Chapter 76: All Hell Breaks Loose
The risks and potential rewards were completely out of balance.
The Uchiha weren't staging a coup. Without a direct threat to their own clans' interests, there was no absolute reason to get involved. Glancing at the hundred-plus pairs of crimson eyes, especially those of Fugaku Uchiha standing at the forefront, the clan heads made a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in their thinking.
Almost in unison, they took a step back.
The Uchiha were defecting, not rebelling. The future was uncertain, but the present was something they could control. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to start a war with the Uchiha. The clan leaders all had varying degrees of knowledge about the terror of the Mangekyō Sharingan—a power capable of controlling the Tailed Beasts. They didn't know that different Mangekyō had different abilities, nor that prolonged use without an Eternal Mangekyō placed a heavy burden on the user. It was precisely this lack of detailed knowledge that fueled their caution and apprehension.
Hiruzen, Danzō, and Homura keenly sensed the subtle shift in the other clans' attitudes. Even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, whose interests were deeply intertwined with the Sarutobi clan, showed signs of withdrawal. Their hearts sank.
Hiruzen, struggling to find the right words, put on an exceptionally stern face. "Fugaku, to defect from the village is going too far—"
Meeting Hiruzen's gaze, Fugaku cut him off directly. "The First Hokage established the rule that all clans are free to come and go. Furthermore, the Uchiha are one of Konoha's two founding clans. Or are you planning to drag the other clans into a bloody battle with us?"
As his words fell, the clans that were unwilling to fight the Uchiha took another collective step backward, making their position clear.
Hiruzen's expression darkened further. Beside him, Danzō's face was just as grim, a dangerous light glinting in his one exposed eye.
"Times have changed," Danzō's cold voice cut through the tension, making the atmosphere even thicker. He didn't give anyone time to think, not even Hiruzen. "The rules set by the First Hokage only applied to that specific era. The rule now is that anyone who leaves the village, for any reason, is a traitor. And Konoha has zero tolerance for traitors!"
"Root shinobi, hear my command!" Danzō roared, raising his hand. "Exterminate the rebels—the Uchiha clan!"
"Danzō, don't be reckless—"
In an instant, dozens of black-clad figures leaped forward, and the scene descended into chaos.
Danzō knew he had to force Hiruzen's hand. First, after dealing with this rearguard of over a hundred Uchiha, they still needed to pursue the rest of the clan. Second, if he let Fugaku keep talking, not only would the other clans be swayed, but Hiruzen himself might waver. Based on his understanding of Hiruzen, with the other clans backing down and a path to resolving the conflict without bloodshed presenting itself, Hiruzen would most likely concede and allow a peaceful separation.
That was a decision with endless future troubles, one that Danzō could not tolerate. He had always firmly believed that the Uchiha were an inherently evil clan. Their very existence was the greatest hidden danger to Konoha and the entire shinobi world. They had to be eradicated, root and stem.
Just as Danzō unilaterally gave the order and ignited the conflict, Yugito Nii finally found Naruto.
At that moment, Naruto was still sound asleep, drooling at the corner of his mouth as he dreamed of feasting at Ichiraku Ramen. Yugito glanced into the kitchen, where Kakashi was busy preparing a meal.
Kakashi had been hailed as a genius since childhood, graduating from the Academy at five, becoming a Chūnin at six, and a Jōnin at twelve before joining the ANBU and disappearing from the public eye for years. Yugito wasn't particularly afraid of him, but if she could take Naruto away quietly without a fight, that would be for the best.
Composing herself, she silently opened the window, preparing to sneak into the bedroom and grab Naruto.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A sudden knock on the door startled her, and she froze.
Kakashi came out of the kitchen and opened the door to find four masked ninja in ANBU attire. He raised an eyebrow.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just then, a series of explosions erupted from the northwest side of the village. Kakashi's expression changed. That was the Uchiha district. Such a commotion clearly meant trouble. Recalling the discordant whispers that had been circulating in the village for the past few days, his heart sank.
The ANBU squad leader spoke. "Kakashi-senpai, the Uchiha have launched a coup. Lord Hokage is on the scene and requires your immediate support."
"Understood," Kakashi replied without hesitation, vanishing in a flicker.
