But against a pack of Uchiha like this, what would ten Jonin even accomplish?
Before the Sand shinobi had time to react, more than a dozen ninja behind Uchiha Yuzuru opened their Three-Tomoe Sharingan and formed seals in unison.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The enormous fireballs slammed together, and in an instant the impact blossomed into a sea of flame.
The Sand shinobi were cut down in droves.
By the time they used Wind Release to blow the roaring inferno apart, they found Uchiha clan ninja already upon them, Sharingan blazing.
Uchiha Yuzuru led the charge, his longblade flashing as it opened throat after throat, the spray of blood stippling the hem of his clothes like red plum blossoms.
Before the man in front of him could even finish speaking, Yuzuru had already clamped a hand around his neck.
"Do you want to dance too?"
Crack!
The moment Yuzuru snapped the Sand ninja's neck, the rest surged in, trying to surround and butcher him.
A storm of Kunai, senbon, and explosive tags swallowed Uchiha Yuzuru whole.
The next second...
Boom!
With a thunderous blast, dust and smoke billowed outward.
Then every Sand shinobi stared, eyes bulging with terror.
Uchiha Yuzuru walked out with his blade hanging from one hand, completely unscathed.
Only those Three-Tomoe Sharingan had changed, their tomoe reshaping into a mysterious pattern none of them had ever seen.
"Gulp...
Why... why does that guy look like he's not hurt at all?"
"Our attacks didn't do anything. What the hell is going on?"
"And those eyes... just looking at them makes my skin crawl..."
As he watched the Sunagakure ninja stand there dumbstruck, a cruel smile tugged at Uchiha Yuzuru's lips.
"Run!
Run!"
No one knew who screamed first, but at the sight of Yuzuru—like a blood-drenched demon—the Sand shinobi's will collapsed instantly, and they scattered in flight.
"A bunch of rabble..."
Uchiha Yuzuru snorted and flicked his hand toward the direction they fled.
Uchiha Fugaku immediately led people in pursuit.
No matter how long a tiger has been kept in a cage, once it bares its fangs and claws, it still inspires fear.
The battle went far more smoothly than expected.
Against Sand shinobi who knew only how to run, the Uchiha clan ninja cleaned them up with ease.
Uchiha Fugaku, in particular...
When a pair of Sunagakure Jonin made a desperate last stand, he fought them two-on-one without giving up an inch.
Even Uchiha Yuzuru couldn't help feeling surprised.
Judging by the strength and technique Fugaku had just displayed, if he'd chosen to resist on the night of the massacre in the original story, the outcome really would've been anyone's guess.
Before long, the Uchiha clansmen sent to hunt them down all returned.
Including five Sunagakure Jonin, a total of fifty Sand shinobi had been slaughtered to the last.
Every face was lit with exhilaration.
Uchiha blood ran hot, and it made them savor the thrill of battle.
"Yuzuru, the Sand shinobi are all dead. Next we'll probably need to prepare for retaliation from Sunagakure."
Uchiha Fugaku walked to Yuzuru's side, his expression tinged with worry.
Uchiha Yuzuru didn't seem to care at all. "Fugaku, you're too indecisive."
"Weakness only makes people push harder. If you want respect, you need to make them fear you."
"Like that arrogant Sand shinobi—he only dropped his act when death was right in front of him."
"Fear isn't a crime. It makes people feel how small they are, and once they recognize their own weakness, they become polite and gentle."
Even so, Uchiha Fugaku still looked conflicted. "But even for a shinobi village like Sunagakure, losing five Jonin... they probably can't accept that."
"They'll definitely come for revenge..."
"Fugaku, remember this..."
Uchiha Yuzuru cut him off, his voice cold. "The weak will be coveted even if they do nothing."
"The Uchiha clan's status and honor aren't earned by compromising with others—they're beaten out with our fists!"
"From now on, you only need to follow my orders. Don't waste time thinking about anything else."
Uchiha Fugaku unconsciously straightened his spine. "Yes!"
The fight against the Sand shinobi raised Uchiha Yuzuru's prestige within the clan yet again.
