Uchiha Clan Joins Forces with a Great Clan, Raikage's Fury

Uchiha estate, inside the spacious and brightly lit hall.

Having just finished deploying the mission to guard the rear, Lu Ming sat upright in the seat of honor, preparing to muster the troops and launch a lightning campaign that would shake the Shinobi World.

Just then, the clan member in charge of receiving guests announced loudly from outside the main gate.

"Clan Leader! Hyuga Hiashi, clan leader of the Hyuga clan, has brought Hizashi Hyuga and is requesting an audience outside the estate!"

The announcement made the Uchiha leaders in the hall exchange bewildered glances.

As one of Konoha's other great dōjutsu clans, the Hyuga clan had always been at odds with the Uchiha. The two sides had openly and covertly struggled against each other in the village for decades.

At a time when Konoha was on the verge of war and the Uchiha had just declared war on Kumogakure, why had the Hyuga clan leader personally come to their door?

"Let them in."

Lu Ming waved his hand, his expression calm.

A moment later, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga walked into the Uchiha hall with heavy steps.

The usually proud and ceremonious Hyuga clan leader now wore an expression of deep exhaustion and resolve.

When he saw the dozens of Temple captains standing on both sides of the hall, each radiating terrifying chakra, Hiashi's pupils suddenly contracted. He was deeply shaken.

"Clan Leader Lu Ming."

Hiashi walked to the center of the hall. He had none of his usual pleasantries or reserve,

He took a deep breath, then actually dropped to one knee and performed an extremely solemn bow.

Hizashi, who had followed behind him, knelt without hesitation as well.

The sight made the Uchiha elders present suck in a sharp breath.

The dignified Hyuga clan leader had actually performed such a grand bow before the Uchiha clan leader!

"Clan Leader Hiashi, what is the meaning of this?"

Lu Ming sat calmly in the seat of honor, looking down at the two kneeling men.

Hiashi raised his head, his fists clenched tight.

"Clan Leader Lu Ming, my Hyuga clan has already been driven to the brink by the Konoha Leadership!"

Hiashi gritted his teeth as he recounted what had happened.

The Kumogakure Delegation had infiltrated the Hyuga clan grounds in the dead of night,

attempting to abduct Hinata, the eldest daughter of the main family.

To protect his niece, Hizashi had been forced to kill the Kumogakure kidnappers.

"But the Third Hokage and that old bastard Danzo refused to listen to any explanation!"

Hiashi trembled with rage, his voice shaking,

"They used both force and persuasion, claiming that the two great shinobi villages had declared war and Konoha was powerless to resist. They forced my Hyuga clan to hand over Hizashi's corpse and make him the scapegoat for Kumogakure!"

"That old bastard Danzo even pointed at my nose and cursed me, saying that if the Hyuga refused to hand him over, we would be sinners throughout the ages for provoking a war, and that our entire Hyuga clan would bear responsibility for Konoha's defeat!"

Hizashi lowered his head beside him, his voice bitter,

"Elder brother, for the sake of the clan, I'm willing to die."

"If my life can buy peace for the Hyuga and appease Kumogakure's fury, then it will be worth it."

"Shut up!"

Hiashi cut him off harshly, his eyes bloodshot as he roared,

"Do you think your death will satisfy Kumogakure? If we hand you over today, they'll demand Hinata tomorrow, and the Byakugan of every member of the Hyuga the day after!"

"The cowardice of the Konoha Leadership will only turn the Hyuga into pigs and dogs for others to slaughter!"

Hiashi raised his head and looked at Lu Ming, seated in the place of honor.

"I heard that Clan Leader Lu Ming not only refused the leadership's demand to hand someone over, but even declared war on Kumogakure outright."

"Clan Leader Lu Ming's boldness and resolve put me to shame!"

"The Konoha Leadership is rotten to the core. They cringe before outsiders, throw their weight around at home, and only sacrifice clans like ours to buy themselves a moment of peace!"

Hiashi took a deep breath and declared in a ringing voice,

"Today, I, Hiashi, have made my decision. I will never compromise with the leadership. The Hyuga clan is willing to fight alongside the Uchiha and face our external enemies together!"

The declaration caused an uproar throughout the Uchiha hall.

Konoha's two strongest dōjutsu clans had actually set aside a thousand years of enmity at this moment and chosen to join forces!

"Good! Very good!"

Lu Ming rose from the seat of honor and laughed aloud,

"Hiashi, you finally look like a true clan leader."

"Rather than kneeling while the leadership treats you as a sacrifice, it's better to stand and draw your sword against the enemy. That is the backbone a great clan should have!"

Lu Ming gladly accepted the Hyuga's allegiance. He walked down the steps and personally helped the Hyuga brothers to their feet.

"Since your Hyuga clan is willing to join the war, we are comrades who will fight back to back."

Lu Ming quickly issued the tactical arrangements,

"Your clan's Byakugan possesses the finest perception and the longest range of vision in the Shinobi World."

"I want you to immediately select the elite members of the branch family to serve as an advance reconnaissance force and thoroughly scout the movements of Kumogakure's army!"

"As long as you can pinpoint the coordinates of Kumogakure's positions, the Uchiha's Temple can unleash devastating firepower from beyond visual range and erase them completely from the map."

"I want Kumogakure to be blasted to ashes before they even see our faces!"

Hiashi's blood surged as he listened. He nodded heavily and shouted,

"Rest assured, Clan Leader Lu Ming! The Hyuga's Byakugan will ensure that nothing in Kumogakure can escape detection!"

The Hyuga's addition not only gave the Uchiha a powerful ally with top-tier reconnaissance capabilities, but also completely shattered the Konoha Leadership's scheme to sacrifice both clans and smooth things over.

The two great clans had joined forces and officially declared war on Kumogakure!

At the same time, far away in the Land of Lightning, in Kumogakure.

Inside the towering Raikage's office, the atmosphere was oppressive.

"Bang—!!!"

With a deafening boom, the sturdy desk made from premium Adamantine Wood was smashed into powder by a single massive hand!

"Bastards! Arrogant! They don't know when they're outmatched!"

Raikage A glared with bloodshot eyes at the bloodstained battle report in his hand and roared furiously.

"A mere Uchiha Family actually dared to kill my Kumogakure envoy, Lei Zang, and even brazenly declare war on our entire village?!"

The Raikage's chest heaved violently with rage. Spittle flew from his mouth, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Who do they think they are? Gods?!"

"One family actually dares provoke Kumogakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages? This is utterly laughable!"

Several elderly Kumogakure elders stood to one side of the office, watching the furious Raikage.

They, too, thought the Uchiha's actions were absurd beyond belief, but they could not conceal the wariness in their eyes.

"Raikage-sama, please calm down."

An old elder who had lost one eye spoke while leaning on his cane,

"Uchiha Lu Ming dared to wipe out the entire delegation and even declare war openly. That proves they have sufficient confidence."

"According to the intelligence, he not only possesses hand-seal-less ninjutsu, but even has the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan."

"So what if he has the Mangekyō!"

The Raikage roared, his fists cracking as he clenched them,

"My Lightning Release Chakra Mode is the fastest in the world. Can his eyes keep up with my fists? One punch from me will smash his eyeballs!"

"Raikage-sama, you must not underestimate him."

Another old elder swallowed and recalled that nightmare-like name,

"The Uchiha Clan has been a renowned shinobi clan since the Warring States Era."

"Back then... back then, that man named Madara Uchiha once shook the entire Shinobi World with nothing but a pair of eyes."

"That kind of power still sends chills down my spine whenever I think about it."