Ch-9 The rebel Uchiha Karan

At last, the long-awaited morning had arrived.

"I heard that Third Hokage-sama is going to make an announcement about the Nine Tails at the Hokage building," one of the Konoha residents exclaimed.

"Is that true? Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" replied another.

"I heard that the Hokage-sama will also mention something about the Uchiha family," a third person chimed in.

"Perhaps the Hokage-sama intends to punish the Uchiha family," speculated another.

"Who told you that the Hokage-sama will take action against the Uchiha family?" asked one of the group.

"A ninja mentioned it to me," responded the third person.

Discussions like these were taking place in nearly every corner of Konoha.

.....

A large crowd had gathered outside the Hokage building, and after about an hour, everyone had assembled beneath it. The Third Hokage, along with the elders of Konoha and the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, then appeared on the rooftop of the building.

"We lost many of our beloved citizens on the night of the Nine Tails attack. The Fourth Hokage and his wife sacrificed themselves to protect the village, and they are true heroes of Konoha. I deeply apologize to everyone here that I wasn't able to protect our loved ones, including the Fourth Hokage and his wife," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, bowing towards the crowd.

"Tomorrow, we will hold a proper funeral to honor all our comrades who sacrificed themselves to protect our village. On that day, we will also hold the funeral for the Fourth Hokage and his wife. It is a tragic day for our village," he added with a somber tone.

The gathered crowd listened in silence, their grief palpable. They had lost so many on that fateful night, and the loss of the Fourth Hokage and his wife had only compounded their pain. Yet, in the midst of their sorrow, there was also a sense of unity, a shared understanding of the sacrifices made for the greater good of the village. And so, they stood there, together, mourning their fallen comrades and paying tribute to the heroes who had given their lives to protect Konoha.

After a brief moment of silence, the Third Hokage spoke again, his voice filled with sadness and regret. "Today, I must make an announcement about the main perpetrator responsible for the loss of so many lives. Uchiha Karan is the main culprit of all this. He used his Sharingan to control the Nine Tails and wreak havoc on Konoha village. As he left the village, he mercilessly killed five members of the Anbu. And when the Anbu minister, Sarutobi Shinnoske, intercepted him, he showed no mercy and killed sixteen more members of the Anbu department. These losses are incalculable, and our hearts are heavy with grief. From this day forward, Uchiha Karan will be labeled as an S-rank rebel."

The crowd murmured in shock and disbelief as they processed the news.

As the Third Hokage's words hung in the air, the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku, stepped forward. His face was solemn as he addressed the gathered crowd. "I am deeply sorry for the actions of my clan member. As the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, I acknowledge my failure in teaching our family member the basic qualities of being a ninja. I am ashamed of what has happened, and I apologize to the families of those who have lost loved ones."

There was a hush in the crowd as Uchiha Fugaku continued, his voice heavy with emotion. "I announce today that Uchiha Karan will be removed from the Uchiha family tree. He will never again be considered a member of our clan.We will not condone such actions, and we will take all necessary steps to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."

The crowd listened in silence, moved by Uchiha Fugaku's words. It was clear that he was taking the situation seriously and was willing to take responsibility for his clan's actions.

"Thank you all for coming today. You may leave now," announced Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Upon receiving Hiruzen's command, everyone in attendance, including Konoha residents and spies from other hidden villages, quickly departed to inform their respective leaders. The information shared during the meeting was of utmost importance and needed to be conveyed to their respective kage.

"Thank you, patriarch Fugaku, for your understanding and assistance," expressed Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hokage Sama, it is my duty as a member of this village. Please, do not feel the need to be polite," responded Uchiha Fugaku humbly.

"Everyone, we will reconvene tomorrow for the funeral proceedings," announced Sarutobi Hiruzen.
.....

In the depths of the Root organization, one of its members approached Master Danzo with a scroll in hand.

"Master Danzo, this is the report on today's announcement," the member said.

Danzo accepted the scroll and perused its contents before closing it.

"Hmph, Hiruzen is still as naive as ever, thinking that the Uchiha clan can be trusted. But what he cannot do, I will do. After all, I am the leader of the Root organization in Konoha," Danzo remarked.

"Very well. Instruct the members of Root to spread rumors and exaggerate the misdeeds of Uchiha Karan, connecting his actions to the Uchiha clan. Make it seem as though he had support from within the clan," Danzo ordered.

"Understood," the Root member replied, ready to depart. However, Danzo stopped him with an additional request.

"And while you're at it, spread rumors about the Fourth Hokage's son being a nine-tailed demon fox," Danzo added.

"Yes, Danzo-sama," the Root member responded respectfully before leaving to carry out Danzo's orders.

...

Within the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Takoma observed Uchiha Itachi's impressive display of ninja skills and praised him for his talents.

"Very good! You truly deserve to be the son of our patriarch. At just five years old, you can already use ninjutsu and shuriken with such skill. When I was your age, I was still playing in the mud," Uchiha Takoma complimented Itachi.

This morning when Uchiha Takoma woke up he saw Uchiha Itachi.

"Respectfully seeking the Second Elder's guidance," Itachi said respectfully.

Uchiha Takoma agreed and gave Itachi guidence accordingly.

"Alright, you may go now. The announcement should have already been made," Uchiha Takoma instructed, acknowledging Itachi's efforts.

After hearing Uchiha Takoma's words, Itachi was shocked and speechless.

"Did you think I wouldn't know that the patriarch sent you to me so I wouldn't leave the Uchiha compound? I am the Second Elder of the Uchiha clan for a reason," Uchiha Takoma stated, reading Itachi's thoughts.

"When Karan left, I warned him that the blame for the Nine-Tailed Fox would be placed on him by the higher-ups of Konoha to appease the villagers. But do you know what he told me?" Uchiha Takoma asked, reminiscing on his conversation with Uchiha Karan. Itachi shook his head in response.

"He said that in the Ninja world, strength is everything. Rumors and accusations are like clouds. What he wants is to unify the ninja world, and Konoha is merely a stepping stone towards his goal," Uchiha Takoma explained, impressed by Karan's ambition.

"Very well, you may leave. Not that it matters, as I have no intention of leaving the Uchiha compound anyway," Takoma told Itachi.

"Thank you for your guidance, Second Elder. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused," Itachi replied respectfully with a bow before departing.