ALL NOVEL Chapter 71: Chapter 71: I Told You! You’d Regret It!
Chapter 71: I Told You! You'd Regret It!
As the deputy commander of Konoha's northern front, Uchiha Kagami brazenly appeared at the eastern frontline encampment.
Nara Shikaku immediately understood.
The Uchiha had begun to act.
His mind worked furiously, calculating the odds of victory for both sides.
No matter how he analyzed it, he couldn't envision a scenario where Kagami succeeded.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was still formidable even in his later years. The Konoha elders—disciples of the Second Hokage—were themselves seasoned veterans.
The Sannin were in their prime. There were others: Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and the steadfast Hyūga clan, all loyal to the Hokage.
And the Uchiha?
Even at their peak, they had maybe twenty-three combat-ready shinobi with three-tomoe Sharingan. Sure, Kagami might be at Kage-level, but Konoha had multiple individuals capable of countering him.
Not to mention… the war wasn't even over yet.
If Kagami really chose this moment to rebel, it wasn't just Konoha he'd face—every other village would leap at the opportunity.
After careful deliberation, Shikaku gathered a team of upper-level shinobi and headed toward Kagami's tent.
He planned to reason with Kagami, laying out the stakes clearly. There was no denying the Uchiha had grievances, but this was the wrong time to act.
---
The moment he entered the tent, however, Shikaku's thoughts faltered.
---
Yin Release represented spiritual energy, and the Nara clan's techniques relied on Yin Release. So did the Yamanaka techniques.
And the Hyūga… they shared a heritage in ocular power.
While the nuances of Kagami's strength weren't immediately apparent to them, one thing was unmistakable: his spiritual energy was overwhelming.
Sitting calmly in the center of the room, Kagami exuded an aura so oppressive it felt as though they were nothing more than fragile leaves adrift in a storm.
Even looking at him directly caused a stabbing pain in the mind.
---
"Uchiha Kagami… Jonin," Shikaku greeted, suppressing the fear that clawed at his chest.
It wasn't the most formal of addresses—technically, Shikaku outranked Kagami.
Kagami, still poring over a scroll, barely glanced up.
"What do you want?"
At least call me by name, Shikaku thought bitterly, forcing a smile.
"Kagami, I don't recall receiving notice of your deployment here. Did you come to coordinate with your clan?"
Kagami shook his head and chuckled.
"Shikaku, you're a smart man."
"Why do smart men like playing dumb? Surely you know why I'm here."
---
Shikaku's smile vanished, his expression turning grim.
"Kagami, it's not too late to stop this."
"Think about your teacher—Jiraiya wouldn't want you to go down this path."
---
"Be quiet."
Kagami's gaze was icy, his tone absolute.
"You've saved me the trouble of summoning you. I'll make this simple."
"Swear allegiance to the Uchiha, or face the annihilation of the Nara clan."
"I'll give you three seconds to decide."
---
"What are you talking about, Kagami?!"
A young Hyūga from the main family, standing beside Shikaku, couldn't hold back his outrage.
But before he could finish, his head slid cleanly from his shoulders.
It hit the ground with a sickening thud, spilling red and white viscera across the floor.
---
Shikaku's pupils dilated in shock, unable to process what had just happened.
He… He really did it.
Kagami had just killed a comrade—someone from the same village—without hesitation.
This wasn't a threat; it was outright rebellion.
---
Kagami chuckled softly.
"Interrupting the conversation… I'll take that as a declaration from the Hyūga clan."
His gaze fell on Hyūga Hizashi.
"I'll slaughter your entire main family. Your branch family is used to being dogs—how about serving a new master?"
"Or, would you prefer to die alongside them?"
---
Hizashi's body trembled, not from fear of his own death, but from the crushing weight of his clan's fate resting on his shoulders.
Why did the fool from the main house have to speak?
As a fellow user of ocular power, how could he not grasp the disparity in their abilities?
---
Hizashi could tell, without a doubt, that Kagami had unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan recorded in their clan's ancient texts.
And it wasn't just any Mangekyō—it belonged to this monster of a man.
---
Thud.
Hizashi fell to his knees, bowing low.
"Please… spare my elder brother. On behalf of the branch family, I swear loyalty to you."
---
Kagami's eyes glimmered with amusement.
"I like you. As the first to submit, you'll have my favor."
He then turned to Shikaku, his gaze piercing.
"Well, Shikaku? Have you made your choice?"
---
Shikaku unclenched his tightly balled fists and exhaled deeply.
"Kagami, I cannot speak for my clan. Whatever choice is made will be theirs, not mine."
"But as for me…"
---
With blinding speed, Shikaku formed hand seals. His shadow transformed into razor-sharp claws, lunging toward Kagami.
"Don't underestimate Konoha shinobi, you madman!"
"You'll pay for murdering your comrades!"
---
Shhhk.
An invisible high-frequency slash obliterated the shadow, disintegrating Shikaku and his technique into ashes.
---
"If you waste time clinging to the importance of individuals…"
"What can you hope to change?"
---
"Everyone here can die."
"Everyone except the Uchiha."
"Everything else can be burned to the ground and rebuilt."
---
"I respect your decision," Kagami said coolly, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.
His gaze shifted to the others in the tent.
"Any more willing martyrs?"
---
Silence fell, broken only by the shuffling of a few who stepped forward.
The cleansing of the eastern front began.
There was no equality, no negotiation—only submission to the Uchiha.
---
Back in Konoha.
The Sarutobi clan and others defending the village had successfully repelled the Iwagakure invaders.
But in the Hokage's office, it was not Hiruzen Sarutobi who sat in the chair.
It was Orochimaru.
The advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado sat grim-faced. The death of their lifelong friend weighed heavily on their hearts.
---
Danzo Shimura entered late, only to find Orochimaru seated in the Hokage's chair.
His eyes narrowed, anger bubbling beneath the surface.
"Orochimaru! What do you think you're doing?! Hiruzen isn't—"
---
"Hiruzen is dead."
---
Danzo froze, momentarily stunned.
Memories of his sharp-eyed, brown-haired comrade from their youth flashed before him.
The boy who had been a beacon of light…
---
The moment passed quickly. Danzo regained his composure, his expression hardening into one of fury.
"You have no right to that seat! Do you think your actions will—"
---
"Shut up, Danzo."
Orochimaru's voice was cold as he hurled a file at Danzo's face.
"One of Root's missions is to monitor the Uchiha."
"Why don't you check if anyone's even in the Uchiha district?"
---
Danzo opened the file, his expression darkening with every word.
Orochimaru had launched a surprise raid on the Uchiha compound as soon as he returned to the village.
He'd hoped to take the Uchiha clan hostage, perhaps their only leverage against Kagami.
But…
The patrols left behind had been nothing more than shadow clones.
The real Uchiha clan had evacuated en masse, their trail vanishing near a river dozens of kilometers away.
---
Orochimaru sneered, his reptilian eyes locking onto Danzo.
"In half a day, I uncovered what you failed to notice for weeks."
"I think Root has outlived its usefulness."
---
Danzo wanted to argue. His men had been scattered on missions, and the remaining forces had been tied up defending the village from Iwa's assault.
Besides, the Uchiha district was home to elders and children—not a high priority.
But those thoughts dissolved into a single, searing realization.
---
The Uchiha… had rebelled.
---
"Hiruzen…"
Danzo's trembling fists clenched tightly.
I told you!
You'd regret this!
End of Chapter
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*