Chapter 8

"To tell the truth, the arrival of you five is very useful for what is about to happen. In a little while, some guests will arrive, and at that moment, I will need you to help me create a strong front. Initially, I didn't intend to rely on you, but seeing how things are... I can only count on you!" Kazuya looked at Shisui, who seemed shaken. This damn idealist hadn't given up on his impossible fantasies yet.

Despite already having awakened the 'Kotoamatsukami,' an ocular technique capable of altering the will of others, it was obvious that Shisui knew very well that the idea of the village and the clan coming to an understanding and turning conflicts into peace was completely impossible.

Of course, if Shisui decided to use the Kotoamatsukami, then it might be possible for the Uchiha to fully integrate into the village, but... that was impossible to happen. First, the chances of him having enough ocular power to do so were questionable. After all, we're talking about hundreds of people in the Uchiha clan. Second, even if he could use his genjutsu, who could guarantee that the elders of Konoha wouldn't continue to covet the Uchiha? After all, this genjutsu is very powerful; how could the elders of Konoha sleep peacefully knowing that an Uchiha possessed a power that could control them without them even knowing?

Kotoamatsukami is an extremely powerful technique. If Kazuya had to say, it was the most powerful genjutsu in the ninja world, unless you're an Uchiha who knows Izanagi. It's practically impossible to resist this ocular technique.

Such power was granted to an idealist...

Even knowing that his ideals were clearly impossible to achieve, Shisui stubbornly held onto the will of fire inherited from his ancestors.

Looking at Shisui, who had been deeply affected by recent events, Kazuya shook his head, knowing that he couldn't trust him at the moment.

"Kazuya, what exactly happened?"

Uchiha Masaki looked around, his gaze fixed on the deformed bodies, his face growing darker with each passing moment. "Who attacked you?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Danzo! That old bastard! Daring to even attack our clan within Konoha!"

Danzo's reputation among the Uchiha was terrible, especially among Masaki and his friends, who were close to Kazuya and harbored strong resentment against him.

"It's alright, Masaki, we have no way to prove it was Danzo, and frankly, even if we did, it's unlikely we can do anything against the Hokage's assistant. It would only bring trouble to our clan leader."

"Kazuya, the plan... when are we going to execute it?"

Uchiha Suzuko.

At 15 years old, two months younger than Kazuya, and a childhood friend who grew up with him. She was promoted to Jounin at the end of last year, less than six months ago. But even as a newly promoted Jounin in the Uchiha clan, she was strong enough to require at least two Jounins to face her, unless someone was certain they could resist the illusions of the Sharingan.

"Hey, Suzuko, Shisui is still here!"

Masaki signaled with his eyes.

Unfortunately, the clumsy beauty of the Uchiha clan misunderstood Masaki's intention and instead asked, "Masaki, did sand get in your eye? Why are you blinking rapidly?"

"Hahaha!"

Uchiha Yakumo, who enjoyed observing the confusion, held his belly and laughed.

"Hey, you guys, stop fooling around. Masaki, you don't need to worry either. Coincidentally, I talked to Shisui during the day and already told him about the plan," Kazuya intervened in time, preventing the situation from getting out of control. "Suzuko, have patience. We can't bite off more than we can chew. When the right time comes, I'll let you know."

"I understand..."

Suzuko nodded and went back to being quiet in her place.

"Shisui, he... Kazuya, are you sure everything is okay?"

Masaki approached Kazuya, casting a furtive glance at Shisui, who was still dazed, and whispered, "He's always been close to the village, maybe he won't support our plan. If he tells the clan leader before the time is right, all our work will have been in vain."

"Don't worry, Shisui still cares about the clan. Even if he doesn't help us, he definitely won't hinder us."

On the other hand, no one could have expected that the eldest son of the clan leader would become the perpetrator of a massacre within the clan.

"If you say so, I trust you!"

Masaki didn't ask any more questions; it was clear that he had a lot of trust in Kazuya.

As the eldest in the group, he naturally took on the responsibility of taking care of a bunch of troublesome kids, somewhat voluntarily and somewhat by force. Because of that, he ended up developing a stable and reliable character, putting aside the arrogance and impetuosity of a genius he once had.

