They Don't Deserve to Be Here!

The matter Uchiha Yoru announced left no room for anyone to offer a rebuttal.

Object? By all means! Go take it up with my Susanoo!

At this moment, Nara Kashima stepped slightly forward.

He was no fool; on the contrary, as the new representative of the Nara clan, Nara Kashima was known for his meticulous thinking and composed demeanor.

Even when facing the decisive and ruthless Fifth Hokage before him, he maintained his customary calm.

"Lord Hokage."

His voice was steady, carrying a hint of caution: "According to Konoha's customs, personnel appointments and major policy decisions usually require reporting to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to obtain formal approval."

Nara Kashima's tone held no trace of defiance; he was merely fulfilling his duty as an advisor by offering a reasonable reminder.

Uchiha Yoru sneered, the Sharingan in his eyes spinning slightly, as if he could see through everything.

"Approval?"

He paced slowly, his gaze sweeping over those present, his voice low and overbearing.

"Is my strength not enough to earn their approval?"

The air instantly solidified, as if even the wind had come to a standstill.

Nara Kashima lowered his eyes and said nothing more.

At this point, any further words would be futile; Uchiha Yoru's stance was already clear.

"Those fellows draped in fine robes, who lack the strength to truss a chicken and don't even know how to protect themselves—by what right do they decide the fate of a ninja village?"

"In the ninja world, what decides everything has never been that group of wastrels huddled in castles, eating and drinking to their hearts' content."

"It is strength!"

Uchiha Yoru's voice was resonant and powerful, every word striking the hearts of those present like a heavy hammer.

"I stand here, and I am the Hokage of Konoha. This fact requires no one's permission."

He turned slightly, looking once more toward the direction of Konoha.

"In their eyes, you are merely a pack of obedient lapdogs."

"But in my eyes, the Daimyo is nothing more than meat on a chopping block."

A contemptuous laugh echoed atop the Hokage Rock, carrying endless arrogance and madness.

"From now on, such things as Daimyo will cease to exist!"

"I will make every corner of the Land of Fire belong to Konoha!"

Hearing this, the high-ranking members of the ninja clans were deeply shocked, yet no one dared to speak a word of dissent.

A breeze blew over the Hokage Rock, carrying the coolness of the mountains.

However, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. The air felt stagnant, suffocatingly heavy.

No one dared to look directly at that upright figure, for they all knew that this new Hokage was about to kill again...

The next second, everyone heard a crisp "crack," and a jagged fissure split the rock beneath their feet.

"This..."

Someone exclaimed instinctively, but before they could finish, Uchiha Yoru moved. His Susanoo manifested a massive blade, its edge flashing with a blinding, icy light in the sun.

"They are not fit to appear here!"

"From this day forward, there is no need for anything to remain on this rock."

Uchiha Yoru's voice was low, permeated with unquestionable authority.

The Susanoo blade swung down violently!

"Boom!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the stone faces on the Hokage Rock shattered upon impact, massive boulders crashing down and kicking up a sky full of dust.

A second strike, a third, a fourth!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Four tremors echoed over Konoha, turning the stone statues of the past Hokage into powder, leaving only jagged remnants that seemed to speak of a silent declaration.

The crowd stared at the scene in astonishment, yet not a single person dared to make a sound.

Fortunately, there were no civilians gathered at the base of the Hokage Rock, or this destruction would have surely resulted in a catastrophe.

Uchiha Yoru retracted his Susanoo, his pitch-black robe snapping in the breeze like a silent, fluttering banner.

He glanced sideways, his voice cold and beyond reproach.

"One more thing."

The crowd held their breath, waiting for what was to come.

"In the name of the Fifth Hokage, I designate Uchiha Obito as an S-rank missing-nin of Konoha."

As these words fell, the atmosphere, which had been barely restrained, suddenly erupted into turmoil.

Some people wore expressions of confusion. Uchiha Obito? Who the hell is that?

More people looked bewildered; the name sounded vaguely familiar, yet it felt as distant as if it only existed in dusty, forgotten history.

"Wait... Uchiha Obito?"

Among the crowd, an older ninja's expression shifted, as if he had unearthed a blurred shadow from his sealed memories.

"He was the hero who sacrificed himself during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge... No! Didn't he die a long time ago?"

The surrounding murmurs rose and fell; shock, confusion, and disbelief were written on every face.

Just then, Uchiha Yoru's gaze turned cold, and he continued in a low, heavy voice:

"The Konoha hero you speak of did not actually die. He was saved during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and has been clinging to life ever since."

The air seemed to freeze, and some people had yet to recover from this shocking news.

"The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident is none other than Uchiha Obito."

This sentence struck like a heavy hammer, slamming hard into everyone's hearts.

"What?"

"The Nine-Tails Incident... was actually Uchiha Obito?"

"Impossible!"

Countless people had once mourned that catastrophe and cursed the Nine-Tails' rampage, but who could have imagined that the culprit behind this tragedy was that former Konoha hero?!

"That is correct."

Uchiha Yoru sneered, a flash of deep mockery crossing his eyes.

"Last night, Uchiha Obito attacked the Uchiha compound and slaughtered almost the entire Uchiha Police Force."

Uchiha Yoru's voice was low like thunder, carrying an unconcealable rage.

"Just like Uchiha Itachi, he is a complete and utter animal."

"It is precisely because of this animal and that old bastard Shimura Danzō that the innocent Uchiha Clan suffered even greater prejudice after the Nine-Tails Incident."

As his words fell, the air became exceptionally heavy.

Slaughtered to the last!

The Uchiha Police Force, once the symbol of order in Konoha, had shouldered the responsibility of protecting the villagers.

The power that once guarded them had now become silent remains, vanishing into the night.

The people present were filled with doubt and terror, especially regarding the strength of Uchiha Obito.

Looking back at the night of the Nine-Tails and this massacre of the police force, the opponent's power had clearly become formidable.

"From this day forward, the Uchiha Police Force no longer exists."

Uchiha Yoru slowly scanned his surroundings, those scarlet Sharingan seemingly able to pierce through human hearts.

"Hyuga Hiashi."

In the crowd, Hyuga Hiashi bowed his head slightly.

"Lord Hokage."

"From now on, the new police force will be led by the Hyuga Clan, joined by other ninja clans, and reorganized with a mixed-unit structure."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was left dumbfounded.

"Yes."

Though Hyuga Hiashi was shocked to the core, he still responded respectfully.

"Go and get it done."

After the announcement, Uchiha Yoru turned around, his gaze overlooking the direction of Konoha.

Before his words had even fully faded, the crowd departed amidst their shock and suspicion, quickly disappearing into the shadows of the Hokage Rock.

Only Kakashi remained.