Hiruzen Sarutobi was a deeply contradictory man.
He could sacrifice everything for Konoha, but he could not relinquish control over it. Power had already corrupted his original intentions.
He did not believe he had done anything wrong. He only believed that everything he did was for Konoha, and therefore right.
Far away in the Hokage Office, Minato Namikaze's expression changed drastically when he saw the specially made signal flare in the night sky. He vanished from the spot in an instant.
"It's finally come to this. It's time to end it."
After seeing Minato Namikaze disappear, Hyuga Hiashi's lips curled slightly. Unhurried, he leaped through the window and gave chase.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato Namikaze instantly arrived at the Uchiha Compound.
Minato Namikaze's arrival would immediately turn the entire situation around.
Minato Namikaze stood in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at Fugaku Uchiha, and said with a face full of apology, "Fugaku, I'm sorry. This needs to end."
Looking at Minato standing before him, Fugaku Uchiha instantly recalled what Uchiha Kyu had told him. It was a resounding slap to the face.
"Hahaha..." Fugaku Uchiha threw back his head and laughed, a trace of relief flashing through his eyes.
Sure enough, outsiders could not be trusted.
Relying on others was worse than relying on oneself.
The path he had once taken really had been wrong.
"I was wrong." The obsession in Fugaku Uchiha's eyes gave way completely to madness as fury surged through him.
Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo was instantly clad in impenetrable armor.
"Shisui, leave the Fourth to you."
Knowing he was no match for him, Fugaku Uchiha had Uchiha Shisui stop Minato Namikaze.
"Leave it to me."
Though still young, Uchiha Shisui's face was already smeared with blood, making him look terrifying. The blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes had already fallen into madness.
"Shisui, huh? Then let's see what you can do."
Calm-faced, Minato Namikaze hurled kunai after kunai, preventing Uchiha Shisui from getting close.
"Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Body Flicker Technique."
Even Minato Namikaze could not locate Uchiha Shisui's true body. The instant Minato appeared, he would be attacked, leaving him no opening to strike.
But Uchiha Shisui had already used up more than half his chakra. If this dragged on, he would be no match for Minato Namikaze at all.
And as the Fourth Hokage, how could Minato Namikaze possibly be no match for Uchiha Shisui?
Minato Namikaze rapidly formed hand seals, and Uchiha Shisui suddenly found his surroundings plunged into darkness.
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique."
This was a genjutsu invented by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, specifically to counter the Uchiha Sharingan.
The caster remained outside the darkness, while the target immediately lost all light and was trapped in a dark environment.
"Ultra-Great Rasengan."
A green-armored Susanoo instantly appeared and blocked Minato Namikaze's sneak attack.
"A genjutsu?"
Uchiha Shisui calmly assessed his situation.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities truly are formidable."
Having failed in his sneak attack, Minato Namikaze was in no hurry. He calmly searched for his opponent's weakness.
Minato Namikaze was temporarily held back by Uchiha Shisui.
Although the Uchiha ninja held every advantage of timing and terrain, the Konoha ninja still far outnumbered them.
The casualties continued to rise, yet not a single Uchiha clansman chose to retreat, because their families were behind them.
"Amaterasu."
Fugaku Uchiha released the flames of Amaterasu, burning one death warrior after another to death.
"Summoning Jutsu."
The instant Orochimaru summoned Manda, the arrogant serpent shouted, "Orochimaru, I want five hundred sacrifices."
Orochimaru had long been accustomed to this and replied blandly, "I'll give them to you afterward."
"Deal." Satisfied, Manda lowered his head toward the Konoha ninja on the ground and swallowed them in a single bite.
Nearly half the buildings in the Uchiha Compound had become ruins.
The houses burned ever more fiercely, thick smoke and raging flames blotting out the sky and moon.
Explosions sent countless sparks flying in every direction.
The sounds of shouting and killing drowned out the crackling of the flames.
Even caught between attacks from both sides, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others still held an overwhelming numerical advantage.
Hyuga Hiashi arrived and joined the battle. Every Hyuga clansman and every Uchiha clansman fought while drenched in blood.
Even the Root Organization forces who had come as reinforcements fought fiercely. The youngest among them, Uchiha Itachi, displayed outstanding combat instincts in battle.
He did not hold back just because they were ninja from the same village. On the contrary, his clean, decisive killing only highlighted his talent for battle.
Surrounded and attacked by three Chunin, Uchiha Itachi displayed nimble movements, evading one lethal strike after another.
Using the enemy's kunai wire trap against them, Uchiha Itachi landed on one foot atop a blade hilt embedded straight into the ground, then used the kunai in his hand to sever the steel wire beside him.
The three Chunin, who had thought victory was assured, were instantly bound hand and foot by the steel wires, unable to move.
"Before these eyes, every one of your movements has already been seen through."
Uchiha Itachi swiftly killed all three. The Two-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes gleamed brilliantly beneath the night sky.
Uchiha Kyu silently appeared atop a utility pole behind the compound, calmly watching the battle ahead.
A kunai covered in disgusting saliva was embedded in that utility pole.
After this battle, pairs of Sharingan would be born, each one bought with the blood of Uchiha clansmen.
The Uchiha's numbers would be optimized in quality, and their strength would increase substantially.
Uchiha Kyu's plan to leave Konoha for the front lines this time had been highly successful.
First: people like Hiruzen Sarutobi, who refused to submit to him, would all step forward, allowing him to see their hidden cards and eliminate forces that threatened him.
Second: use these people to further strengthen the clan as a whole.
Third: break their spines and make these ninja clans obediently become well-behaved dogs.
Fourth: battle on the battlefield could accelerate the speed at which his progress bar reached one hundred percent.
Tonight, Uchiha Kyu would completely break their spines.
He would make these ninja clans go weak in the legs upon hearing the name Uchiha, crawling on the ground to willingly become obedient dogs.
As though sensing something, Uchiha Kyu turned his head and saw someone who should not have been here appear in a concealed corner.
A sly smile appeared on Uchiha Kyu's face. "Perhaps things will become even more interesting shortly."
"Minato Namikaze, it seems even fate is on my side."
"Will tonight be your final dance?"
"I'm truly looking forward to it."
Having lost Susanoo's protection, Uchiha Shisui's left arm was injured by the Rasengan, leaving him unable to fight.
Most of his chakra had been depleted, and he could no longer use the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Clan Head, was all of this really within your calculations?"
Using the Body Flicker Technique to reach Huo Uchiha's side, Uchiha Shisui looked at the fallen clansmen around him, his eyes misting over.
But the price was truly too great.
Huo Uchiha shielded Uchiha Shisui behind him. Even the blade in his hand had been chipped dull.
"Shisui, are you alright?"
"My chakra is exhausted. I can't fight for the time being."
Uchiha Shisui swallowed two Soldier Pills and slowly recovered his chakra.
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