Outside the royal palace, the air was crisp and tense. Uchiha Su arrived with his cadre of Anbu, moving with a calm authority that made the guards at the palace gates freeze in place. Several dozen stood at the entrance, swords drawn and eyes wide, unsure of how to react to the sudden intrusion.
Without hesitation, Uchiha Su strode forward, his posture casual yet commanding, ignoring the guards' protests.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass into the royal palace!" one guard shouted, raising his sword and pointing the tip at Su's chest. His voice carried the authority of the palace—but it faltered under the weight of the presence before him.
The next instant, the guard fell, killed silently and efficiently by the Anbu behind Su.
Uchiha Su stepped over the body, his boots making no sound against the polished stones of the courtyard. The remaining guards did not move. Their faces were pale, trembling. They knew exactly what had happened to the previous sentries. Those men had been sent to surround and kill the Mizukage's successor—and they had failed. Now, seeing the very person they had been sent to destroy walking among them, fully alive and unscathed, fear froze them into inaction.
The path ahead was astonishingly smooth. The palace seemed to part for them, almost as if the stones themselves knew better than to obstruct this child. Perhaps it was because all the patrolling guards had been dispatched to intercept them, leaving the central halls empty and silent.
Uchiha Su halted just outside the main hall. From here, he could hear the voices of the ruler and his ministers, discussing matters with self-assured authority.
"In my view," one minister sneered, "Uchiha lacks strategy, and the Mizukage lacks wisdom. Surrounded by hundreds of warriors, they will surely lose their heads."
"It is the Daimyo who is truly cunning," another replied. "Using this succession ceremony, he will wipe out two generations of Hidden Mist's Mizukage in one fell swoop!"
Uchiha Su's crimson eyes flickered behind the Mangekyō Sharingan. He allowed himself a small smile and entered the hall.
"My apologies," he said softly, his voice like silk laced with steel. "It seems I must interrupt your conversation."
He clapped his hands once. At once, the Anbu moved with precision, sealing the main entrance. Others fanned out to the corners of the hall, encircling the dozen or so nobles and ministers who held power over the Land of Water.
Uchiha Seiichi, Su's loyal aide, produced a chair seemingly from nowhere, gesturing for Su to sit. Calmly, as though attending a formal tea ceremony, Uchiha Su lowered himself into the seat, scanning the room with quiet authority.
A deafening silence filled the hall. It was the kind of silence that pressed on the chest, oppressive and suffocating, where even the slightest sound would betray fear.
Finally, Su spoke, voice low but commanding, "Daimyo, you are quite ignorant. Do you not understand that the fate of this country—and the Village—rests upon my shoulders?"
Seto Toru, the Daimyo-elect, felt his face twist involuntarily, turning the color of boiled shrimp. Rage, fear, and disbelief warred within him. He was the ruler, destined by bloodline to lead, yet here he was being lectured by a child.
"Where are those warriors?" he croaked, hoarse.
Su's lips curved into a faint, cruel smile. "Daimyo… are you not asking the obvious? Those so-called rebellious subjects were executed by my hand."
He leaned slightly forward. "But that is not all. I have come here for another reason: to purge the treacherous officials who surround you. It is precisely these traitors who blinded you to your true loyal subjects. We fought on the front lines, shedding blood and sacrificing our lives for the safety of this nation and Village. And yet, upon arriving at the royal capital, we were framed. One official, in particular, attempted to mobilize your army against us!"
Su paused, letting his words hang in the air like a blade poised to strike. "I have come to remove the traitors, Daimyo. Now, tell me: who is loyal, and who is a traitor?"
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. A deep crimson glow suffused his eyes, sending an invisible weight pressing into the hearts of all in the hall. Seto Toru's hands shook. He wanted to lash out verbally, to denounce Su as a usurper, a rebel, a child playing at authority—but fear rooted him in place.
Finally, he pointed, trembling, at his Attendant. "It is… this man. He whispers lies in my ear. I trusted him, and… almost caused the death of loyal subjects. He… deserves… dismemberment. A hundred deaths would not atone for his crimes."
The Attendant protested, flailing. "Lord Daimyo, I am your most loyal servant! It was the great nobles' idea! Why… why didn't you point them out?"
Before another word could escape, an Anbu silently grabbed him, dragging him away. A scream pierced the hall, then a splash of blood stained the black mask of the Anbu.
"Reporting to Lord Su," an Anbu announced formally, kneeling. "The treacherous official has been executed according to the law."
Su nodded approvingly. "Very good. That is a strong start. Do not fear, Daimyo. Now that the loyal subjects have arrived, justice will be served. Who else is an accomplice? Name them, one by one."
The Daimyo's face paled. Each time Su's gaze pressed upon him, fear twisted him further. Trembling, he pointed to two great nobles who had often looked down on him, mocking his authority.
"Seto Toru," Su warned with a sly smile, "you are inviting wolves into your home. Your end will be terrible."
The two nobles were dragged away immediately. Screams echoed through the hall. When the sounds ceased, only silence remained, heavy and suffocating.
"Daimyo," Su said, "prepare a list. All assets of those who died here will be confiscated by the Hidden Mist."
Seto Toru dared not protest. His head hung, submission born of fear. He understood the cost of defiance too clearly.
Su's voice sharpened, anger creeping in. "What is the meaning of this, Daimyo? Are you sparing words out of arrogance?"
Seto Toru said nothing, offering only silence and bowed head.
Su's eyes fell on a jade paperweight resting atop documents on the desk. Swiftly, he grabbed it and smashed it onto Seto Toru's forehead. Blood welled immediately, staining his hands.
"You pig-like thing!" Su growled. "How dare you act arrogant before me!"
He kicked the Daimyo violently. "I offered you a way out, and you refused. Do not blame me for taking things to the extreme!"
"You cannot treat me like this! I, Seto Toru, am the Daimyo of the Land of Water, born divine! A natural ruler! How dare you—a commoner—treat me like this?"
Fear had twisted Seto Toru's mind into fury. He cursed, shouting words that were meant to rally his authority, but they fell on deaf ears.
Su's hands were relentless. He smashed the paperweight repeatedly onto Seto Toru's skull. Blood ran freely. Within minutes, Seto Toru ceased to breathe, his body collapsing like mud across the magnificent floor of the main hall.
Breathing heavily, Su wiped sweat from his brow, inadvertently smearing blood across his own face. He did not care. Rising, he walked to the throne, sitting as if it were always meant for him. The crimson glow in his eyes seemed almost tangible, radiating power and authority.
"You are all scholars, well-versed in literature and history," Su addressed the remaining nobles, voice echoing through the hall. "Do you have counsel for me? How shall I handle this situation?"
The nobles stood frozen, some pale as death. Some felt they were still trapped in a nightmare, unsure if their eyes betrayed reality.
Since the beginning of recorded history, had there ever been a Daimyo who died in such a manner? The thought alone made them shiver.
Uchiha Su's presence filled the hall like an unchallenged storm. His pupils, crimson and sharp, held them in thrall, his calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the carnage that had just unfolded. The era of the Ninja had arrived. And in this hall, it began with him.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)
50% Offers are going on claim yours as soon as possible