The four ANBU waited at the door for a moment, then exchanged a look and immediately entered the house to search.
"Report, we've found the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Take him, quickly."
CRASH!
In the next instant, Yugito burst through the window and landed in front of Naruto, blocking their path.
CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!
Simultaneously, a sharp screeching sound filled the air, like the cry of a thousand birds.
Kakashi had returned.
In a flash, two of the intruders were impaled by Yugito's cat-like claws, while Kakashi killed the other two with a Chidori.
After eliminating the enemies, Yugito looked at Kakashi and asked curiously, "You already left. Why did you come back?"
Kakashi didn't answer her question, instead asking one of his own. "And who are you?"
The moment the ANBU squad leader had said the Third Hokage needed his support, Kakashi had grown suspicious. The only mission the Third had given him was to protect the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The conflict between the village and the Uchiha had been brewing for ages. Hiruzen could have summoned him in advance; it made no sense to wait until a battle had already erupted to call for him. Furthermore, a simple messenger task didn't require four ANBU operatives.
As he suspected, there was something wrong with these four. In the entire Leaf Village, the only one who would dare to make a move on Naruto was Danzō.
What Kakashi hadn't anticipated, however, was another shadowy figure who also seemed to be after Naruto. After a brief standoff, Yugito realized words were useless. The chakra within her body began to surge violently.
Kakashi's expression turned grave. He pushed up the headband covering his left eye, revealing his Sharingan, and carefully observed the woman opposite him. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. The chakra inside Yugito's body was swelling at an incredible rate, and a blue, cat-like pattern began to envelop her.
'Tailed Beast chakra... she's a Jinchuriki! And that pattern... is that her?'
Hokage Tower.
Just after they finished looting the archive room, Neji and Obito felt a faint tremor from the ground, followed by a series of explosions from the northwest. They both realized the Uchiha had clashed with the Hokage's faction.
Obito glanced at Neji, and without a word, his form swirled and vanished into the void.
Neji stared at the spot where he disappeared, muttering to himself, 'Space-time dōjutsu really is a cut above the rest.'
Powerful techniques like Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and even Kotoamatsukami, which were so formidable early on, struggled to have any real effect on Six Paths-level opponents later. But Kamui never lost its value. Kakashi, without Uchiha blood, had used a single Kamui to tear through Six Paths Madara's Truth-Seeking Orb defenses, a testament to its terrifying power.
Shaking off his thoughts, Neji pushed off the ground and rushed out of the archive. With the battle underway, he had to go help ease the pressure on the Uchiha. It was unrealistic for all one hundred of them to escape, but every single one that made it out counted.
After leaving the Hokage Tower and cutting through a few alleys, Neji suddenly stopped. He turned his head, looking towards the southeast corner of the village. A massive, ethereal cat demon had appeared in his line of sight.
'You've got to be kidding me. She's already in her partial Tailed Beast state?'
After a moment's thought, Neji changed his mind. He wouldn't go to support the Uchiha. Instead, he dashed straight for the Hatake clan grounds.
The commotion from Yugito's location would soon alert the entire village. Thinking it over, Yugito being exposed might not be a bad thing. The disaster of the Nine-Tails attack was far more traumatic for Konoha than the current Uchiha incident. To protect the Jinchuriki and prevent a repeat of that tragedy, Hiruzen would be forced to intervene personally. In a way, this was an indirect form of support for the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha District.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Multi-Layered Mud Wall!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The moment Danzō gave the order, dozens of elite Root shinobi unleashed a dazzling array of attacks. The air filled with the sounds of exploding paper bombs, whistling kunai, and roaring jutsu.
"This is as long as we can stall. Everyone, let them witness the resolve of the Uchiha!"
The attack was unexpected, but at the same time, completely within the expectations of Fugaku and every other Uchiha present. They had long been utterly disappointed in the village, especially with Danzō on the scene. A vicious battle was inevitable. All their previous words had just been to buy time and encourage the other clans to remain neutral.
Now, all that was left was to fight with all their might.
Looking at the masked Root ninja charging forward wave after wave, a three-bladed pinwheel pattern appeared in Fugaku Uchiha's crimson eyes as a terrifying amount of chakra erupted from his body.
He had activated his Susanoo in an instant.
