'The value of life should not be judged by humans. Respecting each other's way of life is the premise of freedom.'
These two sentences were what Roger had once told Sakura after returning from Laugh Tale.
Sakura had always followed this, practicing Roger's teachings as she walked her own path.
Now, she stood at the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan's compound.
Her wide-ranging Observation Haki had already picked up the restless emotions swirling within the Uchiha Clan.
Fugaku, twice deceived by Konoha's upper echelons, had once again swayed toward the hawk faction.
"Everyone, it has been fifty-eight years since Konoha's founding."
"All four Hokage have been from the Senju line or their associates."
"What about the Uchiha? What about the Uchiha? What has become of our Uchiha Clan, who have bled and sacrificed for Konoha?!"
In front of the Military Police Force's headquarters, Fugaku delivered an impassioned speech.
The crowd grew increasingly fanatical, the tomoe in their eyes spinning rapidly.
As the village's exclusion of the Uchiha Clan grew harsher, the already small dove faction began massively defecting to the hawk faction.
The few Uchiha who firmly opposed the coup had already been subdued. The Uchiha Clan had now completely slid into chaos.
"Today, we need not endure any longer! Cast aside everything and use strength to reclaim the Uchiha Clan's glory!"
"Yes!!!"
Countless hands gripping weapons rose into the air, the clash of blades echoing throughout the Uchiha Clan's compound.
"This really doesn't seem like you, Clan Head Fugaku."
Amid the surging crowd, a voice out of place rang out.
As the words fell, pairs of blood-red eyes simultaneously turned toward the source of the sound.
Cold, indifferent gazes surrounded Sakura, but she remained unmoved, her expression utterly detached.
"Haruno Sakura!!!"
Uchiha Gin, who had clashed with the girl before, drew his blade, a ferocious expression spreading across his face.
"She's Sarutobi Hiruzen's lackey! Seize her and use her as a sacrifice to rally our forces!"
"My mood is very bad right now. Could you please... be quiet?!!"
Sakura's emerald-green eyes narrowed as an overwhelming presence erupted from her.
Dark lightning roared, rampaged, and surged through the void, covering the earth.
Boom!!!
Along with the intense will unleashed by Sakura's Conqueror's Haki, it washed over the minds of every Uchiha present.
In their vision, Sakura was like a King ruling the seas, stirring storms and giant waves with a wave of her hand, enveloping everything.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, the weaker Uchiha Clan's members fainted, their eyes rolling back as they collapsed to the ground.
The Uchiha Clansmen who remained conscious looked around, then found that only a few dozen with Three-Tomoe Sharingan could barely maintain their combat strength.
"This is... presence? The presence of a seven-year-old kid???"
The blade in Gin's hand trembled, cold sweat dripping from his temple.
Because in the girl before him... he saw the shadow of that ancestor recorded in biographies.
"Step back. You are no match for her!"
Fugaku landed at the center, scolding back Gin.
In his scarlet eyes, the three dots followed by three curves pattern slowly spun, and the unique mental intrusion of the Mangekyo pierced toward Sakura.
"It seems you are the first obstacle to our coup. The Hokage has certainly given us a good warning!"
Fugaku drew three kunai from his tool pouch, and then, taking advantage of Sakura being assaulted by his Genjutsu, he flung them at her.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Having already unleashed Conqueror's Haki, Sakura was utterly fearless against Genjutsu. Guided by her Observation Haki, she spun the renowned sword, Ace, deflecting the kunai.
Then, she lunged forward with a swift step, swinging her blade to unleash a flying slash.
A cyan blade light spiraled through the air, charging toward Fugaku.
Sharp, fast, and lethal.
The patterns in Fugaku's pupils spun, and he calmly sidestepped.
The flying slash grazed past him, cleanly severing the Military Police Force's headquarters behind him.
"Such swordsmanship!! You damn Anbu brat!"
"I'll die!"
"One hit, and I'll be cut in half!"
The observing Uchiha's Jonin had already backed away on Fugaku's orders. Now, witnessing Sakura's swordsmanship, they maintained their composure while putting even more distance between themselves and the fight.
"It seems we both have the ability to predict each other's attacks."
Fugaku's eyes turned fierce, the Chakra within him swelling as he prepared to reclaim the name of the [Wicked Eye] from the Land of Water's battlefield.
"Here I come. I can't hold back against a Ninja like you. If you die, don't hold a grudge."
Sakura slowly sheathed the renowned sword, Ace and hoisted the massive axe, which is nearly as tall as her, onto her shoulder.
Ram - Snake - Tiger - Monkey - Boar.
[Mist Servant Technique]
Yin Attribute Chakra surged, and numerous phantoms enveloped Sakura, forming a Genjutsu layer over her body.
The girl stomped the ground fiercely, causing earth and rocks to shatter and dust to fly.
Using Soru, Sakura shot forward in a straight line, swinging the giant axe with all her might toward Fugaku.
'Right side? Not left?'
Fugaku's Mangekyo's dynamic vision locked onto Sakura's figure. Even though every frame seemed like slow motion to him, the bone-chilling sense of crisis refused to fade.
Suppressing the sensory discomfort, Fugaku adjusted his stance and formed hand seals, spewing a massive fire dragon.
[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet]
Flames surged, the fire dragon roared, and its colossal form towered into the sky like a pillar, looking down disdainfully at the girl's figure.
Then... it plummeted violently.
Sakura leaped into the air, slashing out with a flying slash that cut the fire dragon in two.
Fugaku, watching the fire dragon disintegrate, let the patterns in his eyes spin again, blood vessels spreading across the whites.
The scattered, out-of-control flames unexpectedly reshaped and reformed, opening a giant maw to swallow Sakura whole.
"Well done, Clan Head!"
The Uchiha standing on the surrounding rooftops cheered.
Unfortunately, dark lightning abruptly erupted at the center of the battlefield. A will like raging storms and waves crashed against Fugaku's long-trained mind.
"Ugh!"
A grunt escaped him as Fugaku felt his spirit being suppressed.
Sakura slowly emerged from the shadow of a large tree.
"Was it just a Genjutsu from the beginning? What a little monster!"
Fugaku raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his temple. The continuous use of Mangekyo's Dojutsu had taken its toll.
Even he hadn't expected to be pushed this far by a little girl.
"I've figured out your Dojutsu. One predicts the future, the other weaves the future of things."
With axe in hand, Sakura slowly walked to the center of the Military Police Force's plaza, standing opposite Fugaku.
"You've seen through me. It seems I can't hold back anymore."
Fugaku let out a soft sigh.
The girl before him possessed Ninja Talent no less than his excellent son's.
He didn't expect that in just a few exchanges, she had fully grasped the effects of his Dojutsu: Kumanokusubi and Ame-no-Minakanushi.
'Moreover, Itachi hadn't appeared during the fight. It seemed he had sided with the village?'
"Sigh, I really am a failure of a father." Fugaku smiled self-deprecatingly.
But he could no longer afford to be a failure as the Uchiha Clan's head.
-At the very least, he had to lead his clansmen and fight for a better future for his children!
"Susanoo!!!"
Fugaku shouted softly, two trails of blood streaming from the corners of his eyes.
The Kumanokusubi in his left eye and the Ame-no-Minakanushi in his right eye fused together. Vast Yin Attribute Chakra roared hysterically.
The darkness was illuminated by a massive purple skeleton. Then, flesh, skin, and armor emerged in succession, transforming into a towering warrior.
In an instant, the phantom of a god stood proudly in the world.