Victory.
With the loss of the Fire Salamander Hanzō's deadly poison gas, the ninja of Amegakure were powerless to stop the raging hounds of Konoha.
Only three days remained until Danzō's resignation.
Senju Yukika had led them into a battle unlike any they'd experienced—fierce, unrestrained, and exhilarating.
This... this was what true triumph felt like.
They had conquered Amegakure and opened a direct route between the Land of Fire and the Rain Village.
From this day forward, the entire situation had shifted.
Undeniably, Konoha now held the upper hand, with absolute initiative and strategic dominance.
As long as they held the road connecting the two lands, even a prolonged war would not be a threat.
No one knew what shape future conflicts would take, but the other hidden villages were left dumbfounded.
A teenager—still in his youth—who carried the blood of the Senju clan had shown the force of will to lead his people back to the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
The name "Black-Winged Demon Lord" became synonymous with the Senju.
And that was precisely what Yukika wanted.
As long as people spoke of the Demon Lord, the shadow of Senju Hashirama would gradually fade. Yukika's brilliance would eventually become the new banner of the Senju—a spiritual symbol for the next era.
But for now, Yukika still had work to do.
The tribal people's loyalty to Konoha hadn't fully dissipated. And as long as that bond remained unbroken, deeper reform would be impossible. Worse, those very people could be swayed by gold and turn into pawns.
Fortunately, Yukika was a Senju.
And he was waiting—for a critical opportunity.
…
Land of Fire – Konoha
Years of war had left the strongest Hidden Village drained and weary.
Last month had been especially brutal. For Konoha, it was a time of pure suffering.
For an entire month, news of repeated failures from the front lines drained morale. The villagers were listless, questioning the judgment of their Hokage.
Their reasoning was simple:
Failure brought nothing but loss.
And that failure was pinned on the Hokage for replacing White Fang as commander with Danzō Shimura, a man unfamiliar with the field, who only pretended to be capable.
And sure enough, Danzō proved completely useless. A month of back-to-back defeats left the village numb with anxiety.
Thankfully, Senju Yukika, the young heir of the Senju, managed to preserve a final shred of dignity for Konoha.
But it was only that—a shred.
The crushing defeat of the main forces still weighed heavy on everyone's spirits.
They simply couldn't understand their Hokage's actions. What was the point of such a disastrous war?
As for Danzō, he had become the village's favorite punching bag. No one dared curse the Hokage, but Danzō? Well, he wasn't around to hear it, so venting on him was fair game.
But no one expected what came next.
And then—everything changed.
The dark clouds hanging over Konoha suddenly vanished.
One single piece of news ignited the village like wildfire.
Victory!
And not just any victory—a chain of them!
Danzō had been forcefully removed from his post due to his involvement in an attempted murder conspiracy. Meanwhile, Senju Yukika had led a daring assault deep into the Rain Country, breaking through three enemy defense lines!
The news was electrifying. Villagers shouted Yukika's name with fervor.
Though it wasn't officially posted outside the Hokage Tower, the source was a trusted ninja who delivered orders directly. The news was real, and the people were overjoyed.
But before they could even catch their breath, an even greater revelation dropped like a bombshell.
"Yukika-sama has led our forces deep into enemy territory and personally defeated the demigod, Salamander Hanzō!"
"Yukika-sama's tactics were flawless. The Konoha alliance has officially taken over Amegakure!"
"Total victory! Complete and utter victory!"
Another wounded ninja—face bloodied from brutal battle—delivered the triumphant news. Though worse for wear than the first messenger, he carried the flame of victory.
Senju Yukika had done it.
He had taken Amegakure.
And in the process, he had defeated Hanzō of the Salamander—a legend in his own right.
The village erupted once more.
For the villagers, the kind of man who could achieve this… could only be Senju Yukika.
A true Senju.
And that clan was the pride of Konoha.
Yukika had proven through action that the Senju were far from finished. The mighty clan of the Warring States era had risen again.
Though Hashirama and Tobirama were gone, the Senju had found another to carry the torch.
He had arrived.
Senju Yukika!
"Mito-grandma!"
In the Senju compound, Kushina rushed into Mito Uzumaki's room to share the incredible news.
"Big Brother Yukika will always be my pride."
"And ours," Mito said softly, stroking Kushina's red hair with a worried look on her face.
Lately, her body had grown increasingly frail.
In this world, the Nine-Tails always seemed ready to rebel.
But lately, it had stopped resisting. Just snorted smugly and went silent.
Mito didn't know what had changed, but it was a good thing.
She would devote every last ounce of her strength to staying alive—for Yukika.
As long as she lived, she'd be a nail in the side of those who harbored ill intent.
This was her promise to Yukika.
…
Over in the Uchiha compound, Mikoto quietly entered the family shrine, kneeling in reverence before their ancestors.
"O ancestors of the Uchiha… I don't ask for Yukika to win glory. I only ask that he returns safely. Please… protect him."
But halfway through her prayer, Mikoto's expression turned awkward.
Wait.
Asking the Uchiha ancestors to bless the heir of the Senju clan?
If Madara were still around, he'd probably scold her for disgracefully aiding the enemy.
Blushing, Mikoto bowed and left, deciding instead to visit the Memorial Stone to pray for the fallen heroes of the Senju.
However, the moment she left, a tall figure stepped from the shadows of the shrine, face dark and brooding.
Uchiha Fugaku.
The next head of the Uchiha clan.
He was furious—but didn't act on it.
After all, someone who had awakened the Mangekyō but still refrained from using it could endure a great deal.
Yukika was making waves. The Senju were rising again.
The front lines remained active. Though Yukika wasn't the official commander, Tsunade took his every word as an order.
He had won over Mikoto.
Which meant he could hurt her too.
Fugaku would endure it.
He had to.
He carried his father's will. Endurance was part of leadership.