The words of Mirai made Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widen in disbelief.
He had expected that Mirai might target Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. But he had never imagined that Mirai would dare to annihilate the Shimura, Mitokado, and Utatane clans entirely!
Was this man completely devoid of concern for the consequences? Did he not fear that other clans in the village would feel threatened and unite against him?
Without a trace of sorrow for his companions' deaths, Hiruzen murmured softly, "Why did you kill so many people? Aren't we all family in this village?"
Mirai sneered. "Family?"
"Are you referring to Danzo Shimura, who schemed tirelessly to exterminate the Uchiha clan? Or Koharu Utatane, who abused her authority to embezzle the Uchiha's assets? Or perhaps Homura Mitokado, who constantly stirred up trouble for my clan?"
"And you, Third Hokage…"
"Always guarding against the Uchiha, excluding the very clan that helped create this village from the core of its power, and assigning ANBU to monitor us around the clock. Are you what you call family?"
"You don't feel ashamed saying that, do you?"
Mirai scoffed, his tone full of disdain.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi and his allies had ever truly regarded the Uchiha as family, there would have been countless ways to resolve the village's tensions with the clan. The Uchiha wouldn't have faced the brink of annihilation, and he wouldn't have had to endlessly worry about breaking free from this predetermined fate.
After living in the ninja world for more than a decade, Mirai had experienced firsthand just how malicious the treatment of the Uchiha clan had been under Hiruzen's leadership.
Hiruzen retorted, "Everything I've done has been for the village."
"You're an Uchiha yourself—you should understand your clan better than anyone. The stronger an Uchiha becomes, the more extreme their behavior gets. When they lose their bonds of love, they… they lash out in madness against the world."
Mirai interrupted coldly, "Then give me an example."
Hiruzen hesitated before replying, "For instance, Uchiha Madara!"
Mirai shook his head dismissively. "Madara simply saw the flaws in this village and sought to establish a new order. That has nothing to do with the nonsense you just spewed."
Seeing Hiruzen fall silent, Mirai continued in an even tone: "The Uchiha have always fought on the front lines for this village, never abusing their authority or shirking their duty. Countless members of my clan have sacrificed their lives for Konoha, and when Madara departed, the entire clan chose to stay, to make this village their home."
"Yet despite all of this, we were met with suspicion and exclusion. Any expression of dissatisfaction was met with accusations of instability."
Mirai let out a mirthless laugh. "Is being submissive livestock all that will satisfy you?"
"For the village?"
"What a joke."
Mirai's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, detached expression.
"Three days from now, the village will host the Joint Chūnin Exams. As the Hokage, you are required to attend."
"Otherwise… the Sarutobi clan will meet the same fate as the Shimura clan."
Mirai had no intention of continuing this argument. When Orochimaru exposed the deeds of Hiruzen and his allies during the Chūnin Exams as planned, the world would judge them accordingly.
As the seals and chains on his body were undone, Hiruzen felt a small measure of relief.
If this was a multi-village event, then surely Mirai wouldn't act against him in front of so many witnesses.
Perhaps if he cooperated, there might still be a way to maneuver out of this situation. At the very least, he needed to ensure the survival of the Sarutobi clan.
...
Konohagakure
Standing before Konoha's towering gates, the Fourth Raikage clenched his lone fist tightly.
He had envisioned storming these gates with his forces countless times before—dreams for which he had sacrificed an arm.
If not for Uchiha Mirai…
Ay's aura flared uncontrollably, prompting the two Konoha guards, Yamashiro Aoba and Kamizuki Izumo, to rise warily.
"Raikage-sama, calm down!"
Samui, her golden hair shining in the sunlight, spoke in a stern tone.
Ay regained his composure, glanced at the guards, and snorted before striding away.
This time, he was determined to gather as much intelligence as possible. Only then could Kumogakure's next assault on Konoha succeed.
After Kumogakure's group departed, a large, muscular shinobi approached the gates, carrying an elderly man with a prominent nose on his shoulder. They paused before entering.
The old man looked up at the gates and sighed. "So many years… I never thought these old bones would return here."
"Father," the burly shinobi asked, "you've been to Konoha before?"
The old man nodded. "I have. And let's just say it wasn't a pleasant experience. Let's hope this time is better."
"Let's go, Kurotsuchi."
"Yes, father."
About an hour later, a group of shinobi wearing Kirigakure headbands arrived at the gates, led by none other than Gengetsu Hōzuki.
"Finally, we've made it to Konoha."
Terumi Mei smiled brightly.
"Mei-senpai, you seem quite excited," remarked a young shinobi, Mangetsu Hōzuki.
"Of course," Mei replied. "Konoha has no shortage of handsome men. I'm sure I'll enjoy myself."
Mangetsu tilted his head. "I heard you have a thing for Uchiha Mirai?"
Mei froze momentarily before waving her fist playfully. "Who told you that nonsense?!"
Mangetsu scratched his head. "What do you mean by that?"
Mei quickly dismissed the topic, turning her attention to the Chūnin Exams.
"Listen up. This is a chance to prove ourselves. Make sure you don't embarrass Kirigakure in front of everyone."
A nervous boy with glasses spoke up hesitantly. "Mei-senpai, I… I'm not confident."
Before Mei could respond, Mangetsu clapped the boy on the shoulder.
"Chōjūrō, don't worry. I'll lend you my Hiramekarei if it'll help."
"Really?!" Chōjūrō's eyes widened. "But what about you?"
Mangetsu smirked. "Don't worry about me. I can use all seven blades. Besides, we've got someone amazing on our team this time."
He turned to the silent boy beside him, flashing a mischievous grin.
"Isn't that right, Zabuza?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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