Chapter 77: The Battle of Public Opinion (Part 1)

[Orochimaru, commander of the Rain Ninja battlefield, has been desecrating the previous Hokage and conducting forbidden human experiments in secret. The disappearance of a large number of villagers and ninjas in the village is suspected to be related to him.]

[Hanma, commander of the hunting unit, disobeyed orders on the battlefield, marginalized civilian ninjas, and opposed the Will of Fire. Despite his capabilities, he did not contribute to Konoha, leading to the heavy casualties of numerous ninjas.]

Within the circles of Jonin and special Jonin, these scandals were treated as jokes and caused no real disturbance. They all understood that this was an internal conflict between upper-echelon factions.

The Jonin from the ninja clans would even warn their younger family members not to comment carelessly to avoid inviting trouble upon themselves.

Most Jonin had some connections with Konoha's upper ranks and would not be swayed easily by a few words, unless they intended to deliberately smear Hanma and Orochimaru.

However, within the circles of Chunin and Genin, these accusations quickly gained traction. After all, they usually had no direct contact with figures of Hanma and Orochimaru's stature, and conspiracy theories always drew attention.

Among Konoha's civilians, they did not care about the truth of these rumors; they would discuss them vigorously with friends and family to seem well-informed and like active members of Konoha.

The silent stance of Konoha's leadership allowed the matter to escalate uncontrollably.

[If no one has come out to refute these rumors, then they must be true, right?]

This was the prevailing thought among most people in Konoha.

After the war ended, the merchant caravans returning to Konoha began spreading these messages throughout the ninja world.

On the desks of the Third Raikage, Chiyo, Ōnoki, and others, appeared such odd reports:

[Konoha, infighting again and again.]

Though Danzo's move was a low-handed tactic, it was executed with great precision.

The already notorious reputation of the Uchiha clan, coupled with such fitting scandalous details, became the perfect topic for Konoha's civilians to discuss over tea and meals. No one resisted participating; they all indulged eagerly.

Danzo accurately seized on Hanma and Orochimaru's ambiguous actions in the gray areas. Capitalizing on the victory in the war, he launched this public opinion assault, elevating the incident to a fever pitch.

First deify, then destroy.

If Danzo were transported to another time, his mastery of generating hype would have earned him a decent living.

Hanma indeed had blemishes on his record, with confirmed instances of rank-borrowing and battlefield insubordination.

However, Hanma's astonishing achievements, such as slaying a Tailed Beast and ending the war, prevented Konoha's high-ranking officials from deliberately holding him accountable.

A hero who had just fought for the village could not be touched, or most ninjas' spirits would be dampened.

But if Hanma stepped forward to combat these rumors, Konoha's leadership would have the excuse to investigate him.

[Look, it's you who demanded we clear your name.]

And if Hanma chose to remain silent, these civilian-driven rumors would greatly demoralize the ninjas.

A ninja's heart is a fragile yet resilient thing.

Ninjas can kill mercilessly at five, abandon comrades for a mission, and also commit suicide over civilian gossip, leaving their children alone in the world.

Perhaps the widespread acceptance of the Will of Fire in Konoha is because this ninja world is too much of a hellhole.

The more difficult things get, the more people believe in gods, searching for even a glimmer of solace, and at such moments, the flaws in the Will of Fire seem less significant as long as it provides some comfort.

In the original timeline, in three or four years, Sakumo Hatake is slated to undergo the same treatment as Hanma and Orochimaru, eventually ending his own life.

But unfortunately for them, Hanma had once trained in a sacred place called the internet and mastered numerous forbidden techniques.

Compared to the intensity of the public opinion there, Konoha's controversies were negligible.

A public opinion storm like nothing the Third Hokage and others had ever seen was about to unfold.

Konoha Police Force Headquarters.

Hundreds of Uchiha clansmen stood in two rows, their faces showing a mix of excitement and slight embarrassment, awaiting Hanma's final instructions.

In one row stood Uchihas dressed as civilians, and in the other, those clad in police uniforms.

"All orders must be executed to the letter. Fugaku, repeat the plan."

"Yes, Captain!"

"I will lead Team One, disguised as civilians using Transformation Jutsu, to spread rumors in crowded areas. If we encounter skeptics, we will use ocular jutsu to subtly suggest ideas."

Fugaku responded solemnly and loudly.

"Tetsuka, repeat your team's mission."

"Our Team Two will seal off the area in our capacity as the Police Force after Team One initiates the rumors, apprehending identified Root members under the guise of foreign spies."

"Very well, commence operation!"

At Hanma's command, the elite Uchiha quickly split into two groups and dispersed throughout the vast expanse of Konoha.

Under Hanma's orders, the Uchihas were about to undertake a mission unprecedented for their clan.

[Serve as internet trolls.]

Instead of using fire jutsu to slay enemies on the battlefield, they dispersed into the crowd using "water jutsu."

Mangekyo Sharingan quietly spun in the eyes of the Uchihas, heralding a fresh, juicy scandal for Konoha's residents.

A week later, in a Konoha bar.

Jiraiya, reeking of alcohol, had his arms around two scantily clad women, guzzling beer.

A soft, boneless singer leaned against Jiraiya's robust chest, fingers tracing the deep scars, admiringly saying:

"Fighting for Konoha and protecting us civilians must have been so hard on you. Please, have another drink and let me help you relax."

Jiraiya laughed heartily, downing his drink in one gulp, but his grip tightened slightly, drawing giggles from the singer.

"I'm hardly a hero, just a lowly soldier."

Jiraiya modestly waved his hand but a flicker of concern crossed his eyes.

In this war, Hanma had demonstrated power far beyond Jiraiya's reach, and as childhood friends, Jiraiya felt undeniably competitive.

"Ah, there are too few heroes like you who are humble and wholeheartedly devoted to Konoha."

"Nowadays in Konoha, we small civilians no longer know who truly has the village's best interests at heart."

Jiraiya frowned and sighed lightly.

He knew about the incidents involving Hanma and Orochimaru.

But based on his understanding of the two, those rumors might not be entirely false.

"Pay no attention to those rumors. Both Orochimaru and the Uchiha clan have contributed much to our village."

The singer covered her mouth, laughing lightly, and lightly slapped Jiraiya's shoulder.

"You really know how to play dumb. Those two's stories are long out of fashion."

Jiraiya blinked in confusion.

[If it's not about them, what else could it be?]

The singer leaned closer to Jiraiya, her hair brushing his face, and her pleasant scent stirred his Yang Release chakra.

But her next words completely shattered Jiraiya's focus.

"Didn't you know? They say the Second Hokage's death is connected to those assisting the current Hokage."

The singer leaned close to Jiraiya's ear, lowering her voice, whispering secretly.

Jiraiya stared in shock at the beauty beside him, spitting out his drink on her pretty face.

"What?!!!"