Uchiha... is finished!

"Uchiha Akira, do you know what you're doing?!"

The lead Root Ninja's expression changed drastically.

"Slaughtering people from the same village—does your Uchiha Clan intend to betray Konoha?!"

[ Ding! There are actually ninjas in the village who want to ambush Lord Hashirama. As the First Hokage, I absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen. Mission issued: Throw all the attackers into prison! ]

[ Mission Reward: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique! ]

Hashirama Senju's Wood Release was formed through the fusion of water- and earth-nature Chakra transformations, so it was hardly strange that Hashirama Senju had mastered Water Release. He simply did not use it normally.

"Throw them into prison?"

Uchiha Akira sneered. "The punishment won't be that light."

Then he swept his gaze over the Root Ninja and looked down at him mockingly. "You Root think you deserve to represent Konoha? You're nothing but a pack of dogs hiding in Konoha's darkness!"

"You dare insult Lord Danzo? You're courting death!"

The lead Root Ninja's face turned livid. They were the blades in Danzo's hand; insulting Danzo was the same as insulting them!

At that moment.

He suddenly noticed Uchiha Shisui and Itachi, who had just arrived. Then he snorted coldly, his voice low. "Heh. Shisui, Itachi, Uchiha Akira slaughtered Root ninjas today. Kill him with me, or I'll report what happened today to the Third Lord!"

"At that point, you two will be his accomplices!"

"Three Uchiha slaughtering people from the same village means the Uchiha are rebelling!"

His gaze was smug, as if he already had all three of them in his grasp.

"It was clearly you Root who wanted to ambush Akira. When have we ever harbored thoughts of rebellion?!"

Uchiha Shisui's expression changed slightly, and he immediately panicked.

The Uchiha and the village had been clashing every day. If this matter got exposed, no matter how capable the Hokage was at keeping things under control, the other elders were not useless either.

"Heh, that has nothing to do with me."

The lead Root Ninja sneered, greatly satisfied by Shisui's anxiety. "Like I said, Shisui, Itachi, kill Uchiha Akira, and I'll pretend nothing happened today."

"Otherwise—"

Several Root Ninjas behind him drew their short blades at once, their edges flashing with chilling light!

"No, Akira did nothing wrong. You were the ones who wanted to hurt him first!"

Shisui's expression was resolute.

"I will report this matter to the Hokage as well. Whatever punishment follows, I, Uchiha Shisui, will accept it without complaint!"

He had already made up his mind. If someone truly had to die, then he would pay the price with his own life!

"Shisui, what the hell are you yammering on about?"

Uchiha Akira could tell at a glance that Shisui intended to sacrifice himself for the happiness of everyone else. He said flatly, "Itachi."

Uchiha Itachi was sharp as hell.

He immediately understood what Akira intended to do.

"Akira, don't interfere. Leave this matter to me—"

Before Shisui could finish, Akira and Itachi vanished in an instant. Like a midnight dance in the darkness, freezing blade-light erupted in a flash, and several Anbu Ninjas died on the spot.

Akira and Itachi stood amid the corpses, their scarlet Sharingan glowing with eerie light.

The two flicked their swords simultaneously, scattering blood before sheathing them.

"What the hell are you yammering on about?"

Akira said unhappily, "A nameless NPC should have the awareness of an NPC. Why are you even talking?"

[ Ding! Not only did Lord Hashirama fail to throw them into prison, he directly killed them instead, thoroughly upholding the principle that anyone who disrupts Konoha's peace is Konoha's enemy! ]

[ Congratulations to Lord Hashirama for completing the mission! ]

[ Mission Reward: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique! ]

Tsk.

Uchiha Akira clicked his tongue in disdain. This counted as completing the mission too? System, are you fucking cheap or what?

"Ah!"

Shisui let out a piercing cry. "Akira, Itachi, you killed people! It's over, it's over! This can't be resolved peacefully anymore. Root will definitely come for us. Then the Uchiha and Konoha will go to war."

"All of Konoha will be devastated."

"The other ninja villages will take advantage of the situation. Konoha will be attacked from both front and back."

"All of Konoha will be destroyed. Konoha... is finished!"

Shisui's face was ashen, as though he had already seen the day Konoha was destroyed.

Tsk.

The corner of Akira's mouth twitched, and he could not help saying, "Shisui, no wonder you spent all those years maintaining peace for nothing. Don't be afraid. Danzo's hands aren't clean either. He can't make a move against us over this. Relax."

"Ah? Why?"

Shisui did not quite understand.

"Shisui, Danzo ordered Root to assassinate Akira. That alone is indefensible, so he won't make a big spectacle of it."

Itachi's expression was calm.

Then he and Shisui looked slightly stunned as Uchiha Akira clapped his hands together. Several Root Ninjas turned into crooked-necked trees. Forget corpses—there was not even ash left of them.

It was swift. Practiced.

As though he had done it hundreds or thousands of times.

Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances. They realized that the Akira they had considered "ordinary" did not seem ordinary at all.

"Fuck! No, this is Wood Release!"

Shisui jolted as he finally realized it. This was not about being experienced at killing and disposing of bodies—what Akira had used was Wood Release!

"Akira, h-how do you know Wood Release?"

He stammered, unable to believe it.

It was already one thing for an Uchiha to visit the Senju Clan every day, but he had actually awakened Wood Release too. This was fucking absurd!

"Shisui, did you forget? Big Brother Akira's mother was from the Senju Clan."

Itachi could not help but marvel.

A trace of submission appeared in his eyes.

An Elite Jonin with only a Two-Tomoe Sharingan was not enough to make him submit. But a powerful wielder of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan who had mastered Wood Release was enough. Possessing the same Wood Release as the First Hokage gave Big Brother Akira's existence an entirely different meaning.

Perhaps, by following him.

They truly could change the fate of the Uchiha and Konoha!

He understood many things at once. No wonder Big Brother Akira had not attended clan meetings before. So he had been training in Wood Release, all for this day, all for this opportunity!

To save the Uchiha from their doomed fate!

Besides submission, Itachi's gaze toward Akira immediately gained a trace of reverence!

—Big Brother Akira had transcended petty interests. He was someone willing to sacrifice more than a decade of his life for peace between the Uchiha and Konoha!

"Big Brother Akira, from now on, feel free to assign me any task!"

Uchiha Itachi spoke firmly, full of sincerity.

"Ah, sure."

Akira answered casually, feeling inexplicably confused. Why had Itachi suddenly pledged loyalty?

Forget it.

The Uchiha had always loved making up their own explanations. Who the fuck knew what bizarre train of thought this guy had come up with now?

Tsk.

How strange. He had only wanted to fool Shisui, but now Itachi was far more useful than Shisui.

"All right, let's go back."

Uchiha Akira waved a hand. "Let's pretend nothing happened today. Root never came here, and we never saw a single Root Ninja."

Things without evidence.

For the Uchiha, that meant they had never done them.

It would be the same no matter who came!