The Hyūga brothers' "substitution plan" had not been reported in advance to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Naturally, he could not remain unmoved.
Especially since—
Moments earlier, Qianyu had killed the entire Kumogakure envoy delegation, and the two brothers had publicly expressed their gratitude…
How could Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart not be shaken?!
Of course.
Hyūga Hiashi was a smart man.
He understood that Uchiha Fugaku's reminder carried an implicit meaning of alliance.
If the Hokage was also dissatisfied with the Hyūga clan…
Why not cooperate with the Uchiha clan?
However, Hyūga Hiashi did not dare make such a world-shaking gamble.
No matter what, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still the Hokage—the representative of Konoha's entire upper leadership.
And the Uchiha clan…
Ultimately could not stand against the whole of Konoha.
Thus, Hyūga Hiashi nodded and sighed.
"Thank you for the reminder, Clan Head Fugaku."
"We will be extra cautious from now on."
"Qianyu—if you ever need us in the future, just say the word. We will not hesitate, even unto death."
Fugaku understood the meaning behind this statement.
They would not easily ally with the Uchiha clan as a whole—
This was repayment to Qianyu alone.
Fugaku was not in a hurry.
For now, this was enough.
Qianyu nodded calmly.
The Hyūga brothers exchanged glances, hesitated, then patted his shoulder before turning and leaving.
Only Qianyu and Fugaku remained.
Fugaku finally let out a breath.
"Qianyu… your methods really are thunderous."
The words carried double meaning.
On one hand, they praised Qianyu's decisiveness and ruthless execution.
On the other, they referred to his Lightning Release Chakra Mode combined with the Pseudo Dark Lightning Blade—like divine thunder delivering judgment.
"But I have to say—you did beautifully this time."
"Sarutobi Hiruzen's plan was obvious: sacrifice the Hyūga clan to gain short-term peace with Kumogakure, then seize the chance to deal a fatal blow to our Uchiha clan!"
"Your actions shattered every one of his schemes."
"And you even managed to win some measure of Hyūga support…"
Qianyu shook his head.
"The Hyūga clan won't place their bets easily."
"I know—but at least they'll lean toward us now. For the moment, that's enough."
Fugaku sighed deeply.
"You should know—the Uchiha clan has always been isolated and hated in this village."
"When have we ever had even half an ally?"
"What you said to Yamato before—he relayed it word for word to me and the clan."
"You were right. Even if the Uchiha succeeded in a coup, without support from other clans and shinobi, it would be meaningless."
"Compared to the entire village, our strength is still nothing more than a drop in the bucket…"
His expression darkened.
"What infuriates me most is—Shisui, that bastard!"
"If he had remained loyal to the Uchiha clan, combined with your power, Qianyu… we might have had a real chance."
"But instead… sigh…"
Fugaku looked at Qianyu.
"Qianyu—Sarutobi Hiruzen intends to kill you. The one he'll use is undoubtedly Shisui."
"Are you confident?"
Qianyu replied indifferently:
"He's nothing but an empty shell."
"Those without conviction cannot survive in this cruel ninja world."
"The moment he chose to become a puppet of the village and the so-called Will of Fire, he became a walking corpse."
"I'll grant him the ending he desires."
Seeing his confidence, Fugaku relaxed slightly.
Yet thinking of clan members killing one another, he couldn't help but sigh bitterly—his hatred for Sarutobi Hiruzen deepening even further.
Hokage's Office
"Koharu. Homura. Why did you stop me?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's thunderous rage lay hidden beneath a calm exterior.
Utatane Koharu said gravely:
"Hiruzen—you were too impulsive."
"Even if Uchiha Qianyu deserves to die, do you really intend to kill him in front of everyone?"
Hiruzen snorted.
"Why not?"
Mitokado Homura sighed.
"Hiruzen, your standing in the village relies not only on power, but on the image you've cultivated."
"After the Kumogakure incident, many clans and shinobi are already dissatisfied with your weak foreign policy."
"If you publicly strike down Uchiha Qianyu now—forcing two Uchiha to kill each other—what do you think they'll think of you?"
Shimura Danzō sneered.
"Nothing more than eight words—weak to outsiders, ruthless to insiders."
Hiruzen shot him a cold glance.
"Shut up, Danzō!"
He then turned to Shisui.
"Shisui, you don't seem eager to fight either. Do you still harbor illusions about that man?"
Uchiha Shisui hesitated.
"Lord Hokage… actually…"
"Rather than killing him, I have a better method to deal with him."
"It's just that…"
Hiruzen's heart stirred.
"Oh? What method?"
"Can you truly make him loyal to the village?"
Shisui answered firmly:
"I can."
"What?!"
Shisui met Hiruzen's gaze, then glanced at Danzō and the two elders.
Hiruzen understood.
"It's fine. They're all our people."
Shisui nodded, still hesitant, then spoke with difficulty.
"My Mangekyō Sharingan…"
"Possesses a supreme power capable of completely altering another person's will."
Silence fell over the Hokage's office.
Dead silence.
Hiruzen.
Danzō.
Koharu.
Homura.
All of them turned pale.
"You… what did you say?"
"That kind of thing—is it really possible?"
Hiruzen's voice trembled.
Wasn't that… complete brainwashing?!
If such a power existed, why would he ever need to endlessly indoctrinate Shisui and Itachi with the Will of Fire?!
Shisui nodded heavily.
"It's possible."
"The name of my Mangekyō Sharingan technique is—"
"Kotoamatsukami."
Hiruzen murmured:
"Kotoamatsukami…?"
"What kind of power is it?"
Shisui explained:
"Simply put, once activated, it invades the target's mind without them realizing it, forcibly rewriting their will."
"The target remains completely unaware and believes the thoughts are their own."
"Total control—victory without drawing blood."
"Kotoamatsukami… is the ultimate genjutsu."
In that instant, all four men were stunned.
This was—
The ultimate power every politician and ruler dreamed of.
Absolute mind control.
Yet what they felt first was not awe—
But fear.
Cold sweat poured down their backs.
So this man had been hiding such terrifying power all along…
If he had ever lost control and used it on them—
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
To those obsessed with power—
Kotoamatsukami was even more terrifying than the First Hokage's Wood Release.
A power they coveted most—
And feared most.
Hiruzen's heart raced.
"Shisui… why did you hide this power from me?"
Shisui hesitated.
"Because…"
"I myself am unsure whether this power should be used."
"Changing someone's will without their awareness is essentially total brainwashing."
"Even though it's my power, sometimes… I feel it's too evil."
Hiruzen understood.
Naïve, as always.
"Shisui, power itself is neither good nor evil."
"What matters is how it's used."
"If Kotoamatsukami can resolve the conflict between the Uchiha clan and the village—allowing peaceful coexistence—wouldn't that be a great virtue?"
Shisui nodded.
"I understand, Lord Hokage."
At that moment—
Shimura Danzō suddenly spoke coldly.
"I object."
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