After Chinya left, Uchiha Shisui's expression turned solemn. In his mind, he kept replaying Chinya's words: "If it were only me acting alone, could I target the Uchiha Clan so directly?"
Shisui wasn't stupid. From this statement, he guessed that Chinya's actions were very likely authorized.
And the only ones capable of authorizing such action... were the Konoha leadership.
Suddenly, Shisui let out a bitter smile.
He had always believed that as long as Konoha didn't openly target the Uchiha Clan yet, there was still time—still a chance to save things.
But now, he realized Konoha had already begun targeting the Uchiha.
Chinya was simply the one Konoha had chosen to spearhead this campaign against his clan.
Then Shisui murmured, "There's still time. There must still be time. The Hokage and others are currently allowing Chinya to target us, but they aren't fully against us yet. There must be a way—I have to stop all this!"
Determination burned brightly in Shisui's eyes.
...
The war continued.
An important report arrived from the front lines.
Uchiha Masaki, the head of the Uchiha Clan, had fallen in battle.
His son, Fugaku Uchiha, had been named the new clan leader.
When Chinya heard this news, he looked into the flickering campfire with a faint smile.
Soon, the Uchiha Clan's position within Konoha would change completely.
As time passed, the balance of the Mount Kanna conflict gradually shifted toward Konoha's favor.
Fighting within the borders of the Land of Fire, Konoha's position improved the longer the Allied Forces of Suna and Kumo stayed engaged.
Another month passed.
Unable to sustain the war effort any longer, Sunagakure decided to withdraw, abandoning their alliance with Kumo and retreating back to the Land of Wind.
With the situation lost, Kumo had no choice but to leave the Land of Fire and return to the Land of Lightning.
This war, which began when Chinya was still a boy, finally ended just as he turned twenty-three.
After the war, all ninja deployed outside were summoned back to Konoha.
When Chinya returned with Kakashi, the streets of Konoha were packed with people celebrating both the end of the war and their hard-won victory.
Yet this cheerful atmosphere failed to reach Chinya or Kakashi. They simply watched the cheering crowd with cold, indifferent eyes.
Among the crowd, Chinya saw the person he had hoped to find. Kakashi saw him too. For the first time, a slight smile softened his icy features.
"Kushina Uzumaki."
"Sensei's wife."
Kushina Uzumaki smiled warmly at the two men. "Welcome back."
Chinya, Kakashi, and Kushina Uzumaki returned home together.
Kushina Uzumaki excitedly shared stories about everything she had seen during the war.
Although she had taken part in many smaller skirmishes, this was her first time experiencing such a large-scale conflict, and even now, it had really left its mark on her emotionally.
The next day.
Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned everyone in Konoha to gather beneath the Hokage Tower.
The streets below the Hokage Tower were packed with people.
Meanwhile, atop the tower's rooftop terrace.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya stood above, looking down at everyone below.
Hiruzen's face remained bright with a constant smile as he announced, "This war that has lasted nearly ten years is now over. Konoha has achieved final victory. This victory belongs to the joint efforts of everyone. On behalf of Konoha, I thank each and every one of you for your sacrifices!
Konoha will now hold a grand celebration to commemorate the fruits of our efforts through these years and our ultimate triumph!
Wherever Konoha's leaves dance, fire shall continue to burn eternally. The Fireglow will continue to illuminate our village, allowing new leaves to sprout!
I hereby declare the celebration officially begun!"
Roars of cheers and thunderous applause erupted across Konoha's streets, echoing like waves through the Hidden Leaf.
Yet there was a group who seemed out of place.
Foremost among them were Chinya and Kakashi, both with blank expressions.
The other group consisted of members of the Uchiha Clan.
Originally, the Uchiha Clan should have been the greatest contributors to this war.
But because of the Uchiha's arrogant and domineering behavior on the battlefield, and especially during the later stages when Chinya specifically targeted them, many Uchiha ninja died under Chinya's command as he led relentless charges. All those achievements were no longer theirs to claim.
As a result, it now felt as though the Uchiha Clan had made minimal contributions during the war.
This filled every member of the Uchiha Clan with seething anger.
And each one of them harbored deep hatred toward Chinya.
Kakashi sneered, "Sensei, guess a lot of folks really despise you."
Chinya naturally noticed the Uchihas' glares too, but he shrugged indifferently. "Just incompetent people throwing incompetent tantrums."
Kushina Uzumaki was immersed in the joyful atmosphere. Hearing Kakashi and Chinya's conversation, she asked, "Who are you talking about?"
Chinya smiled and replied, "Just some insignificant people."
As everyone celebrated, Chinya overheard nearby conversations.
"Orochimaru-sama is truly amazing!"
"Yeah, you could say he contributed the most to this entire war!"
"The Hokage is getting on in years. He'll have to step down soon. I think Orochimaru-sama will become the next Hokage."
"It has to be Orochimaru-sama. No one is more suited for it than he is."
...
Kakashi sighed after hearing these remarks. "Orochimaru-sama's reputation is indeed high. He is deeply respected in Konoha. It seems certain that the Fourth Hokage will be him."
Looking at Orochimaru on the rooftop, Chinya said, "No. Orochimaru-sama won't become Hokage."
Kakashi was surprised. "How can you be so sure, sensei? Are you rooting for Jiraiya instead?"
Chinya shifted his gaze toward Hiruzen and simply answered, "Because of factions."
Kakashi frowned deeply. "Factions? But isn't Orochimaru-sama part of the Hokage faction?"
Chinya shook his head. "Teacher Orochimaru used to work in Root Division—the secret intelligence division of Konoha. Even now, Teacher Orochimaru's position is still recorded in Root Division's files. Strictly speaking, Teacher Orochimaru doesn't belong to the line of the Hokage, and also..."
Chinya didn't continue.
Because of Orochimaru's abnormalities, Hiruzen Sarutobi must have sensed something by now, to a greater or lesser extent.
This celebration ceremony felt extremely boring to both Chinya and Kakashi, so shortly after it started, they returned home with Kushina Uzumaki.
Kushina was holding a cookbook, happily humming a tune while deciding what to cook tonight.
Kushina was in a great mood because the war had finally ended, which meant Chinya wouldn't be so busy anymore and could spend more time with her.
Every time Chinya went off to battle, Kushina worried every single day.
Now she no longer had to worry about Chinya's safety every day.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>