UTBW: Ch. 68

It was like a bolt from the blue sky, exploding in the hearts of Koharu and Homura. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale.

The worst-case scenario had happened! Their clans had also met disaster!

"..."

Koharu instantly felt the world spin around her. Homura staggered as well, needing to brace himself against the wall just to stay standing.

"Koharu-sama!"

"Homura-sama!"

Several ninja rushed forward to support them.

"I'll take you to a medical-nin..." one ninja said.

"Where are the people from my family?" Koharu angrily interrupted, her face twisting with fury. "Don't tell me, none of them escaped!"

"What about my family?!" Homura roared in anger as well.

At their words, the several ninja lowered their heads. This action spoke volumes without needing words.

"Uchi...ha!" Koharu gritted out each syllable, each word dripping with searing rage. Homura's face twisted even more ferociously, resembling a devil. The overwhelming anger made the blood rush to their heads, causing their temples to throb violently.

"I swear... I will..." Koharu gritted her teeth, wanting to spit out threats, but her vision suddenly flipped upside down.

Pop! Pop!

Two muffled popping sounds echoed inside the minds of Koharu and Homura. The two of them felt a strange cold and heat rushing through their heads.

Then, right before the eyes of the ninja around them, they froze in place, their bodies going rigid as if trapped in a genjutsu.

The ninja witnessing the scene turned pale with fright. They knew exactly what these symptoms meant.

They hurriedly carried the two away, rushing to find medical-nin. Just as Hiruzen had been rushed into the emergency room, these two were sent in right afterward.

---

Junichi led the group back, stepping through the gates of Konoha, strolling toward the main street leading to the clan grounds. Along the way, the streets were deserted.

No one dared to appear before them.

Even the chunin guarding the gates bowed their heads in fear the moment they caught sight of him.

The news had already spread. It wasn't something that happened outside the village, it had happened inside.

The Uchiha clan, in a lightning-fast operation, had wiped out the Utatane, Mitokado, and Shimura clans, completely obliterated them.

Not a single soul escaped.

Only the Sarutobi clan had a few survivors, a personal guard force that had stayed by Hiruzen's side, only 150 men in total. This made everyone in the village feel the terrifying power of the Uchiha!

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Anyone who dared move against the Uchiha, they would retaliate just as fiercely. This absolute, unrelenting vengeance made everyone feel fear and awe.

No one dared provoke the Uchiha clan now. They feared that the next to be destroyed might be themselves.

Upon entering the clan grounds, all the clan members who had participated in the purge had already returned, bringing back massive amounts of loot from the Konoha Council members.

Just the cash alone amounted to over ten billion ryō! Not to mention ores, weapons, ninja tools, armor, ninjutsu scrolls, antiques, paintings, shops, and more. Most of these valuables were too bulky to move quickly, so the Uchiha simply left them behind.

No one dared to touch them anyway.

If the survivors were smart, they'd deliver a full inventory list themselves by tomorrow.

"Welcome back!" Yuki stood at the front, beaming as he greeted Junichi's return.

"You worked hard." Junichi smiled and nodded.

"This was nothing!" Yuki laughed heartily, then suddenly his face grew serious. He raised his arm and gave a powerful wave.

The other clan members all straightened their faces, becoming solemn.

"Everyone, salute!" Yuki shouted in a deep voice, bowing at a ninety-degree angle to Junichi with great respect.

"Victory to the new clan leader!!"

With his loud cry, all the other clansmen immediately bowed in unison, like a field of wheat bending under a sudden gust of wind.

Then, a deafening chorus of shouts erupted, shaking the skies.

"Victory to Junichi-sama!!"

"Victory to Junichi-sama!!"

"Victory to Junichi-sama!!"

Every shout was filled with fierce emotion. The burning passion and respect in their voices seemed to ignite the very air around them.

"Victory to Junichi-sama!!" Even the young children, caught up in the atmosphere, shouted with shining eyes and excitement.

---

The jonin and civilian ninjas returning to the village, upon hearing the resounding cries, couldn't help but change expressions.

"What incredible unity..."

"It's like the will of the people has gathered completely!"

"The Uchiha's strength has once again been forged into one solid force."

"I wonder... what will happen to the future of the village?"

Many faces showed clear concern. They were already well aware that the Uchiha clan had annihilated three clans.

The crowd exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with thoughts.

Judging from the Uchiha's devastating counterattack against the "Four Great Families," the remaining Sarutobi ninjas probably wouldn't escape either.

It was only a matter of time before they were wiped out as well.

"The Uchiha are ruthless!" one jonin said with fear in his voice.

"But when you think about it, wasn't it the higher-ups who made the first move?" another sighed and spoke. "The Uchiha are simply retaliating in kind. This sort of thing... was perfectly normal during the Warring States period."

Hearing this, others turned to him with strange looks.

"Don't look at me like that," the speaker said calmly. "Unless you want them to take revenge on you too?"

At those words, everyone else quickly shook their heads.

"Exactly," the man said with a slight smile, his eyes seeming to see right through everything. "They only killed their enemies. They've stayed strictly within the bounds of 'reasonableness.' No one can punish them with so-called rules or regulations. And besides... we don't have that kind of power anymore."

He laughed at himself a little bitterly.

"So, since the Uchiha are willing to respect the rules, we should just stick to the rules too."

After speaking, he shook his head and walked away. The remaining jonin fell silent. Some truths didn't need to be spoken aloud.

As long as the Uchiha weren't rebelling, who would be foolish enough to stand up against them?

No one.

Which meant their own forces would remain fragmented. Because there was no leader. Unless the Fifth Hokage was elected.

Until then, Konoha would be ruled by the Uchiha clan.

"What a precise calculation," Hiashi murmured as he figured it out, turning his gaze toward the Uchiha clan district.

In his mind, the young face of Junichi appeared.

He couldn't help but take a deep breath.

What a terrifying young man. Shaking his head, Hiashi also left.

No matter what happened, the Hyūga clan would not take sides. They only pledged loyalty to the Hokage. Whoever became Hokage, they would serve them.

That was the strategy that had allowed the Hyūga to survive through the ages.

---

Back in the Uchiha clan grounds, Junichi felt the wave of passionate shouts, a sea of fiery emotions pouring toward him.

He smiled lightly, remaining calm and unshaken by the mass adoration.

All of this was brought about by power. Power was the true foundation.

"That's enough," he said with a gentle smile, raising his hand to quiet the crowd.