Reincarnated as Itachi Uchiha at the Start

This revelation was absolutely shocking—full of twists and turns!

Not only the Anbu were stunned, but even the civilian ninja and villagers were speechless.

"When the Fourth Hokage ascended, he discovered a hidden hand behind the massacres of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans."

"You never know until you dig... and what he uncovered was horrifying."

"After the First Hokage's passing, the Wood Release—used to seal Tailed Beasts—was lost. Hiruzen Sarutobi, seeking to restore Konoha's power over Wood Release, initiated massive research into Hashirama's cells."

"But as many Senju volunteers died in experimentation, they halted the research—and the records were buried as Konoha's shame."

"Yet Hiruzen persisted, sacrifices be damned. He wanted control over the Nine-Tails, and to prevent the Land of Whirlpools from discovering his plan, he incited Kirigakure to annihilate the Uzumaki Clan."

"Then, like a fisherman gathering spoils, he acquired their sealing techniques—and took in the lone surviving heir, Kushina Uzumaki, raising her as the future Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."

"Meanwhile, the secret research into Wood Release never ceased. Under Hiruzen's orders, the last male heir (Nawaki) of the Senju was sent into battle at just twelve years old."

"Through Hiruzen's manipulation, the Senju clan's elders inexplicably died on the battlefield, creating material for further studies."

"Under his guidance—and with Orochimaru smuggled in to kidnap infants under cover—the experiments continued."

"Most of those ninja and over sixty babies perished. But against that brutal cost, there was one success: Tenzo, now in Anbu's Sixth Special Ops Team!"

"Still, the net is wide but never lets mistakes slip through. With so much wrongdoing, Hiruzen couldn't keep it hidden."

"When the Fourth Hokage began to realize the murders of the Senju and Uzumaki weren't mere accidents, Hiruzen, in desperation, decided to snuff them out completely."

"Using the moment of Kushina's childbirth, he dispatched the Anbu along with his wife, Biwako, to act!"

"They conspired to kill the Fourth Hokage and Kushina!"

"But then the Nine-Tails was unleashed. In the chaos, the Fourth decided, out of love for Konoha, to do a Reaper Death Seal. — sacrificing himself to save the village."

"That's why Root knew about the Nine-Tails' attack but dared not intervene—it was a politics struggle between Third and Fourth Hokages."

The atmosphere in Leaf Village was explosive. Civilians and ninja alike froze—and even some Anbu and Root operatives were aghast:

"I never imagined such corruption at the top. It's horrifying!"

"If Hiruzen wasn't trying to bring Danzo's justice into question, we'd all have been duped!"

"I always suspected something was off about the Third Hokage."

"Exactly—as the Land of Lightning reporter said earlier: an old man who won't die is dangerous!"

"This man is a calamity!"

"No wonder Naruto suffered so much—turns out it was Hiruzen's doing!"

"That's why Lady Tsunade hasn't returned—she's afraid!"

"You know, the reporter's words from the Land of Lightning made sense: the Senju and Uzumaki lost their people, their estates—and Hiruzen claimed it all for the village!"

"So that's why the Sarutobi clan is rolling in wealth—fatting themselves while choking Konoha dry! They deserve punishment!"

The Root agents finally snapped:

"Bullshit! The Nine-Tails' attack was orchestrated by Danzo—and now they want to frame the Hokage!"

"You talk a big game—don't say Root had no part in this!"

"Look at him, all red-faced—since we exposed him, he's too ashamed to admit it!"

"Mark my words, Hiruzen Sarutobi is a dead man—no Sage of Six Paths power can save him now!"

"Do you deny he greenlit the Hashirama-cell experiments? That he freed Orochimaru? That he seized Senju and Uzumaki lands?"

"Damn it, brothers, grab your weapons! Let's take them down!"

"Charge!"

"Today, I'll go head-to-head with you—whoever backs down is a coward!"

"Got the courage? Then act!"

A kunai flew straight into an Uchiha Itachi clone—a burst of crimson blood splattered a nearby Root agent.

The Root operative froze, watching his brother fall—how could the one with all that bravado die so easily?

Stricken by grief and anger for being beaten, insulted, and falsely blamed, the Root agent roared:

"So Anbu really are serious!"

"Fine—if you Anbu won't let Root live, none of us will!"

"Got us exposed—you're furious now, huh?"

"Fuck this—anyone who dares kill Root, unsheathe your blades and kill these Anbu scum!"

"Slaughter them, avenge us!"

"Kill!"

Civilian ninja and villagers joined in the battle too, raising uproar:

"You idiots—didn't you see that kunai came from Anbu?"

"Now you're still framing us? I swear I'll kill you!"

"Think Root is afraid of you? Hurt them, and we'll slaughter all you Anbu trash! Not a single one leaves alive!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"

Explosions, jutsu fire—Anbu and Root clashed in a bloody free-for-all.

Meanwhile, at the Hokage Office Building:

"Wait—Hokage's not here? He's at the Ninja Academy?" The Anbu squad leader returning from the monument was stunned.

At a moment like this, the Hokage abandoning the situation to visit the Academy—he could only shake his head as he hurried off.

At the Ninja Academy:

Amid laughter and chatter of the new generation, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled.

Age may have slowed him down, but at Konoha's darkest hour, he still stood at the helm—his sense of duty overriding everything.

He'd resolved: after Kakashi, Asuma, Might Guy, Kurenai, Itachi, Amakusa and their peers matured, he would select a worthy successor—then step down to enjoy his twilight years.

And he was determined to protect Naruto:

As the guardian of Konoha, whose parents sacrificed themselves for the village, he was bound to care for the orphaned "hero."

Unlike Danzo—despite being one of Hiruzen's strongest subordinates, Danzo rarely supported him, instead obstructing, even plotting to overthrow him.

That constant betrayal made his duties even heavier.

So though he took responsibility for Naruto, he couldn't personally oversee every detail—delegating to others, keeping an eye via telescope Jutsu or taking Naruto fishing in his spare time.

Seeing Naruto joking with Sasuke, and Hinata shyly watching Naruto from afar, Hiruzen felt relief—he's doing okay.

Who's really behind the frame-up?

Just then, Itachi's voice reached him:

"Hokage-sama, what brings you here?"

"Itachi!" Hiruzen smiled. "Here to watch over Sasuke?"

"Yeah. Sasuke's planning to challenge everyone his age today—I was worried," Itachi explained.