Sarutobi Hiruzen froze.
No, more accurately, he was stunned.
He had expected the boy, at the very least, to act like the scheming clan heads of old—dodging the issue, twisting words, trying to excuse the Uchiha.
But never had he imagined that Ryota would simply... admit it.
No hesitation, no fear. His lips even curved with a smile, as though he were speaking of something trivial.
"You..."
Hiruzen's mouth opened reflexively, but it felt like his throat was blocked, leaving him unable to form words.
Before he could recover, Ryota's voice rang out again:
"On behalf of the Uchiha clan—"
"I hereby declare war on Konoha."
—BOOM!
Hiruzen's mind roared. For a moment, he nearly toppled from his seat.
"What did you say...?"
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"
"A clan declaring war on the village? Are you insane?! Do you even understand what that means?!"
His voice finally returned, but it came as a hoarse shout, filled with disbelief, his eyes bulging.
This wasn't rebellion. This wasn't a coup. It was a hundred times, a thousand times more serious!
Not even in Hashirama's time had anyone dared to utter such words!
Yes, Hiruzen had long since made up his mind, had quietly woven his net, planning to eradicate the Uchiha at the "proper" moment.
He had ANBU prepared. He had secured alliances with the great clans. Under coercion and bargaining, even the Hyūga had reluctantly agreed.
Just a few more days, and he could have moved under the banner of "Uchiha treason," righteously issuing the extermination order.
But now?
It was reversed.
Completely reversed.
"Are you mad?!"
Hiruzen's whole body shook, his heart twisting with rage and confusion.
This wasn't in the plan. This wasn't under his control.
He was the one meant to strike. He was supposed to push the Uchiha into a corner. He was the Hokage—the supreme hand steering Konoha.
And yet—
This upstart "young clan head," this outsider who hadn't even shown a Sharingan, had not only admitted to killing Danzō but had publicly declared war against the entire village!
This was trampling the Hokage's authority. It was spitting on the order Konoha had built for decades!
Hiruzen lurched to his feet.
"I want to see Uchiha Fugaku! You cannot represent the Uchiha!"
Ryota chuckled, his laugh low and mocking.
He looked at Hiruzen's twisted, furious face and spoke calmly:
"Whoever you summon won't matter. Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Inabi... the entire clan—"
"They answer only to me now."
"And your so-called Will of Fire?"
He paused.
"To me, it looks more like a mangy stray dog, clinging to life by the roadside."
Hiruzen's face contorted, rage blazing. He opened his mouth to retort—but Ryota spoke again, cutting him off.
"Still... I'm not unreasonable."
"If you consider stepping down as Hokage, withdrawing from power..."
"Then I might take back my declaration of war."
"I'd be willing to grant you—and Konoha—a dignified ending."
His voice wasn't loud, but it rumbled through the empty council chamber like thunder.
Hiruzen's mind went blank.
The Hokage of Konoha—being forced into this position, by an "Uchiha clan head" who had appeared from nowhere?
Step down? Gracefully?
Bang!
Hiruzen's fury exploded. His palm slammed onto the round table before him, shattering it to pieces.
His eyes blazed, locking onto Ryota. His breath was heavy, his body weakened with age—but still he clung to the authority of Hokage, to the fury of Konoha's leader.
"I will never agree!"
"Konoha will never agree!"
"If you turn back now, there is still time!"
Ryota tilted his head slightly, lips curved in that same easy smile.
"Relax. I won't flatten Konoha like Pain did."
"After all... this will be my base of operations in the future."
"I actually like it here. Good location."
That was the final straw.
Hiruzen's fury erupted, his voice echoing madly through the Hokage Tower:
"You'll regret this, Ryota!"
"You'll regret it for the rest of your life!!"
The rage in his voice was unhinged, stripped of all the dignity of a Hokage.
It had to happen sooner.
His fists trembled under his sleeves.
Originally, he had planned to move in three days—ANBU and the allied clans, united in one great purge of the Uchiha.
But now, this boy had come forward brazenly, admitting to Danzō's death, to Root's destruction, even daring to declare himself the Hokage's replacement!
—For Konoha.
—And for his own last shred of dignity.
The Uchiha extermination plan had to begin ahead of schedule.
Ryota, watching Hiruzen's rage-twisted face, felt his patience thinning.
He would have liked nothing more than to crush Hiruzen's skull right then.
But that would likely jeopardize the main quest.
Slaughtering the village was easy. But to seize it, to replace the Will of Fire with his own vision—that would take time.
So, instead, he waved a hand and turned toward the door, Ais and Lefiya at his side.
