"Sharingan."
Uchiha Yusuke's eyes sharpened.
In an instant, the two Konoha jōnin were caught in his genjutsu.
He stepped forward and asked calmly,
"Who sent you to kill me?"
The two jōnin opened their mouths—
But no sound came out.
"…The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?"
Yusuke's gaze darkened as realization dawned.
So it's you, Shimura Danzō.
I haven't even gone looking for trouble with you—
And you've already taken the initiative to provoke me.
By the time the others rushed over—Hyūga Hiashi, Uchiha Shisui, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio—
The situation was already under control.
There was no doubt Yusuke was the greatest contributor to Konoha's victory.
The army was about to return in triumph—
And yet he had just been ambushed by his own comrades.
Even as outsiders, they felt a surge of anger.
Hiashi stepped forward, concern evident.
"Are you alright, Yusuke?"
"Have the attackers been dealt with?"
Yusuke smiled faintly.
"It's nothing. Just a scratch."
"They're already under my genjutsu. They won't cause trouble."
Only then did the others relax slightly.
If something had happened to Yusuke—
And the Raikage led a counterattack, Kumogakure could have turned the tide.
After all, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki was in their custody.
Shikaku exhaled.
"Good. You're alright."
"That gave me quite a scare."
Shisui hesitated.
"Yusuke-nii… these two, their origins are…?"
Yusuke shook his head.
"I tried asking."
"But they can't speak."
Can't speak.
At those words, everyone silently arrived at the same conclusion.
There was only one faction in Konoha infamous for such methods.
Danzō Shimura.
The so-called "Darkness of Konoha."
The First Hokage might have founded the village—
But whenever something dirty needed doing, Danzō was the one who carried the pot.
The war with Kumogakure had barely ended—
And already someone within Konoha was eager to eliminate its greatest battlefield hero.
Hiashi, Shikaku, and the other clan heads felt a chill in their hearts.
First refusing reinforcements.
Then attempting to silence the very man who had bled for victory.
The higher-ups had gone too far.
Shisui's expression dimmed.
He had been sent by the Third Hokage to monitor Yusuke—
To prevent him from harming Konoha's interests.
Yet along this journey, Yusuke had done nothing detrimental to the village.
Instead—
It was the higher-ups who had repeatedly set traps for him.
For the first time, Shisui felt his faith in the Will of Fire begin to waver.
Danzō had directly ordered an assassination.
Did the Uchiha truly have no place left in Konoha?
Yusuke remained silent.
So did Hiashi and Shikaku.
They all knew—
Given the Third Hokage's long-standing indulgence toward Danzō, even if this matter were exposed publicly, Danzō would likely escape severe punishment.
Shisui briefly considered defending the Third Hokage—
But recalling recent events, he swallowed the thought.
Perhaps Hiruzen truly did not know.
But Danzō could not be allowed to act with impunity.
After a long silence, Yusuke finally spoke.
"Detain them."
"We'll bring them back and let the Third Hokage handle it."
Hiashi and Shikaku nodded.
It was clear—
Yusuke had no intention of letting this go.
They did not wish to interfere in the struggle between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups.
But if Yusuke intended to confront Danzō—
They would gladly lend support.
After all—
Was Danzō targeting only Yusuke?
Not at all.
He was dragging the great clans into danger as well.
If they couldn't confront him directly—
They could at least stir the winds from the sidelines.
Even if they couldn't retaliate like Yusuke—
They could still make their discontent known.
He had calculated against them on the battlefield—
And thought he would walk away unscathed?
They were not the forgiving type.
Yusuke ordered the Konoha allied forces to rest in place for two days.
After scouts confirmed Kumogakure's complete withdrawal, he finally commanded the army to return home.
Not long after Kumogakure retreated, the Fourth Raikage received intelligence that Yusuke had been ambushed by his own village.
A faint glimmer of hope surfaced in his mind.
With Konoha's leadership acting this way, conflict with the Uchiha was inevitable.
As long as internal strife continued—
Kumogakure would have opportunities.
To negotiate Killer B's return.
Or to rebuild strength and strike again.
External threats were manageable.
Internal chaos was fatal.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were already at odds with the Uchiha.
Konoha would eventually descend into turmoil.
Though Kumogakure had suffered a crushing defeat—
If they waited patiently, reversal was not impossible.
Yusuke was now entangled in Konoha's political vortex.
He would not be able to focus solely on the battlefield.
For now, the priority was negotiation.
The Raikage believed that given the Third Hokage's tendency toward peace, the price to redeem Killer B might not be steep.
Hadn't Konoha fought Iwagakure bitterly in the past—
Only to demand nothing in the end?
War wounded both sides.
If Kumogakure stood firm, Konoha would not push too hard.
After all—
If they fought to mutual destruction, only the other hidden villages would benefit.
Among the Five Great Nations, none were fools.
Without extraordinary cause, none would gamble everything.
Under Yusuke's leadership, the Konoha army marched home in grand formation.
Every shinobi wore a smile.
They had defeated mighty Kumogakure.
They were returning as heroes.
And the most talked-about achievement—
Was Yusuke's record.
First defeating Yugito Nii one-on-one.
Then overcoming the AB Combo in a two-versus-one battle.
His prestige now stood at its peak—
Much like Minato Namikaze at the end of the Third Great Ninja War.
Privately, many were already speculating—
Uchiha Yusuke might become the next Hokage.
Yusuke felt a quiet satisfaction.
Everything was unfolding as he had planned.
With public opinion on his side—
The higher-ups would have to think twice before moving against the Uchiha.
To act rashly now would invite universal condemnation.
And the Third Hokage—
Cherished his reputation far too much to shoulder that burden.
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