At that instant,
Everything went silent.
Everyone present shared the same thought—
It's over.
Truly over now…
Everything…
Beyond any hope of redemption.
At this point, there was no room left for compromise or reconciliation.
Between the Uchiha clan and Konoha's top brass…
it was a fight to the death.
After all, the man just killed was the Hokage's own son—Sarutobi Hiruzen's flesh and blood!
An elite jōnin, head of the Anbu, the Hokage's right-hand man, one of the top figures in the entire village—
And he was simply… slain by Uchiha Chiyu!
In that moment, both sides—the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha clan—were stunned speechless, incapable of uttering a word. Only Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart-wrenching scream tore through the air, shredding everyone's eardrums, shredding everyone's hearts…
Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Yakumi, and the others felt their hearts pounding wildly as they looked at Chiyu in disbelief.
He… he really did it!
He actually killed Hiruzen's own son!
While some of the Uchiha—especially Chiyu's subordinates, and Aoki and Yamakaze's comrades—couldn't help but feel a dark, vengeful satisfaction, they all swallowed hard.
This demanded an almost unimaginable level of bravery, gall, and resolve…
Uchiha Fugaku also stood wide-eyed, as though he'd lost his soul.
"Th-that lunatic really…"
He glanced at the Anbu on either side of him, who had been restraining him. Now they were so shocked they forgot to even pay attention to him…
But the most horrified and despairing of all was, of course, Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He gazed at his own child, brutally cut down before his eyes, consumed by a fury, hatred, grief, and hopelessness too overwhelming for words. In that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't the Third Hokage of Konoha—
He was just an ordinary father.
On his face… there weren't even tears to shed.
All that remained in the deep lines and furrows was absolute anguish.
With a thud, the once-mighty Hokage fell to his knees, unable to bear the heartbreak of burying his own child. Only then did the two Anbu nearest him jolt awake, rushing forward to support him.
"H-Hokage-sama…"
"Lord Hokage, please, you—"
Hiruzen fought his way back to his feet, seeming at that moment to have aged decades.
His withered face looked devoid of life—
Yet something remained:
Hatred.
Squeezing out the words from between clenched teeth, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spat,
"Kill him!"
At those words, the elite shinobi from Anbu headquarters formed a semicircle, chakra surging at once, prepared to strike at any moment.
Meanwhile, from the Uchiha side—Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Yakumi, and the two squads loyal to Yakumi and Chiyu—instantly activated their Sharingan, poised for a final showdown.
Fugaku was still in Anbu custody, and the Uchiha numbers here barely reached a dozen. If a fight broke out, the outcome seemed obvious.
But right at that moment…
Uchiha Tekkā and Uchiha Inabi arrived, leading the rest of the Police Force!
They'd been on standby all this time, knowing the critical moment had come.
Now both sides—the entire Anbu and the Uchiha Police Force—faced each other across the battlefield.
Even so, the Police Force likely remained at a disadvantage, but there was no going back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen roared once more:
"Kill him!"
Just then, Chiyu suddenly spoke:
"Why is that, Lord Hokage?"
Hiruzen's agonized shriek tore out: "You—you killed Shinnosuke, and you think you can live?!"
Chiyu replied placidly, "Everyone I've killed was someone who deserved to die."
"Shut up!"
"It's just the truth."
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke, out of revenge for Nichio and Jirō, specifically targeted me. He exploited my suspension, colluding with a Kirigakure spy imprisoned by Anbu, along with seven Anbu jail wardens, to set up a trap that left two of my subordinates severely injured—one near death.
"Colluding with outside enemies, conspiring against fellow Konoha shinobi…
"In any other village, what Shinnosuke did would be an unforgivable crime.
"Tell me, Lord Hokage—what exactly is wrong with me killing him?"
At that moment,
Shimura Danzō arrived at last with his Root forces, evidently prepared for battle. Meanwhile, many other clan ninjas across Konoha had long since sensed the disturbance. Though they didn't show themselves, their chakras hovered on the periphery, silently watching.
Hiruzen obviously felt it too. He gritted his teeth, forcing calm.
"Uchiha Chiyu," he said hoarsely. "Forget your so-called allegations for a moment. You're not even in the Police Force now…
"What right did you have to take Shinnosuke's life?!"
Chiyu answered calmly, "The same right your Anbu had when they plotted against a fellow Konoha ninja.
"If you consider that fair, then my revenge is fair as well."
Hiruzen's voice was raw and ancient.
"I've already said…
"We have zero proof that Shinnosuke framed anyone, but you killing him was witnessed by all—myself included!"
Chiyu replied, "We do have proof. Yamakaze is our best witness—
"It's merely a question of whether you choose to believe him."
Hiruzen retorted icily, "Can a single man's word sentence my son to death?!"
"That's the Anbu's specialty," Chiyu said.
"Your close subordinates surely have ways of interrogating people for the truth."
Hiruzen's heart jumped.
"Very well! Hand Yamakaze over to me."
Chiyu smirked with faint mockery. "I'm afraid not.
"You're Sarutobi Shinnosuke's father, and even as Hokage, you can't guarantee no partiality."
Hiruzen fumed, "So we're supposed to believe your empty words alone, condemning Shinnosuke to death?!"
"No. I'm just saying someone else can handle the investigation…"
"Who?"
Chiyu pointed toward the last group of Anbu to emerge from headquarters. At their head stood a masked figure resembling a cat, with unruly silver-white hair impossible to hide.
"Him."
It was none other than…
Hatake Kakashi.
At this time, Kakashi—having lost Obito at Kannabi Bridge, watched Rin die, and survived the Nine-Tails' attack—had fallen into deep gloom and joined Anbu as a squad captain.
Chiyu believed he was one of the few who could be trusted to some extent.
Kakashi's face fell. He didn't know why he was being dragged into this mess, but he knew how colossal the stakes were. Even if he was the famed genius ninja, White Fang's son, student of the Fourth Hokage, the youngest Anbu squad leader—it didn't matter. He was powerless in a storm this huge.
Hiruzen, sensing Chiyu's intention, also understood half of Konoha was watching his next move. A rash action would destroy the "image" he'd carefully maintained all these years.
He drew a long breath. "Fine! Kakashi, I'm giving you full authority to investigate this matter."
Kakashi sighed inwardly. This was basically a hot potato, or a death sentence in different wrappings. Yet he had no choice but to nod.
"Understood, Lord Hokage."
"However…"
Hiruzen's voice was bleak. "Until the truth is revealed, Chiyu, you'll remain confined in the Anbu prison!
"That's reasonable procedure, don't you think?"
Uchiha Chiyu merely gave a small, indifferent smile.
"I accept."
"Captain Chiyu!"
"Chiyu—!"
The gathered Uchiha cried out in alarm. They all knew what awaited him in an Anbu jail… likely a fate worse than death. Yet Chiyu offered no protest.
Because…
He had already gained enough Virtue Points. At that moment, he allocated them into his Sharingan's ocular power.
Indeed…
Uchiha Chiyu had finally awakened that legendary power—
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
~~~
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