Luckily, that Uchiha Kazuto knew how to do his job. He hadn't locked them in actual prison cells.
She didn't know that if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't come back to check on them, Uchiha Kazuto wouldn't have bothered putting on an act. He would have treated them exactly as he pleased.
But now, her good days were over.
Just then, several shinobi walked over.
"Advisor, it's time to eat!"
The shinobi set down the food and left.
"Uchiha Kazuto..."
Utatane Koharu shook her head, picked up her food, and began to eat.
Next door, Mitokado Homura started eating too.
"This..."
After finishing her meal, Utatane Koharu felt something was wrong. Everything before her eyes began to blur.
Mitokado Homura felt something was wrong too, but it was too late. They soon collapsed to the ground. Old people really were something else—eat and then sleep.
Several shinobi came over and dragged the two old fogeys away.
When they woke again—
"Kill them! Kill them!"
"Kill those damned beasts!"
"Kill Hiruzen Sarutobi's accomplices!"
The roar of the crowd echoed across the square like a surging sea.
"What's going on?"
Utatane Koharu opened her eyes. Her hands were bound behind her back with rope, and she was kneeling on the ground. A shinobi stood behind her, one foot on her back and a cleaver in his hand.
Mitokado Homura and the spies were there too. They were all kneeling in the square, waiting to be beheaded.
"What are you doing? Have you gone mad? Have you all lost your minds? What are you trying to do? Where's Hiruzen Sarutobi? Get Hiruzen Sarutobi here!"
Utatane Koharu struggled, her face twisted with shock and fury.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi? That beast is dead! The great Lord Hokage cut off his head. You've lost your patron. Don't worry—you'll be joining him soon!"
The shinobi behind Utatane Koharu replied.
"What did you say?!"
Utatane Koharu cried out in shock, stunned. She even wondered if she was trapped in a genjutsu.
Wait, what did he mean, Lord Hokage had cut off Hiruzen Sarutobi's head?
Wasn't Hiruzen Sarutobi the Hokage? Had he cut off his own head? What had happened while they were locked up?
Just then, Uchiha Kazuto walked over.
"My fellow villagers of Konoha, we've now captured Hiruzen Sarutobi's accomplices. For years, they've hidden behind the title of Hokage Advisor. Now it's time they received the punishment they deserve!"
Uchiha Kazuto faced the villagers, his expression earnest and his words righteous.
By now, even if someone claimed that Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't killed the Second Hokage, no one would believe them. The lie had become the truth.
"Long live Lord Hokage!"
"We love you, Lord Hokage!"
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!!!"
The villagers of Konoha grew excited at the sight of Uchiha Kazuto. They no longer felt the slightest fear of him. After all, Uchiha Kazuto had apologized, hadn't he? The old Uchiha Kazuto had simply been misled by Hiruzen Sarutobi, that Innate Evil Old Man. It hadn't been what he truly wanted, right?
"Uchiha Kazuto, what have you done?!"
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stared at Uchiha Kazuto. Their eyes narrowed when they saw the Hokage's haori on him, and their faces filled with disbelief.
This couldn't be right!
Uchiha Kazuto had become Hokage? That loyal dog of Hiruzen Sarutobi had become Hokage?
They knew Hiruzen Sarutobi. How could he have let Uchiha Kazuto, a member of the Uchiha Clan, become Hokage?
And what did he mean by Hiruzen Sarutobi's accomplices? What did he mean when he said Hiruzen Sarutobi had been beheaded?
Could it be...? No way. How long had it been since they were locked up?
Was this really not a genjutsu?
"As you can see, Advisors, I cut off Hiruzen Sarutobi's head. Now it's your turn!"
Uchiha Kazuto turned to the two of them, smiling gently. He looked refined, honest, and utterly mild-mannered. That was Uchiha Kazuto for you: always sincere, always honest, never telling a lie.
Boom!
Uchiha Kazuto's confirmation struck them like a thunderclap.
Impossible!
How could Hiruzen Sarutobi really be dead? And killed by Uchiha Kazuto, of all people?
"Uchiha Kazuto, you traitor! You'll die a horrible death!!!"
Utatane Koharu glared at Uchiha Kazuto and shouted furiously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, you fool! I told you not to listen to Uchiha Kazuto, but you wouldn't listen. Look at you now—you're dead!
And you dragged us down with you!
Even now, the two of them had no idea what had happened. The only thing they knew was that Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead, killed by the Uchiha Kazuto he had trusted. What they found hardest to understand was why the village was so calm about something that was obviously a Coup. The villagers were even saying he deserved to die.
What had happened in such a short time? How had the village become like this?
Unfortunately, no one was going to answer them.
"Do it! Kill these people who betrayed the village and disregarded the Will of Fire!"
Uchiha Kazuto snapped his fingers.
"Yes, Lord Hokage! Loyalty!"
The shinobi holding cleavers immediately stood at attention and saluted Uchiha Kazuto. Then they raised their blades.
Whoosh!
Several heads slowly flew through the air, their faces frozen in shock, despair, and confusion, before hitting the ground.
Splurt!
Crimson blood gushed from their severed necks.
They hadn't even managed to say their final words before they died, just like that.
"Someone, hang up these bodies and display their heads for three days. I want everyone to know the price of betraying the village and the Hokage!"
Uchiha Kazuto waved his hand. Several people hurried over, lifted the corpses, and hung them up like slabs of cured meat.
As an ordinary person, Uchiha Kazuto was very kind—almost timid. If there had been more people here, he probably would have built a Skull Pyramid to display and admire. Unfortunately, there weren't enough.
Oh, no!
Uchiha Kazuto suddenly remembered that these people had clans behind them.
They'd served as Hokage and Hokage Advisors for so many years. It was impossible that their clans hadn't benefited. And now that he'd just become Hokage, he had plenty of development to oversee. In that case, time to raid their estates!
Before you continue