"Being weak is the original sin."
The small-clan head clutched his chest, coughing blood as he collapsed onto the ground.
Any desire to get involved was completely extinguished.
That palm strike hadn't just injured him—
It had shattered the last trace of courage in the wavering clans.
Aside from the Ino–Shika–Chō and a few families directly tied to the Hokage, no one dared to speak up anymore.
Even with the Third Hokage standing right there.
The air grew even quieter.
Outside the Hokage Building, only Hiruzen's slightly heavy breathing remained.
He paused, swallowing Ren's earlier disrespect, and tried to negotiate.
"What slogan…"
The instant he said it, every gaze snapped onto Ren.
Did they not remember the slogan?
No.
They just wanted to see what this boy planned to do next.
"Slogan?"
Ren tilted his head. In the silence, his childish voice rang crisp and clear.
"Purge the court. Execute the traitors—court's purged, traitors are dead."
"Now—time to restore order."
He took a step forward.
The crimson chakra wrapped around him swayed faintly.
Two fox tails—condensed like living limbs—gently stirred the air.
And in the next breath, the air turned scorching and volatile—
Boom boom boom!
Small bursts popped like explosions.
Danger. Danger. Danger.
The invisible pressure made even the ANBU guarding Hiruzen unconsciously step back half a pace.
"Financial authority." Ren's voice was decisive—no room for bargaining. "Konoha's purse needs a new owner."
"The ledgers, seals, and all permissions held by the advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado are to be transferred to the Uchiha immediately."
As expected.
The clan heads exchanged looks.
So this was the Uchiha's true goal.
"Insolence!"
A clan head aligned with the Hokage faction finally couldn't take it anymore and roared,
"Finances are Konoha's foundation! How can they be controlled by a single clan?!"
"You're trying to—"
Bang!
His voice cut off mid-syllable.
A compressed blast of air—faster, denser than before—shot from Ren's fingertip without warning.
Like a sniper round.
One shot. One kill.
That clan head didn't even have time to react.
He was struck like an invisible siege hammer, launched backward with a brutal crash—
Boom!
He slammed into the Hokage Building wall and slid down limply.
"See? Adults are talking—kids shouldn't interrupt."
Ren glanced at him, shook his head, then looked across the rest with a threat that couldn't be clearer.
"Now—who agrees, and who objects?"
"My Uchiha clan has always loved democracy. If anyone has concerns, feel free to raise them."
"I guarantee I'll solve the problem."
Hearing that—and seeing the clan head lying there, half-dead—
the faces of the gathered leaders turned dark.
No one more so than Ino–Shika–Chō.
Nara Shikaku's eyes flickered rapidly, thoughts racing—
But in the end he only grabbed Akimichi Chōza and Yamanaka Inoichi hard, forcing them back.
This wasn't a level they could intervene in anymore.
If they tried to harden their stance—
The outcome was right there on the ground.
Hyūga Hiashi lowered his eyelids, hands behind his back, lightly tapping his foot.
He looked like he was studying the stone tiles.
Yet the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
Good. Very good. Excellent.
Someone needed to put these old bastards in their place.
As one of Konoha's key pillars, he'd taken plenty of abuse from minor clans—
And couldn't easily crush them with status, even when he wanted to.
Crack.
Crack-crack.
Hiruzen's fist clenched beneath his cloak, knuckles popping audibly.
Humiliation.
An unprecedented humiliation in Konoha's decades of history.
In all his long years ruling the village, when had he ever been forced, slapped, and cornered like this in public?
But Ren's unfathomable strength left him with no confidence at all.
With the situation turning—and Ren's words growing more outrageous—
an ANBU captain finally snapped.
Right in front of them, this brat had said he was going to beat their leader—
Now he was forcing their leader to hand over power.
Who could endure that?!
Without hesitation, the captain barked,
"Everyone, move together! He's just a kid—keeping this up, he must be running low on chakra!"
"Right! If we act as one, he can't kill all of us!"
"Haa… for Konoha! For Hokage-sama!"
For the Hokage.
For Konoha.
In an instant, the ideals drilled into ANBU for years rose to the surface.
More and more of them tightened their grips, eyes hardening, ready to die.
"No—you…"
Hiruzen's expression changed. He tried to stop them, the last of his hesitation vanishing.
Whatever his private motives, these ANBU were painstakingly trained—
Konoha's living strength.
Losing even one was painful.
He didn't want that.
But just as he opened his mouth—
A palm-blast tore through the air again.
Whoosh!
Crack!
It struck a nearby tree trunk—
And snapped it clean in half.
Hiruzen froze, then looked up—
To find the small boy staring at the assembled ANBU, eyes shining.
"Maybe I really can kill all of you…"
Ren took two slow breaths, gazing at the hundred ANBU in front of him.
A flame called desire began to bloom in his eyes.
Talking for ten minutes was unbearable.
But beating people down was fast.
So many leeks—
If he didn't harvest them all tonight, he'd wake up in the middle of the night and punch himself in the face.
And when he sensed the Third Hokage about to interfere—
He didn't even think.
A palm-blast shot out.
Trying to touch his leeks?
Not happening.
Seeing the Hokage get hit again, ANBU finally lost control.
"All Earth-style users—cast Earth Release with me!"
"Fire-style users, with me!"
"Water Release—charge!"
More than a hundred moved at once.
Ninjutsu layered over ninjutsu, weaving together—its power multiplying violently.
"Good."
Ren waved at the Uchiha behind him, signaling them not to move.
Then he stepped forward alone—meeting the storm head-on.
Smack!
A massive crimson chakra hand swept out like a slap.
Smack!
One ANBU was swatted away, flying like a ragdoll.
Smack-smack!
Two more were slapped straight into the ground.
Smacksmacksmack—
Under the Nine-Tails' terrifying force, even elite special jōnin began to break.
And in front of Ren's eyes, the system prompts kept flooding in.
Traits dropped one after another—
Like stumbling onto piles of money in a dream.
One after another…
[Defeated Sarutobi… obtained Common trait: Firestarter (White): Proficient with all kinds of lighters.]
[Defeated Yamanaka… obtained Fine trait: Weight Press (Green): When you fall from above, your body weight doubles.]
[Defeated Aburame… obtained a Rare trait: Roadside Stray (Blue): Your presence is low… like a dog on the side of the road.]
…Huh?
The moment Ren saw that trait, his small body went stiff.
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