A massive, crimson skeleton materialized around him. As he poured more chakra and dōjutsu into it, the skeleton rapidly expanded, growing armor. A five-meter-long Susanoo blade swept horizontally toward the charging Root ninja, kicking up a tidal wave of force.
Dust billowed and flesh splattered.
"What is that?!"
"Get back!"
"It's too late!"
"Aargh!"
"That's the Susanoo! The ultimate power only available to the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
The instant the attack descended, those unfamiliar with the Mangekyō were horrified, while those who knew of it were filled with shock and rage.
Hiruzen, Danzō, and the others who had dodged the attack watched with grim faces as Fugaku's Susanoo, with just a single horizontal slash, enveloped the six foremost Root ninja with its immense power and ferocious momentum. Five of them were killed instantly. Only one, a quick-reacting Jōnin, barely avoided a fatal blow, but both his legs were sliced off by the blade. He collapsed into a pool of his own blood, screaming in agony.
And that was merely one of the Susanoo's most basic attacks. Against any ordinary ninja below the Kage level who lacked a bloodline limit or secret jutsu, a direct hit from this second-stage Susanoo was a guaranteed kill.
While the ANBU, Root, and the neutral clans watched with shock and apprehension, the Uchiha's morale soared. They charged toward the Root ninja with terrifying ferocity.
Seeing this, a look of grim determination crossed Hiruzen's eyes. There was no other choice. They had to fight.
"All shinobi, listen! The Uchiha clan has betrayed the village and the nation! Annihilate them with all your strength!"
The moment he finished speaking, the ANBU under his command, along with the Kazama, Aburame, and other clans with close ties to the Hokage's faction, charged toward the Uchiha.
Hiruzen glanced behind him at the clans that remained motionless—the Hyūga, the Inuzuka, the Kurama, and even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Although he knew they were unlikely to engage in a bloody battle with the Uchiha, seeing it happen for real made him sigh inwardly. 'Have I lost their support so completely?'
But Hiruzen hadn't given up on rallying them. After a moment's pause, he turned to face the leaders of the neutral clans and shouted, "Fugaku Uchiha has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan! According to intelligence verified by the ANBU, the Nine-Tails attack was orchestrated by Fugaku himself! For the sake of the souls of the departed, I implore you, lend us your strength to destroy the Uchiha!"
Hiruzen was hesitant before making a decision, but once he made one, he showed no mercy. He knew the Nine-Tails attack was almost certainly not Fugaku's doing. But at this moment, he had to pin the blame on him. It was the only way he might persuade the other clans to join the fight.
However, things did not unfold as he had predicted.
Hearing his words, Akimichi Chōza's eyes instantly turned red with rage. His father, Akimichi Torifu, had been gravely wounded during the Nine-Tails attack and had eventually succumbed to his injuries. Chōza took a deep breath, preparing to lead his clansmen into the fray.
Swish.
A shadow suddenly crept out from beneath Nara Shikaku's feet and firmly bound Chōza.
"Shikaku, what are you doing? Let me go!"
Yamanaka Inoichi placed a hand on Chōza's shoulder. "Chōza, calm down. Don't be rash. The Nine-Tails incident isn't that simple."
With Inoichi's reminder, Chōza realized something was off. If Fugaku had been behind the attack, he'd had countless opportunities over the past five years to unleash the Nine-Tails again. With the Fourth Hokage dead, no one could have stopped it. And if the Third Hokage had known the truth all this time, why say it now, of all moments?
Chōza's mind wasn't as sharp as Shikaku's, but he wasn't a fool. He quickly understood Hiruzen's intentions, and his rampaging chakra began to settle.
At that moment, Inoichi looked at Shikaku and asked hesitantly, "Shikaku, are we just going to stand here and watch?"
Shikaku shook his head, his face impassive. "It's not yet time."
The Ino-Shika-Chō clans did not want to fight the Uchiha to the death, but they were also allies of the Sarutobi clan. To stand by and do nothing would invite criticism. Therefore, Shikaku had decided on a strategy: they would wait until the Hokage's faction had suffered over fifty percent casualties before intervening.
This would, one, prevent heavy losses for their own clans. Two, it would preserve their honor. And three, it would send a signal to the Uchiha that they were forced into the fight under pressure from the Hokage.