The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
And the moment the new Will of Fire newspaper hit the village, Konoha exploded.
It wasn't just gossip anymore.
It wasn't just rumors.
It was chaos.
The content was so outrageous, so dramatic, and so unbelievable that it spread faster than wildfire.
People shouted.
People cursed.
People laughed.
People cried.
Even without the internet, the rumor spread at a speed exactly like the internet—every street, every house, every open shop repeated the same unbelievable story.
---
Souji's Private Celebration
Uchiha Souji woke up early, humming proudly.
He put on a simple mask, slipped into a small restaurant, ordered only a cup of milk, and sat there for hours—just to listen.
And he listened like a lunatic.
Every time someone insulted or cursed him from a few tables away, Souji giggled under his mask like a maniac.
People kept glancing at him.
One customer finally snapped.
He shot Souji a fierce glare, slapped some money on the table, and stormed out.
Souji, still hidden behind his mask, screamed inside his mind:
Hey! Don't go! Come back and insult me more!
But the man couldn't read minds, so he left.
Still, there were plenty of others.
The whole restaurant buzzed with hatred toward Uchiha Souji.
So Souji quickly returned to giggling and sipping his milk in victory.
His plan was working perfectly.
The waiter, meanwhile, was having a crisis.
Souji had been sitting there for three to four hours, ordering only one cup of milk.
The waiter clenched his fists, ready to throw Souji out.
But before he took a step, a middle-aged uncle grabbed his arm.
"Are you insane?" the uncle whispered urgently.
"This is a ninja village. What if that masked brat is a dangerous ninja and stabs you because he's offended?"
The waiter froze, sweating.
He retreated like a small frightened animal.
Souji took another sip of milk and thought:
This is the best day of my life.
He even wanted to stand up and dance, but fortunately remembered he had no rhythm and absolutely no talent.
Still, the success was sweet.
> "The Navy Plan is working flawlessly!"
Souji lifted his milk dramatically.
"A celebration!"
He kicked off his mask slightly and drank deeply.
He wanted sake, but the restaurant refused to sell alcohol to a child—so milk it was.
---
A Dangerous Man Appears
Just as Souji was about to indulge in another round of internal laughter, the restaurant doors opened.
A middle-aged man walked in.
His aura was chilling.
His expression was hard and sharp.
He sat heavily in the middle of the room after ordering a bowl of noodles.
Souji noticed him immediately.
He looks dangerous, Souji thought.
But then Souji reminded himself that he was sitting in Konoha—a village full of violent, traumatized ninjas.
Danger was everywhere.
Nothing unusual.
He tried to ignore the man and returned to happily listening to insults about himself.
Then—
BANG!!!
The man slammed his palm onto the table.
The entire restaurant jumped.
The waiter screamed.
The shop owner ducked behind the counter.
Everyone turned toward the man.
Souji's blood ran cold.
---
The Unexpected Speech Begins
The middle-aged man stepped onto his chair, then onto the table, towering over everyone.
"Everyone!" he shouted.
"I can't listen to this nonsense any longer!"
Souji panicked.
NO. NO. NO!
Don't do this.
Don't defend me.
Shut your mouth. Please, I beg you—KEEP QUIET!
Souji froze in terror.
If this man defended him, if he cleared Souji's name—
Everything Souji had carefully built would collapse instantly!
The man continued loudly:
"I am NOT from the Uchiha clan! But today, I must speak for justice!"
Souji's eyes widened in horror.
Justice?
JUSTICE?!
WHAT JUSTICE?!
Stop! Get off the table! Sit down and eat your noodles!
He tried to stand up and threaten the man—
but the moment he reached for his waist, he realized:
He forgot his weapon.
He had come out unarmed.
Souji slumped.
Without a weapon, his combat strength dropped by half.
He couldn't just attack a civilian in broad daylight.
The man pointed at the newspaper crumpled in someone's hands.
"LOOK at this nonsense!" he roared.
"What do they mean by 'Uchiha Souji spying on widows'!?
He's SEVEN YEARS OLD!
A seven-year-old watching widows bathe?! Ridiculous!"
Souji buried his head in his hands.
Please stop… Please stop…
The man continued, furious:
"And what is this rumor about a pigsty story?
What story can a child have with pigs?!
Use your brains!"
Souji glanced around desperately.
Everyone was staring at the man.
Souji wanted to cry.
Don't rescue me! Stop helping! You're ruining EVERYTHING!
---
A Small Hope… Crushed
A young ninja hesitantly raised a hand.
"But the newspaper says—"
Souji's eyes lit up.
YES! Someone reasonable! A good citizen!
Please argue! Please! Keep my slander alive!
But—
The middle-aged man cut him off instantly.
"All the newspapers are full of FAKE NEWS!" he shouted.
"WRITERS with NO names! NO sources! NO proof!"
"They say 'someone said' and 'a reporter heard'—nonsense!"
"Did ANY of you verify a single thing?!"
The young ninja sank back down.
Everyone looked ashamed.
Only Souji was dying internally.
Please. PLEASE stop convincing people. I need them to hate me!
---
The Man Attacks the Crowd's Morality
The man slammed his fist on the table again.
"You are condemning a SEVEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD!"
"A child who helped save Konoha!"
"A Konoha hero!"
His voice cracked.
It was so passionate, so dramatic, so sincere—
that the entire restaurant became silent.
People lowered their heads.
Even the bravest looked guilty.
Meanwhile—
Souji stared motionlessly at the man.
He wasn't breathing.
He wasn't blinking.
His soul had left his body.
It's over.
It's all over.
Everything I built… ruined… by one emotional uncle.
Souji quickly formed a plan.
If he could run out of the restaurant, capture everyone with the help of the Konoha Guard, and throw them into jail for a day or two—
maybe the rumor would die naturally.
Yes. Yes! That could work.
Souji stood up, trembling, ready to run for help.
He gritted his teeth.
Where is that useless Konoha Guard member?! I need to find that idiot now!
.--------------------------
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