"Uchiha Yue, are you trying to lead the entire Uchiha clan into open rebellion? And what about Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head? Have him come forward—now!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression finally darkened as he barked his words, the usual softness in his tone stripped away. A sharp wave of killing intent burst from his aged body, and in that instant, the Third Hokage's authority as a wartime commander—once feared even by the likes of Hanzo of the Salamander—rose like a mountain.
The decades of Hokage prestige weighed on the battlefield, his silhouette seemingly merging with the glory of Konoha's strongest generation.
"Oh? What a dramatic proclamation, Lord Third."
"Weren't you the one who brought a detachment of ANBU and Root operatives into the Uchiha District in the middle of the night? After we intercepted your covert encirclement, you now dare accuse me of rebellion?"
Uchiha Yue stepped forward, his Mangekyō spinning slightly beneath the Three Tomoe pattern. His tone was calm but sharp as a blade. "Caught red-handed and still pretending to act in justice? Don't think the Hokage title lets you rewrite the truth."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's jaw clenched at the bold accusation, the glow of suppressed chakra swirling like smoke. The old man's temper, rarely seen in public, finally surfaced. "I am the Third Hokage of Konoha! In my authority, I declare this: the Uchiha clan has assembled armed forces in defiance of the village. Danzo and I uncovered this insurrection before it could erupt. The Uchiha are rebels! Arrest them immediately!"
As his voice roared across the Uchiha district, tension shattered like glass. Hidden Leaf shinobi, already poised for battle, surged forward without hesitation.
"Hah! You bring war to our doorstep, and now you cry rebellion?"
Uchiha Yue laughed coldly. "To all Uchiha—our time has come. For too long we have endured whispers and surveillance! Tonight, we show the village that Uchiha pride does not bow—even to a Hokage!"
"For Uchiha pride!"
"Long live the Uchiha!"
"Down with the traitorous Hokage!"
As if responding to his call, the Uchiha rose with fierce defiance. Sharingan eyes flared crimson throughout the district. Their voices became a tide of rage, their hand seals a storm of retribution.
In moments, the district became a battlefield. Kunai and shuriken filled the air, and elemental jutsu collided with ear-shattering impact. Fire danced along the rooftops, and smoke coiled through the shattered streets.
Amidst the chaos, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo locked onto their true target—Uchiha Yue.
"Katon: Karyū Endan!"
"Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The coordination was flawless, the elemental combination intended to amplify the flame's destructive force. Their jutsu roared in from opposing angles, intending to trap Yue in a blazing crossfire.
"Doton: Doryūheki—Twin Ramparts!"
Yue, having already activated his base Sharingan, made no effort to use his Mangekyō's advanced ability. Two colossal walls of earth erupted at sharp angles, forming a V-shaped barricade nearly five meters thick and ten meters tall.
The Fire-Wind combo struck the wall in a massive boom, sending sparks and dust into the air, but the twin earth ramparts held steady.
"Fūton: Shinkūha!"
Danzo followed up, exhaling a bladed gale shaped like a sickle. The wind cleaved through the barricades, reducing Yue's defense to rubble.
Yet behind the crumbling stone—nothing. No blood, no body. Just silence.
"Tch." Danzo's one visible eye narrowed. "Gone?"
He hadn't even felt the chakra movement. His instincts had dulled. Ever since awakening the power of Izanagi, his overconfidence had made him sloppy—just like during his doomed battle against Sasuke in the manga.
Just as he turned to reposition—
"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!"
Two hands shot up from beneath, seizing Danzo's ankles and yanking him underground.
"Wh—?!"
Caught off guard, Danzo couldn't react in time. His body vanished into the soil, muffled by the sound of exploding jutsu elsewhere. He had been played.
Once again, Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared, releasing a surge of chakra.
"Doton: Doryūdan!"
A stream of earth erupted beneath Danzo, knocking him free from the trap. But Sarutobi's experienced eyes immediately noted something in the disturbance—a puff of dissipating white smoke.
"Shadow Clone!" he cursed internally.
As the realization hit—
"Fūton: Kaze no Yaiba!"
A sharp blade of wind surged from the destroyed earth wall, slicing through the space Sarutobi had occupied. His body erupted in a spray of blood.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo shouted in alarm, scrambling from the river mud, horrified.
But in the next second, the torn body of Sarutobi vanished in smoke—another Kage Bunshin.
"Katon: Endan!"
The real Sarutobi reappeared on the flanking ridge, exhaling a fireball straight at the source of the earlier wind attack. A deafening blast shook the ground, creating a smoking crater—but Uchiha Yue was nowhere to be seen.
Sarutobi landed beside Danzo, his face grim. The battlefield had grown too quiet around them.
The first exchange was over—and the Uchiha had won it.
"Are you hurt?" he asked quickly, his eyes never leaving the shifting smoke.
Danzo's uniform was torn and muddied, but his breathing stabilized. His one eye narrowed as he scanned their surroundings.
"No serious damage. But I underestimated him again. That illusion earlier… if I hadn't activated Izanagi by instinct…"
Sarutobi didn't acknowledge the apology. "Danzo, you warned me before. Uchiha Yue is not like the others. If we don't crush him now, he'll become something we can't contain."
"From this point on, no more holding back. If you hesitate again, I might not be able to pull you out next time."
Danzo stiffened at the words. He had seen Hiruzen in war, seen him go head-to-head with Hanzo, the Seven Swordsmen, and even fight the Gold and Silver Brothers in his youth. This wasn't a lecture. This was a final warning.
"…Understood, Hiruzen."
Danzo's face turned pale but resolute. His hand rose to the bandages covering his right eye, the one hiding the implanted Sharingan.
Tonight, the gloves were coming off.