The first to stop Sarutobi Hiyu wasn't the Uchiha.
It was the ANBU.
Six masked operatives dropped from the shadows, blocking Hiyu's vengeful advance. Their voices were tense.
"Hiyu-sama—what is the meaning of this?!"
Hiyu snarled. "Move."
"The Hokage has explicitly forbidden—"
"Out of my way!"
The ANBU exchanged glances but stood firm. "Our orders come from the Hokage himself. If you proceed… it'll be over our corpses."
"You think I won't slaughter you?!"
Hiyu was beyond reason—defying even Hiruzen's authority. The ANBU knew this, yet duty bound them.
"Go! Alert the Hokage—now!"
Two operatives vanished in a blur. The rest braced themselves.
Hiyu's lips curled into a sneer. "If you choose death…"
"Then die!"
"Kill them all!"
Twenty to thirty Sarutobi clansmen stormed through Konoha, their fury impossible to ignore.
Every major clan watched in silence.
This wasn't just a skirmish—it was the spark of civil war.
Sarutobi versus Uchiha.
If blood spilled today, the village would fracture.
And the burning question: Was Hiyu acting alone… or with the Hokage's tacit approval?
Hyūga. Ino-Shika-Chō. Aburame. All held their breath, observing from the shadows.
Three ANBU corpses later, Hiyu's forces marched toward the Uchiha compound.
The Uchiha, tasked with Konoha's security, reacted instantly. Fugaku's heart pounded.
He hadn't expected Hiyu to defy Hiruzen's direct order.
This wasn't a provocation—it was war.
Uchiha Yashiro wiped sweat from his brow. "Clan Head—we must decide now! If we retreat, we're finished. If we fight… it's mutual destruction!"
Fugaku's mind reeled.
He wasn't a hardliner. He'd never stake the clan's survival on a doomed rebellion.
But what choice did he have?
Around him, the Uchiha's elite—Tekka, Yakumi, Inahoshi—stood ready, awaiting his command.
One word would seal their fate.
Fugaku gritted his teeth. "Move out! Engage them!"
The police force erupted in battle cries.
"YES, CLAN HEAD!"
The two forces clashed at the banks of the Nakano River.
Tension crackled like lightning.
Fugaku stepped forward, voice icy. "Hiyu. Explain this madness."
Hiyu roared. "Hand over Uchiha Yoru—or die where you stand!"
Behind him, Sarutobi clansmen howled for blood.
The Uchiha's rage mirrored theirs.
"You dare invade our territory?!"
"If the Sarutobi want war—WE'LL GIVE THEM WAR!"
Fugaku silenced them with a raised hand. "Is this the Hokage's will?"
Hiyu spat. "What does it matter?!"
"Then this is an act of war." Fugaku's Sharingan flickered. "Are you prepared for the consequences?"
"ENOUGH TALK! BRING ME Yoru'S HEAD!"
Fugaku's patience snapped. "Very well. Let the Nakano River run red with Sarutobi blood!"
Just as blades were drawn—
WHOOSH.
A figure landed between them.
Uchiha Yoru.
Flanked by his subordinates, Aoki and Yamakaze, he stood unmoved by the chaos.
Hiyu's eyes burned with hatred. "YOU…! FINALLY, YOU SHOW YOUR FACE!"
Fugaku frowned. "Yoru. This is beyond you now. Step aside."
Yoru glanced back. "No. My actions are mine alone."
"I once said I wouldn't hesitate to drag the clan into war. That hasn't changed. But—"
"This is my fight."
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "Yoru, you—"
"Aoki. Yamakaze. Stand down."
"But Captain—!"
"That's an order."
"…Yes, sir."
Hiyu laughed bitterly. "At least you've got a spine, boy! Now DIE—FOR MY SON'S SAKE!"
Wind howled across the riverbank as the two locked eyes.
Yoru's voice was steel. "Sarutobi Hiyu. Abuse of power. Harboring criminals. Trespassing on Uchiha land. Assaulting Konoha's police force. By law… your life is forfeit."
"YOU ARROGANT BRAT!"*
"Fire Release: Blazing Flame Technique!"
Hiyu's hands flew through seals—faster than most could track. A white-hot inferno erupted, roaring toward Yoru like a dragon's maw.
"Yoru—MOVE!"
But Yoru didn't flinch.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
A second firestorm collided with Hiyu's—until—
SHING.
Hiyu's hands changed seals mid-combo.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A torrential dragon smashed through Yoru's flames, surging toward him.
Fugaku's breath caught.
"He mastered opposing elements—fire and water?! Even among the Sarutobi, this is…!"
"Yoru… What will you do?"
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