"Sharingan."
Uchiha Akihito's eyes widened, and the two Konoha jonin instantly fell under his genjutsu.
Akihito stepped forward and asked casually, "Who sent you to kill me?"
The two Konoha jonin opened their mouths, yet no sound came out.
"This is… the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?"
Akihito's gaze sharpened as realization dawned on him.
Shimura Danzo—you've got some nerve.
I haven't even gone looking for trouble with you yet, and you're already coming after me?
By the time everyone snapped back to their senses, Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Shisui, and the Ino–Shika–Cho trio had hurried over in alarm.
There was no doubt that Akihito had been the greatest contributor to Konoha's victory over Kumogakure this time.
The army was about to return in triumph, yet he had suddenly been attacked by his own comrades.
Even as outsiders, they couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
Hyuga Hiashi stepped forward with concern written all over his face.
"Are you alright, Akihito?"
"Have you dealt with the ones who ambushed you?"
Akihito smiled lightly. "It's nothing—just a scratch."
"These two are already under my ocular jutsu. They won't be stirring up any trouble."
Hearing that, the others finally relaxed a little.
Thank goodness nothing major had happened. If Akihito had met with misfortune here, and the Fourth Raikage led Kumogakure in a counterattack, they could very well have been caught off guard.
After all, the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer B, was currently in their hands.
Nara Shikaku let out a long breath. "As long as you're fine, that's all that matters."
"You really gave me a scare just now!"
Uchiha Shisui hesitated before speaking. "Akihito-niisan, these two… where did they come from?"
Akihito shook his head with a faint smile. "I asked."
"But they can't speak."
They can't speak?
At his words, everyone instinctively fixed their thoughts on a certain synonym for darkness.
Of Konoha's dirty deeds, Danzo takes the blame for forty-nine out of fifty—leaving only one unaccounted for.
The title of the First Hokage of Blame wasn't earned for nothing.
When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.
When the birds are gone, the bow is put away.
The war with Kumogakure had only just ended, yet someone in Konoha was already impatient to eliminate Uchiha Akihito. Hyuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, and the other clan heads felt a chill in their hearts.
First they refused to send reinforcements. Then they tried to erase a battlefield hero who had shed blood for the village.
The upper echelons of Konoha had truly gone too far.
Shisui's expression dimmed.
He had originally come under the orders of the Third Hokage to monitor Akihito—to prevent him from doing anything that might harm Konoha's interests.
Yet throughout this entire mission, Akihito had done nothing detrimental to the village. On the contrary, it was Konoha's higher-ups who had repeatedly set traps to undermine him.
At this moment, Shisui's thoughts were in turmoil. The Will of Fire he had always believed in without question had begun to waver.
Danzo—the so-called Darkness of Konoha—had directly sent assassins after Akihito.
Did the Uchiha truly have no place left in Konoha?
Akihito remained silent, and so did Hyuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, and the others.
They all understood that given the Third Hokage's tolerance toward Danzo, even if they dragged this matter into the open, Danzo would still escape any serious punishment.
Shisui had intended to say a few words in defense of the Third Hokage, but recalling the higher-ups' conduct over the past days, he immediately abandoned the thought.
Perhaps the Third Hokage truly didn't know—but someone like Danzo should not be allowed to roam free!
The group stood in silence for a long time, until Akihito finally broke it.
"Detain these two. When we return, hand them over to Lord Third for judgment."
Hyuga Hiashi and Nara Shikaku nodded.
Akihito's decision made one thing clear—he had no intention of letting this slide.
They had no desire to involve themselves in the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership. But if Akihito wanted to make trouble for Danzo, they would gladly lend a hand.
Was Danzo only targeting Akihito?
He was clearly trying to drag them down as well.
If they couldn't afford to confront him head-on, then fanning the flames from the sidelines was still fair game.
Even if they couldn't strike back as boldly as Akihito, they could at least curse him a couple of times to vent their anger.
You schemed against us on the battlefield—and you think you'll walk away unscathed?
We hold grudges too.
…
Akihito ordered the Konoha Allied Forces 893rd Unit to rest in place for two days. Only after scouts confirmed that Kumogakure had fully withdrawn did he command the army to return.
Not long after Kumogakure's retreat, intelligence about Akihito being ambushed on the battlefield landed on the Fourth Raikage's desk.
For the Raikage, it was a glimmer of hope.
With the way Konoha's higher-ups behaved, sooner or later they would fall out with Uchiha Akihito!
As long as internal strife plagued Konoha, Kumogakure would have ample opportunity—whether to demand Killer B's return or to regroup and strike again.
External threats were not the most frightening. Internal chaos was.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were already at odds with the Uchiha. Konoha was bound to descend into turmoil sooner or later.
Though Kumogakure had suffered a crushing defeat this time, if they patiently waited for the right opportunity, a comeback from the brink was not impossible.
Now that Akihito had been dragged into Konoha's political whirlpool, he would surely be stretched thin.
Their most urgent task was to negotiate with Konoha and find a way to ransom Killer B back.
The Fourth Raikage A believed that, given the Third Hokage's soft temperament and obsession with peace, reclaiming his brother would not cost much.
Didn't Konoha fight tooth and nail to defeat Iwagakure last time—only to demand nothing in the end?
Kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred of your own.
War's final outcome was mutual ruin.
As long as Kumogakure maintained a hardline stance, Konoha likely wouldn't dare push too far.
After all, if Kumogakure truly fought Konoha to the bitter end, the only ones to benefit would be the other three great hidden villages.
Among the Five Great Nations, none were easy to deal with.
Without extraordinary circumstances, none would fight to mutual destruction.
…
Under Akihito's command, the army marched back toward Konoha in grand procession.
Along the way, every Konoha shinobi wore a broad smile.
Against the mighty Kumogakure, they had secured a resounding victory.
Now, each of them was a hero returning from the battlefield in triumph.
The most talked-about figure, of course, was Uchiha Akihito.
First, he had single-handedly defeated Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' jinchuriki. Then he had faced the A–B Combo alone and emerged victorious.
At this moment, Akihito's prestige had reached its peak—much like Minato Namikaze at the end of the Third Great Ninja War.
In private, many were already whispering that Uchiha Akihito might become the next Hokage.
Akihito felt a quiet satisfaction.
Everything was unfolding just as he had planned.
With public opinion on his side, the higher-ups of Konoha would have to think twice before making another move against the Uchiha.
One misstep, and they would face universal condemnation. The reputation-conscious Third Hokage would never be able to shoulder that kind of blame.
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