Declaring War on the Entire Ninja World!

Uchiha Yoru stood there, blood from his fingertips sliding down his palm and rippling into scarlet circles within a puddle.

He looked down at the heart in his hand and curled his fingers slightly; the still-pulsing organ burst instantly, flesh and blood splattering onto the back of his hand before slowly sliding to the ground.

Jiraiya's body collapsed powerlessly, the afterglow of the setting sun falling upon his pale face, revealing a desolate stillness.

The wind stirred the shattered Konoha forehead protector; it spun in mid-air a few times before finally falling to the ground, stained with blood.

Uchiha Yoru flicked his fingers lightly, the blood splattering onto the earth, and a cold, faint arc curled at the corner of his mouth as he whispered, "Sage Mode, huh..."

His gaze rested on Jiraiya's face, as if he were contemplating or perhaps evaluating him.

This mode was indeed powerful, but the reliance on charging up was a burden after all, far inferior to the natural, seamless state of Senju Hashirama.

Uchiha Yoru had always favored swift, decisive battles; a sloppy, dragging combat style was nothing but an annoyance.

He would never be foolish enough to give an enemy the chance to brew power to use against him.

He turned and left; under the setting sun, the blood-red afterglow stretched his shadow to an extreme length, like a shadow piercing through heaven and earth, signaling that a storm was about to sweep across the entire Ninja World.

A few days later.

Konoha, Hokage Building.

The faint light of dawn pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the land of Konoha; the rain from last night had not yet fully evaporated, and the air was filled with a damp, chilly breath.

Uchiha Yoru walked toward the Hokage Building with a steady gait, his black robe swaying slightly in the wind; his gaze was calm and profound, as if he could see through everything in the world.

When he stepped into the building, a familiar figure was already waiting at the entrance.

Nara Kashima bowed his head slightly and said respectfully, "Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Yoru stopped and gestured for him to continue.

Nara Kashima added unhurriedly, "The Hokage decree you mentioned earlier, regarding the fact that the 'Daimyo of the Land of Fire should not exist,' has been executed very smoothly."

"Everyone in the capital of the Land of Fire who was dissatisfied with the 'Will of Fire' has been purged..."

"Without the exploitation of those greedy nobles, the financial situation of the Land of Fire is recovering rapidly."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yoru's gaze tightened slightly, and then he nodded.

In fact, he had known about this all along.

Back then, his shadow clone had personally gone to the capital of the Land of Fire, sweeping away all resistance with overwhelming force; after slaughtering all the nobles and the Daimyo, he left the Nara Clan and others in charge of stabilizing the situation before dispelling the shadow clone.

He did not care about these trivial matters—this was the natural result to begin with.

However, Nara Kashima changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of gravity: "However... because our actions were too large-scale, the news that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has been replaced has already spread."

"It is rumored that the Daimyo of the other major nations are demanding that their respective ninja villages unite, preparing to launch a crusade against Konoha..."

He paused slightly here, his gaze covertly observing Uchiha Yoru's reaction.

Hearing this, Uchiha Yoru's mouth curled into a cold sneer.

"A crusade against Konoha?"

His tone carried a trace of mockery, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke.

"It seems they still haven't recognized reality."

His eyes were extremely cold, his scarlet Sharingan rotating slowly, and killing intent surged in the depths of his pupils.

The Ninja World had long since rotted, and the Daimyo of various countries who relied on ninja villages were no different from trash.

They only relied on ninjas to risk their lives for them, yet they delusionally hoped to control everything and maintain their so-called rule.

This corrupt system should have been completely eradicated long ago.

Since they couldn't help but jump out, then let them understand what true power is, and who the master of the Ninja World really is.

Uchiha Yoru's eyes turned cold, his tone calm yet filled with unquestionable majesty: "Kashima, in the name of Konoha—"

He slowly spat out a few words, as if thunder had descended upon the world: "Formally declare war on all nations and ninja villages other than Konoha."

Declare war!

And to declare war on the entire Ninja World!

The moment these two words fell, the air in the office instantly solidified.

Nara Kashima's pupils constricted, his breath hitched, and cold sweat slowly slid down his face.

He almost suspected that he had misheard.

"Huh?"

He blurted out subconsciously, his face full of shock.

But when he saw Uchiha Yoru's cold and firm face, he knew—the other party was not joking; he was serious.

"Lord Hokage..." Nara Kashima suppressed the shock in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Is this... perhaps a bit inappropriate?"

"We are currently without a righteous cause, and the strength of the various villages remains formidable; to rashly make an enemy of the entire Ninja World, I fear that..."

He did not finish his sentence, but his concern was already written all over his face.

However, Uchiha Yoru only looked at him quietly, his eyes as deep as an abyss, without the slightest wavering, instead revealing a faint trace of mockery.

"Are you afraid?"

His tone was calm and ripple-free, yet it carried a heavy sense of oppression.

Nara Kashima took a deep breath, just about to speak, but was interrupted by Uchiha Yoru.

"Rest assured."

Uchiha Yoru slowly stood up and walked to the window, overlooking the streets of Konoha, his voice as indifferent as if he were stating the most ordinary of facts: "The Ninja World will be unified sooner or later."

He tilted his head slightly, his scarlet pupils reflecting the morning light, radiating a bone-chilling coldness.

"Since they cannot help but jump out, then let us take this opportunity—"

"To make them understand."

"That Konoha is the only master of this world."

As his voice fell, his figure was shrouded in the interplay of dawn and shadow, like a king looking down upon all living beings.

Nara Kashima opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to offer more advice, but ultimately chose silence.

He took a deep breath, lowered his head, and said respectfully: "As you command!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than he turned and departed, beginning to disseminate this earth-shattering news.

However, the ones first shocked by this news were not the great nations of the Ninja World, but the interior of Konoha itself.

"War... is coming again?"

"Konoha against the entire Ninja World? How is that even possible?"

"Although the Fifth Hokage is astonishingly powerful, the scale of this war is simply too exaggerated..."

The village was abuzz with discussion, various voices rising and falling one after another.

Most people were still immersed in the aftermath of the "Night of Clan Extermination" that had occurred not long ago, and had not yet fully adapted to Konoha's new order; now, suddenly facing a war of unprecedented scale, many could not help but feel trepidation and unease.

Some ninjas, beyond their shock, carried a hint of excitement.

"Perhaps... this is the glorious era that belongs to Konoha?"

But more people felt worry, fear, and even dissatisfaction.

Especially among some of the older generation, complaints had already begun to surface.

"The Night of Clan Extermination has only just passed, and now we are declaring war on the outside world; this is far too extreme!"

"I said it long ago, letting a mere brat ascend to the position of Hokage based solely on strength would never lead to a well-governed Konoha!"

The ones speaking were none other than the elders of the Hyuga Clan.