"Oh, and make sure to bring the Sarutobi clan too. I'd rather not waste the trip myself."
The fury that had just settled in Hiruzen's chest flared again like wildfire.
Not only had Ryota challenged Konoha itself, he was now casually threatening to annihilate his own clan.
Madman. A complete madman.
"You'll regret this... you will regret this..."
Silence fell over the chamber.
Hiruzen sucked in breath after breath, forcing down the rage.
He looked ten years older, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.
He lifted his head, calling toward the door:
"Bring them in."
"Yes, sir!"
With a sharp command, the doors creaked open.
One after another, figures entered.
Hyūga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku...
The pillars of Konoha.
The village's true backbone.
Hiruzen's gaze swept across them. Then he spoke.
"You all heard what that boy just said."
"So..."
"Tomorrow night. We exterminate the Uchiha."
The hall fell silent.
No one objected.
They had all heard Ryota's words, clear as day, through the doors.
On behalf of the Uchiha, I declare war on Konoha.
This wasn't rumor. It wasn't an angry slip.
It was rebellion, spoken aloud, to the Hokage's face.
The clan heads exchanged glances. Their brows were heavy, but their eyes were cold. Some even gleamed with barely contained killing intent.
Ryota hadn't just delivered a declaration of war. He had thrust a knife directly at Konoha's heart.
If they didn't kill him—didn't kill the Uchiha—then the village's entire ruling order would collapse.
That could not be allowed.
The Uchiha eyes, their rare bloodline—what of it?
They were few.
Root may have fallen, but ANBU remained. The clans united. A thousand shinobi could march.
The Uchiha could not withstand that.
Hiruzen drew a deep breath, his voice low and final:
"Mobilize every clan. Consolidate the ANBU. Gather every force at our disposal."
"Tomorrow night, we march on the Uchiha compound."
"No survivors."
—
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Ryota, Ais, and Lefiya walked back toward the Uchiha grounds.
The streets were lively, but it felt like two worlds split apart.
On one side, bustling crowds. On the other, a creeping silence, following in their wake.
Villagers began to set down their work, pretending to tend stalls or turning to leave.
But their eyes, every one of them, followed the three.
Cold. Distant. Suspicious.
Even openly hostile.
Ais remained calm, her golden eyes still and unfazed. She had long grown used to stares, whether curious or hateful. None of it touched her heart.
But Lefiya was clearly less comfortable.
She drew closer to Ryota, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ryota..."
"Are the Uchiha... bad people?"
"Why does everyone look at us like that?"
Ryota ruffled the dumb elf's hair gently, his tone soft.
"This world has never been black and white."
"Good people make mistakes. Bad people shed tears."
His eyes met hers.
"Do you think the Uchiha are bad, Lefiya?"
"O-Of course not!"
She shook her head so hard her pointed ears quivered.
"Your Familia could never be bad!"
Then she turned, glaring at the villagers with their cold stares.
"I get it now..."
"It's not us who are bad—it's them!"
Hearing Lefiya's indignant cry, Ryota's lips curled faintly.
He hadn't intended to turn her into a cold-blooded killer—that wasn't her nature.
But some truths couldn't be explained. They had to be lived.
And Konoha, this village that prided itself on its "Will," was the perfect crucible.
As the three stepped back into the Uchiha grounds, the familiar red fan crest came into view.
Waiting at the gate was Uchiha Fugaku, with Setsuna and Inabi close behind.
"Clan Head."
Fugaku's tone carried urgency.
"Hiruzen has already begun moving. Our spies report that nearly every clan's elites have been mobilized, gathering behind the Hokage Tower."
"By dawn tomorrow, they'll launch their assault on our grounds."
Ryota only gave a soft "hm" in response, then asked suddenly:
"Where's Sasuke?"
Fugaku froze.
What? Now, of all times?
He had assumed Ryota's first move upon returning would be to arrange defenses, perhaps even prepare for evacuation.
But asking about Sasuke...?
Still, he answered reflexively:
"At home."
Ryota nodded.
"Have him come see me when there's time. I have words for him."
Fugaku hesitated, then pressed:
"Clan Head... should we not prepare some defenses? This time, it's a joint assault by the great clans... we..."
Ryota glanced at him, then said:
"Don't worry. A handful of clans—"
"Nothing worth worrying about."
The words fell.
Fugaku, Setsuna, and Inabi all froze, stunned, confusion practically sprouting question marks over their heads.
A handful of clans? Nothing to worry about?
How did those two statements even go together?!
----
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