"Shisui, did you see that?"
After confirming Homura Mitokado's order, Ryūjin did not move. Instead, he spoke casually to the empty space beside him.
Homura Mitokado froze.
What was he doing?
Shisui had just been killed by Ryūjin, that much was clear. So who exactly was he talking to?
Before Homura could process it, his vision suddenly distorted. The air beside Ryūjin rippled, and a figure slowly emerged.
Uchiha Shisui.
At the same time, the corpse that had been lying on the ground vanished without a trace.
Homura Mitokado's pupils shrank violently.
Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead.
Even a fool would understand now.
Everything he had seen earlier was fake. The so called killing of Shisui had been nothing more than a genjutsu. From the very beginning, he had been trapped inside Ryūjin's illusion.
And worst of all, he had exposed everything.
"Why... Hokage?"
Shisui's voice trembled as if something inside him had collapsed.
His entire belief system was crumbling.
He had trusted the Village. He had believed in the Will of Fire. He thought the Village genuinely wanted peace with the Uchiha Clan.
But reality had just slapped him across the face.
The Village did not want peace.
It wanted extermination.
Not even the civilians would be spared.
For Shisui, this was a devastating blow.
"Shisui, your biggest problem is that you are too naive."
Ryūjin spoke calmly from the side, his tone sharp and indifferent.
"Do you even understand the real conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan?"
Shisui said nothing.
"Have you heard the phrase, merit so great it overshadows the master?"
Ryūjin continued, his eyes cold.
"The Uchiha Clan is too powerful. You helped found Konoha alongside the First Hokage, yet now you are beyond control. Do you really think those in power would feel comfortable with that?"
He let out a faint scoff.
"Wake up. Look at reality for what it is."
Homura Mitokado's face twisted in fury.
Everything he had planned had already been seen through. In front of Ryūjin, he felt like nothing more than a fool.
But more than anger, he felt fear.
A suffocating pressure wrapped around him.
He had witnessed Ryūjin's strength before. Now that things had fallen apart, he knew staying meant death.
No hesitation.
His body flickered, and he dashed toward the window using the Body Flicker Technique.
Trying to escape.
Ryūjin's lips curled slightly.
"You think you're leaving?"
His eyes shifted into the Rinnegan.
He raised his hand.
"Universal Pull."
A terrifying force dragged Homura back instantly. His body flew uncontrollably toward Ryūjin.
Before he could react, a black receiver appeared in Ryūjin's hand.
Swoosh!
It pierced straight through Homura Mitokado's heart.
"How... is this possible..."
Homura's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had survived countless battles, outlived nearly everyone of his generation, yet now he was dying like this.
Just like that.
Ryūjin said nothing.
He pulled the receiver out cleanly.
Homura's body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
His Transformation Jutsu dissipated, revealing his true appearance.
"Homura Mitokado? He's not the Hokage?"
Shisui stared, completely stunned.
"Of course he isn't," Ryūjin replied casually. "The real Hokage is already dead. I killed him."
Shisui's body stiffened.
"You... killed the Hokage?"
His voice rose in disbelief.
To him, that was treason. An unforgivable crime.
"He tried to kill me. What, I was supposed to stand there and accept it like you?"
Ryūjin's expression turned colder.
"Sorry, I'm not that pathetic."
His gaze sharpened.
"You're willing to die for the Village, but to them, you're just a tool. A dog."
Shisui clenched his fists, his expression shaken.
"Even so... you shouldn't have killed the Hokage."
Ryūjin let out a quiet laugh.
"You really think this started because I killed him?"
He stepped closer, his voice cutting.
"He already wanted the Uchiha wiped out long before I did anything."
Shisui shook his head.
"That's not true..."
"It is."
Ryūjin didn't slow down.
"You think Homura acted alone? Jiraiya, Hyuga Hiashi, the Ino Shika Cho, the Aburame Clan, they all knew. They all allowed it."
Each word struck like a blade.
"Do you really believe Homura could act freely in Konoha without approval? He's not the Hokage."
Shisui's breathing became uneven.
"Impossible... that's impossible..."
"I'm done talking."
Ryūjin's patience ran out.
His figure blurred.
In an instant, he appeared in front of Shisui.
Shisui reacted instinctively, pulling out a kunai.
Clang, clang, clang!
The clash lasted only seconds.
Then suddenly, Shisui staggered back, clutching his eyes.
Blood streamed through his fingers.
His Sharingan had been forcibly taken.
"A powerful pair of eyes," Ryūjin said indifferently. "Too bad I can't trust you."
He sealed the eyes into a scroll without hesitation.
"You can leave. From now on, Uchiha Shisui doesn't exist."
Shisui stood there like a hollow shell.
The loss of his eyes was nothing compared to the collapse of his beliefs.
He walked out slowly, like a corpse.
Bang!
The office doors burst open.
Several Root ninjas rushed in.
They froze at the sight of Homura Mitokado's body.
"Lord Homura!"
Shock turned to fury.
One of them stepped forward.
"You killed him?"
Ryūjin didn't bother denying it.
"Yes. He's dead. Are you going to die for him too?"
His gaze swept across them.
Cold. Sharp.
Without hesitation, they attacked.
Shuriken filled the air, flying toward him like a storm.
Ryūjin didn't even move.
His Mangekyo Sharingan activated.
Kamui.
Every shuriken passed straight through his body.
The Root ninjas froze.
"What kind of technique is this..."
Before they could react further, Ryūjin entered Sage Mode.
Lightning surged around him.
Chidori Current.
The moment they got close, they were struck down instantly, bodies collapsing one after another.
Outside the Hokage Building, several figures stood in the shadows.
Jiraiya. Hyuga Hiashi. Nara Shikaku. Yamanaka Inoichi.
They could hear the disturbance inside.
Something was wrong.
"Should we go in?" Hiashi asked.
Everyone looked grim.
Just as they were about to move, Shikaku spoke.
"Wait."
His tone was heavy.
"If the worst has already happened, what do we do next?"
Silence fell.
If Ryūjin had really killed both the Hokage and Homura Mitokado, then what?
Fight him?
They all knew what that meant.
It wouldn't be a simple battle. The cost would be catastrophic.
Ignore it?
That wasn't an option either.
If the truth about the Uchiha extermination plan was exposed, retaliation was inevitable.
Konoha would face disaster.
Jiraiya stepped forward.
"My teacher is dead because of him. My student too."
His voice was steady.
"I won't step back."
Hiashi followed.
"The Hyuga Clan has always benefited from the Village. It's time we repay that."
The others remained silent, but their expressions made their stance clear.
They were preparing for the worst.
===
Look up "_Zeph" on Patreon to get access to chapters in advance.