A few seconds later, the Cloud strike team was nothing but corpses.
Standing among the bodies, Uchiha Kira let out a low sigh.
"So this is the true power of a three-tomoe Sharingan. Strong… ridiculously strong. Compared to the two-tomoe, it's not even in the same league.
Just a little more work and I'll be on par with elite jōnin. At least then I'll finally get a real seat at the table."
That should've been cause for celebration. But Kira couldn't feel any joy.
Because Uruyi had mentioned the name—Konoha's White Fang.
Even years after his death, even in enemy nations, people still remembered Hatake Sakumo. They remembered that gentle, terrifyingly strong man.
His enemies spoke of him with respect. Yet his own village, his comrades, his people… treated him like dirt.
Kira muttered under his breath, "If you knew strangers out there still honor your name, Master Sakumo… would that make you happy? Ninja as disposable tools, the so-called Will of Fire—what a joke."
With that thought, he dumped his new attribute point into Strength.
His updated stat sheet looked like this:
Nin: 5Body: 9Gen: 7Wis: 8Str: 9Spd: 10Cha: 5Seal: 5Total: 58
One glance at the pitiful Nin and Seal stats, plus those shamefully low Gen and Cha values, and you could see why people called him the Flame Claw of Konoha.
Unlike the official databooks, this system didn't cap stats at 10. That ceiling was a joke anyway—how else could you fit Hashirama, Madara, or late-game Naruto and Sasuke without breaking the scale?
Most people hit 10 because that's where the author slapped the limit. Hashirama and Madara were "10" only because the bar didn't go higher.
Kira glanced at his stats again, then smirked to himself. "If there were a Handsome attribute, I'd have at least 32 points."
He basked in that thought for a couple of seconds before casually spitting out a Great Fireball, torching Uruyi's body. Out of respect, he dug a grave and buried him properly. Fellow warriors deserved that much.
The rest of the Cloud shinobi? No such courtesy. Kira didn't lop off their heads for bounty money, which he considered merciful enough.
He didn't feed them to the dogs either. Instead, he sealed the corpses into a scroll. Evidence. Leverage. Konoha could use them as grounds for demanding reparations—or even for declaring war if they wanted.
Of course, with the Third Hokage's usual attitude, odds were he'd sweep it under the rug.
"Tch. Might as well expect more from a dog than from that geezer. Long as he doesn't treat me like Hiashi, I'll count myself lucky."
With that bitter thought, Kira set off for home.
The morning sun rose over the great stone faces of Hokage Rock. From their watchful gaze, the village spread wide—a fan-shaped settlement nestled against the mountains. The ninja academy, hospital, and Hokage Tower stood at the center. Police HQ and the prison lay further out.
Because space was tight and resources plentiful, few buildings were single-story houses. Most were multi-level, with several tall structures dotting the streets. The avenues were broad, lined with bustling shops.
War had left the village subdued, but its foundation was intact. "Hidden Village" barely did it justice—it was more like a full-fledged city-state.
Deep in the forest, yet unmatched in scale, wealth, and development. The pride of its citizens was palpable.
Konoha shinobi and civilians alike believed they lived in the greatest city in the world. Looking down on outsiders came naturally. When they saw foreigners, they all but sneered, "Here to beg in Konoha, peasant?"
Most people were satisfied with what they had.
Even the supposedly ambitious Uchiha only wanted one thing: to take the Hokage's seat, to control Konoha.
But Kira wasn't like the others. He wanted more.
…
As he walked the streets, people greeted him left and right.
"Yo, Kira, back already?"
"Lord Kira, welcome home."
"Did you return victorious?"
He answered each greeting warmly.
For an Uchiha, he had surprisingly good rapport. Instead of glaring down his nose, he carried himself with an easy smile—like a less smug version of Aizen without the hair gel. Combine that with his "32 points in Handsome," and he was popular.
He'd even tried to spread the idea of "smiling enforcement," hoping to turn the clan of scowlers into a clan of smilers. It flopped miserably. Everyone thought it was beneath them. The only idiot who supported him was Shisui.
But that's how it was: without real power, no one listened. Public image doesn't change overnight. Luckily, time was on his side.
Right now, people only thought of the Uchiha as "arrogant and standoffish." The real smear campaign wouldn't hit until after the Nine-Tails attack, when the elders would crank the propaganda machine and pin everything on the clan.
…Though, come to think of it… that was kind of the Uchiha's fault.
"Damn it, Obito. Ruined everything. Can we erase him from the family tree while there's still time?"
His smile faltered. Muttering curses at Obito, he hurried toward the Police Force HQ to meet up with clan members on duty.
"Kira, back from your mission?"
The one greeting him was Uchiha Tekkai—like most of the younger clan, arrogant to the core but fiercely loyal to Uchiha interests.
He wasn't exactly fond of Kira's ways, but he respected him as kin and was willing to cooperate.
Kira nodded. "Yeah. Where's the clan head? I need to talk to him."
"The chief's still at the compound."
Odd. Normally after a mission, you'd go straight to the Hokage's office to collect payment. Why run to the clan head?
Kira leaned closer, voice low. "Something happened. On my way back, I was ambushed by Cloud shinobi."
"What? Cloud? But the treaty— Are you hurt? No, forget it, come on, I'll take you to the chief."
Tekkai froze, then hurried him off to Uchiha Fugaku.
The more Kira explained, the darker Fugaku's face became. Finally, the clan head slammed his hand on the table and roared:
"Damn Cloud bastards! How dare they attack my people!"
He seethed for a long moment before barking, "Come on, Kira. We're going to the Hokage!"
He looked dead serious—like marching to the Hokage would actually solve anything.
"Hokage, sure, we'll go. But honestly, Chief, do you really think it'll matter?" Kira asked calmly.
"Even if Minato's in charge now, the real power is still with Hiruzen and the council. And let's say Minato does have the reins—do you really think he'd stick his neck out for the Uchiha?"
"…Then what are you suggesting?" Fugaku's eyes flickered. The fake anger drained away, replaced with measured curiosity.
Kira smiled faintly. "It's not what I want. The question is—what does the Uchiha clan want, Chief?"
As he spoke, the Sharingan spun to life in his eyes.
No malice, no threat. Just a little display of power—to make his words carry more weight.