Ever since he witnessed Hiruzen kill Koharu to silence her, Homura hadn't smiled once in six months.
He was a weak-willed man, someone who preferred to keep the peace and avoid conflict. Though he held a high position, he never wanted to offend anyone. He was the type who went with the flow and worked diligently, a truly honest man. Because of this, he often had a very low sense of presence.
But even honest men have their bottom line, and for him, that bottom line was Koharu.
He knew that she had feelings for Kagami. Even though Kagami had died, she would never have accepted him.
He also knew that her personality and behavior didn't endear her to others. But he didn't care, or more accurately, he refused to see it, and always believed it was everyone else's problem.
Because in his eyes, she was the most wonderful woman in the world.
Still, he had never thought of making her his own. He always felt he wasn't worthy. All he wanted was to silently protect her. As long as he could occasionally see her, even if it meant never marrying in his lifetime, he would be content.
Back in the day, he had even thought more than once that, if she really did marry Kagami, how could he help them live more happily? Should he try to lend a hand?
Later, when Kagami rejected Koharu and married a childhood friend from the Uchiha clan instead, Homura was even angrier than Koharu herself.
Hiruzen knew this, Danzō knew this, and Koharu knew it too.
Part of the reason Hiruzen and Danzō were so tolerant of Koharu was because they needed someone ruthless to serve them as a blade. But another part of it was because of Homura.
They realized that as long as they treated Koharu well, they could more easily manipulate Homura.
But Homura never imagined that the woman he had been willing to sacrifice his entire clan to protect would die before his very eyes. And the one who killed her was none other than the person he admired most.
At that moment, his heart collapsed into despair.
He didn't know how to face her death, nor how to face Hiruzen, who had killed her.
At one point, he even considered ending his own life to escape the unbearable inner torment caused by this overwhelming conflict.
It was then that Danzō came to him.
That man was a terrible person in many ways, but when it came to twisting facts and stabbing into people's hearts, he had a unique talent.
After a period of persuasion, Danzō successfully turned all of Homura's feelings toward Hiruzen into one thing, hatred.
He even agreed to cooperate with Danzō to destroy everything Hiruzen had built.
At the center of the Mitokado clan's estate, Homura scanned the loyal followers he had cultivated over the past six months, as well as the trusted aides he had raised as an elder, and said coldly, "Did you all hear me clearly?"
"Loud and clear!" came the unified reply from over a hundred people.
Their task was simple: while Hiruzen was still away from Konoha, they were to spread the rumors he had told them about Hiruzen over the next few days.
He looked at his subordinates with satisfaction and solemnly nodded. "Move out!"
But the moment his voice fell, before anyone had a chance to disperse, the sound of projectiles tearing through the air suddenly rang out.
In the next instant, screams echoed from within the courtyard.
Many hadn't even reacted before they were struck down by kunai flying at lightning speed, falling wounded to the ground.
Immediately after, a group of attackers burst into the courtyard and began attacking without warning.
The over-one-hundred-strong group, never expecting to be ambushed in Konoha, let alone in their own estate, suffered heavy losses in an instant due to their slow response.
However, as ninjas, their reactions were quick. After the initial wave of attacks left them at a disadvantage, they didn't wait for Homura's orders, everyone launched into a counterattack.
And this was only the beginning.
The Mitokado clan's forces were not limited to just these hundred men.
Once it became clear that someone was invading the Mitokado estate, many other ninjas spontaneously joined the battle, engaging the attackers in fierce combat.
As the fighting intensified, more and more people were drawn in.
A deadly clash involving over a thousand ninjas erupted right in the heart of Konoha. And as both sides chased and countered each other, the battlefield rapidly expanded. Before long, the chaos spread beyond the Mitokado clan's territory, sweeping outward and alarming the entire village.
Homura was stunned.
What on earth was happening?
Was someone attacking Konoha?
What other explanation could there be?
But he quickly understood everything, because he saw a familiar figure standing atop the courtyard wall.
Hiruzen.
When had he returned? Why hadn't there been any word? What the hell was Danzō doing, wasn't he supposed to be watching for this?
No, wait!
Hiruzen, as the Hokage, in the dead of night, bringing people with him to massacre an elder's household…
How could something so surreal and absurd actually be happening?
Even though the moment he saw Hiruzen he understood the reason behind the attack, he was still in utter disbelief.
Even if Hiruzen knew what he was planning, based on his understanding of the man and his position as Hokage, shouldn't he have taken a more measured approach? Not this?
Separated by more than twenty meters, he stared at Hiruzen's icy gaze, trembling with rage.
So it was all premeditated?
If not, how else could he explain what was unfolding before his eyes?
So this is who you really are, Hiruzen, killing Koharu wasn't enough, now you want to get rid of me too?
If that's the case, then no one is walking away from this!
To hell with reputation. To hell with rumors.
All past grievances and fresh hatred fused into one: only four words remained, kill or be killed.
With his resolve set, his eyes turned vicious. He drew a kunai, used the Body Flicker Technique, and in a flash appeared beside Hiruzen, stabbing straight toward his chest.
Hiruzen's eyes stayed cold. He drew his own kunai and blocked the attack.
With a loud clang, their blades clashed and they leapt apart.
His bodyguards rushed forward to protect him, but he raised a hand and stepped forward, signaling them to back off. With a dark expression, he charged straight toward Homura.
This fight, he wanted to handle personally.
And Homura felt the same.
Thus, they clashed with everything they had.
From the very first exchange, Homura's eyes lit up. He had been fully prepared to die, he knew he wasn't as strong as Hiruzen.
But after just a couple of moves, he was surprised to find that Hiruzen's strength had greatly diminished, likely due to injuries. They were fighting on even ground.
"Hiruzen!" he growled through gritted teeth as he attacked.
Thinking about Koharu's death, and how Hiruzen had suddenly stormed in to kill him, his hatred was boundless.
"Homura!" Hiruzen also roared with rage.
He thought of how killing Koharu had been a desperate, necessary decision, done for the sake of the village. And time had proven him right. Yet Homura had cast aside all loyalty and colluded with Danzō to ruin him, to turn him into a disgrace for Konoha.
His fury boiled over.
At that moment, the two men who had once risked their lives together now wanted nothing more than to kill each other with their own hands.