UTBW: Ch. 66

"Hey, why are you spacing out?" the other guard teased when he saw his companion dazed.

The companion didn't respond. Instead, he suddenly reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a kunai. His movement was quick and precise. Without hesitation, he stabbed the kunai straight into the other man's abdomen.

Pfft!

The blade sank into flesh, and blood gushed out in streams.

"W-What the fuck are you doing?" The man stared at him in terror, eyes wide. A life of long-term comfort had dulled his instincts as a ninja. He had no time to react.

"You're the next," a mocking voice sounded from the side.

The man froze in shock, and then terror flooded his face. At some point, an Uchiha ninja had appeared beside him, holding a ninja sword against his neck.

"U-Uchiha?!" His pupils shrank, his fear reaching its peak.

"Don't be scared. It'll be over quickly." The Uchiha chuckled as he swiftly slashed the man's throat, severing blood vessels, windpipe, nerves, and flesh with clean precision.

Gurgle... gurgle...

The man could no longer speak. As blood poured out, his vision grew blurry.

"That's it, deep breaths," the Uchiha said softly.

"Why..." The man glared fiercely at the Uchiha, trying to squeeze out a question.

This was the Sarutobi clan's grounds! Attacking another clan's territory was absolute rebellion! Had the Uchiha gone mad?

"We're just returning the favor for what Hiruzen did to us," the Uchiha said gently, watching the Sarutobi clansman die.

At the moment of death, the Sarutobi clansman's eyes were still frozen in deep confusion.

What do you mean by what the Hokage did to you...?

Thud!

Nearby, another Sarutobi, still trapped in the Sharingan's illusion, had his head chopped off by another Uchiha.

"Hey, you talk too much," said the Uchiha who had done the beheading, casting a displeased look.

"Why waste words on some small fry? What would he even understand?"

"Heh, I was just feeling too happy."

The earlier Uchiha took a deep breath, looking intoxicated by the scent of blood in the air. "I just couldn't help venting a little."

"Haha, same here," another clansman nodded in agreement.

"Me too. I never even dared to dream we could fight our way into the Sarutobi clan's grounds!" another added.

More and more Uchiha were quickly gathering.

"Seriously..." The Uchiha who had chopped off the head said helplessly, "Don't let your chatter cause any of them to escape later!"

"Relax, it won't affect the mission."

"Yeah, like I'd ever let anyone walk away alive."

The Uchiha clansmen grinned viciously. Seeing this, the beheading Uchiha nodded in satisfaction and shouted, "Then... move out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, one by one, the Uchiha flickered into motion, disappearing into the Sarutobi clan grounds.

Soon after, the muffled sounds of blades piercing flesh echoed throughout the area.

"U-Uchiha!"

"Get away!"

"Help us!"

"They're insane!"

Desperate screams quickly erupted from every corner of the clan grounds. But the Uchiha were utterly unmoved, if anything, the cries were like sweet music to their ears. Because not long ago, they had listened to the desperate wails of their own clansmen while they fought against invaders.

The same scene was simultaneously playing out in the territories of the Mitokado, Utatane, and Shimura clans.

---

Hiruzen and his two companions returned with faces dark as ink.

Behind them, a group of Sarutobi ninjas closely followed, filling the positions once held by the ANBU.

"I can't let this slide!" Koharu said grimly, her face dark.

Homura also wore a gloomy expression and said angrily, "Me neither, Hiruzen... are we really just going to sit by and watch the Uchiha rise like this?"

Sigh...

Hiruzen wearily rubbed his forehead, feeling an increasingly painful headache. He was getting old, no longer as capable as he once was.

This thought flashed through his mind, but he showed no trace of it on his face. Instead, he calmly analyzed, "I underestimated this new clan leader. He isn't just strong; he's also incredibly shrewd. He made a move I didn't anticipate at all."

Koharu and Homura fell silent, carefully listening to his analysis.

"But," he continued, his face showing a confident smile, "he's already played all his cards. And ours have barely even been revealed."

He turned to look at Koharu and Homura. "Don't forget, we still have our clans. After decades of careful planning, our family members are now scattered throughout every department and every position in Konoha. These people are like a giant net, trapping Konoha in our hands!"

He raised a hand and made a fist. Koharu and Homura's eyes lit up, joy sparking in their hearts.

He was right.

They still had their clans, and the vast network of family members was the hidden power lying in wait!

"And what about the Uchiha?" he sneered, glancing in the direction of the Uchiha clan district. "All they have is the Police Force. And what can the Police Force even do? Absolutely nothing! All they do is manage street vendors, they don't hold any real power at all!"

Hearing this, Koharu and Homura felt completely reassured. Hiruzen had considered everything. On this level, what did the Uchiha have to fight against them?

"The sky over Konoha isn't going to fall," Hiruzen said with an air of complete calm, smiling steadily. "Once the Fifth Hokage takes office and reclaims control over the ANBU and the Jonin Council, the village will be back in our hands."

Hearing this, Koharu and Homura both smiled.

"Exactly!" Koharu praised. "Your insight remains as sharp as ever!"

"No wonder Tobirama-sensei chose you to be the Third Hokage," Homura said, deeply moved.

Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back, maintaining a composed smile but saying nothing.

Around them, the group of Sarutobi ninjas also relaxed after hearing the analysis, the tension in their brows easing.

"The Uchiha can only enjoy a temporary advantage."

"In the end, victory will still belong to us."

They chatted quietly, chuckling among themselves. The atmosphere in the group grew lighter and lighter. As they stepped through the gates, the group officially returned to the village.

"Why isn't anyone here to greet us?" Koharu suddenly frowned in displeasure. "Where are the people?"

"My clan didn't send anyone either," Homura said, his face darkening.

They had just been thinking about relying on their clans to turn the tables. Yet now, their clans hadn't even sent people to greet or assist them. What were they doing?

"They probably just didn't react in time," Hiruzen tried to reassure them. "After all, the incident happened so suddenly, many people still don't know exactly what's going on."

"Sigh, it's my fault for coddling them too much," Koharu said, shaking her head in frustration.

"When we get back, we need to reorganize properly," Homura agreed with a nod.