Where the leaves dance, fire is born and never dies

After weighing the pros and cons, Sarutobi Hiruzen began to retreat, though his eyes remained locked on Uchiha Izuna, his hands clasped behind his back, ready to weave hand signs at any moment.

Just then, Hyuga Hiashi spoke in a resonant voice: "Sarutobi, I ask you, do you still remember the original intent behind the founding of this village?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shuddered upon hearing this voice. He turned his head to see Hyuga Hiashi, dressed in white, walking slowly out from the crowd, his expression solemn and grave.

"Hyuga Hiashi, don't tell me you intend to meddle in today's affairs! Don't say I didn't warn you—if this fails, your Hyuga Clan will face the same fate as the Uchiha Clan!" Sarutobi Hiruzen was not afraid of Hyuga Hiashi; he hadn't been before, and he certainly wasn't now.

Veins bulged at the temples of Hyuga Hiashi. He looked toward Uchiha Izuna, who nodded and let out a sharp whistle. In an instant, two figures shattered the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hokage's office and flew inside.

Simultaneously, two Susanoo arms erupted outward—one a vibrant, life-force-infused emerald green, the other a deep, crimson red radiating extreme destructive power.

Both hands reached out at once, pinning Sarutobi Hiruzen's arms to his sides.

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze. He immediately tried to channel his chakra to exert force, but he was held fast by the skeletal hands of the Susanoo and could do nothing.

"You... are you Uchiha people trying to stage a coup? Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, you two traitors! I trusted you both so much, and yet you've joined forces with Uchiha Izuna to suppress me!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was laced with resentment and fury.

Though he cursed Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui, his gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Izuna.

If he wasn't mistaken, the shift in the Uchiha Clan's attitude and the change in allegiance of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi were all orchestrated by this young man before him.

Having been plotted against by Shimura Danzō and nearly losing his Mangekyō Sharingan to Kotoamatsukami, and with Uchiha Itachi having witnessed his best friend being hunted down, neither felt a shred of guilt at Sarutobi Hiruzen's words.

Since you were heartless first, don't blame us for being unrighteous. If not for the tacit approval of the Third Hokage, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi would never have believed that Shimura Danzō would dare to recklessly strip a fellow villager of their Kekkei Genkai!

However, they were actually misjudging Sarutobi Hiruzen on this point; he truly knew nothing of that specific incident, and he was effectively taking the fall for Shimura Danzō.

Hyuga Hiashi watched Sarutobi Hiruzen with satisfaction. This disheveled, pathetic state was exactly what suited him; Hyuga Hiashi still remembered the face Sarutobi Hiruzen wore back then, half-threatening and half-suppressing.

That high-and-mighty attitude, preaching morality while sacrificing his own village's ninjas to buy peace—Sarutobi Hiruzen was simply unforgivable!

Hyuga Hiashi looked at Uchiha Izuna, who smiled and extended his right hand in a gesture of invitation.

The next moment, in full view of everyone, Hyuga Hiashi walked toward the restrained Sarutobi Hiruzen. He assumed a combat stance and roared, "Sarutobi Hiruzen, when you sacrificed my brother's life, did you ever think this day would come!"

Hyuga Hiashi thrust his right hand out, striking the pressure points on Sarutobi Hiruzen's body!

Bang!

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a muffled grunt of pain, and his right arm went limp, his chakra flow severed. He knew the Hyuga Clan's ability to seal pressure points.

Yet, this was his first time being the target. He sneered, "Traitorous scum! You are just like the Uchiha Clan—traitors to Konoha!"

"Damn it, say that one more time!" Uchiha Izuna was so angry he laughed. He stepped directly in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen and delivered a resounding slap to his face!

Smack! The crisp sound made the villagers and clan members, already shocked to their cores, tremble in their hearts. They exchanged glances.

The Hokage—no, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen—had just been slapped in the face????

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned. You could strike his body, you could seal his points, but to slap his face? He stared blankly at Uchiha Izuna, his once kind and hypocritical expression twisting into something grotesque.

"Uchiha Izuna, you wet-behind-the-ears brat, you dare lay a hand on me? Do you have any idea how much would have been lost during the Second Shinobi World War if not for me!"

"How dare you, a beneficiary of my work, lay a hand on me? Did you fight in the Second Shinobi World War? You weren't even born yet!" Sarutobi Hiruzen lashed out.

"Heh, Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Indeed, no one denies your contributions in the Second Shinobi World War. But have you ever heard the saying: merits are merits, faults are faults, and one cannot cancel out the other."

"Do you intend to rely on past achievements to keep draining the essence of Konoha? Persecuting innocent heroes? Oppressing the children of heroes?"

"I recall a line from your Will of Fire: 'Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire burns. The shadow of the fire illuminates the village, and the leaves will sprout anew.' This philosophy is about inheritance—the older generation sacrificing themselves so the new buds can thrive. Under the efforts of the old, the new generation should grow strong, right?" Uchiha Izuna said with a dark expression.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened, staring at Uchiha Izuna in utter disbelief. He had not expected Uchiha Izuna to have such a profound understanding of his own philosophy.

His indignation began to dissipate, and his expression toward Uchiha Izuna became complex.

Uchiha Izuna suddenly raised his voice: "Hokage-sama! Tell me, does everything you have done since the Second Shinobi World War truly align with your original intent and the ideals you hold in your heart?"

"All these years, you've constantly ceded interests for the sake of 'peace,' and the standard of living for everyone has plummeted. Is this really the Will of Fire?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face twitched at Uchiha Izuna's words. His eyes began to well up, and he thought of his younger self, of his original aspirations.

In this moment, he lost the will to resist. He wanted to concede, even feeling the weight of death.

"What... what have I done all these years?" Sarutobi Hiruzen awoke with a start. He looked at his own hands, trembling all over.

Uchiha Izuna signaled for Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui to let go. The two exchanged a look and finally nodded.

Sarutobi Hiruzen knelt on the ground, weeping as he stared at his hands. From this moment on, he was no longer the high-and-mighty Sarutobi Hiruzen, but an old man—an old man who had rediscovered his original heart!

Seeing this, Hyuga Hiashi wanted to continue his assault, but he found he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had, after all, grown up listening to Sarutobi Hiruzen's lectures.

He knew how diligent and ambitious the young Sarutobi Hiruzen had been, how everything he did was for Konoha. It was only later that he had been blinded by power, his original intent devoured by the desire for control.