Chapter 331: The Uchiha Clan's Will of Fire
Former Konoha now lay as desolate ruins.
The shattered Hokage Rock gazed impassively down at crisscrossing rubble below. Charred beams jutted from broken window frames like monster bones.
The streets scattered with ninja tools and hastily abandoned belongings—all covered in thick dust layers. Only wind howled through empty alleyways, carrying distant demons' barely-audible shrieks.
After briefly assigning tasks, Yasushi led the team charging into Konoha Village, beginning formal reclamation of this fallen settlement.
The Enlightened creatures wandering throughout the village spotted this mass of approaching "prey." Greedy expressions emerged as they revealed themselves from shadows, behind broken walls, beneath half-collapsed eaves.
They'd long lost normal human rationality. Crimson eyes held only primitive hunger for chakra and life. Like a tide, they surged toward the group—instantly shattering the ruins' deathly silence.
"Scatter!"
Yasushi waved his hand. Neji immediately shot skyward, charging toward the flying Enlightened above.
Meanwhile Madara and Izuna each led teams, rushing in different directions.
This Konoha Village belonged to their own clan. Even damaging flowers and grass would hurt—so they'd avoid using Susanoo if possible.
Besides, against the extremely fast, hit-and-run specialist Enlightened creatures, large-bodied Susanoo proved rather useless anyway.
But even without Susanoo, their strength could easily crush those demons.
One Enlightened charged fastest, instantly reaching Yasushi. But when its gaze met Yasushi's eyes, it felt those crimson Mangekyou Sharingan suddenly growing larger—like a full moon suspended in midair.
"GRAAAH..."
The Enlightened roared, immediately recognizing Yasushi's tactic. But escaping this illusion realm proved extraordinarily difficult.
Its struggles stirred violent turbulence on the mental plane. But under absolute dojutsu suppression, everything resembled insects trapped in amber—futile and laughable. Meanwhile, its physical body froze rigid as consciousness became imprisoned.
"Snap!"
Yasushi snapped his fingers. A thick vine erupted from underground. Wrapping around the Enlightened's body like a living serpent, it constricted tightly—digging into the demon's twisted flesh while hoisting it high, dangling and swaying.
"GRAAAH..."
The Enlightened shrieked loudly while struggling. Clawing and biting, it desperately tried escaping this Wood Release restraint. But all struggles proved futile. Finally, it could only let Wood Release drain its chakra dry.
As internal chakra continuously flowed away, that ferocious demonic exterior peeled and shriveled like fading clay sculpture—ultimately revealing a grey-faced, barely-breathing human ninja.
The Wood Release vine quietly loosened, gently placing him on the ground.
Seemingly experiencing final lucidity before death, the man finally regained rationality.
A flash of long-absent clarity appeared in his clouded eyes.
Breaking free from endless killing desire and twisted agony—even welcoming death felt like a blessing.
He looked at Yasushi before him with a relieved expression, smiling weakly yet sincerely while nodding thanks.
"Thank you, Uchiha Yasushi."
Yasushi showed no appreciation whatsoever. He merely pulled his lips into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"No need for courtesy."
"I'm throwing you back inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss momentarily."
The ninja's expression immediately changed. That relieved smile instantly froze and shattered—replaced by terror deeper than his previous demonization.
His pupils contracted to pinpoint size. His body trembled violently beyond control—as though hearing a curse more terrifying than death itself.
"Nooo..."
A shrill, distorted wail squeezed from his throat, filled with despairing tremors.
He struggled trying to crawl backward—as though distancing himself from Yasushi by even an inch meant escaping that eternal nightmare by an inch.
But Yasushi maintained his cold expression, completely ignoring this. He stepped forward twice, fingers clamping the man's neck like iron pincers before firmly lifting him. Taking large strides toward that ominously radiating box crouching silently like a giant beast amid the ruins.
"You can't do this..."
The man's legs dragged messy trails across the rubble. His fingers futilely scratched at Yasushi's arm, unable to leave even a single mark.
Yet he still struggled weakly, mounting pointless resistance.
Slap!
Yasushi backhanded him before scolding with raised brows:
"Bastard!"
"You've all been demonized already. Who knows if dying outside might negatively affect the village?"
"Resealing you demons back inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss represents the most complete solution!"
"As village ninja, you should consider the village's interests!"
"How can you resist village orders from fear?"
"Where leaves dance, fire burns eternal—where's your Will of Fire?"
"Stop this meaningless struggling. Just obediently let the village seal you inside!"
Yasushi fluently quoted Konoha's most sacred creed, each word resonant—yet his speech felt like icy daggers stabbing straight into the heart.
Those originally inspiring sentences now dripped with irony and tyrannical flavor.
The ninja immediately erupted with fury, no trace remaining of his previous grateful tears.
He seemingly squeezed out his body's final life force. Both hands gripped Yasushi's arm tightly, face full of hatred as he cursed through clenched teeth:
"What Will of Fire?"
"You're just an Uchiha rogue ninja! What qualifications do you have lecturing me about Will of Fire?"
"If not for you, how would the village become like this?"
"Hehe..." Yasushi sneered coldly, scanning him with contemptuous, disdainful eyes before speaking arrogantly: "You should call me Lord Hokage!"
"Starting today, I'm Konoha Village's Hokage. My words are the village's orders."
"The Will of Fire's interpretation rights now belong to us Uchiha clan. My will is the Will of Fire!"
Yasushi's voice wasn't loud, yet carried an iron-clad, rule-rewriting force.
What terrified this ninja more—Yasushi genuinely possessed the capability implementing these words into reality.
"I now declare—your ninja spiritual realm proves insufficient. You completely lack the Will of Fire for dedicating and sacrificing yourself for the Uchiha clan. The village hereby expels you, branding you rogue ninja. Execute immediately!"
After speaking, Yasushi extended his index finger, lightly scratching across the ninja's forehead protector.
Under chakra enhancement, his nail proved sharp as a blade—easily tearing through steel, leaving an obvious scratch mark.
With this action, the perfectly good Konoha ninja headband instantly transformed into a rogue ninja headband—like a crude period mark, terminating all the man's identity and past as a Konoha shinobi.