A fight to the death to settle every grudge!

What?!

What did Bai Ye mean by that?!

Nobody present was stupid. Was he going to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi?!

Good grief!

That took some serious guts!

Perhaps they had thought about it before. Since Bai Ye had already gone this far...

He might as well pull the problem out by the roots!

Of course, they had only entertained the thought.

After all, openly declaring that you wanted to kill the Hokage...

That was outright treason!

But Bai Ye had actually said it!

Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's expressions changed, and they shouted angrily, "Bai Ye, don't you dare!! You're actually planning to kill the Hokage!! This is treason!!!"

"Treason?! You killed so many people back then, and now nobody else is allowed to strike back?! Let me make this clear today. Let's see just how many people are willing to stand up for you!"

After saying that, Bai Ye made no further move. He merely turned to look at the people around him.

His words left everyone present silent.

Hyuga Hiashi did not even look their way, clearly unwilling to intervene, while many other clans also chose to watch from the sidelines.

Among the Anbu, one man was also torn, unsure whether he should intervene.

As for the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans, Choza Akimichi looked utterly strained as he turned to Shikaku Nara. "What do we do?! Should we step in?!"

This situation was seriously wrong!

If they did nothing now, they could hardly justify it.

After all, their Ino-Shika-Cho clans were staunch allies of the Sarutobi Clan.

But the situation had taken a troubling turn.

If Bai Ye had not said those things, perhaps the people present would not have stood by while he attacked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Attacking Danzo was acceptable!

After all, he had violated the village's taboos.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi was still the Hokage. What would outright killing the Hokage amount to?!

Yet once Bai Ye exposed what Hiruzen Sarutobi had done, the situation became entirely different.

How had they never realized that Hiruzen Sarutobi had done so much?

No...

They could have known. They simply had not wanted to think about it.

Or rather, because the blade had never fallen on them, they had felt no pain.

It still had not, even now.

But they could sense that if they truly allowed things to keep going this way...

Nobody could guarantee that the blade would not fall on them someday.

"This is trouble..."

Hearing his words, Shikaku Nara's brow furrowed even deeper.

In truth, once Bai Ye said those things aloud, there was no room left to maneuver.

He simply had not expected Bai Ye to be so direct.

"We can't just stand here and watch, can we?!"

Inoichi Yamanaka hurriedly spoke up as well.

If they merely watched, what would their supposedly steadfast alliance even mean?!

"Then how are we supposed to stop him?! One wrong move could plunge Konoha into civil war and mutual distrust!"

Shikaku Nara sounded helpless as he answered.

Deep down, he knew perfectly well that he had no way to stop this.

The Hyuga Clan clearly would not help, and many other clans were merely watching.

Were the Ino-Shika-Cho clans supposed to act alone?!

Their clans did not have many shinobi to begin with. Once they made a move, the Uchiha Clan would never stand idly by.

With the other ninja clans refusing to intervene, they and some of the Anbu would, at best, be evenly matched against the Uchiha.

They might even find themselves at a disadvantage.

He could not even be sure those people would not be swayed by the Uchiha.

But just as Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka had said...

Saying nothing and doing nothing now clearly was not an option either!

At that thought, Shikaku Nara let out a long breath, stepped forward, and looked at Bai Ye. "Clan Head Bai Ye, may I ask a few questions?!"

"Go ahead."

Bai Ye nodded. If he was going to do this, his actions had to be justified.

Nobody stepping forward now would actually be the biggest problem.

After all, if nobody stepped forward, it could mean that even those dissatisfied with his actions dared not speak openly, while still harboring resentment.

Besides, there were many things he had yet to explain before taking action.

"First, on what grounds are you attacking Lord Hokage and the others?! Are these your reasons?!"

That was Shikaku Nara's first question.

He was challenging the legitimacy of Bai Ye's actions.

First, they needed to clarify a very serious issue.

If Bai Ye was acting because of those past incidents, then even Shikaku felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi's handling of them had been deeply problematic.

But he did not think that reason was enough.

"Because of a personal grudge!"

"..."

Seriously?!

Did he have to be so blunt?!

He had asked for a reason. Bai Ye could have invoked justice or something else to gloss over the matter.

Perhaps everyone would have accepted it.

But he had never imagined Bai Ye would be this straightforward.

He had actually stated outright that he was attacking Hiruzen Sarutobi over a personal grudge.

"This is what we Uchiha have endured ever since the Second. Under Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo's rule...

"We were forced to leave our original clan grounds, ostracized by everyone in the village, and surrounded by Anbu surveillance. It even escalated to stealing our Uchiha bloodline.

"Let me ask everyone here: if you were Uchiha, would you react any differently?!

"Does anyone honestly believe Hiruzen Sarutobi knew nothing about what Danzo did?!"

Bai Ye's words left Shikaku speechless.

Would they?!

Of course they would!

If this had happened to them, they could never have tolerated it!

First they had been ostracized and targeted, then their bloodline had been stolen.

Given Danzo's actions, he probably really would have moved against the Uchiha next!

So whether they acted in self-defense or over a personal grudge...

There was absolutely nothing wrong with striking back.

Just as Bai Ye had said, could Hiruzen Sarutobi truly have been unaware?!

How could he possibly not have known?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi had definitely known about this. Everyone present understood that perfectly well.

His grip on Konoha was such that he had kept control of the Anbu even after stepping down.

Everyone knew that, so naturally, they also felt that Bai Ye had a fair point.

"Then, hypothetically... if you take action, what do you envision Konoha becoming afterward?!"

Shikaku Nara's question made everyone present hold their breath.

To think that Shikaku Nara would ask such a thing.

But it was indeed something everyone present wanted to know.

If a fight was necessary and Bai Ye ultimately succeeded, what would Konoha look like under him afterward?!

