Chapter 12: The Might of the Third Hokage
The two brothers stared in terror at the seemingly frail figure before them, their proud hearts shaken to the core.
"So… that's the man who, after the Second Hokage's death, earned the title 'God of Shinobi' in the First Great Ninja War with his power alone?"
"Terrifying beyond belief!"
They had once believed that the title was self-proclaimed, that the Third Hokage's strength was laughable compared to the Uchiha Clan's Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Who would have thought that, even in his old age, the natural chakra he exuded alone could exert such overwhelming pressure—something the brothers had never experienced before.
Still, the proud spirit of the Uchiha burned within them.
Despite the soul-crushing pressure, the brothers struggled to lift their heads and face the Third Hokage directly.
"Damn Uchiha…"
"Wretched Uchiha…"
Seeing them raise their heads in defiance made the Third feel deeply insulted. Inside, he cursed them furiously, but on the surface, he remained calm and said, "Step aside."
He had no time to waste with these arrogant Uchiha brats—his real concern now was the secret of the immortality technique.
However, Uchiha Ace, ever the reckless one, stubbornly pressed, "Hokage-sama, what's in that bag—"
Boom!
Already feeling humiliated, the Third finally lost his temper, his aura exploding outward in a surge.
Why?
Why did two lowly Uchiha dare disobey the Hokage—the leader of one of the Five Great Nations?
Why?
The Third's killing intent became palpable, instantly enveloping the two brothers.
In that moment, everyone's breath caught. It felt like standing before a tailed beast, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably in fear.
Especially the Uchiha brothers, who were directly under the crushing aura. Their minds went blank, and their bodies were rendered completely immobile.
This was the pressure of a top-tier powerhouse.
Just as the brothers felt death approaching—
The killing intent vanished as quickly as it had come.
The Third Hokage regained his composure.
Why had the Uchiha dared challenge him?
Because they were powerful—powerful enough to make him wary.
Even as the Hokage, he could not make the first move against them, lest he give them justification.
Suppressing his fury, the Third spoke coldly and slowly, "Are you saying the Uchiha Clan intends to attack me, the Hokage?"
He couldn't strike first—
But if the Uchiha attacked him, it would be a different matter entirely.
The moment those words fell, ANBU agents hidden in the surroundings instantly revealed themselves, surrounding the Uchiha brothers.
The atmosphere froze.
A pressure even heavier than before blanketed the rooftop.
Gulp.
Even Ace, normally the hothead of the two, swallowed instinctively, unable to say another word.
Proud Uchiha Luffy, now realizing the implication of what the Third had said, quickly forced a nervous smile and replied, "We wouldn't dare. We are the Uchiha—Konoha's protectors. We would never disrespect you, Hokage-sama."
Yes, the Uchiha Clan might've secretly wished for the Third's death—but they could never be the ones to make the move. Even a probing attack was out of the question.
Everyone knew what it meant to raise a hand against a village leader.
It meant rebellion. It meant betraying the village.
Neither of them wanted to be branded as traitors who attacked the Hokage.
And since the Third had framed it as "the Uchiha attacking him," they had even more reason to back off.
They wanted to rule Konoha—not stand in opposition to it.
Still, despite Luffy's nervous explanation, the Third struggled to contain his anger.
Wretched Uchiha! "Protectors of Konoha," huh?
If you're the protectors—what am I?
A decoration?
Furious inside, the Third kept a serene expression. He stepped forward, wanting to see whether the Uchiha brothers really had the nerve to stop him.
Of course—they didn't.
This time, Uchiha Luffy and Ace respectfully stepped aside, not daring to utter another word. They could only silently watch the Hokage and the ANBU pass by.
Luffy's gaze lingered on the sack slung over Insect's shoulder. A thoughtful expression flashed in his eyes.
Tonight's ANBU operation wasn't simple.
He turned to his cousin and clapped Ace on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's report this to the elder."
The ANBU had acted late at night, secretly abducting someone—possibly a child. That alone was suspicious.
It was the reason they had intervened in the first place.
Even stranger, the Hokage himself and his guards had been tailing them in secret. Had they not interrupted, the Third wouldn't have revealed himself even as tensions flared.
Whoever was in that sack… they were important enough for the Hokage to step in personally.
Which meant… maybe this was a chance to bring down the Third!
While Uchiha Luffy plotted silently—
The Third, on his way back to the ANBU base, was also deep in thought—about how to deal with the Uchiha Clan.
After the Second Hokage's death, the Third had inherited both his title and his policies.
Among them, the plan to neutralize the Uchiha Clan.
There were two key aspects to the Second's plan:
First, prevent the Uchiha from going to war.
To achieve this, the Second created the Konoha Police Force, which only Uchiha could join, to keep the clan caged within the village—eroding their combat effectiveness over time.
To make the role appealing, he gave the Police Force significant authority.
They were empowered to oversee almost everything that happened in Konoha—from petty theft to enemy infiltration. Their authority was second only to the Hokage's—like the secret police of ancient regimes.
So tonight, no matter how humiliated he felt, the Third hadn't acted against the two Uchiha youths.
Because routine inspection was a right granted to them by the Second Hokage.
But…
No ruler could tolerate such humiliation for long.
The Third was no exception.
He was now seriously considering how to weaken the Uchiha Clan's influence.
As two clans with a long history of animosity dating back to before the Warring States era—
The Senju and the Uchiha knew each other's strengths intimately.
Especially under Tobirama—the greatest forbidden jutsu inventor in history—the mystery of the Uchiha's power had been laid bare.
The Sharingan evolved through emotional trauma.
From its first tomoe to the second, to the third, and finally the terrifying Mangekyō Sharingan—all required intense emotional stimulus.
And the battlefield… was the easiest place to gain—and lose—those emotions.
On the battlefield, comrades placed their lives in each other's hands, forming powerful bonds.
And on that same battlefield, comrades were most likely to die.
The death of those companions, along with the resulting grief and trauma, provided the emotional charge needed for the Uchiha to evolve their Sharingan.
That emotional spike would trigger a surge of chakra in the brain, which would then stimulate the eyes—
Awakening the Sharingan in those without it.
And evolving it further in those who already possessed it.
One tomoe to two.
Two to three.
Three to Mangekyō.
Once Mangekyō was awakened, it signaled the birth of an Uchiha whose strength surpassed most Kage-level ninja.
And if the awakened Mangekyō power was overwhelming enough—it wasn't impossible for them to reach Super-Kage level, capable of slaughtering Kage in moments.
(END CHAPTER)
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