How to Survive as an Uchiha

48 – Grave Sins

"The First Hokage's grave... it's been desecrated." the jonin said again. "The only ones capable of this would be someone from Konoha."

The report from the jonin sent everyone's mind spinning. And it wasn't hard to guess why.

However, everyone reacted differently to this news.

"Impossible..." Minato whispered as he and Hiruzen stood utterly shocked.

Minato, in particular, found it absurd. He had anticipated that this mission might reveal some unsavory truths, but… It involved the First Hokage himself?

Danzō's eyes narrowed as he glanced between the reporting jonin and Minato.

The Sannin were also taken aback.

Well, only Jiraiya was truly shocked, his face twisted in disbelief.

Orochimaru remained emotionless, already preparing to use his Orochimaru-Style Body Substitution Jutsu, his fingers twitching ever so slightly.

Tsunade was frozen in disbelief.

After Tobirama's leftover cells were used up, the Senju clan had abandoned it.

A chill ran from her feet all the way to her head.

The disbandment of the Senju clan was partially tied to the Wood Release experiment, which had directly led to their decision to dissolve their clan identity and integrate into the broader ninja community.

Hiruzen and the others knew this but still restarted the experiment. And now, they'd even violated the First Hokage's coffin. They had been students personally trained by Hashirama and Tobirama!

What a joke.

In the face of the power of Wood Release, the bond between master and disciple meant nothing.

If this was how Hashirama was treated, what hope did she have?

At that moment, Tsunade wasn't even angry anymore. Her fury, her sorrow—she had exhausted all of it.

She was tired. She made a decision: she would leave this place.

Far, far away.

It was at that moment that a loud shout erupted from the scene.

"Orochimaru! What are you doing?" The Uchiha jonin's voice rang out.

Due to their previous standoff with the ANBU, all the Uchiha present had their Sharingan activated and immediately noticed Orochimaru's suspicious movements.

Though Orochimaru-Style Body Substitution differed from the standard substitution technique, it shared one key trait: it was a jutsu.

And as a jutsu, it emitted chakra, making it impossible to escape the detection of high-tier Sharingan under normal conditions.

Among the gathered Uchiha, there were multiple wielders of three-tomoe Sharingan. Everyone's gaze snapped toward Orochimaru.

The figure standing in Orochimaru's place shriveled under a gust of wind, revealing its true nature.

"There!" shouted the Uchiha, lightning crackling between their fingers as they leaped toward different spots on the ground. "He's trying to escape through the ground!"

Their actions instantly triggered the already high-strung ANBU. On instinct, a few ANBU holding shuriken threw them toward the Uchiha group.

In that instant, two thoughts ran through everyone's mind:

Orochimaru had gone insane and was doomed.

Where on earth did Hiruzen find these clowns and recruit them into the ANBU?

However, the shuriken never reached the Uchiha.

Masashi raised a hand, unleashing a wind jutsu that diverted the weapons, then pointed at the ANBU.

"They're in on it! Don't let them escape!" Whether or not the accusation was true, this was the perfect time to pin it on them.

Even if it meant killing someone right in front of Hiruzen, he wouldn't dare interfere. After all, he'd lose decades of his leadership credibility if he did.

Sure enough, neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade moved a muscle. Even those accused ANBU, though tense, didn't dare make a move either.

Soon, the Uchiha swarmed them, tying them up securely.

For the ANBU, this was the first time they had ever been so openly subdued by the Uchiha, but none of them dared resist.

Meanwhile, the other ninja clans sprang into action.

"The Byakugan sees all deception today," the Hyūga leader declared as they activated their bloodline limit.

The Aburame released their insects in coordinated swarms, while the Inuzuka ninken's growls filled the air with menace.

Just like during the Nine-Tails' attack, these three clans once again sided with the Uchiha.

Not that they had much choice.

"This situation requires... careful consideration," a Nara representative muttered as their clan, along with the Yamanaka and Akimichi, encircled the remaining ANBU instead, signaling their stance.

As for the Sarutobi clan, they rallied around Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.

Danzō, meanwhile, stood alone, flanked by only a few Root ninjas. He silently cursed Orochimaru for dragging him into this mess.

"Hokage-sama, the laboratory was operated by Root. When we attempted to

Afterwards, he handed Orochimaru over to the waiting Konoha shinobi.

The jonin carefully restrained Orochimaru, treating him as if he were a ticking time bomb.

"No, no, your grip should be tighter here," Orochimaru commented, gesturing with his chin. "And that seal pattern would be more effective if you adjusted the flow points."

Orochimaru, however, seemed amused. He continued critiquing their technique, explaining how they could secure him more effectively.

To be fair, when it came to this sort of thing, he was indeed Konoha's top expert.

The more professional he seemed, the more unnerved the jonin became. 

Meanwhile, Minato turned to Masashi.

"Shall we head to the Third Hokage?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Masashi agreed readily.

How could he not go? He had to. He was curious to see what cards Danzō had left to play.

Back in his first life, he might have harbored bonds of camaraderie, but in this second life, such sentiments were meaningless. People had changed, and so had the bonds. The past was just that—past.

To make Konoha dominant, Danzō and his faction wouldn't hesitate to desecrate the grave of Hashirama himself.

Masashi was convinced that Danzō's actions came from a place of reverence for Hashirama. Strange as it sounded, it was true. Just like how a child might break their favorite toy trying to see how it works.

Similarly, he would have no hesitation in eliminating Danzō if necessary.

This applied to Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu as well. Even Minato and Kushina—if they became enemies, there would be no choice but to remove them, by any means necessary.

Everyone would die eventually. If he was strong enough, he'd kill the threats outright. If not, he'd find other means. The Warring States Period had taught him this much.

Unlike the idealists who claimed to love all of humanity, Masashi was more honest with himself. He didn't love the world. He loved beauty. And food.