Blood-Red Battle Beneath Brilliant Fireworks

These people made no attempt to hide it. They wanted to tell the Uchiha plainly: We have come to take your lives. You cannot run.

They would let the Uchiha Clan experience what true despair meant.

"I want revenge for my son. He was only three years old."

"My wife died protecting my daughter, and my daughter did not survive either. I am the only one left. Tonight, I will avenge my wife and child."

"To hell with only killing the younger generation. I will not spare a single man, woman, child, or elder."

"Hahaha... I want Uchiha women groveling at my feet."

Before hatred, discipline and orders had completely lost their effect. Madness was steadily consuming reason.

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

Some Hidden Leaf ninja who had forcibly entered Uchiha homes were swallowed by blazing explosions.

"Looks like Fugaku Uchiha transferred the people away beforehand."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's cold gaze swept across the surroundings. The deserted Uchiha Compound was deeply unsettling.

Choza Akimichi's voice was deep and forceful, his face utterly expressionless.

"Lord Third, the Uchiha could never have escaped our surveillance. They must still be here."

With two fingers pressed to his forehead, Inoichi Yamanaka suddenly opened his eyes. "I sense them. They are ahead."

Hisss!!!

Venomous snakes silently emerged from the darkness, their forked tongues flicking as their cold eyes fixed on them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to sense something. His expression tightened, and he abruptly stepped half a pace back.

A venomous snake flashed past his face from the right.

Whoosh!

The snake was cut down.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Orochimaru, whom he had failed to find, and hurriedly warned everyone, "Be careful. There are venomous snakes."

In the darkness of night, Hiruzen Sarutobi's warning seemed terribly weak.

Venomous snakes struck at the necks of Hidden Leaf ninja from the shadows.

"Ah!"

One unlucky Chunin clutched his agonizing neck. Pain twisted his face as he grabbed the snake with both hands and flung it to the ground.

Smack!

The unlucky Chunin angrily stomped the snake to death.

But it was already too late. The venom had entered his nervous system through the wound.

Soon, the Chunin collapsed to the ground with foam spilling from his mouth and his face turning blue, his entire body convulsing without end.

Quite a few Hidden Leaf ninja had been hit. The snakes came in swarms, as though they had fallen into a nest of vipers. For a time, they could not kill them all.

The pitch-black street was illuminated as the streetlights suddenly came on.

Under the bright lights, the snakes vanished. Even the snake corpses were gone.

If not for their comrades' corpses still lying there, they would have truly thought they had just been trapped in a genjutsu.

More than fifty ninja had died to the snake attacks alone. Before they had even seen the enemy, their numbers had already been reduced.

Woof! Woof! Woof!!!

"Damn Uchiha Clan."

Tsume Inuzuka, red inverted triangles painted on her face, rode over on her ninja hound.

"Lord Third, the Uchiha have most likely already set an ambush. We cannot let our guard down."

Shibi Aburame, who usually had little presence, stepped forward with his hands in his pockets and warned, "Everyone, be careful. I have lost contact with my insects."

Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted coldly. "No matter where the Uchiha have laid their ambush, tonight's outcome has already been decided."

"Is that so?"

Fugaku Uchiha's icy voice came from the end of the street.

From around the corner, Fugaku Uchiha strode out in traditional Uchiha battle armor.

Behind Fugaku Uchiha stood a tightly gathered group of red-eyed ninja.

Those pairs of Sharingan looked especially terrifying beneath the dim yellow streetlights.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Orochimaru, Uchiha Shisui, and Hizashi Hyuga stood atop separate utility poles.

Orochimaru let out a sinister laugh. "Teacher, it has been a long time."

Seeing his former disciple standing against him, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face instantly darkened. "Orochimaru, it is not too late to turn back."

Orochimaru let his hands hang naturally at his sides and gave a cold smile.

"Once the windmill starts turning, there is no going back. I have no road of retreat. Xiu Uchiha can give me what I want."

Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer wished to speak. He raised a hand. "Words are useless."

"Since you have made your choice, do not regret it."

"End this battle quickly."

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi gave the order, the Hidden Leaf ninja who had long been unable to restrain themselves scattered and encircled the Uchiha.

Since the Uchiha wanted to resist, then they would kill every last one of those who resisted. Even if Xiu Uchiha returned, he would have no right to blame them.

Roar!!!

Fugaku Uchiha touched his slightly blurred eyes and activated Susanoo without hesitation.

"Those who invade our compound will die."

"Clansmen, follow me and slaughter them all."

Fugaku Uchiha charged forward directly. A single punch from Susanoo smashed several people into pulp.

"Hidden Leaf lapdogs, none of you are leaving tonight."

"For the Uchiha, kill!!!"

Even when facing more than a thousand enemies, the Uchiha clansmen charged without the slightest hesitation.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.

Fire Style: Wind-Fire Lotus.

Fire Style: Sealing Fire.

Do not think that the Uchiha Clan's greatest specialty, Fire Style, could not burn people to death.

Once those terrifying flames engulfed the body, the intense heat would evaporate every drop of moisture from it.

At the same time, a signal flare exploded in the night sky. Beneath those brilliant fireworks, a brutally cruel battle was underway.

At the Hyuga Compound, the fully prepared Hyuga ninja saw the fireworks exploding in the sky.

Munemasa Hyuga, an Elite Jonin of the main family, widened his Byakugan with a savage expression and shouted.

"Clansmen, our Uchiha brothers need us."

"Charge out."

Eight Trigrams: Rotation Palm.

"Anbu, I have put up with you for far too long."

Kill!!!

Apart from leaving some people behind to protect the clansmen, Hiashi Hyuga had committed all remaining forces to support the Uchiha.

The Anbu, whom Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned to monitor and guard against the Hyuga Clan, could only retreat under pressure.

"Branch family, hold them back. Main family, follow me to support the Uchiha."

Munemasa Hyuga roared as he issued clear and orderly commands.

In the Hokage's office, Hiashi Hyuga, who had been held back by Minato Namikaze, looked at the fireworks in the night sky and smiled mockingly.

"Fourth Hokage, is this the outcome you wanted to see?"

Minato Namikaze's gaze wavered. After a moment, his eyes became resolute.

"No matter what, we did this for the peace of the Hidden Leaf."

Hiashi Hyuga laughed wildly. "Then what makes you think you will win?"

"Because Xiu Uchiha has left the Hidden Leaf?"

"Aren't you worried that Xiu Uchiha will disregard the war at the front and turn back to deal with you?"

"I do not want this either." Minato Namikaze looked out the window with a complicated expression. "After tonight, everything will return to how it was."

"As long as the Uchiha Clan remains in the Hidden Leaf, Xiu Uchiha will not do that."

Hiashi Hyuga merely laughed at those foolish words.

Based on what he knew of Xiu Uchiha, if this had not been a scheme laid out by Xiu Uchiha himself, he would probably have simply allowed the Mist Ninja to ravage the Land of Fire.