"You—you—you!!"
The elder of the Sarutobi clan was so furious that he couldn't string together a complete sentence for half a day. His face flushed red like a boiled crab, the veins at his temples bulging and throbbing violently. To Naruto, it looked like his head could explode at any moment.
Was he about to use the jutsu 'Self-Destruct: Skull-Burst Technique'?
"Very good, Root. Very good, that old bastard Danzō!"
It took quite a while before the Sarutobi elder managed to calm his breath.
"Fifth Hokage? Fifth Hokage! So, you finally couldn't hold back?"
"Just with that Shimura Danzō, he dares dream of exterminating the Sarutobi clan?"
"Utter delusion."
The elder's voice was filled with scorn, venting all the resentment in his heart—completely unaware that the god of death was already quietly drawing near.
"To call Danzō-sama by name… to insult Danzō-sama…"
A voice suddenly spoke behind him.
A blade pierced straight into his back.
"—Die."
Killing an elder was far graver than killing ten ordinary clansmen. The surrounding Sarutobi ninja erupted in chaos.
"Vengeance for grievances, blood for blood." Naruto swung his right hand forward sharply, and the Uchiha standing behind him moved at the signal.
"Go—vent all the resentment in your hearts."
"After tonight, the Sarutobi clan will cease to exist."
Having lived side by side with the Uchiha, Naruto knew they had been waiting for this day far too long. Even the calmest among them—Fugaku—had grown obsessive.
Who were the Uchiha's enemies?
Danzō. The Third Hokage. Konoha itself.
It was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, who had set the policies to marginalize the Uchiha. It was Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō who had carried them out. It was Konoha that not only pushed them to the outskirts but forced them onto the path of a coup. And of course, there were the executioners—Itachi and Obito.
These were all their enemies.
Now the Second was long dead, the Third was crippled, and Danzō was still lost in the sweet dream of his own schemes.
Why was it that the Uchiha, after rendering such service to Konoha, were the ones driven to the margins?
Why could the Sarutobi clan—who had done nothing—enjoy such privilege?
Simply because the Third was Hokage?
It was unfair.
And if it was unfair—then flip the table.
In the past, the Uchiha hadn't had the strength for that. The clan wasn't united, the hearts weren't aligned. Now? Not only did they have the strength, but having endured the pain of annihilation, they were more united than ever.
Rebirth from the ashes—this was the Uchiha now.
And tonight, the Sarutobi would taste the pain of annihilation.
As Nagato once said: Feel pain.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!" ×N
A flood of Sarutobi ninja unleashed Fire Release techniques in unison.
Rows of fire dragons surged forward, smoke billowing into the sky.
But to dare use Fire Release in front of the Uchiha?
The Sarutobi and Uchiha were both clans famed for Fire Release.
Yet against the Uchiha—wielders of the Sharingan—the Sarutobi were second-rate in every way. With Uchiha present, in the realm of Fire Release, the Sarutobi would forever be the eternal second place.
Perhaps the Uchiha's annihilation even had something to do with this.
One after another, Sarutobi ninja were cut down, their prized fire techniques unable to harm these Root operatives—who seemed to know the properties of Fire Release even better than they did. They moved like spirits of flame itself.
Their motions flowed with elegance—smooth, graceful, and imbued with a certain artistry. Every strike and movement carried a beauty that pleased the eye. It was less like battle, and more like a dance.
The Uchiha-style taijutsu and swordsmanship were killing arts fused with the grace of dance. Every Uchiha was, in their own right, a master dancer.
"Do you also wish to dance?"
Fugaku's voice was calm, his tone eerily reminiscent of Madara during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
But he followed with:
"Too bad—I have no interest in watching your clumsy steps."
In the next instant, Fugaku moved. In the stunned eyes of the Sarutobi ninja, an unbelievable sight unfolded—each one of them suddenly found Fugaku standing right before them, as if he had split and appeared from thin air.
Were they real bodies or illusions? Genjutsu or reality?
"It's coming—the clan head's technique. No matter how many times I see it, it's always awe-inspiring," one Uchiha murmured with genuine admiration. After a pause, he added sheepishly, "—former clan head."
Fugaku held a short katana, his gaze level with the Sarutobi before him.
In the next second, blazing flames engulfed the blade, shaping it into a sword of fire.
Uchiha Style: Sword-Leaping Flame!
Every Fugaku swung at once—their initial movements steady and measured, then quickening at mid-stroke, and finally, just as the tip left the scabbard's mouth, exploding forth like a flash of lightning. The flaming blades swept toward the vulnerable necks of the Sarutobi.
Each one was real. Each could kill.
The measured start embodied the very meaning of "iaido" in the art of the quick draw.
Most Sarutobi couldn't even react before being struck dead in a single blow. Only a handful of the strongest narrowly evaded.
But those who survived the first strike had no time to rejoice—Fugaku had anticipated it and unleashed his true killing move.
Uchiha Style: Dance of the Sun Halo!
Three strikes from three angles—faster than before.
There was no escape.
Unless one had a body with regeneration like Hashirama Senju, such a strike meant certain death.
Fugaku sheathed his blade with a soft click, his eyes sweeping over the Sarutobi survivors.
"This… is true Fire Release."
In that single exchange, twenty Sarutobi were slain instantly.
This is Fire Release?!
Bullshit—that's swordsmanship! And extremely advanced swordsmanship at that!
Yet not a single Sarutobi dared voice it aloud—afraid to draw the attention of such a deadly art.
In truth, it was indeed Fire Release—only merged seamlessly with swordsmanship.
The ultimate pinnacle of Uchiha sword arts.
Throughout Uchiha history, only a few had reached this level.
Years ago, another had done so—gaining the title "Shunshin" for his unmatched body flicker and making a name across the ninja world.
That man was the former strongest of the Uchiha—Shisui Uchiha.
But Shisui, for all his power, lacked the mindset of a true strong man. In the conflict between Uchiha and Konoha, he distrusted his clan and trusted Danzō. After losing an eye, instead of finding a solution, he chose the coward's way—suicide.
That so-called self-sacrifice was meaningless. At its core, it was simply escape.
He squandered the name "Shunshin no Shisui," squandered his pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
The fabled Kotoamatsukami—the strongest genjutsu to alter another's will? He might have used it on himself the very day he awakened it.
Compared to Fugaku now—he was far inferior.
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