Uchiha Kazuto finished speaking and released the rope.
The sharp blade fell, easily chopping off Hiruzen Sarutobi's head. Scarlet blood gushed from his neck, and his head hit the ground and rolled twice. He stared at Uchiha Kazuto with an utterly furious, even terrified expression, dying with his eyes wide open.
After hearing Uchiha Kazuto's words, he understood. He understood everything!
It was all a scheme—a scheme by Uchiha Kazuto!
What did he mean, "I made you do it"? That Study Corps, the brutal beatings of Konoha's villagers—six strikes a second, beating people until their souls left their bodies—weren't those all things Kazuto had done on his own? Hadn't he proposed them himself?
I hadn't even hinted at it!
And the plan to cut the other clans' benefits had been Kazuto's idea, too. I'd never even thought of doing that!
Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious beyond words. He had been deceived. From beginning to end, he had been fooled by the loyal image Uchiha Kazuto had put on. Just a moment ago, he had still been wondering how things had come to this, never once suspecting Kazuto. Deep down, he had treated him like a good dog!
He had truly believed in Uchiha Kazuto!
But he had never imagined that the mastermind behind it all was Uchiha Kazuto—the man right under his nose.
Uchiha Kazuto had deceived all of Konoha!
He wanted to roar, to scream, to expose Kazuto's plot to everyone. But he couldn't do it anymore. All he had left was his head. He was dead!
"Lord Hokage, farewell."
Uchiha Kazuto bowed his head and met Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, his expression cold. There was not the slightest trace of the so-called loyalty on his face.
At last, he had achieved his goal: killing Hiruzen Sarutobi in the name of justice, in front of everyone, with everyone eagerly anticipating it.
An ordinary person might have gradually changed their mind during the course of things, moved by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and eventually softened, unable to go through with it. They might even have abandoned the Coup and tried some other way to become Hokage—or decided not to become Hokage at all.
But Uchiha Kazuto was just an ordinary person. He didn't know what it meant to be moved, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval of his show of loyalty wouldn't make him go soft or stop him from killing the old man.
"Long live! Long live!"
"Long live!!!"
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, all of Konoha erupted in cheers. Everyone was swept up in a sea of joy, unable to contain themselves. The naturally evil Hiruzen Sarutobi was finally dead.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi dead, Konoha would be at peace. With Hiruzen Sarutobi dead, justice would finally prevail!
Their hard days were finally over!
They wouldn't be grabbed and beaten just for saying something unkind in the street. They wouldn't have to raise their hands every day and chant about supporting Lord Hokage. And no one would force them to listen to Hiruzen Sarutobi's speeches anymore.
"Lord Kazuto! A village cannot go a single day without a Kage. Please become our new Hokage and our new leader!"
"Lord Kazuto, we've all seen your loyalty to the village. Please become our new Hokage!"
"Lord Hokage!"
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
Just then, faint shouts rose from the crowd. As everyone's enthusiasm reached its peak, the cries spread like wildfire, sweeping across Konoha in the blink of an eye.
"You... What... I'm devoted to the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi has only just died. How can I... How can I..."
At the sight of this, Uchiha Kazuto looked flustered and unsure.
At that moment, a shinobi came rushing over with a golden-yellow robe and draped it over Uchiha Kazuto's shoulders.
"Lord Kazuto, please become our new Hokage!"
The shinobi knelt on the ground and spoke with utmost respect.
"You... You've really made things difficult for me. Sigh!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Kazuto shook his head helplessly, then stepped forward.
"My fellow Konoha shinobi, from today onward, I am Konoha's Fifth Hokage. From now on, I'll give you a more advanced and prosperous Konoha. I'll ensure Konoha's shinobi receive better treatment, and I'll make life better for ordinary people in Konoha!"
Uchiha Kazuto spoke with a serious, earnest expression.
At the same time, the moment he became Hokage, his Dojutsu's operating efficiency reached its peak, and it began to function in earnest. Surging ocular power coursed wildly through his eyes, and his scarlet pupils grew even more eerie.
"Lord Kazuto, we adore you!"
"Lord Hokage, we adore you!"
"Loyalty!!!"
"Hiruzen... is dead..."
Torifu Akimichi stared blankly at Hiruzen Sarutobi's corpse. The people around him held him tightly, stopping him from moving.
The Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans had close ties to the Sarutobi clan, so they had no idea what was written in Diary of Shimura Danzo. They knew nothing about the undercurrents in the village, either.
Otherwise, given their relationship with the Sarutobi clan, they would certainly have warned Hiruzen Sarutobi and blown the whole thing.
As for why they didn't know...
Did you really think the villagers' secret meetings had actually been secret? If the Military Police Force hadn't covered for them, their actions would have been discovered long ago. Without the Military Police Force's protection, the Anbu would have uncovered every undercurrent and every protest.
And if Uchiha hadn't previously enforced extremely strict control over Konoha, things would have been discovered sooner. By the end, the villagers didn't even dare speak outside or at home, let alone take part in any entertainment. Otherwise, so many people trying to organize a protest and stage a Coup would have been found out long ago.
None of this had happened by chance. It had all been planned for a long time!
As for the other shinobi clans, Uchiha Kazuto had deliberately let them find out. Without Kazuto's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, those clans would never have learned what was written in Diary of Shimura Danzo.
After all, no shinobi would go out of their way to spy on a group of ordinary people. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have bothered spying on ordinary people before anything had happened.
After all, who could have imagined that a group of ordinary villagers would want to stage a Coup, organize a protest, and replace the Hokage? It was madness.
There was no precedent for it!
And, most importantly...
Before you continue