"So you want to keep living in fear like this... no... as allies of the Sarutobi Clan, naturally, you don't need to worry about such things, do you?!"

Bai Ye spoke mildly, but the moment he finished, Shikaku's expression changed.

The other ninja clan heads immediately turned their gazes on him.

How could he fail to realize that this development was anything but good for him?!

Everyone knew about their alliance. Originally, he could still have asked Bai Ye questions, perhaps even found some flaws in his arguments.

Then he could have persuaded Bai Ye not to act just yet!

If Bai Ye held off, they could at least have a chance of saving Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't they?!

In Shikaku's view, the Third would probably have to step down this time.

But surely they could at least keep Hiruzen Sarutobi from dying?!

Whether for Hiruzen Sarutobi or Bai Ye, this hardly seemed like a good outcome.

After all, Bai Ye would earn a reputation for killing his own village's Hokage.

That could not be good for him either, could it?!

But Bai Ye gave him no opening whatsoever.

Clearly, Bai Ye had placed him on Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, as someone who benefited from his rule.

He was even grouping them into the same faction.

Shikaku understood perfectly well that he could no longer speak.

Any further questions would be linked back to Bai Ye's point that he was an ally of the Sarutobi Clan.

Even the rest of Ino-Shika-Cho could no longer speak up.

"Everyone, today is about personal grudges, and it's time to put an end to all of this. I'll fight all four of them alone. Once either side dies, every grudge between us will be settled!"

Bai Ye gave Shikaku no further chance to speak.

He had said almost everything he needed to say to him. Now he only had to wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Would he dare accept?

There was no denying that everyone present felt considerable admiration for Bai Ye.

After all, he was taking on four opponents alone.

Although Danzo was practically crippled now, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were jonin at best, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was Kage-level.

He would still be facing an attack from four people at once.

And he could openly declare that this was a personal grudge, and that once either side died, all grievances would be settled. Even Hyuga Hiashi admired that kind of resolve.

This man had truly considered everything they could think of-and everything they could not.

Now everyone was waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and removed his Hokage hat, then looked firmly at Bai Ye. "Come, then. Even if I win, I won't kill you. After this, every grudge will be settled!"

He knew perfectly well that if he refused now, Bai Ye would never accept it and would attack outright.

If he would not go with dignity, Bai Ye would give him a dignified end.

More importantly, if he refused, his reputation in the village would be utterly ruined.

Yes...

Thinking carefully about everything Bai Ye had said, much of it truly had been his fault.

He could not refute it.

Perhaps the time had come for him to repay his debts.

With even his last shred of dignity stripped away, he knew there was absolutely no escaping this now.

"Sarutobi, have you lost your mind?!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu froze for a moment, then immediately demanded an answer.

Seriously?!

What was this supposed to mean?!

A fight with their lives at stake?

And he had actually agreed to Bai Ye's demand. As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi had accepted such an outrageous proposal.

"Heh. Do you think he'll let you go?!"

Danzo sneered, though his feelings were rather complicated at that moment.

He had never expected to fight alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi one more time before his death.

Even before Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed, Danzo had realized that this was no longer theirs to decide.

After all, Bai Ye would never let them go.

He had made it clear that he intended to deal with the three of them. Hiruzen Sarutobi's agreement merely gave them a little more dignity.

Hearing that, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fell silent.

However unwilling they were to accept it, they realized that Danzo might truly be right.

"Then let's go to the Forest of Death. We won't fight here. Whoever wins, every grudge will be settled in the end. Even if I die, nobody else is to hold the Uchiha responsible.

"I will take full responsibility for all of this!!!"

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly displayed the bearing of the Shinobi Hero.

Perhaps Bai Ye was right. Even if he died, he would not simply wither away, waiting for death in his old age.

He would die in battle, just like the other Hokage!

Of Konoha's four Hokage, if he alone clung to life, what would that make him?!

He also knew that although Danzo bore some responsibility for the current situation, the greater share lay with him. If not for his own indulgence...

The village and the Uchiha would never have reached this point.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was well aware of many of the things Bai Ye had mentioned earlier, and he knew exactly what had caused them.

So he would shoulder it all, regardless of whether he won or lost what came next.

Just like that time he had stepped forward to cover the retreat.

Even knowing he might die, he would never back down!

He would not allow the title of Hokage to become a disgrace because of him.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi said those words, everyone present fell silent. No one interfered any further.

In the past, a duel to the death like this would never have been allowed.

But those involved had already agreed. Both sides had even said that it would settle their grievances once and for all. To everyone else, this was the best possible resolution.

"Then I'll wait for you in the Forest of Death."

With that, Bai Ye vanished from the spot, and the Uchiha left along with him.

Then Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others disappeared as well, leaving those who remained exchanging uncertain looks.

"What do we do?!"

"Go!"

After saying that, Shikaku Nara immediately left, heading toward the Forest of Death.

Then the Ino-Shika-Cho, Hyuga Hiashi, and the elite ninja of the Anbu, Root, and other groups all vanished from the scene.

Meanwhile, a crowd had already gathered in the Forest of Death.

Word had spread. If not for the dangers of the Forest of Death, even the villagers would probably have come.

By now, who in the village could possibly not know what had happened?

The Uchiha Clan.

A vortex appeared before Uchiha Itachi. When he saw who had arrived, a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I already told you I won't work with you. Why have you come again..."

"It looks like the Hokage and your Clan Head are about to have their final showdown. Don't you want to watch?!"

Obito cut Itachi off.

Things really were getting interesting!

Uchiha Bai Ye had actually chosen to fight Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If not for the information White Zetsu had relayed, he would have suspected it was false!

At that moment, practically every ninja without a mission had made their way to the Forest of Death.

They were ready to watch this fight to the death that would settle all grievances!