The Reaction!

"For the Uchiha!"

"For the Will of Fire!"

"For the Will of Fire... For the Will of Fire..."

The passionate, thunderous cries rang throughout the Uchiha Clan Compound, startling even the Root members standing guard outside. They hurriedly sent a warning signal to the village, then began making preparations for battle.

They waited a long time, but no Uchiha came to launch the planned coup. Only then did the terrified Root underlings resume their security duties with peace of mind.

Not far from those Root underlings, countless Kikaichū invisible to the naked eye swarmed around the barrier of the Uchiha Clan Compound. After confirming that this was not the start of a war, they too settled down again.

Meanwhile,

the various shinobi clans throughout Konoha, all closely watching events unfold, felt as if they'd just ridden a roller coaster. Their emotions twisted in every direction, and it was hard to say whether they felt relieved or disappointed...

"Sarutobi, you'll regret this!"

Inside Root Base, in the village's northwest corner, Shimura Danzō wore a dark expression. He stared coldly at the two Anbu Ninja before him and couldn't help sneering inwardly.

At the very northern edge of Konoha, a figure resembling a monkey stood atop the Hokage Building, which looked like a steamed bun. He gazed into the distance toward the southwest, his expression complicated.

"The Will of Fire, huh..."

The upheaval within the Uchiha Clan was like a boulder crashing into a still pond, sending countless ripples through Konoha.

But none of that could affect the people gathered within the barrier of the Uchiha Clan Compound—especially Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, who stood amid the thunderous cries.

"How could this happen!"

At the very front of the jonin ranks, Uchiha Shisui's face had gone pale. His heart, already torn between his clan and the village, now throbbed uncontrollably.

He had always sensed the pressure the village leadership put on his clan, but he'd believed it was a necessary measure by the Third Hokage to maintain peace. It was all an expression of the noble Will of Fire.

But now...

Uchiha Jin's words were nothing like the usual sophistry, the usual nonsense about how the Uchiha's will was the Will of Fire.

Starting from the village's origins and aspirations, he had not only stirred the clan members' belief in the Will of Fire, but had also stripped away Sarutobi Hiruzen's polished façade at its very source.

Sending children not even ten years old to the battlefield was in no way consistent with the Will of Fire. And if this Hokage supported the oppression of the Uchiha Clan, even indirectly, could that really be consistent with the Will of Fire...?

Uchiha Itachi, standing on the platform, looked dazed as well. But even at seven years old, he was already capable of thinking like a Hokage. Rather than waver, he only came to understand more deeply that the conflict between the village and his clan was irreconcilable.

"Shisui!"

"You have to believe in Lord Hokage..."

Though Uchiha Itachi didn't say the second sentence aloud, his sharp call and the burning conviction in his eyes finally brought Uchiha Shisui back to his senses. He gazed at the dashing figure on the platform, his expression deeply conflicted.

Tsk...

So Talk no Jutsu really wasn't that easy to pull off!

Changing someone's beliefs with mere words was so absurd that only a chūnibyō protagonist in a shōnen manga could manage it...

Uchiha Jin had seen the exchange between Shisui and Itachi. Though he felt a little disappointed, he wasn't surprised.

Shisui was one thing. The guy was so weak-willed that even after being ambushed and having his eye gouged out, he wouldn't fight to the death. He just wanted to die. Even if Jin shook his resolve, it wouldn't matter.

The guy was already useless at his core!

And then there was Uchiha Itachi!

In Uchiha Jin's memories, Itachi was a cold-blooded monster who would wipe out his entire clan for his little brother and the village...

The Uchiha Clan wasn't made up entirely of hard-liners who wanted a coup. Some of its shinobi would never even awaken the Sharingan in their entire lives. In theory, they posed little threat to the village.

More importantly, there were plenty of elderly people and children in the clan. These ordinary people couldn't awaken the Sharingan, and many of them weren't even shinobi.

But regardless of age or sex, whether they were old men in their sixties or seventies or toddlers just learning to speak, he slaughtered them all.

Even Uchiha Jin, who stood to make a huge profit, had never considered doing something like that. But Uchiha Itachi, who couldn't gain a single thing from it, had gone ahead and done it...

What a lunatic!!!

At that moment, Uchiha Jin was even more determined to deal with Itachi and Shisui as soon as possible. After all, he already considered the Uchiha Clan his private property.

Anyone who touched his cash crops would pay with their life!

For the Uchiha Clan's rise, and for the Will of Fire to shine upon Konoha!

Uchiha Jin sneered inwardly, then continued using Talk no Jutsu on the Uchiha gathered before him.

Having gone through nine years of compulsory education, Uchiha Jin's art of overthrowing the dragon might not be able to reform the deranged, but persuading these simple-minded Uchiha was a piece of cake.

I'm a pro at twisting concepts!

"For the Uchiha Clan's rise, and for the Will of Fire to shine upon Konoha!"

"For the Uchiha Clan's rise, and for the Will of Fire to shine upon Konoha!"

"For the Uchiha Clan's rise, and for the Will of Fire to shine upon Konoha!"

Thunderous cheers rose from the crowd once more. Uchiha Jin's smile onstage grew brighter and brighter. At last, under Uchiha Fugaku's complicated gaze, Jin raised a hand again to signal everyone to calm down.

"Itachi, what comes next isn't suitable for children. Go stand off to the side!"

Uchiha Jin gave Uchiha Itachi a playful glance. Before the cold little fellow could protest, he kicked him flying toward the VIP platform.

Hmph!

Without the Mangekyo awakened, Uchiha Itachi was just a "little brother" in Jin's eyes. No matter how gifted or clever he was, he had no chance of resisting Jin.

Hmph!

Uchiha Fugaku snorted and caught Uchiha Itachi as he flew toward him. But his anger had faded by now. He passed Itachi behind him, then ignored his eldest son, who was secretly rubbing his backside.

Uchiha Jin's speech had stirred Uchiha Fugaku's blood as well. But what interested him more now was the method Jin had mentioned for increasing the clan's overall strength. Compared to that, a little embarrassment for a child was no big deal.

"Good!"

Uchiha Jin nodded in satisfaction toward the VIP platform, then swept his gaze over the crowd once more. A faint killing intent stirred in his heart, but it vanished in an instant, unnoticed by Uchiha Shisui, whose mind was in turmoil at the front of the ranks.

"The Uchiha's glory is forged through blood and fire. So, I hereby announce the World's Number One Ninja Tournament!"

"Now! Let the tournament begin!"