was abruptly stifled.
"Speechless, are you? Did you really think I'd take my anger out on an innocent girl?" Kawasaki watched Kakashi, shaking his head. "Don't forget, we were classmates. You're as clueless as ever."
Kakashi turned, completely unable to fathom Kawasaki's intentions. "Kawasaki, what are you...?"
Kawasaki shook his head again. "We Uchiha are about to release all the information on Obito. That means every death from the Nine-Tails Rampage will be blamed on him. What do you think the families of the victims will do when they find out? Do you think they might come here to dig up Rin Nohara's grave?"
A chill ran down Kakashi's spine. He had seen firsthand how the villagers treated Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He knew the depth of the pain the rampage had caused. If Obito was revealed as the mastermind, Rin would almost certainly be implicated. Obito had been a well-known figure at the Academy, and his affection for Rin was no secret. Even if no one knew that Obito's vengeance was for Rin, her grave could still become a target for retaliation. Kakashi couldn't bet on every villager acting rationally.
Seeing that Kakashi seemed to understand, Kawasaki walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "I, Kawasaki, don't like to involve the innocent in my affairs. Rin Nohara's coffin is yours now. Find a hidden place and rebury her."
For a fleeting moment, Kakashi thought that maybe Kawasaki wasn't such a bad person after all.
A few Uchiha clansmen proceeded to destroy the last remnants of Obito's tombstone. They gathered the contents of the cenotaph and incinerated them with a Fire Style jutsu. As Kawasaki was about to leave, he turned back and walked over to the Memorial Stone itself. Just as he suspected, Obito's name was still carved there.
He beckoned to a nearby Uchiha, who handed him a kunai. With two swift slashes, Kawasaki scraped Obito's name from the stone. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned and walked away without a backward glance at Kakashi.
Kakashi stood frozen in place, staring at Rin's coffin in a daze.
Drip... Drip...
Rain began to fall from the sky, soaking the earth and seeping into Kakashi's heart.
.....
As Kawasaki walked away from the Memorial Stone, he turned to a clansman beside him. "Did you get it?"
"We have it," the clansman replied.
Kawasaki gave a slight nod. "Let's go."
.....
Throughout Konoha village.
That day, members of the Uchiha clan appeared before every public bulletin board, posting a conspicuous notice. The Uchiha rarely made such a public appearance in the village, and their presence drew curious crowds of villagers.
"Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku has stepped down..."
"In one month, Kawasaki Uchiha will succeed him as the new clan head..."
"The Uchiha clan will hold a grand celebration to mark the occasion and invites all villages to attend..."
"All shops in the snack street will offer a 90% discount for three days to share in the joy..."
An uproar erupted among the villagers. The Uchiha were changing their leader? And they were holding such a massive celebration? A 90% discount at the snack street was practically giving food away for free.
The other villagers continued to read.
"The true culprit behind the Nine-Tails Rampage has been identified as Obito Uchiha, who went missing years ago and was revered as a hero."
"This individual, consumed by hatred for Konoha after the loss of his beloved, orchestrated the Nine-Tails Rampage, causing countless deaths and injuries."
"He murdered his own sensei and his sensei's wife, an act of utter madness devoid of humanity."
"He also recently attacked the Uchiha Clan Head, leaving Lord Fugaku gravely injured and causing severe losses within the clan."
"By unanimous decision of the entire Uchiha clan, Obito Uchiha is hereby expelled from the clan registry. A permanent kill-on-sight order and bounty have been placed upon him!"
"Anyone who successfully eliminates Obito can bring his head to the Uchiha clan to claim a bounty of 300 million ryo! This offer is valid indefinitely!"
If the first part of the announcement was surprising, the next part was an absolute bombshell. The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Rampage was Obito?
Konoha had suffered immense casualties during that disaster. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife; the genjutsu master, Kurenai Yuhi; Iruka's parents; and even the Third Hokage's wife, Biwako Sarutobi. Akimichi Torifu was also severely injured and forced into retirement. The number of civilian casualties was immeasurable. Countless families lost loved ones and friends on that day. It was the single greatest loss of life Konoha had ever suffered outside of a war.
Many villagers had believed the rampage was simply an accident, a failure of the Jinchuriki's seal. It was why so many directed their anger and abuse at Naruto. Now, the Uchiha's announcement revealed that the entire catastrophe had been deliberately planned.
Though the notices were posted everywhere, the crowds in front of the bulletin boards only grew larger. Fortunately, members of the Hyuga-led Police Force were already on site to maintain order and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
In recent years, the Hyuga had been responsible for policing the village. Some villagers who were on familiar terms with them began asking about Obito. The Hyuga clansmen were prepared with a rehearsed explanation.
"Obito was an orphan raised by the Uchiha. He later became a student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, alongside Kakashi and Rin Nohara. He went missing after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and was presumed killed in action. Later, the Hidden Mist orchestrated a plot that resulted in Rin Nohara's death. Obito, who was deeply in love with Rin, sought revenge against everyone after learning of her death. He unleashed the Nine-Tails Rampage, killing his own teacher and his teacher's wife."
The onlookers were stunned. "Shouldn't he have sought revenge against the Hidden Mist?"
"Why would he attack his own village and murder his own teacher?"
"He has already exacted his revenge on the Mist. As for Konoha, he believed that even the Fourth Hokage, the fastest shinobi in the world, failed to save Rin. So, he directed his anger at the Fourth..."
"That's just insane! The man is a lunatic, isn't he?"
A Hyuga officer nodded in agreement. "You have no idea."
Kawasaki had not revealed the deeper reasons behind Obito's attack. It was enough to portray him as a deranged madman. The Hyuga's words successfully redirected the public's attention.
"And you don't know the half of it. The Uchiha clan has been unfairly blamed for so much," one officer continued. "On the night of the Nine-Tails, the Uchiha were busy helping non-combatants evacuate. But afterward, a rumor started spreading that they had stood by and done nothing. Many people condemned the Uchiha for it... Some even spread lies that the Uchiha in the village were behind the rampage."
"That's outrageous..."
"But isn't Obito also an Uchiha?"
"How can you compare them? He attacked his own clan head! Besides, he's been officially expelled from the clan now."
"A three hundred million ryo bounty... My god, that's so much money..."
"Hey, what are you thinking? Even Fugaku Uchiha was seriously injured by him. You really think you can claim that bounty?"
The explosive news dropped by the Uchiha shocked all of Konoha, and soon, the entire ninja world.
Unlike the common villagers, the various ninja clans received far more detailed intelligence. Their reports indicated that Obito was mentally unstable, a master of Space-Time Ninjutsu, and hostile toward the entire world. The Hidden Mist Village had already suffered a major defeat at his hands. He was also known to impersonate Madara Uchiha, using the legendary shinobi's name to deceive others.
The great clans of Konoha received invitations to the celebration for Kawasaki's succession as clan head. Invitations were also sent to the other hidden villages, inviting them to witness the ceremony. However, for many of the clans, the information about the mastermind of the Nine-Tails Rampage was of far greater interest. Nearly every major clan in Konoha had participated in that battle, suffering losses to varying degrees. For years, the culprit remained unknown, and Konoha's investigations had yielded no leads. Now, the truth had finally been uncovered by the Uchiha.