Teasing

"Shikaku!"

After Fugaku Uchiha left with his people, Utatane Koharu let out a low roar.

Shikaku Nara had a headache, but he still stopped and turned around.

"The Uchiha are being so presumptuous. As the Jonin Commander, you just stood by and watched?"

Hearing Utatane Koharu's words, Shikaku Nara was truly speechless.

Now I'm the Jonin Commander? Why wasn't I one before?

Whenever there was something good, the four of you kept it sealed away tight, terrified I might find out.

You drove me out when holding meetings, and when distributing things, you practically wanted to hide under the covers.

Now that the Uchiha are out of control, I, Shikaku Nara, am suddenly appointed to the post?

"Ah!"

Shikaku Nara sighed. "Elder, don't push them too hard. Otherwise, the backlash will be real."

Those words made Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's faces turn green.

"Shikaku, could it be that even you..."

"Enough!"

Danzo barked, shot the two an impatient look, and turned to leave.

Did these two really have no brains?

The Uchiha were one of Konohagakure's oldest clans and possessed extraordinary combat strength. Every one of them was proud.

But!

The Night of the Nine-Tails had sent the Uchiha plummeting into the depths. They had endured endless blame and mockery, then been excluded. They had been suppressing their rage for a long time.

This time, Danzo had come to stop them again.

And it had happened while Kazuna, the Uchiha Vice Clan Leader, was fighting.

This was outright challenging the Uchiha's bottom line. It would have been strange if they hadn't erupted.

The Nara clan was still standing with them. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been better if they had not stepped forward just now?

It seemed Fugaku Uchiha's limit was right here.

Danzo thought silently.

Utatane Koharu watched Danzo's retreating back, then looked coldly at Shikaku Nara. With pointed meaning, she said, "Shikaku, you're an old hand in the village as well. The Nara clan has a long heritage and is one of Konohagakure's distinguished clans. I hope you won't make the wrong choice. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you."

Damn it.

Shikaku Nara was speechless.

Did this woman think Danzo had gotten angry because of him and left because of that?

Forget it, he couldn't afford to provoke her!

Better stay far away!

Idiots were terrifying!

Why couldn't Elder Utatane and the others understand? They hated the Uchiha, and the others didn't like them either, but that didn't mean they wanted the Uchiha to disappear.

You feared the Uchiha's power, and they were worried about it too.

But your fear made you want the Uchiha gone, so the village would always remain under your control.

No ninja clan other than yours would have such thoughts!

Instead, they hoped powerful clans like the Uchiha would remain, so the village could be safer.

With that as the premise, why would they fight the Uchiha to the death?

They would be killing a force that protected the village while weakening their own strength.

Were they idiots?

Especially after the Uchiha had caused a few disturbances recently, they had been reminded of the Uchiha's strength and wanted to fight even less.

Because they understood what they would gain after a battle.

Other than blood and tears, there would be no benefits at all.

And the gains from destroying the Uchiha would not fall into their hands.

"The Uchiha are truly formidable."

Shikaku Nara murmured.

"The Uchiha are indeed formidable!" Choza Akimichi nodded in agreement from the side.

"Don't interrupt, Choza!" Inoichi Yamanaka said gravely.

He did not understand why Shikaku Nara had suddenly said that, but he understood that Choza had definitely gotten the wrong idea.

Shikaku looked at his two companions and said, "What the Uchiha value most is strength. They always measure everything by strength. That is why Fugaku is the Uchiha clan head—at its root, it's because he is the strongest Uchiha. The Uchiha of the past always followed this principle as well."

In the past...

"So?"

"So, when the Uchiha Clan produces someone who enjoys playing with schemes, Konohagakure is bound to undergo earth-shaking changes."

Shikaku Nara murmured to himself.

The Uchiha had been making frequent moves lately.

While provoking every clan in Konohagakure, they had also maintained a certain bottom line, ensuring neither side would truly escalate matters into a military conflict.

The balance had been handled exquisitely.

Uchiha... Kazuna?

There was no need to think too hard about it. It had to be this Uchiha Vice Clan Leader, who had swiftly taken office and even forced Fugaku to back down.

His strike against Root and his provocation of the Hokage were absolutely part of a plan!

Truly impressive.

With just a few small moves, he had suppressed the Hokage faction's aggressive momentum while reminding all of Konohagakure's clans of the Uchiha's strength, making the ninja clans unwilling to start a civil war from the bottom of their hearts.

Shikaku looked again at the Crimson Flame in the distance.

This battle had probably been intentional on Kazuna's part as well!

The purpose was likely to weaken Root's power.

Although the Anbu belonged to the Hokage, they had minds of their own and would not obey blindly.

Root alone was different. They were tools through and through.

A trace of coldness flashed across Shikaku's face.

There were members of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans in Root too. Who would want their own clansmen fitted with dog chains?

Inoichi Yamanaka had already expressed his dissatisfaction with Danzo to him many times.

What would the Uchiha do next?

"Most likely, they'll show Konohagakure's ninja clans that the Uchiha are harmless and reduce the clans' hostility toward them."

Step by step... could the aged Hokage and the shadowy Danzo handle it?

Bang!

A flame as red as blood enveloped a Root ninja. Within only a few breaths, that ninja had turned to ash—even his Kunai had melted.

Such terrifying heat—this was Blood Flame.

"Yo, yo, check it out..."

Kazuna sang and danced as he steadily closed in on the Root ninja.

A teasing smile played on his lips, yet the killing intent in his eyes was enough to freeze one's soul.

The Root ninja, who had struck first with the purpose of assassinating Kazuna, were now being forced to retreat again and again.

The assassination squad that had originally consisted of ten people was now down to only four!

One of them was badly injured.

Their Chakra consumption was even more severe.

Aburame Shikuroo suppressed the chill in his heart and gritted his teeth as he stared at Kazuna. "This Monster!"

"Monster? Me?" Kazuna pointed at his own nose, looking aggrieved. "You're the one stuffing bugs into your body, and you're calling me a Monster? How can you even say that? Your skin is way too thick!"

"Still, Root's strength is truly surprising."

Kazuna looked at Aburame Shikuroo and sighed. "There are only a little over three hundred Jonin in all of Konohagakure, yet Danzo sent out ten Jonin this time. Oh, two of them are Special Jonin."

That was already a remarkably formidable force.

Just two days ago, Kazuna had killed six Root members.

"Unfortunately, even that kind of force is still not enough!" Kazuna smiled. "Minato Namikaze could instantly kill fifty Jonin and secure the victory of an entire war. Back then, I, Blood Flame Kazuna, was a powerhouse on par with him. You people are barely enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!"

The Root ninja stared coldly at Kazuna. "Uchiha Kazuna, do you think you've already won?"

"Oh? From the sound of that, you still have something up your sleeve?"

Kazuna beckoned at them. "Come, come, come. Let me see just how capable you still are."

"Attack!"

Following Aburame Shikuroo's loud shout, the four Root ninja launched a desperate attack on Kazuna together.

"Going all out?"

Kazuna chuckled, and the Three Tomoe in his eyes slowly turned once.

"Come, let us have our final dance!"

"By now, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konohagakure's ninja clans should be arriving soon!"

"I have expectations for you. At least force me to show a little of my true ability!"