The civil war raged on.
But the battlefield had shifted to outside Konoha.
The offensive led by Yashiro Uchiha had been ferocious at the start, but as time passed and Konoha rallied its defenses, the Uchiha faced a powerful counterattack.
"Go!"
Seeing the tide turn against them, Yashiro immediately gave the order to retreat.
In fact, Yashiro knew from the beginning that this rebellion couldn't achieve total victory.
The Uchiha were indeed the strongest clan in Konoha.
But the Sarutobi clan was not to be underestimated.
On top of that, there were the ANBU, Root, the Shimura clan, and other ninja families.
Almost no one stood on the Uchiha's side.
Yashiro had hoped the Hyuga clan might respond, as he believed they had also suffered from Konoha's targeting and suppression over the years.
But they didn't.
The Hyuga had absolutely no intention of joining.
In fact, they were putting extra effort into suppressing the Uchiha.
"We can't place our hope in anyone else. The only ones the Uchiha can rely on are ourselves."
Yashiro withdrew his gaze.
"No, even within the Uchiha, there are many who cannot be relied upon."
When they carried Dou Uchiha's body to confront Sangaku, Yashiro's plan had been to kill the Clan Head first, then consolidate the entire clan's power to seize control of the village in a short time.
Speed was essential because once ninjas like Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, or Orochimaru returned, the Uchiha would have zero chance of winning.
But to Yashiro's disappointment...
Even after Konoha had pushed them this far...
Even with Dou Uchiha's corpse right in front of them...
There were still many Uchiha who refused to rebel against the village.
They preferred to draw a line between themselves and Yashiro's faction.
Yashiro found this inconceivable.
But he also realized that seizing control of the village was now impossible.
Knowing this, Yashiro calmed down and made a decisive choice.
Kill as many Sarutobi and Shimura as possible.
Then, while Konoha focused all its strength on supporting those two clans and surrounding the Uchiha compound, they would immediately change direction and lead the Uchiha rebels to flee Konoha.
Yashiro refused to believe that in the vast ninja world, there was no place for the Uchiha outside of Konoha.
The grudge against Konoha could be settled slowly in the future.
"This is the only way for the Uchiha to survive."
"Otherwise, we will only perish under Konoha's suppression, and our very name will be forgotten by the world."
Konoha ninja were in hot pursuit.
Danzo's face was dark as he issued a death order to his Root operatives.
"Do not let a single one escape!"
The Shimura clan had suffered devastating casualties this time.
From the start, the Uchiha had targeted the Shimura and Sarutobi clans specifically.
Compared to the Sarutobi, the Shimura clan was smaller and weaker—and the primary target of the Uchiha's vengeance.
After all, Kagami Uchiha's death was ancient history.
Dou Uchiha's death had just happened.
The Uchiha who saw Dou's body and the message written in blood hated Danzo more intensely than anyone else.
And they knew the Shimura were the softer target.
Images of his clansmen's gruesome deaths kept flashing in Danzo's mind.
His expression grew uglier by the second.
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
In the forest, a member of the Sarutobi clan was chasing down an Uchiha.
Having witnessed his own kin being killed, he was consumed by rage.
But in his fury, he failed to notice that he had advanced too quickly.
He had left his teammates far behind.
The Uchiha ahead glanced back and scoffed.
"Still chasing? Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
"Since you want to die so badly, I'll grant your wish!"
Suddenly, the Uchiha stopped. Before the Sarutobi ninja could react, he charged back toward his pursuer, flicking his wrist.
Whoosh!
The sound of tearing air.
A dozen shuriken flew toward the Sarutobi ninja simultaneously.
The Sarutobi ninja's pupils constricted, and he dodged frantically.
But that was just part of the attack. The moment the shuriken left his hand, the Uchiha was already weaving signs. By now, the seals were complete.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A pillar of dragon-shaped fire erupted, roaring straight toward the Sarutobi ninja.
Because he had just dodged the shuriken, the Sarutobi ninja's position was compromised. He had no space to evade the incoming fire technique.
Just as the flames were about to consume him.
Suddenly.
"Body Flicker Jutsu!"
A figure appeared out of nowhere, shielding the Sarutobi ninja.
Hands blurred with blinding speed.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Two fire jutsu collided, sending sparks and flames scattering everywhere.
"Shisui Uchiha!"
Uchiha Oki saw the figure who had appeared to protect the Sarutobi ninja, and his face sank.
"Are you betraying the clan to stand with Konoha?"
Shisui Uchiha took off his ANBU mask, revealing a conflicted expression.
"Senior Oki, there might be a misunderstanding between the clan and the village."
Oki sneered.
"Misunderstanding? Shisui, do you even believe that yourself? Let me ask you this: Is Dou Uchiha's death real? Was the wound on his body caused by the Wind Style: Vacuum Wave?"
"Since you choose to betray the family and stand with Konoha, there's nothing more to say."
"Then die with him!"
Before he finished speaking, Oki attacked.
However, Oki had underestimated Shisui's strength.
This junior, much younger than him, possessed power far beyond his own. Shisui easily neutralized Oki's attacks. If Shisui hadn't been holding back, lacking killing intent, Oki probably wouldn't have lasted two or three rounds.
Realizing this, Oki didn't persist. He quickly found an opening and fled.
Shisui didn't pursue. Instead, he turned back to help the Sarutobi ninja up.
But he was shoved away violently.
"Shisui Uchiha! Save it. Your clan has rebelled! What are you pretending to be a good person for? So many of my Sarutobi kin died at Uchiha hands today. We will never forget this grudge."
Shisui's face darkened, his eyes full of confusion and loss.
He didn't know why things had suddenly turned out this way.
He didn't know what the future would hold.
Or what he should do.