Seeing the Sand Ninjas fleeing in disarray, a cheer erupted from the Konoha forces.
"We did it! We won!"
"We drove them off—Konoha stands strong!"
"See that? That's the power of the Uchiha!"
"Long live Lord Byakuya!"
"Lord Byakuya is unmatched!"
Among the Konoha ninjas, the Uchiha clan members were the most jubilant. After all, this battle had been led almost entirely by their clan, with Byakuya at the forefront. To them, this victory wasn't just a defense of Konoha — it was proof that the Uchiha alone were capable of fending off one of the Five Great Nations.
While others hid behind the village walls, the Uchiha had stepped onto the battlefield — and triumphed.
As the last of the Sand Ninjas vanished over the dunes, Byakuya released his Susanoo. The massive chakra avatar dispersed into fading particles, and he stepped forward calmly.
The surrounding Konoha ninjas looked at him with awe and respect.
"Lord Byakuya, you crushed their entire offensive... amazing as always."
Nara Shikaku was the first to approach, bowing slightly. "But what about the One-Tail...?"
Shikaku wasn't being overly deferential by chance — he was a brilliant strategist, and he knew better than most that Byakuya's current strength meant even the Hokage was no longer the true center of power in Konoha.
If Byakuya returned to the village with this kind of momentum, the old order — including Hiruzen and the elders — would have no choice but to reckon with him.
And so, Shikaku had made his decision: align early.
Byakuya didn't answer him directly. Instead, his eyes flicked toward the barely-breathing One-Tail.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot about this oversized pest."
The Ichibi, Shukaku, lay there weak and shriveled. After enduring both a brutal beating and the Sand's temporary sealing jutsu, it looked more like a twitching furball than a tailed beast.
Trying to inch away, it whimpered.
"Hmph... trying to run?"
Byakuya snorted and clapped his hands.
"Tailed Beast Suppression Seal."
A series of sealing marks erupted beneath Shukaku's body, crawling upward like chains of light. Within seconds, its massive form compressed — shrinking until it was the size of a housecat.
"...Huh. Didn't expect this thing to be cute."
Byakuya scooped the miniaturized Shukaku into one hand. It hissed and squirmed.
"You bastard! You sealed my chakra!"
Its tiny paws flailed. But now, its struggling only made it look more ridiculous.
"Mikoto," Byakuya said casually, tossing the creature. "Take care of it for now."
"Yes, Lord Byakuya."
Mikoto caught the little Shukaku and instinctively began stroking its fur.
"Wow… it's actually adorable like this," Kushina said, leaning closer.
"Stop that! I'm a tailed beast, damn it!"
But without its power, Shukaku's screeching came off more comical than threatening.
Shikaku coughed lightly. "Lord Byakuya, now that we've repelled the Sand's invasion, shall we prepare to withdraw?"
"Withdraw?" Byakuya turned to him slowly. "Why would we withdraw?"
Shikaku blinked. "...You mean—?"
"Now's the time to press forward," Byakuya said coolly. "We're going to attack the Sand Village."
"What!?"
Even Shikaku, usually unreadable, was stunned.
Byakuya continued without flinching. "They chose war. They marched on our land, endangered our people. Let them learn what it means to provoke Konoha — no, to provoke me."
Tsunade stepped forward, her brow furrowed. "Byakuya, the Sand is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. You're talking about starting a full-scale war!"
Byakuya's expression didn't change. "So what if they are? The Five Great Nations are only great in name. Compared to my power... they're just names on a map."
"I really don't get it. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, clearly had the power to dominate the entire ninja world. So why did he willingly divide the tailed beasts among the other villages?"
Byakuya couldn't help but question aloud.
"What did you just say!?"
Tsunade's expression shifted, her eyes flashing with anger.
"How dare you speak that way about my grandfather!"
Tsunade deeply revered Hashirama. Hearing anyone criticize him—especially like this—naturally provoked her fury.
"What? Did I lie?"
Byakuya remained calm in the face of her rising emotion.
"Your grandfather was too idealistic. He thought distributing the tailed beasts would bring balance, trust—even peace—to the ninja world. But what did that achieve?"
He continued, unflinching.
"After Hashirama died, the ninja world plunged into war. Not just one—three Great Ninja Wars. And even your second grandfather, Tobirama Senju, died in battle during one of them."
Tsunade's anger faded into silence. She had no rebuttal—because what Byakuya said was true.
Hashirama's dream of unifying the ninja world through compassion and trust hadn't worked. The tailed beasts became tools of war. The rivalries only deepened.
"Since your grandfather's way failed…"
Byakuya stepped forward, voice resolute.
"Then it's time to try my way. Not unity through love—but through strength. Crush the other villages, defeat them outright, and bring order to the chaos."
He raised his gaze. "We'll begin with the Sand Village."
"That's…"
Tsunade hesitated. She was conflicted. With all her knowledge and experience, even she couldn't say whether Byakuya's reasoning was wrong.
So she turned to someone else. "Shikaku… You're known as Konoha's top strategist. What do you think?"
Nara Shikaku frowned slightly, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Honestly… I don't know. The First Hokage's ideals were noble—but yeah… there were flaws. The world didn't change just because the tailed beasts changed hands."
"Then maybe…"
Tsunade looked back at Byakuya, uncertainty still lingering in her eyes.
"Maybe you are right…"
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