Sweat beaded on Hiruzen Sarutobi's forehead.
Staring at the handwritten letter before him, his mind went blank.
Never had he imagined Uchiha Kai would be this ruthless.
Yes, he had prepared to annihilate the Uchiha, but for Kai to flip the entire table like this—wasn't that insane?
By normal reasoning, in such a crisis one should first protect one's clan. Either fight the Hokage's faction head-on, or attempt a desperate breakout.
But to abandon every civilian Uchiha, treat all below Jounin as expendable cannon fodder, and scatter the Jounin to assassinate the families and prodigies of every other clan—what kind of madness was this?
Did he have a screw loose?
And as a Mangekyo wielder—shouldn't he at least have some pride as a strong shinobi?
Instead of dueling the Hokage himself, he was lying in wait outside his own clan's compound…
Damn it.
Did the man have no shame?
But there was nothing to be done.
Hiruzen sighed bitterly. He understood.
Tonight's planned strike against the Uchiha was impossible now.
One letter—just one—and every clan would hesitate.
Yes, they'd only agreed to join the crackdown because they feared the "legal reforms" the Uchiha had pushed.
But if Kai's true intent was only negotiation, only trying to draw allies, then the situation changed.
So long as the Uchiha still "played by the rules," no clan would willingly provoke them.
He could destroy this letter, of course. But could he afford to sacrifice the Sarutobi clan?
No!
Not when Kai, that shameless schemer, was already stationed outside his clan's very home.
If he gave the order to attack, the other clans might waver, but the Sarutobi would certainly be wiped out.
And without the Sarutobi, what would he be?
It was his clan that formed the foundation of his Hokage authority. Without them, even with allies like Shimura, Mitokado, and Koharu, his position would crumble.
Ino-Shika-Cho only followed him because he had a stable clan base as Hokage.
Lose the Sarutobi, and he loses everything.
Another helpless laugh escaped him.
Uchiha Kai truly had him cornered.
One letter had shattered the fragile alliance, cowed every clan, and even bound the Hokage himself.
And like before—it was an open scheme. Kai had laid the trap in plain sight, and still he had no way to counter it.
What now? How to break this game?
His mind spun furiously, then faltered. There was no solution.
For the first time, Hiruzen wished he had Nara Shikaku back at his side. Against someone this unpredictable, his own skill as Hokage was simply lacking.
"Daytime?" Koharu Utatane asked gravely. "What's happened?"
She knew him well, and seeing his demeanor, she knew something had changed.
Mitokado Homura frowned.
"Hiruzen, be cautious. Whatever Kai has said, our arrow is already knocked. We cannot falter now!"
Only Danzo said nothing.
He knew Hiruzen too well. He saw it at once—the man would back down.
Once Hiruzen had decided, no one could sway him. Not even Danzo.
He didn't know what the letter said, but it didn't matter.
Hiruzen was unreliable. Always had been.
If the Uchiha were to be purged, it would be by his hand alone—by Root.
He snorted coldly, rose, and walked out of the chamber without a word.
The clansmen present looked around, bewildered.
This was supposed to be a grave matter—the extermination of Uchiha.
Why did it now feel like children playing house?
But they held their tongues. They only fixed their eyes on Hiruzen, waiting for his explanation.
Koharu and Homura half-reached to stop Danzo, but in the end let him go.
Their attention returned to Hiruzen. He owed them all an answer.
Hiruzen sighed, then without hesitation passed the letter down.
The chamber buzzed instantly as it was read.
Faces twisted—astonishment, anger, fear, relief—an entire palette of emotions.
But one thing was the same.
Every breath hissed in sharply. Spines went cold. Some even trembled.
Uchiha Kai was merciless.
He would sacrifice his entire clan if it meant dragging the rest of Konoha down with him.
Yes—if they moved tonight, they could destroy the Uchiha.
But the cost?
Every clan's prodigies, their elders, their wives and children—slaughtered in the night.
And worst of all—he was already lurking in Sarutobi's midst.
If they attacked Uchiha and a signal flare rose, then Sarutobi was doomed.
They all remembered. Just nights ago, Kai had unveiled his Mangekyo power—strange, overwhelming, impossible to counter. No chakra signature, no defense possible.
If he turned that power loose on the Sarutobi, the clan would be obliterated.
And after that? He'd vanish into the world as a rogue shinobi, hunting Konoha from the shadows, striking wherever he pleased.
Even with many strong shinobi, even if the Sannin were recalled, who could guard every corner of the village, every hour of every day?
It was impossible.
So they understood.
Tonight's battle was canceled.
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