After using Wood Release Power to heal the Uchiha clansmen, Uchiha Yu had been left with only about ten percent of his chakra.
An ordinary ninja would have been completely exhausted by then.
It was only thanks to his Sage Body that Uchiha Yu had retained some fighting strength and managed to trade several rounds with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He had fought while recovering as much chakra as possible.
Now, his chakra had finally recovered enough.
It was time to strike back!
"Great Luo Heaven!"
Uchiha Yu activated Great Luo Heaven for the third time.
The rocks around them rose into the air once more.
With the power of Uchiha Yu's eyes, they instantly formed a stone spear.
Several trees sprouted from Uchiha Yu's palm and wound around the spear.
A layer of wood covered the spear's surface.
Uchiha Itachi immediately understood.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames burst into life along the spear.
Amaterasu, which could burn anything!
The spear trembled incessantly, taking on the kinetic energy granted to it by Great Luo Heaven.
In an instant, it flew like lightning.
"Die!"
The spear shot straight at Sarutobi Hiruzen!
It was moving so fast that even Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback.
"Adamantine Prison Wall!"
The Adamantine Ruyi Staff in his hand split into dozens of rods, forming a cubic cage that enclosed him.
The spear slammed into the Adamantine Prison Wall!
The wall shook violently. At the same time, black flames engulfed it!
Uchiha Itachi calmly wiped the blood from his cheek.
Using his ocular powers for the first time took a great deal out of him.
But once he mastered them, as long as his eyes could endure it, using them at will would pose little problem.
"This is bad."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up and saw that Amaterasu had covered the area around him.
He had trapped himself.
"Earth Release..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was just about to use Earth Release to escape when several branches burst through the ground beneath his feet, forming a solid wooden platform.
Earth Release could pass through earth and stone, but it couldn't penetrate wood.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened.
The Monkey King was also in agony.
Only the Kusanagi Sword could pierce his defenses, but Amaterasu was no ordinary flame!
Even his Indestructible Adamantine Body could be harmed by it!
"Sarutobi, I can't hold on much longer."
The Monkey King sounded agitated.
He reverted to his true form and curled around Sarutobi Hiruzen, shielding him as best he could. Then he stomped against the ground, preparing to charge out.
But as he passed through the black flames, he saw Uchiha Yu blocking his path.
Yu pressed his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique!"
A giant tree shot up, transforming into a wooden golem over three men tall.
It was nowhere near as enormous as Senju Hashirama's, but it was impressive all the same!
The golem raised an arm and punched the Monkey King, sending him flying!
The Monkey King fell back into the black flames.
After several agonized screams, he had no choice but to undo the Summoning Technique and flee in a cloud of smoke.
Sarutobi Hiruzen lay sprawled on the ground, looking thoroughly battered.
He looked up at the two young men before him.
"You two actually managed to push me this far?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen got back to his feet. Without the Monkey King's help, his strength had taken a serious hit.
He looked up at Uchiha Yu, standing atop the wooden golem.
For a moment, he seemed to see Senju Hashirama.
Their figures overlapped.
The only difference was the Mangekyō Sharingan in Uchiha Yu's eyes.
"Was I really wrong?" In an instant, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to age ten years.
"The Uchiha era is about to begin," Uchiha Yu said with a smile.
He took the Ninja Blade from Uchiha Itachi, wrapping it in Fire Release chakra.
Then he walked toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, one step at a time, like an executioner.
"No clan will support you. Uchiha rule won't last more than a few days," Sarutobi Hiruzen said through gritted teeth.
"You're overthinking it. They're Konoha Ninja, not Sarutobi Hiruzen's Ninja." Uchiha Yu grinned. "Do you really think everyone belongs to Root?"
With that, he planted a foot on Sarutobi Hiruzen and raised his blade.
Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes.
He didn't want to keep fighting.
At this point, all he wanted was to die.
The battle was about to end.
With a wet sound, the blade pierced straight through Sarutobi Hiruzen's chest.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
Uchiha Yu dragged Sarutobi Hiruzen's corpse to the edge of the Hokage Building and hurled it down.
The ninjas still fighting below suddenly saw a body fall from the sky. They all shuddered.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen's corpse crashed down before them, everyone stared in shock.
"Lord Hokage has fallen?"
"Damn it! The Uchiha Clan got what they wanted!"
"Konoha is finished..."
One by one, the ninjas lowered their weapons.
Supporting Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Yu looked down at the crowd, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"We, the Uchiha Clan, only want to reclaim what was ours to begin with," Uchiha Yu declared. "Sarutobi Hiruzen owed our clan far too much! If he hadn't died, our innocent clansmen would have!"
During the seven years since his rebirth, Uchiha Yu had realized that while not every Uchiha was especially kindhearted, they were, for the most part, law-abiding.
If the clan were wiped out like this, it would be a true tragedy.
Looking at the wounded ninjas below, Uchiha Yu summoned Wood Release Power again.
A gigantic tree, more than ten meters taller than the Hokage Building, burst from the ground.
An endless stream of Wood Release Power flowed into everyone.
Regardless of clan. Regardless of allegiance.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Uchiha Yu stood on the Wood Dragon's back as it carried him to the top of the giant tree. He looked down over the crowd.
"Wood Release! So it really is Wood Release!"
"The God of Shinobi's techniques..."
"So this is the Uchiha Clan's trump card?"
Even though Senju Hashirama's era had passed, his name still carried tremendous weight.
He and Uchiha Madara had wielded Susanoo-clad Buddha and conquered four nations.
The shock and influence of that feat had endured for a hundred years.
"Is it really going to work?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked calm on the surface, but inside he was already overwhelmed with excitement.
A coup wasn't a good path, but it was the only one left to the Uchiha Clan.
It was a bloodstained road, but it could give the Uchiha a future!
A future where they wouldn't be exterminated, exploited, or ostracized!
Uchiha Fugaku lifted Sarutobi Hiruzen's corpse in one hand and raised it over his head.
"The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is dead! I, Uchiha Fugaku, will succeed him as the Fifth Hokage!"
Everyone fell silent.
The Konoha Ninja from the various factions, who had just been fighting each other, stood in silence for a moment.
Hyuga Hiashi drew a deep breath. Looking at Uchiha Yu on the Wood Dragon, a strange glint flashed in his eyes.
"Hyuga Clan, heed my order! Withdraw from the battle!"
The Hyuga Clan hadn't fought particularly hard in this battle. They had only gone through the motions.
Hyuga Hiashi had his own reasons: he wanted Uchiha Yu to become part of his family.
As the Hyuga Clan withdrew, the other clans gradually left the battlefield as well.
Only the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan remained, unsure what to do.
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