"The Third Hokage has always loved these little mind games."
Yusuke's voice carried open contempt.
"He's old. His strength is fading. So he uses the so-called Will of Fire to manipulate people—talks them into sacrificing their interests to serve him."
"What 'Will of Fire'?"
"It's just empty words used to get something for nothing."
Shisui fell silent.
He had believed Hiruzen meeting him was secret.
Yet Yusuke had seen through it without effort.
And of course—no matter how directly Yusuke said it—
Shisui couldn't admit the truth.
A shinobi's instinct was to deny.
Yusuke looked at him and smiled.
"The Third Hokage told you this war was my fault, didn't he?"
Shisui remained quiet.
And sometimes, silence was the same as confession.
Yusuke's smile didn't change.
"Then tell me."
"Do you think Konoha should have handed over Hyuga Hizashi?"
"And if one day this happens to the Uchiha… would you tell me to hand over one of our own too?"
Shisui lowered his gaze and spoke hoarsely after a long pause.
"Self-sacrifice… that is the true face of a shinobi."
"Sometimes peace needs nameless heroes in the shadows."
"Konoha's leaves dance, and the fire lives on—"
"Don't."
Yusuke cut him off instantly.
"Don't talk to me about the Will of Fire."
"It's all bullshit."
"Can your 'Will of Fire' stop Kumogakure's greed?"
"Why don't we send Hokage-sama to the front lines and let him 'talk' with the Fourth Raikage?"
His tone was razor-sharp.
To Yusuke, it wasn't faith.
It was a recruitment slogan.
A sales pitch.
And people kept buying it.
Yusuke's voice dropped, heavy with accusation.
"The 'Will of Fire' Hiruzen preaches already deviated from the First Hokage's meaning."
"He's rewritten it into a tool to rule Konoha."
"Hatake Sakumo wore the Hokage's half-cloak… and ended by taking his own life."
"He carried out a classified mission—so why did the whole village know?"
"When the rumors spread, why didn't the Third stop it?"
"The Senju once stood equal with us."
"Where are they now?"
"Senju Nawaki died on the battlefield—organs torn out."
"Are we sure enemy shinobi did that?"
"How would they even know he was Hashirama's grandson?"
"Who was obsessed with Wood Release?"
"And who silently allowed it?"
"Our Uchiha go missing too—do you really know nothing?"
"Your ancestor, Uchiha Kagami, died young. Do you think his death was 'clean'?"
"And tell me this—Hiruzen is ruthless toward the Uchiha…"
"…but timid toward Kumogakure."
"Why?"
"He has energy for internal fighting…"
"…but no spine against foreign enemies?"
The questions landed like hammer blows.
Shisui's lips trembled.
But no words came.
Yusuke pressed harder—almost mocking now, using the very script Shisui had been taught.
"'Konoha's leaves dance, and the fire lives on.'"
"'The fire will keep lighting the village, and new leaves will sprout.'"
"That's the Will of Fire, right?"
"Then why was it the Fourth Hokage who died three years ago?"
"Why didn't the Third go die with the Nine-Tails?"
"Isn't he supposed to be a leaf too?"
Shisui's body stiffened.
His throat tightened.
Still—nothing.
At last, Yusuke sighed and shook his head.
"Konoha was founded by the Uchiha and Senju together."
"I am the Uchiha clan head."
"If I aim for Hokage… what wrong have I done?"
"What crime is that?"
"Is it the Uchiha who threaten Konoha…"
"…or is it Konoha that cannot tolerate the Uchiha?"
"Think about it, Shisui."
He turned and left.
Shisui continued forward with a blank, drifting mind.
A Few Days Later
Konoha's three-thousand-shinobi coalition reached the Frost Country borderlands, near the Land of Lightning.
Yusuke ordered them to camp in place and wait for Kumogakure's move.
Land of Earth — Iwagakure's Council
In Iwagakure's chamber, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki sat high above a room full of arguing elders.
Kumogakure had declared war on Konoha.
To Iwa, it looked like opportunity.
In the Third Great War, Iwa had poured in massive forces—
…and still failed at the end.
Now the door had opened again.
But the question was dangerous:
Do they strike Konoha?
Or strike Kumogakure?
Iwa and Konoha had a peace treaty from three years ago.
But everyone knew what it was worth.
Paper.
If the profit was big enough, paper burned easily.
With the Yellow Flash dead, many elders favored attacking Konoha immediately.
Minato had butchered Iwa shinobi by the hundreds.
Hatred ran deep.
But Iwa's relationship with Kumo was poison too.
The Third Raikage's death was Iwa's doing.
That wasn't just an "incident."
That was blood debt.
If Iwa attacked Konoha and the Fourth Raikage suddenly turned his army toward Iwa—
It would be disaster.
The room argued in circles until someone finally asked:
"Tsuchikage-sama… what is your decision?"
Onoki coughed once.
The room fell silent.
Decades of rule had given him weight.
"Not yet."
"Let Konoha and Kumogakure bleed each other first."
"Go back and prepare."
"I want us ready to move at any moment."
Decision made.
The elders instantly changed faces.
"Tsuchikage-sama is wise!"
"Truly far-sighted!"
Onoki's mouth curled into a satisfied smile.
Watch the fight.
Pick up the rewards.
That was the cleanest victory.
Land of Wind — Sunagakure's Meeting
In Sunagakure, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa gathered key figures for an emergency council.
Chiyo slammed her anger onto the table.
"Fourth Kazekage—why won't you declare war on Konoha?"
"Hatake Sakumo killed my son and daughter-in-law."
"Have you forgotten that?"
Rasa could only smile bitterly.
"Chiyo-sama… Shukaku has been rampaging."
"Suna just went through internal chaos."
"We can't support a war right now."
The Land of Wind was poor even in peacetime.
Desert resources were scarce.
And Shukaku's instability made everything worse.
Chiyo's eyes narrowed.
"If you insist on being this cautious… then I will retire."
"You have an opportunity and you refuse to seize it."
"At this rate, Sunagakure will fall under your leadership."
Rasa wanted to argue—
But Chiyo's status as an elder "living fossil" meant her words carried too much weight.
And she had no intention of listening anyway.
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