"No more idle chatter. Our 'honored' guests are about to arrive. Stay alert and don't let them underestimate us, after all, we belong to the Uchiha."

Kazuya stood up, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked in the southwest direction.

There, a large fire was still burning.

But in the blink of an eye, waves of crystalline water rolled in, extinguishing the flames. Suddenly, the surroundings darkened, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly. The soaked earth rose and then split apart on both sides to create a clear path.

"Incredible! This is the first time I've seen such a powerful Earth Style technique... the person who used this technique is a true elite!"

Uchiha Yakumo, always so... frivolous. His old habit of chattering couldn't be resolved, no matter how hard they tried.

In the middle of that opened path, a group of people was running towards them rapidly, and leading this group was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, wearing a tight black combat outfit. The man known as the 'God of Shinobi,' despite being sixty years old, still had a powerful aura that made his enemies feel powerless in his presence.

"What an impressive arrival, don't you think, Kazuya?"

"Yakumo, shut up! Otherwise, I'll have to silence you for the sake of everyone here."

"I'm just telling the truth. Why do you always treat me like this, Masaki?"

"I've already told you, be quiet, or I really will be forced to silence you."

Feeling Masaki's deadly glare, Yakumo, clearly unhappy, turned his face and fell silent.

So far, he had fought Masaki thirty-seven times and lost every time... and seeing Masaki's fierce look, he wisely backed down.

Kazuya ignored the exchange of affections between his subordinates and took a few steps forward, meeting the Hokage and the two elders.

"Lord Hokage, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Kazuya."

The Third Hokage approached Kazuya, stopping his steps when he was close, and greeted him.

Then, he waved his hand, directing his troops into action. Medical ninjas immediately surrounded Naruto, carefully conducting a check-up on his body, while a group of masked ANBU ninjas disappeared into the shadows around, presumably to investigate.

After his troops began working in an organized manner, the old man, whose face already displayed several age spots, finally turned his attention to Kazuya, who was standing before him.

"I apologize for making you wait, Kazuya."

"Don't worry, sir, you're very kind."

"So, could you explain to me exactly what happened here?" The Third Hokage asked, looking completely unaware of what had occurred.

"I was taking my sister's classmate home when we were attacked by unknown enemies. I'm not sure how many of them there were, but I can say that four of them managed to escape. I intended to go after them, but I was afraid that Naruto might be attacked. Furthermore, to ensure Naruto's safety, I was forced to kill the remaining enemies. I was afraid that leaving any of them alive could bring trouble to Naruto and the village."

"I see. Were you able to identify the attackers?"

"No, the attackers had a strong self-destruct seal on their bodies. I tried to investigate, but I found nothing. However, perhaps the elite ANBU ninjas can find something, so I stayed here to protect the scene. I just didn't expect the Hokage himself to come personally."

Kazuya skillfully answered the Third Hokage's questions, despite his dislike for the old man, he knew that at this moment, he could only endure and respond to the questions that were asked.

At this moment, one of the ANBU ninjas who was investigating the bodies seemed to have discovered something and approached quickly. He glanced at Kazuya, who was near the Third Hokage, but before he could say anything, the Hokage gestured for him to speak, "If you've found something, just say it. There's no need to keep it from others."

"Yes!"

The ANBU ninja, responsible for handling the bodies, replied respectfully and without hesitation, he began to report quickly, "Lord Hokage, we examined the bodies and didn't find any objects that could identify the deceased. However, the undergarments of the deceased are made in a way with excellent defense that contains traces of Earth Style, a material that is rarely used in the Land of Fire but is in high demand in the Land of Earth."

Land of Earth?

Kazuya had to hold back from laughing. Looking at the fallen ninjas, it was obvious they belonged to Konoha and the Root. Unfortunately, he couldn't say that, otherwise, it would be difficult to leave without a battle.

Looking at the serious expression of the Third Hokage, Kazuya knew what he needed to do.

"Let's see how long you can maintain this facade, you old bastard..."