Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 66: The World's True Nature is Matryoshka Dolls

The drama ended temporarily when the "Kakashi" imposter disappeared, but it wasn't the finale. Although the guests didn't get their hands on the Six Paths Sage's Great Treasure, the scandals they heard about Konoha filled them to the brim.

While the visitors left with satisfaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood paralyzed, a sense of utter defeat washing over him.

Not only was he forced to carry a burden not his own, but the situation worsened when the responsibility bounced back on him. What's worse, the whole fiasco turned into a mudslinging contest, leaving him with a tarnished reputation.

Now, in the eyes of other villages and nations, he wasn't the wise and noble leader he tried so hard to be. Instead, he was a conniving, backstabbing hypocrite. For someone like Sarutobi, who placed immense value on his public image, the situation was unbearable.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Yi was relishing his success. "Having Black Zetsu on my side makes everything so efficient," he mused. By gathering intelligence from Black Zetsu, he had manipulated Sarutobi's plans to his advantage. When Sarutobi and the elders schemed to use Kakashi as a scapegoat, Yi seized the opportunity to play a greater trick.

Using White Zetsu's mimicry ability, Yi executed the plan flawlessly. The "Kakashi" that had appeared at the banquet was nothing more than a combination of Yi's Shadow Clone and White Zetsu's extraordinary disguise technique.

White Zetsu's transformation ability didn't just mimic appearances; it replicated the target's chakra and jutsu perfectly. Even sensory ninjas and the Byakugan couldn't detect any irregularities. Thus, even the most intimate acquaintances couldn't distinguish the fake from the real.

For Yi, this ability provided an airtight cover-up. With the "Kakashi" clone, he publicly smeared Sarutobi's reputation in front of everyone. The imposter revealed scandal after scandal about the Hokage, tainting his carefully cultivated image.

As a final flourish, the clone used Reverse Summoning Jutsu to vanish without a trace. Even if Sarutobi wanted to prove Kakashi's innocence afterward, the damage was already done. Now, the seeds of doubt planted in Kakashi would fester. Kakashi, who once harbored unwavering loyalty to the village, would now question everything he believed in.

"Ah, so the world's true essence is… matryoshka dolls?" Yi mused aloud, chuckling at the thought.

Hearing Yi's musings, Black Zetsu tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean by dolls?" he asked.

Yi smirked, "You'll see in time." He couldn't help but marvel at the layered schemes in this world: Black Zetsu deceived Madara. Madara manipulated Obito. Obito exploited Nagato. And now, Yi was outplaying them all. Even Sarutobi, in trying to shift blame onto others, had his plans backfire spectacularly.

"I never intended to play this game of stacking lies and schemes," Yi muttered to himself. "But the nature of this world leaves me no choice."

It was an endless cycle of manipulation and counter-manipulation. Fortunately, Yi stood at the top of the matryoshka doll stack, pulling the strings rather than being tangled in them.

The very next day, Black Zetsu's underground information network sprang into action. Within hours, the story of Sarutobi's betrayal of Kakashi had spread across Konoha like wildfire.

With the foreign dignitaries still present in the village, Sarutobi and the elders had no control over the narrative. They couldn't silence the rumors.

Kakashi, fresh from completing his mission, was greeted with strange looks from villagers everywhere. Confused by the attention, he didn't realize what had happened until Might Guy approached him.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Guy exclaimed. "I heard the Hokage betrayed you. What's going on?"

"Huh?" Kakashi blinked, utterly baffled.

"Kakashi, stop hiding it," Guy pressed on. "Everyone knows about it by now! Last night, at the banquet for the visiting dignitaries, the Hokage claimed you stole the Six Paths Sage's Great Treasure! He said you betrayed the village and ran off with it."

Guy paused for breath, his tone growing more serious. "But you came back with the treasure—only for them to accuse you of swapping it with a fake. And when you realized it was all a setup, you called out the Hokage for his lies… right in front of everyone!"

Kakashi listened, his face growing darker with each revelation. "So, the Hokage used the mission as a trap," he concluded, his voice icy. "They wanted me dead."

The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He had thought his loyalty was unquestionable. But now, he saw the truth: The people he had served so faithfully were the ones who had betrayed him.

Kakashi's usual calm and stoic expression twisted into a bitter smile. "Thanks, Guy, for telling me," Kakashi said quietly. "But I have some things to take care of now." His voice was laced with resolve.

In his heart, Kakashi knew the rift between him and Konoha's leadership was irreparable. While he wasn't ready to make any drastic moves yet, he began taking steps to distance himself from them.

If the system was this corrupt, could he really remain a part of it?

Yi's plan had succeeded in creating a crack in Konoha's unity. And this was only the beginning.

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