Chapter 81: The Will of Fire Falls
The entire square fell into a suffocating silence.
Faced with the severed heads of Shimura Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane, no one could find their voice. The only thing visible on everyone's faces was utter shock and disbelief—hearts pounding, minds reeling.
These were Konoha's top brass—men and women whose very footsteps could shake the village.
> "This is huge… the very sky over Konoha might be changing..."
> "What now? Do we take action against the Uchiha? The Third Hokage is still alive, after all…"
> "Why haven't we ever seen the Uchiha this ferocious before?"
The clan heads—Hiashi Hyuga, Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shibi Aburame—took deep breaths, forcing their emotions into check. Each of them began quietly considering what direction their clan should take.
They weren't fools.
With Danzo, Koharu, and Homura dead, the divide between the Third Hokage and the Uchiha Clan had reached the point of no return. There would only be one winner—and whoever sided with that winner would hold the future.
> "Why haven't any Sarutobi clan shinobi shown up yet?"
Shikaku frowned, scanning the crowd. It was unnatural. The Sarutobi clan was a prominent force. Their absence was glaring.
> "Last night," Uchiha Fugaku said coldly, eyes gleaming, "Konoha's leadership made a move to exterminate our Uchiha Clan. We struck first. Shimura Danzo and most of his Root operatives are dead. For revenge, we annihilated the Sarutobi clan and came here to finish the job with Koharu and Homura."
Gulp—
A collective gasp rang through the square.
Shock and realization dawned.
No wonder the Uchiha were so bold—it was self-defense. Konoha's leadership had attempted to erase them from history… and failed.
> "They tried to destroy the Uchiha and got countered…"
> "Embarrassing, really…"
Even jōnin like Might Guy, Kakashi, and Genma couldn't help but shake their heads. As shinobi of the village, they remained composed—but inwardly, they understood: things had spiraled far beyond repair.
In the midst of the crowd's unease, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood with a face like stone. His eyes burned into Uchiha Yuta as he growled:
> "Where the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn. You will never understand the greatness of the Will of Fire."
> "Without me, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu—Konoha would never have become the leading village in the ninja world!"
He clenched his fists and turned to the clan leaders, voice cold as steel:
> "What are you waiting for?! Go! Kill Uchiha Yuta and wipe out the Uchiha clan!"
He didn't bother looking at Guy or Kakashi. With the ANBU shaken and Root dismantled, the village's remaining strength lay with the clans.
If they acted, there was still hope.
> "This..."
Hiashi, Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi were inwardly fuming. Your political war—why drag us into it now?
Anyone could see that the high council had already lost its footing. Siding with the Third Hokage now would be suicide.
And the Will of Fire? That wouldn't save anyone from death.
Hiruzen locked eyes with Shikaku, clearly signaling: Say something. Back me up.
With a stiff face, Shikaku nodded slightly.
> "Hokage-sama, I… believe you can defeat Uchiha Yuta."
> "Yes, of course. We believe in you."
"Once you win, we'll help eliminate the Uchiha together."
Other clan leaders chimed in quickly, keeping their words safe—supportive, but noncommittal.
> "You…"
Pfft—!
Blood spilled from Hiruzen's lips in rage.
He never imagined these loyal clans would abandon him at the critical moment. The betrayal cut deep.
Uchiha Yuta chuckled, shaking his head in disappointment.
> Clan leaders… they're all veterans of politics. None of them are foolish enough to bet on a sinking ship.
But Yuta wasn't worried. He had prepared a backhanded trump card.
At that moment—
> "What's happening to Grandpa Hokage?"
"Who's he fighting?"
Small voices echoed through the square.
A group of children, led by several Uchiha shinobi, arrived quietly. Among them were Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuga, Hinata Hyuga, and Shikamaru Nara—the next generation of Konoha's elite.
> "Wait… those are the heirs of the major clans!"
> "Did the Uchiha sneak them in without us noticing?"
> "Good thing we didn't choose a side yet…"
The arrival of the children stunned the clan heads. Their expressions turned rigid. Deep inside, a cold shiver passed through them.
> Uchiha Yuta… he planned this far ahead?
All this time, they thought Yuta was just another jōnin with brute force.
But no—he was a tactician.
A terrifying one.
> "Alright then, it's time to bring down the weakest Hokage in history," Yuta said with icy resolve.
He clapped his hands.
> "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Tri-Seal Formation!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three shadow clones flew into position—south, east, and west—forming a glowing, green pyramid-shaped barrier around him and Hiruzen.
This was it.
In front of everyone, Uchiha Yuta would end the Will of Fire once and for all.
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