Amid the scorched wreckage, Hokuto kicked aside a charred branch and wiped the blood from his hands with a torn strip of cloth.
The blood belonged to Uchiha Kagami.
The rag, too, had been ripped from Kagami's clothes.
Damn. This stuff really doesn't come off easily.
As the thought crossed his mind, Hokuto noticed a line of Uchiha already gathered not far away. The clash earlier had clearly drawn a crowd.
He didn't bother hiding anything.
Instead, he walked straight toward them, a bright, easy smile on his face, greeting them casually as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
The first rays of dawn pierced the mist, a shaft of sunlight landing squarely on Hokuto's face. His features were still youthful, almost delicate, and he was confident his expression looked perfectly natural.
Unfortunately, he'd been so focused on cleaning the blood from his hands that he'd forgotten the stains on his face.
Sunlight.
A cheerful smile.
Specks of dried blood.
The contrast was deeply unsettling.
The gathered Uchiha stiffened, momentarily unsure how to respond to his enthusiasm.
What kind of normal person smiles like that?
"Just now, Kagami was incited by Sarutobi Hiruzen and tried to ambush me," Hokuto said smoothly. "Luckily, I noticed in time and subdued him. He's already been dealt with."
He tossed out the explanation as if it were nothing, casually dropping yet another black pot onto Kagami's head. After carrying so many already, Kagami might as well get used to it.
"What? You don't believe me?"
Hokuto flashed his teeth in a grin and deliberately rested his hand on the still-bloodied blade. Seeing that no one reacted right away, he even tilted his head, feigning mild concern.
"We believe you!"
"Of course we believe you, Captain! Why wouldn't we?"
"Kagami really is an ungrateful traitor!"
Voices overlapped in hurried agreement. A few even began loudly cursing Kagami on the spot.
Hokuto's gaze shifted.
"Inabi. Tetsuka. You're both here too?"
He nodded lightly toward the twins.
"Inabi, go carry Kagami to the clan medics. Don't let him die in front of my house."
"That'd be bad luck."
"O–Oh. Got it."
Inabi hurried over to Kagami.
The moment he saw the wound, he sucked in a sharp breath.
A long gash split Kagami's abdomen, crudely stitched together with thick black thread. The workmanship was… questionable at best. Faint traces of exposed organs were still visible beneath the sutures, and the bleeding had only barely been stopped.
Kagami was breathing more out than in.
If he wasn't treated immediately, he really might die here.
Inabi swallowed hard. The image of Hokuto's smiling face from moments earlier suddenly felt chillingly unfamiliar—like he was seeing him for the very first time.
Yeah… I should really watch my mouth around the Captain from now on…
A cold shiver ran through him.
Carefully, Inabi lifted Kagami, not daring to use too much force, afraid the wound might split open again, and hurried toward the clan's medical compound.
The remaining Uchiha watched Kagami being carried away, then slowly turned their eyes back to Hokuto.
That familiar smile was still on his face.
Fear.
Awe.
Unease.
All of it tangled together in their gazes.
They wanted to leave.
But none of them dared move without Hokuto saying so first.
"Tetsuka," Hokuto said calmly. "Send word to the clan head and the elders. I'm calling a clan assembly. Every Uchiha shinobi is to attend."
He paused, then added lightly,
"The Hokage is dead. A new opportunity has opened for the Uchiha. Who knows—maybe this time, the Hokage will come from our clan."
"But I don't think the current clan head has the ability to seize that opportunity."
"So… why not replace him with someone who can?"
"I intend to lead the Uchiha into a new era. A Konoha shaped by the Uchiha will be born."
The moment the words left his mouth, the expressions of the surrounding Uchiha shifted dramatically.
Anyone with half a brain could understand what he meant.
Hokuto intended to overthrow Uchiha Futada and take the position of clan head for himself.
Too sudden.
Too unfamiliar.
The Hokuto before them felt nothing like the one in their memories—domineering, ambitious, radiating the unmistakable aura of a hawk.
"Captain Hokuto, I support you!"
A voice rang out sharply.
Hokuto recognized him—Uchiha Yōta, a shinobi who had gone to the battlefield around the same time as him. They hadn't served in the same squad, but they'd fought side by side more than once.
Yōta's eyes burned with excitement.
On the battlefield, he'd seen Hokuto charge alone into enemy ranks, lightning-wreathed blade flashing, every strike leaving arcs of blue light and sprays of blood. Chūnin and genin alike had fallen like grass before him.
That image had carved itself into Yōta's heart.
This is what a true Uchiha should be.
Back then, Hokuto had shown no ambition—only the posture of someone willing to give everything for Konoha. Yōta had found that deeply disappointing.
Now, though—
His idol was finally raising the banner.
To hell with Futada. That man didn't even have the guts to compete for the Hokage seat.
In Yōta's eyes, Futada's constant balancing act with the Hokage was nothing but weakness.
A born hawk, Yōta thought fervently.
Hokuto looked at him with mild surprise—and clear approval.
This kid has potential.
Back when Tobirama was alive, restraint had been necessary.
Now that Tobirama was dead, restraint was pointless.
If he wanted to climb, he had to be ruthless.
"Captain, I support you too!"
Tetsuka immediately followed.
He was one of Hokuto's staunchest supporters—Hokuto had once saved Inabi's life on the battlefield. Even for that alone, Tetsuka would stand behind him.
His thoughts raced, connecting yesterday's events.
Hokuto had been the first to receive news of Tobirama's death. His response had been swift and decisive, bypassing Clan Head Futada entirely.
It was hard not to read deeper into that.
The Hokuto he remembered felt more and more unfamiliar.
Wait… don't tell me… everything about him before was an act?
A chill slid down Tetsuka's spine.
Could someone really wear a mask from childhood all the way until now?
The idea felt almost inhuman.
Yet his instincts told him this Hokuto—the one standing here now—was the real one.
"Captain, I support you too!"
Another Uchiha stepped forward—also someone who had fought alongside Hokuto during the war.
With two, then three taking the lead, the rest followed almost naturally. People were like that. The Uchiha were no exception.
And honestly, making Hokuto clan head wasn't exactly unacceptable.
Overwhelming strength.
Outstanding war merits.
Even a striking appearance.
He had it all.
Hokuto let the voices swell for a moment—then lifted his gaze, his smile sharpening into something dangerous and assured.
His eyes swept slowly across every face.
"So," he said softly,
"you'll support me, right?"
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