Lord Hokage, Kneel and Surrender!

Success or failure hinges on this single move!

Uchiha Kazuto led his troops, charging toward the Hokage's office, determined to capture the rogue ninja Hiruzen Sarutobi.

On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi had only just ordered the Anbu to handle the village's affairs; the Anbu hadn't even begun to act.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

At that moment, an angry shout rang out, and the next instant, the Hokage's office was directly surrounded by a group of ninjas.

Bang!

The office wall was kicked open, and a figure Hiruzen Sarutobi never expected to see walked in.

"Kazuto? What's wrong?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Kazuto, whose face was filled with grief and fury, furrowed his brow, and asked with some confusion, sensing something was amiss.

"Lord Hokage, hahaha, Lord Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, you have betrayed my trust, you have betrayed the village's trust. I never imagined you could be such a beast!"

Uchiha Kazuto gritted his teeth as he stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Those crimson eyes seemed to burn with the fire of rage—the flame of a collapsed faith. He had been so loyal, thinking only of the village and the Lord Hokage, but what about you, this Hokage?

And I used to admire you so much, you beast!

"Kazuto, you've misunderstood. Those things are all slander from Danzo against me. How could I possibly have killed my own teacher!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, seeing Uchiha Kazuto's state, immediately understood. Uchiha Kazuto was a loyal citizen of Konoha, a strong believer in the Will of Fire. He must have believed the rumors outside, thinking Hiruzen Sarutobi was a beast, but that was all slander!

He had to explain immediately, then send Uchiha Kazuto to suppress the uprising in Konoha.

Even now, he didn't suspect Uchiha Kazuto. After all, Uchiha Kazuto's disguise was far too perfect.

He couldn't have imagined that everything happening now was due to Uchiha Kazuto's scheme.

"Say no more, Hiruzen Sarutobi, you Innate Evil Old Ghost. I was truly blind back then, thinking someone like you could be a good Hokage. And fittingly so—a beast like Danzo was your subordinate. As Danzo's superior, how could you possibly be innocent!"

Uchiha Kazuto shook his head, and the next moment, a powerful surge of chakra erupted from his body.

"The First Hokage once said that if it's for the village, even he, Hashirama Senju, could be killed. As a great practitioner of the Will of Fire, today, for the sake of the village, even you, Hiruzen Sarutobi, I will kill without hesitation! Everything is for the village!"

Boom!

The next moment, Uchiha Kazuto's figure vanished, turning into a blur as he charged at Hiruzen Sarutobi. The instant he closed in, a massive Susanoo appeared, and a giant chakra hand slammed down toward where Hiruzen Sarutobi stood.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out, and the entire Hokage's office was blown apart.

"Kazuto, listen to my explanation!"

Not far away, Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure reappeared. His face darkened as he looked at Uchiha Kazuto. It was over—Uchiha Kazuto was too loyal to the village. He had already believed the slander and was now moving against him, the great Hokage.

This wasn't a coup; it was purging a traitorous heretic!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank. He knew that during this time, the clans of Konoha were deeply dissatisfied with him. On the surface, their discontent seemed directed at Uchiha Kazuto, but in truth, it was aimed at him. They just couldn't vent their grievances directly at the Hokage.

And now, with the rumors spreading through the village, those clans might not come to his aid at all!

Troublesome!

Damn it, who started these rumors?

"Explanation? Hahaha, who would listen to the explanation of someone like you? A beast full of lies, do you think I'd believe you? Lord Hokage, I call you Lord Hokage one last time. For the sake of the village, kneel down and surrender!"

Uchiha Kazuto laughed bitterly, large tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. He was truly sorrowful—never had he felt such grief. The revered Lord Hokage turned out to be a schemer with no Will of Fire in his heart, though all of this was fabricated by Kazuto himself.

"Kazuto!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. It seemed words wouldn't resolve this.

If that was the case, then let it be war!

At the same time, Anbu members rushed toward the scene, but they were blocked by the Military Police Force.

"You bastards, are you going to become rogue ninjas too? Don't you know what kind of thing Hiruzen Sarutobi really is?"

"He never deserved to be Hokage! His current position was stolen! If he hadn't killed the Second Hokage, how could he have become Hokage!"

"Are you going to protect a beast like him?"

The Military Police Force members shouted loudly, instantly laying out Hiruzen Sarutobi's schemes.

"Kill Hiruzen Sarutobi! Don't let such a beast rule Konoha!"

At the same time, some villagers from Konoha ran over, holding up signs and shouting continuously, as if they shared an irreconcilable hatred with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Anbu ninjas hesitated.

"Lord Hokage..."

Kakashi closed his Sharingan and began to slack off, going through the motions. He thought of his father—what if it was truly because his father's reputation threatened this so-called Lord Hokage that they spread rumors behind his back, driving his father to suicide?

At the same time, the Anbu's attacks slowed. They no longer fought desperately for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost the people's hearts in Konoha.

If this were before, Uchiha Kazuto's actions would have been nothing less than launching a coup, and an open one at that. Such behavior would have been met with resistance from the entire village—whether the Anbu, the other clans, or the civilian ninjas—all would have come to protect Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At that time, Uchiha Kazuto and the Uchiha Clan would have been pitted against all of Konoha. Even if they won, it would have been a pyrrhic victory, with the village's high-level combat power wiped out, leaving them vulnerable to invasion and destruction by enemy villages.

But now, thanks to Uchiha Kazuto's manipulations, the village's resentment toward Hiruzen Sarutobi had been pushed to its breaking point and had exploded. No one stood on Hiruzen Sarutobi's side anymore, especially after the Diary of Shimura Danzo was exposed. Hiruzen Sarutobi had become Konoha's traitor.

A madman who killed his own teacher to seize power.