Yorin's killer instinct said this wouldn't be simple.
Given Kiri's surging anti-Yagura sentiment, he landed on a hard conclusion:
"So convenient? Their anti-Yagura coup just happens to overlap with my Norman Conquest?"
Watching the gate grind open, he felt a twinge of pressure. If Kiri wasn't confused but prepared, this could be different—the traps laid for Yagura would fall on their heads.
While Yorin weighed it, the others sensed trouble too. Shisui asked:
"Yorin-nii, what now?"
"Press the attack," Yorin's eyes flashed—decision made.
In the original history, Kiri saw multiple uprisings against Yagura: the Seven Swords' desertions, the Kaguya revolt, finally Genji's successful coup. Odds are there were more. All but the last were put down by the "useless" Obito.
If even that clown suppressed them, why can't I?
Plan for the worst. Yorin steeled himself.
"Assume all the bloodline clans rise at once—Kaguya, Hōzuki, Yuki, and assorted hangers-on. Can I hold it?"
Answer: Yes.
No problem.
"So," he said aloud, linking minds with genjutsu, "watch my signal."
"Prepare: if my worst case hits, Kiri's anti-Yagura forces will strike as soon as he 'returns'—no, they may have already cleaned out his loyalists while he was away."
"…Hn. Then they've saved us the trouble," Fugaku blinked, then grinned. "Let Kiri's loyalists and rebels bleed each other dry—perfect for conquest."
"Exactly… let's go meet Kiri's 'elite'."
"Um," Shisui tried, "their goal is to oppose Yagura—and so is ours—so doesn't that mean…"
"Shisui," Yorin cut in, "you weren't about to say 'same goal, same side,' were you?"
"Of course not, but—"
Fugaku: "It's not what slogans we shout—it's who gives the orders here."
Yorin: "We didn't come to donate love. We came to conquer and rule. If the anti-Yagura crowd plays nice—great. But anyone who risks their neck to overthrow him isn't doing it purely out of virtue."
Fugaku: "So we fight. Hard. Beat them, and they'll understand who runs Kiri now."
Shisui fell silent. It stung his sense of justice—but he was a shinobi. After a breath, he set his jaw.
No matter the target, no matter the task—following Uchiha Yorin wouldn't lead him astray.
Next stop: the Mizukage Tower.
Kiri is a fortress—windowless stone roundhouses: housing, training, and bunkers in one. Thickened masonry shrugs off most jutsu, never mind weapons. Under invasion, Kiri's shinobi would hole up and grind an enemy down, then counterattack.
That was the plan.
Today, things were different.
Yorin's party walked unopposed to the largest bunker—the super-bunker.
Only Shisui remained at the gate, to receive Konoha's 1,500 once steel met flesh in the core.
Inside, Kiri's target was Yagura. They didn't know the man had been turned into a potted plant at Konoha Hospital.
Didn't matter. The killing intent said it all: they'd carve "Yagura's escort" to pieces and sell them to the highest bidder.
Nothing left to say.
Even easygoing Tsunade felt it: battle was inevitable.
They escorted "Yagura" into the tower. Doors boomed shut.
They didn't even wait for a smashed cup. Kiri's three great clans—and a crowd of jōnin—surged in, surrounding them.
"Yagura!"
At the fore stood Hōzuki Nuritsuki—a pompadoured, goateed man in a high-collared shirt. A Gengetsu fanboy in costume and conduct, he'd become figurehead of the revolt thanks to the Second's lingering prestige—not his power. If they won, he'd be the Fifth.
Not that he'd ever get the chance.
"We've decided! As of today—you're removed. Step down, or we'll do it the hard way!"
He addressed "Yagura," while the Kaguya behind him bayed for blood. Their war-madness rivaled the Hōzuki's—down to a diagnosable level. The "mild" lines were dismemberment and slow slicing; worse was vulgar family-targeting. Yorin was reminded that Kiri really was the Fire Nation of the Islands, shell-firing its own recruits.
After the barking, the Yuki clan head finally spoke:
"Our will is unanimous. Fourth—please abdicate."
"Do not defy the village. If you love it even a little—yield."
Silence fell. The rebels watched the handful of "Yagura" and his "escort", waiting for an answer.
They got laughter.
"Hmm—hmhm—hahahahaha…"
The one laughing was Uchiha Yorin.
He regarded the "gentle" Yuki clan head like a fool. "Since when did the Mizukage's seat go to whoever had more people? In our world, respect belongs to the strong."
As he spoke, his twin blades flashed free. All around, steel rasped as both sides discarded the niceties.
Words were over.
Only blades would speak.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!
Also, get 50% off your first month on every membership tier this December! Take advantage of this offer and join. Thank you!