After Chi Yu left, Uchiha Shisui stood in silence, his expression solemn. The words Chi Yu had spoken—"If it were just me, could I target the Uchiha Clan like this?"—echoed repeatedly in his mind.
Shisui wasn't naïve. From that one statement, he inferred the bitter truth: Chi Yu's actions likely had official approval.
And in Konoha, the only ones with the authority to sanction such a move... were the village's highest echelons.
The Hokage. The elders. The council. Possibly even Danzō.
A bitter smile crept across Shisui's lips.
He had always believed that as long as Konoha refrained from openly targeting the Uchiha Clan, there was still a chance for reconciliation. That things could still be repaired. He hadn't imagined that the targeting had already begun—and worse, that Chi Yu was the instrument chosen for the task.
Murmuring to himself, Shisui said, "There's still time... There has to be. Hokage-sama and the others may have authorized Chi Yu's actions, but it's not an all-out campaign against the clan. Not yet. There must be a way. I'll find a way to stop this before it's too late."
His eyes grew resolute, filled with determination and dread.
---
The war dragged on.
Then came a critical report from the front lines: Masaki Uchiha, the current head of the Uchiha Clan, had fallen in battle.
In the wake of his death, his son—Uchiha Fugaku—was nominated as the new clan leader.
When Chi Yu received the news, he stared into the bonfire before him and smiled faintly.
The Uchiha's position in Konoha is about to change completely.
At Mount Kikyo, the tide of battle had begun to turn in Konoha's favor. Fighting on home territory within the Land of Fire, the joint forces of the Hidden Sand and Hidden Cloud Villages found themselves gradually worn down. The longer they were bogged down, the greater the advantage shifted to Konoha.
A month passed.
The Hidden Sand, struggling to sustain its campaign, withdrew its forces and broke off its alliance with the Hidden Cloud. The Sand retreated to the Land of Wind.
Left without its ally, the Hidden Cloud eventually recognized the futility of further conflict. Reluctantly, it too withdrew, returning to the Land of Lightning.
And so, the war—spanning Chi Yu's entire youth, ending just as he reached twenty-three—finally came to a close.
---
With the fighting over, all shinobi were summoned back to Konoha.
When Chi Yu and Kakashi returned, the village streets were overflowing with people celebrating victory. Konoha's flags flew high. Lanterns glowed. The air was filled with music, laughter, and relief.
But Chi Yu and Kakashi were unmoved. Amid the joyful crowd, they stood still, their expressions cold, detached from the revelry around them.
Then they saw her.
Uzumaki Kushina stood among the people, beaming at them. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw the two.
"Welcome back," she said warmly.
Chi Yu, Kakashi, and Kushina returned home together.
Kushina chatted excitedly, her words spilling out as she recounted what she had seen and heard throughout the war. Though she had fought in skirmishes before, this had been her first time involved in a large-scale conflict. The experience had left a lasting impression on her.
---
The following day, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned all of Konoha's residents to gather below the Hokage Building.
The street was packed, a sea of villagers and shinobi.
On the rooftop stood the leadership of the village: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō Shimura, Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
With a smile on his face, Hiruzen raised his voice so all could hear:
"This war, which has lasted nearly a decade, has finally ended. We of Konoha have emerged victorious. This triumph belongs to every one of you. On behalf of the village, I thank you all for your sacrifices and contributions.
In honor of our perseverance and our victory, Konoha will now host a grand celebration!
Where the leaves dance, so too does the Fire continue to burn—guiding the village and nurturing the growth of new leaves!
I hereby declare the celebration officially open!"
The street erupted with thunderous cheers, as loud and overwhelming as a storm at sea.
Yet amidst the revelry, several groups remained silent and still.
Chi Yu and Kakashi stood among them, their expressions flat.
Another group—the Uchiha—watched coldly. Though their clan had made major sacrifices in the war, their contributions had gone largely unrecognized. Many of their best fighters had died, often due to Chi Yu's direct orders in high-risk operations. The clan's pride had turned to bitterness.
Because their battlefield conduct was often seen as overly aggressive—combined with Chi Yu's methodical "targeting"—the narrative that emerged downplayed their role. Official records failed to credit them accordingly.
This bred a deep resentment within the clan.
And that resentment had a name: Chi Yu.
Kakashi smirked faintly and muttered, "Teacher, it seems you've made a lot of enemies."
Chi Yu, unfazed, replied coolly, "They're just weak men raging at the mirror."
Kushina, caught up in the festive mood, tilted her head and asked, "Who are you talking about?"
Chi Yu smiled. "No one important."
---
Nearby, villagers spoke in hushed admiration.
"Orochimaru-sama is incredible…"
"He's the real hero of this war!"
"Hokage-sama's getting old. He should retire soon. Orochimaru-sama would make the perfect successor."
"Yes, definitely. There's no one more suitable!"
Listening, Kakashi sighed. "Orochimaru-sama has really earned the people's respect. I guess the Fourth Hokage will be him, then?"
Chi Yu glanced up at Orochimaru standing on the rooftop. "No. He won't be Hokage."
Kakashi blinked. "You sure? Don't tell me you support Jiraiya-sama instead?"
Chi Yu didn't look away from the building. "It's about factions."
Kakashi frowned. "But... isn't Orochimaru-sama part of the Hokage faction?"
Chi Yu shook his head. "He once worked under Root. His official position still falls under their jurisdiction. Technically, he's not truly aligned with the Hokage faction. And…"
Chi Yu trailed off.
Because he knew Hiruzen must already suspect something. Orochimaru's experiments. His secrecy. His ambition.
---
Chi Yu and Kakashi found the celebration increasingly dull. Before long, they left with Kushina.
That evening, Kushina hummed cheerfully in the kitchen, flipping through a cookbook as she prepared dinner. The war was over. Chi Yu was home. She no longer had to live with the dread of waiting, of fearing bad news.
For the first time in years, she felt peace.
And she was determined to make the most of it.
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