Inside the conference room, the air fell silent again.
Hiashi Hyūga said nothing.
And silence, more often than not, was consent.
It wasn't that Hiashi didn't want to save his brother.
But in the face of clan duty and Konoha's so-called "peace," his personal feelings were insignificant.
Watching Hiashi's tortured struggle, the clan heads around the room couldn't help feeling a chill of shared dread.
This time, it was the Hyūga.
Next time—would it be them?
And if that day came…
What choice would they make?
Hiruzen Sarutobi began his "guidance" again, his voice calm and steady.
"Where Konoha's leaves dance, the Fire will burn unending."
"The light of that flame will continue to illuminate the village… and nurture new sprouts."
His gaze rested on Hiashi, heavy with expectation.
"The Will of Fire is Konoha's faith."
"I hope you can understand its true meaning, Hiashi."
Hiruzen spoke gently for a long while.
Hiashi remained silent.
In the end, the Hokage could only sigh.
"Very well. We'll pause this meeting."
"Hiashi—go back and think carefully. Then give your answer."
Hiashi still didn't respond.
Hiruzen shook his head, looking almost disappointed.
Brotherly bonds were hard to sever?
Was that truly more important than Konoha's "peace"?
Around the room, several people sighed inwardly, eyes filled with pity as they looked at Hiashi.
They had no power to overturn the decision of the elders.
And Hiashi, in the end, would be forced to yield.
"Ahem."
At that moment, the one who had been silent all this time finally stood.
Yusuke Uchiha.
He didn't speak immediately.
He scanned the room with a faint, unreadable smile—half amusement, half disdain.
Hiruzen's heart tightened, yet his face remained composed.
"Yusuke… do you have something to say?"
What are you planning?
Even before Yusuke struck, Hiruzen's guard was already up.
The momentum was settled.
He could not allow Yusuke to disrupt the arrangement they had prepared for the Hyūga.
Yusuke gave a soft chuckle and spoke evenly.
"Aren't we Konoha… the Number One Hidden Village?"
"Then why are we bowing our heads to the Hidden Cloud?"
Before Hiruzen could answer, Yusuke pressed forward—question after question, each one cutting deeper.
"During the First, Second, and Third Great Ninja Wars, Konoha faced multiple villages at once—and still emerged victorious."
"So why is it that against a single village, Kumogakure, we're afraid before we even fight?"
"The First Hokage ended the Warring States."
"The Second Hokage ruled with strategy and iron."
"The Fourth Hokage—just his name alone made enemies flee."
"The heroes of our past are still alive in memory."
"And now we trade our comrades for a fragile moment of safety."
"Is Konoha truly out of successors?"
His words landed like thunder.
If Yusuke wanted Konoha to unify against an external enemy, then he needed to ignite the fire in their hearts.
Those who offend Konoha… will be hunted down no matter how far.
That was the mood he wanted.
Yusuke lifted his chin, shoulders squared, and delivered the final blow—blunt, humiliating, unmistakable.
"A mere Hidden Cloud… is it really worth fearing this much?"
"If you're all too scared, then let the Uchiha wipe them out."
"You can go home and raise your children."
The room exploded.
Chairs scraped. Hands slammed onto the table.
His words were unbearable.
The Uchiha had pride in their bones—
But the other clans weren't made of mud either.
They weren't afraid.
They were enduring—for the sake of peace.
And yet Yusuke had just called it cowardice to their faces.
You want war?
Fine.
They would fight.
In an instant, Konoha's representatives were seething.
Some even stepped forward and openly petitioned the Hokage.
"Third Hokage-sama, we cannot yield on this!"
"Kumogakure has gone too far. Let me meet them on the battlefield!"
Hiashi Hyūga looked at Yusuke, gratitude flashing through his pain.
He stepped forward as well, voice hoarse but resolute.
"Hokage-sama, this began with the Hyūga."
"Then I will lead Hyūga shinobi to the front line!"
The room was slipping out of control.
Hiruzen had no choice but to stand and take command.
"Yusuke's words… are not without reason."
"I don't want to swallow humiliation either."
"But the village's condition—Konoha truly cannot withstand another war."
Cold sweat slid down his spine.
As expected… Yusuke Uchiha will never stay quiet.
From the way he spoke, he wasn't merely stirring emotions—
He was pushing Konoha toward open war with Kumogakure.
Yusuke gave a soft, contemptuous snort.
"Konoha can't withstand war?"
No.
You're protecting your own position.
If Konoha won, new heroes would rise.
If Konoha lost, Danzō would sharpen his knife and force you to step down.
Either way, war was a threat to Hiruzen's control.
So of course he preferred "peace."
Yusuke's voice hardened, each word deliberate.
"Today we hand over someone from the Hyūga."
"Tomorrow the same demand comes for another clan—do we compromise again?"
"I don't care what happens to other clans."
"But the Uchiha will never accept this."
"Showing weakness only makes the enemy bolder."
"And peace begged for at the enemy's feet—what kind of peace is that?"
His expression was flawless—grief-stricken, righteous, furious, like a man truly heartbroken for the village.
Oh, you claim everything you do is for Konoha, Third Hokage?
So do I.
With surgical precision, Yusuke drove his blade into every clan head's fear.
The Hyūga—one of Konoha's great noble clans—was being forced to sacrifice a man.
If even the Hyūga could be treated like this…
What about the rest of them?
And as for civilian shinobi—
They didn't even have the right to protest.
The pressure in the room rose until it was nearly suffocating.
Koharu Utatane finally snapped, voice sharp with barely restrained fury.
"Yusuke Uchiha—what are you implying?"
"Are you trying to provoke a war between Konoha and Kumogakure?!"
Yusuke shot back instantly, eyes cold.
"Kumogakure's fist is already in my face."
"Advisor-sama… are you telling me not to hit back?"
Hiruzen hurried to smooth things over.
"Yusuke, don't misunderstand."
"We're… forced into this."
"You've been to war. You know its cruelty."
"If war begins, Konoha will lose more innocent people…"
Homura Mitokado added coldly, seizing the opening.
"War is easy to speak of."
"If we truly fight Kumogakure—will the Uchiha go to the front?"
Yusuke swept his gaze across the entire room.
Then he spoke, voice like steel.
"To fall on the battlefield is an honorable death."
"To yield without fighting—what kind of shinobi is that?"
"A mere Hidden Cloud—what's there to fear?"
"The Uchiha are willing to go to war as a clan."
Want More? Get up to +60 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ https://www.patreon.com/aureliusstudios
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
Thanks for the support!