"Fourth Hokage, Commander."
"An unknown shinobi force of over a hundred has been detected on Konoha's eastern side."
"Kakashi-senpai has already led the ANBU to intercept."
Retsu reported solemnly.
Here we go!
Hakken let out a cold laugh.
Truth be told, he had thought any potential incident would occur inside the village itself. He never expected Obito to strike with such a stealthy assault.
One crisis had barely ended before another began.
Retsu had just departed when new intelligence arrived.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Unknown enemies have appeared in the northern sector of Konoha!"
"Report! A large number of unidentified enemies have also been spotted in the south!"
"Report! The Uchiha Clan patrol in the east has already engaged the enemy!"
As one messenger after another appeared, Minato's anxiety deepened.
"Hakken, I'm leaving this to you."
"I'll deal with the attackers."
As Hokage, he was duty-bound to appear on the battlefield.
Even though his wife was in labor and needed him by her side, the duty of a Kage came first. When the village was in danger, he had to stand at the front.
And with his most trusted disciple here, he believed everything would be fine.
But just as Minato was about to leave, Hakken suddenly grabbed his hand.
"The duties of a Hokage are important, but remember this, Sensei."
"You're also a father."
"A husband."
"If you can't even protect your family, how can you protect the village?"
Shaking his head, Hakken slung his blade over his shoulder and started for the door.
"Also, trust your subordinates. Every one of them was chosen because they have the resolve to die for Konoha."
"Stay here and look after your wife. Leave the rest to me."
"Back then, when I stood at the ANBU exit, you were the only one beside me."
Tilting his head, Hakken flashed a bright smile.
"You placed your trust in me. I'll repay it with a new Konoha!"
"After today, Konoha will change completely!"
"And..."
"Minato-sensei, remember what I once told you."
"You can always trust Konoha's Kenpachi."
"Wait for my signal."
...
"Hiruzen."
At the entrance of the Root Division base, two old men sat frozen over a shogi board.
Outside the village, the roar of battle shook the air, and Danzō's smile grew wider.
"You still have time to play shogi? You're the Third Hokage—shouldn't you be protecting the villagers?"
The plan was already in motion.
As the first piece landed on the board, he could already see the outcome. This game, in the end, would be his victory.
What did it matter if Hiruzen was watching? He had already prepared everything.
"What have you done?"
Hiruzen's hand trembled slightly as he held the piece, his face darkening.
"Nothing much. Just reestablishing Konoha's order—restoring this village to its rightful path," Danzō said calmly. "I'm about to succeed. Since you no longer wish to be Hokage, I'll take matters into my own hands."
The shogi piece landed with a heavy thud. The state of the board shifted dramatically.
The tension between the two surged and fell like waves, neither realizing that every move they made was being observed from the shadows—by a pair of unique Mangekyō Sharingan eyes.
...
War erupted.
Villagers watched in panic, fear etched on their faces. Yet their hearts found steadiness seeing that not a single Konoha guardian retreated; every ninja advanced in perfect formation, charging toward the outskirts to defend their home.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the Mitarashi residence at the heart of the village, Mitarashi Anko, Kurenai Yūhi, and the gentle little cat sat together.
Hakken had already given his orders—they wouldn't need to join this battle.
In truth, among the three girls, the strongest was Yugito Nii. But even with her strength, stepping onto the battlefield now would make little difference.
The girls sat close together, waiting for the chaos to subside. The air was heavy, filled with tension and worry. No one spoke.
Then, as if sensing something off, Yugito's eyes snapped toward the door.
A figure descended slowly.
"Two-Tails."
The hoarse voice behind the mask carried a dark weight, radiating power.
Obito Uchiha.
He had appeared.
And his target—was Yugito Nii.
The battle outside Konoha still raged, but to Obito, it was nothing more than a distraction. The Two-Tails and the Nine-Tails were his true objectives.
"You're here."
As the girls tensed, a boy stepped out from the room, sword resting casually on his shoulder.
All eyes turned toward him.
Hakken Yoru.
He was here too.
"Heh, not bad. You already know my target."
But instead of surprise, Obito crossed his arms and chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?"
Hakken's grip tightened on his blade, his tone mocking.
"I only came to test if you really understood my intentions."
"If you weren't here, I would've taken the Two-Tails."
"But your presence confirms that only the Fourth Hokage is with Kushina Uzumaki."
Obito's single Sharingan gleamed as he pointed toward Hakken. "Watch helplessly as your teacher, your loved ones, die in Konoha."
Boom!
A burst of smoke filled the air—and Obito vanished.
"A Shadow Clone!"
Yugito gasped.
"Big Sis, take them to the Konoha shelter."
Hakken didn't flinch. He gave the order calmly, stepping forward.
Only Yugito, who stood closest, heard him murmur under his breath.
"He really thinks he's clever."
"Sorry, Obito. But I'm just a shadow clone too. The real me has already prepared a nice surprise for you."
The Hakken Yoru standing there—was also a shadow clone.
But even his clone possessed enough strength to aid in the fierce battle raging outside the village.
Obito thought he had everything figured out, unaware of how deeply Hakken understood him.
The Two-Tails and the Nine-Tails—both were targets of the Akatsuki.
Though the tailed beasts were meant to be sealed into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path one by one, the One-Tail wasn't difficult to obtain, which meant one of Obito's immediate targets had to be the Two-Tails.
What Hakken hadn't expected was that Obito would truly believe this clone was his real body.
The Nine-Tails' Rampage had escalated in complexity because of his presence, yet every possible outcome had already been calculated by Hakken.
From the moment he left, Obito had already lost.
Konoha was now completely surrounded by enemies.
And to the astonishment of the evacuating villagers, the head of the Uchiha Clan was leading his people without hesitation straight into battle.
"My clansmen!"
"The moment of glory for the Uchiha has arrived!"
"Everyone remembers the Senju Clan as Konoha's founders, while we Uchiha have been forgotten!"
"Let them witness the peak power of the strongest clan of the Warring States era!"
Fugaku Uchiha's roar echoed through the air. The onlookers gasped as a massive, black skeletal frame rose from his body.
A single word thundered across the battlefield.
"Kill!"
Now, the ones standing to defend the village—were the proud and unyielding Uchiha Clan.
They had stepped forward.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/PinkSnake