"Am I destroyed?"
That was the only thought in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind as he stared blankly at the cleanly carved out hole in the Hokage Rock.
Then, in an instant.
He turned his head and glared fiercely at Uchiha Itsuki, his expression as if he wanted to tear him apart piece by piece.
Shame!
This was the greatest humiliation he had ever experienced!
"Itsuki Uchiha, what have you done?"
Nara Shikaku roared in fury, "You actually destroyed the Hokage Rock?!"
He was truly enraged.
This was an act of defiance!
An unending challenge!
That was the Hokage Rock, the symbol of Konoha!
You destroyed it, do you think the people of Konoha will let this go?
We were on the verge of a temporary truce, so why are you stirring up more trouble?
Do you really not care about the Uchiha clan standing behind you?
Itsuki looked at him with a smile, "Do you know why I destroyed the Hokage Rock?"
Everyone glared at him coldly, remaining silent.
The Konoha shinobi, who had just retreated, regrouped once again.
Itsuki wasn't expecting them to answer. Ignoring their movements, he continued, "Because no one was there."
He pulled out another remote control and said, "Now tell me, where should I blow up next? And this time, will I manage to kill someone?"
With those words, the faces of everyone present changed.
The move to surround Itsuki was halted.
Itsuki turned to Nara Shikaku and said, "How about blowing up the Nara Clan next?"
"Do you dare?"
Nara Shikaku finally lost his composure.
His entire clan was there.
His wife, his children, everything he cared about was there.
If something happened to them, his life would be over too.
To make it worse, the Nara clan could cease to exist.
While there were many Nara clan shinobi in the army who could carry on the legacy, the elderly, women, and children were all at the clan grounds.
The resources were there too.
If something happened to the Nara compound, do you think the other clans of Konoha would stand by and watch them rise again?
"You're so aggressive, I really don't dare."
Itsuki put on a frightened expression and said, "How about I blow up the Akimichi or Yamanaka clans instead? Or maybe I should take care of all three of you—Ino-Shika-Cho together? In the next life, you can be brothers again."
"You…"
Nara Shikaku's face twisted with rage, just about to shout, but he saw a cold glint in Itsuki's eyes, and his finger hovering dangerously over the remote control.
He immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head.
He didn't even dare to look at Itsuki.
The sacred Hokage Rock was blown up—did you really need to ask if he dared to blow up somewhere else?
Or, would you like to bet that he hadn't planted explosive tags in various clan compounds?
If you dare to bet your entire clan's life, then I'll salute you!
"That's more like it, no need to shout and scream. You're not young anymore, not some impulsive kid."
Itsuki smiled and pressed the button.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion echoed through the village.
A cloud of dust was blown into the air.
The tremendous shockwave swept across the surroundings.
The entire village shook.
The people of Konoha were stunned by the scene before them.
"Itsuki Uchiha!!!"
Nara Shikaku screamed in fury and immediately moved to attack.
"Don't get excited!"
Itsuki quickly said, "I pressed the wrong button, that wasn't the Nara clan. This one is!"
He pulled out a new remote, saying, "The one I just pressed seems to have been for the Hachima clan."
Nara Shikaku froze, instinctively asking, "Really, you're not lying?"
"I promise!"
Itsuki raised three fingers and said, "If I'm lying, may that old man Sarutobi die a miserable death!"
"…"
Itsuki glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi and added, "Not you, your grandson!"
You might as well have not explained at all.
Sarutobi glared coldly at Itsuki.
Hachima!
That was a small shinobi clan in Konoha.
Though small, they still provided dozens of shinobi for Konoha.
And now, their entire compound had been wiped out!
Itsuki Uchiha, you vile Uchiha, you deserve death!
Attack!
Wipe out the Uchiha!
Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to shout these words.
But!
He didn't dare.
Was that really a mistake just now?
No, it was clearly a show of power.
If you make a move, who will he blow up next? There's no telling.
Itsuki Uchiha knows the Flying Thunder God Technique; he could sneak into any clan's territory and place explosive tags without much effort.
Maybe even the Sarutobi clan...
Even if his own clan wasn't rigged with explosive tags, and because of his order, other clans were wiped out, the returning shinobi would lose their minds!
Nara Shikaku grew even more cautious.
The Hachima clan was right next to the Nara clan, which is why he assumed the explosion was aimed at them.
In his moment of panic, he decided to attack.
But in the end…
A single glance from Itsuki put him in a genjutsu.
Thankfully, he was an experienced jōnin and managed to break free.
"We can't win!"
"There's no way we can win!"
Nara Shikaku felt bitter.
He was an experienced jōnin, yet in front of this young man, he let his guard down and fell for a trap.
And!
What do you mean you pressed the wrong button?
Were you actually about to press it for real?
If you hadn't made a mistake, would you have blown up the Nara clan?
"Why is it so quiet?"
Itsuki smiled, "Everyone, everyone, relax a little. At worst, it's just a boom on a sunny day. Eighteen years later, you'll make a grand comeback with a flash of lightning. Why so tense?"
"Itsuki Uchiha, what is it you want?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi growled.
"300 million ryō!"
Itsuki said with a smile, "You give me 300 million ryō, and I'll take the Uchiha clan and leave Konoha immediately. How about that?"
Sarutobi was about to respond when Itsuki raised the remote, "Do you need me to get a little excited? I'm telling you, I get nervous easily, and one slip of the finger, I might press the wrong button."
Sarutobi fell silent.
Everyone around him fell silent.
The battle instantly came to a halt.
Blood tears streamed down Setsuna face, and his breathing grew weak.
No one else knew, but his vision was already blurry, and his entire body was in unbearable pain.
This was the side effect of using Susano'o.
His eyes—his Mangekyō Sharingan—were on the verge of being destroyed.
"I can use it one more time!"
Setsuna knew his Mangekyō Sharingan was at its limit, and if he used it again, it would be ruined for good.
He glanced at Itachi.
If his eyes were ruined, the future would depend on Itachi.
But…
His gaze shifted to Itsuki Uchiha.
You've surprised me once again!
So, you planned to lead the Uchiha clan out of Konoha in broad daylight. This wasn't some impulsive move.
You had prepared for this all along.
"300 million is too much, Konoha can't afford that!"
Sarutobi coldly replied, "I can give you 100 million at most."
"Lord Hokage, you're being too harsh with the bargaining!"
Itsuki frowned, "You cut 200 million just like that. No way, absolutely not. 500 million ryō, at least 500 million, and I'll leave immediately!"
"You…"
Sarutobi felt his heart begin to race again.
I lowered it by 200 million, and you raised it by another 200 million!
So what was the point of my bargaining?
(End of Chapter)