With public opinion firmly behind him, Uchiha Taro simply handed the position of clan head to Uchiha Yuzuru.
Yuzuru didn't refuse.
Once he became clan head, some of his plans could be carried out far more smoothly.
A week slipped by quietly.
The Sand shinobi deaths didn't cause much of a stir.
During that time, many shinobi villages from small countries sent envoys, hoping the Uchiha clan would move in and settle in their villages.
They were even willing to yield the leader's seat voluntarily.
Uchiha Yuzuru refused them all.
Those small shinobi villages were desperately short on population, resources, and land.
If he wanted the Uchiha clan to truly grow, they needed a major village.
Several days later.
Watching the burly, powerfully built man enter the room, Uchiha Yuzuru gestured lightly. "Kitsuchi, have a seat."
"Thank you."
Kitsuchi sat across from him and got straight to the point. "Clan Head Yuzuru, does the Uchiha clan plan to live in Iwagakure?"
"We can provide you with land to live on and a stable environment."
Uchiha Yuzuru waited a moment before speaking. "That's it?"
Kitsuchi nodded, his voice honest and blunt. "That's it."
"If you want us to settle in Iwagakure, you need to grant the Uchiha clan a degree of autonomy, along with the right to take part in Iwagakure's decision-making."
"You'll also need to set aside part of your industries to support the Uchiha clan's livelihood."
"Of course, we'll pay."
"As for resources like the Uchiha clan's ninjutsu scrolls, we reserve the right to decide whether we share them with Iwagakure."
Those demands weren't excessive. Even in Konoha, they enjoyed the same treatment.
But after hearing Yuzuru out, Kitsuchi looked troubled. "Everything else is fine, but autonomy and participating in Iwagakure's decisions..."
"I'm afraid that's very hard to do."
Uchiha Yuzuru lifted his teacup and took a sip.
Watching Kitsuchi leave, Yuzuru felt a trace of disappointment.
Even Onoki—who had once witnessed Uchiha Madara's overwhelming power with his own eyes—had only this much vision?
Still, he could understand.
Given the shadow Onoki carried, he was probably afraid that if he took the Uchiha in, Iwagakure would become something he couldn't control.
He only hoped that one day, Onoki wouldn't regret this hesitation.
On the border of the Land of Fire, nine masked shinobi moved through dense forest in three squads.
Before long, they slipped into position near the border of the Land of Rice Fields.
For a country without a shinobi village, pulling something like this off was absurdly easy.
"Lord Danzo's order: bring Uzumaki Kushina back to Konoha at any cost."
"And...
Regardless of whether they're alive or dead, capture as many members of the Uchiha clan as possible and take them with us."
Only then did the rest of the Root shinobi finally learn the purpose of their mission.
Already trained to feel nothing, they only nodded, carving the mission into their minds.
Just then, a rough voice rang out not far away.
The Root shinobi turned—and saw two burly men who had appeared near them at some point without a sound.
"Didn't think we'd run into Konoha's little roaches out here."
"Bad luck."
The leading Root shinobi replied coldly, "Our mission has nothing to do with Kumogakure. We don't want to spark a fight between Kumogakure and Konoha, so I suggest you leave immediately."
Faced with the threat, one of the men rolled his neck, disdain plain on his face. "What the hell are you muttering?"
"B, get ready to move!"
"Yo!"
"Hmph!"
"Konoha shinobi are nothing but empty reputation."
"Why should a village like that get to hoard the richest resources in the shinobi world?"
"One day, sooner or later, Kumogakure will become the strongest shinobi village in the shinobi world!"
Wrapped in crackling arcs of lightning, A slammed the Root shinobi's corpse hard into the ground.
What a load of crap—Konoha ninja weren't even worth fighting.
A Yotsuki Guard behind him reminded him, "Lord A, one got away just now. Should we chase?"
Seeing A's reaction, the guard didn't say anything more.
They only had eight people on this trip, but aside from A and Killer Bee, the other six all had Jonin-level strength.
With that lineup, there really wasn't much to fear.
"By the way, the Uchiha clan's camp is up ahead. What are we doing?"
"If they're willing to hand over a few children on their own, that'd be best. If they won't..."
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