Fugaku frowned as he looked at Wen Lan.
"Things have already reached this point. There's no way out anymore."
"No way out?" Wen Lan sneered. "Then reopen the high-level council!"
Without another word, Wen Lan stepped out of the Uchiha compound and headed straight for the Hokage Building.
At the entrance, two guards immediately stopped him.
"Stop! The Hokage Building is closed. If you have business, come back tomorrow!"
Wen Lan's gaze sharpened. He drew a deep breath, chakra surging into his dantian and rushing up to his throat as he roared:
"Hokage-sir! I, Uchiha Wen Lan, ask the high council—are all spoils of war obtained at the cost of a ninja's life automatically owned by the village?!"
The voice thundered across the area. Nearly half of Konoha could hear it. Nearby civilians instinctively turned to look.
Wen Lan stood tall, expression calm and unyielding, staring straight at the Hokage Building doors.
Moments later—
Bang!
The doors flew open.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, Orochimaru, and Namikaze Minato stepped out together.
ANBU operatives swiftly moved to disperse the civilians, pushing them several streets away.
Danzo's face was dark as thunder as he stared at the boy before him, murderous intent nearly spilling from his eyes.
Hiruzen's expression stiffened for a brief moment, but when he noticed the villagers being escorted away, he quickly softened his face.
"Ah… Wen Lan. What seems to be the matter?"
Wen Lan met Hiruzen's gaze directly, his voice clear and cold:
"I want to ask the Hokage directly—if spoils obtained by a ninja at the risk of their life are taken away without even consulting the ninja himself, is that truly the village's way?"
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment. His eyes swept across the surrounding onlookers before he spoke slowly:
"Spoils of war are communal resources of the village. However, individual contributions will be recorded in the archives."
"Recorded in the archives?" Wen Lan laughed coldly.
"So you're saying I risked my life to bring back spoils worth an entire small nation, got beaten half to death in the process, and in the end I got nothing—just a line in some archive?"
Danzo slammed his cane heavily against the ground and barked, "Brat, don't push your luck!"
Wen Lan spun around sharply, glaring straight at Danzo, his three-tomoe Sharingan blazing crimson without a trace of fear.
"Old dog, I wasn't talking to you! I'm speaking with the Hokage—what the hell are you?"
"And who do you think you are? A 5.5?"
Danzo's face turned pitch-black. He didn't understand what "5.5" meant—but the sheer disrespect made his blood boil. His entire body trembled as he smashed his cane into the ground again.
By now, many clan heads had arrived:
Hyūga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and others.
Wen Lan slowly swept his gaze across them, his voice firm as iron:
"Today I'm not standing here for spoils of war. I'm standing here to ask one question—"
He paused, every word ringing like steel.
"Exactly how much is a ninja's life worth?"
"We bleed and die, and what we get in return is indifference and plunder. Is this the Will of Fire you speak of?!"
Silence fell over the crowd.
Countless eyes flicked back and forth between Wen Lan and the village leadership.
Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Shikaku let out a quiet sigh.
Inoichi frowned deeply.
Minato's gaze wavered, his lips parting as if he wanted to speak—yet he didn't.
Hiruzen's face grew heavy. At last, he spoke:
"Wen Lan, your contributions will not be forgotten by the village. The system for distributing spoils does exist—but systems can be changed."
He paused, then looked toward the surrounding ninja.
"From today onward, we will establish a Merit Reward System. Rewards will be issued directly based on mission risk and individual contribution."
A ripple passed through the crowd. Many ninja's eyes lit up with hope.
Wen Lan stared straight at Hiruzen and sneered.
"Then according to the Hokage's words, my five ninja blades still won't be returned to me?"
Hiruzen hesitated, then slowly shook his head.
"The ninja blades are strategic assets. They must be kept under unified village control."
Wen Lan threw his head back and laughed loudly, mockery dripping from his voice.
"Unified control, what a fine excuse!"
"Then let me ask one more question"
His gaze burned as it swept across everyone present.
"If the enemy attacks tomorrow, who will defend this village?"
"You people sitting high above, or us ninja whose lives are worth so little they can be stripped bare?"
The wind swept across the square, stirring dust and silence alike.
Hiruzen's expression hardened like iron.
"It will be you—and every Konoha ninja," he said gravely.
"That is precisely why this merit system must truly be implemented—not as charity, but as rightful compensation."
"If it's rightful compensation," Wen Lan snapped, "then my spoils should belong to me!"
He ripped the forehead protector from his arm and hurled it to the ground. Drawing his blade, he pressed its edge against the metal plate.
"Either return my spoils—or let Konoha gain a Kage-level rogue ninja."
"You decide."
Every face present changed color—including Hiruzen's.
The air seemed to freeze solid.
Hiashi's hand tightened unconsciously.
Shikaku murmured under his breath, "It shouldn't have come to this…"
"Wen Lan, don't!" Minato shouted in alarm, rushing forward—only to be repelled by an invisible surge of chakra.
Danzo had intervened. His teeth were clenched as he roared:
"Wen Lan! You are threatening the entire village!"
"So what if I am?" Wen Lan laughed coldly, the blade screeching against the forehead protector.
"If I can protect the village with Kage-level strength, then I can just as easily abandon it!"
"And don't pretend you don't know—your four old men have suppressed the Uchiha for decades, excluded dissenters, and crushed anyone who didn't fall in line!"
"Everyone knows it—they just don't dare say it!"
"What they don't dare to say, I will say.
What they don't dare to do, I will do!"
Hiruzen's gaze grew unfathomably deep. At last, he raised his hand, stopping the ANBU who were about to move.
"If you truly are willing to use Kage-level strength to protect Konoha… then these five ninja blades—"
"I will allow you to manage them on the village's behalf."
"So you still refuse to return them."
Wen Lan didn't want a compromise. He wanted a clear answer.
Ziiing—!
The blade scraped violently across the forehead protector, sparks flying. A deep horizontal slash appeared across the metal.
"From this day on," Wen Lan declared coldly, lifting the slashed protector with his blade and tying it around his arm,
"I, Uchiha Wen Lan, officially become a rogue ninja of Konoha!"
"What you want isn't a protector—it's an obedient dog."
"Too bad. I never was."
"I'm leaving the village now. Whoever isn't afraid of death—come and stop me."
The air was as heavy as steel. No one dared to breathe.
Wen Lan turned to leave.
Danzo, furious beyond restraint, roared:
"Kill him!"
From the shadows, over a dozen Root operatives burst forth, forming a semicircle around Wen Lan. Kunai and explosive tags gleamed with killing intent.
"Since you won't let me leave," Wen Lan shouted coldly as he tightened his grip on the blade
"then I'll collect a little interest first!"
"Eight Gates Technique—Sixth Gate, Gate of View—OPEN!"
Boom!
Violent chakra exploded outward, hurricane winds sweeping the plaza as green chakra engulfed Wen Lan's body.
He raised his blade—
Green chakra instantly ignited into roaring flames.
"Flame Breathing: Ultimate Art—Ninth Form · Purgatory!"
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