Breath...
Breath...
"Haa... haa..."
Danzo bent forward slightly as he ran through the forest.
His breathing was ragged.
Sweat covered his forehead.
For the first time in a very long time, genuine fear could be seen in his eyes.
"Haa... haa..."
He glanced at the two remaining Root shinobi following behind him.
"Did we lose that monster?"
Neither shinobi answered immediately.
The memory of what had happened was still fresh in their minds.
The giant statue.
The screams.
The massacre.
Even now, they could still hear it.
Danzo gritted his teeth.
He had never imagined those eyes possessed such terrifying power.
Nor had he expected that boy to summon something so horrifying.
His expression darkened.
"I don't even know whether Hanzo survived or not."
He looked behind them once more.
"Stop wasting time."
"Move."
"We need to get out of here."
The three disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
A short distance away.
Pieces of broken stone and shattered earth covered the battlefield.
Smoke still rose from several craters.
A young girl slowly pushed herself out from beneath the debris.
Her body trembled from pain.
Dust covered her clothes.
Blood-stained parts of her sleeves.
She looked around with blurry eyes.
Then she froze.
"Naga..."
Her voice cracked.
"Nagato..."
Not far away, Nagato lay on the ground.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
Around him were bodies.
Dozens of them.
Shinobi from Hanzo's forces.
Root shinobi.
None of them moved.
The battlefield looked like a nightmare.
Ignoring the pain in her body, Konan staggered toward him.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Yet she kept moving.
Far away from the battlefield.
Two figures silently watched everything unfold.
Black Zetsu looked at the destruction below.
Even he seemed impressed.
"Well..."
"I didn't expect summoning the Gedo Statue to cause this much destruction."
His gaze shifted toward Obito.
"Aren't you going to help him?"
He nodded toward Nagato.
Obito remained silent for a moment.
Then he turned away.
"Hmph."
"He needs this."
His voice was cold.
"He needs to understand the pain of being weak."
"This pain is necessary for the future."
Without another word, Obito began walking away.
Behind him, konan struggled forward.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her clothes were stained with dirt and blood.
With trembling hands, she dragged Yahiko's lifeless body while trying to support the unconscious Nagato.
Every step looked painful.
Yet she refused to stop.
She blamed herself for everything.
If only she had been stronger.
Black Zetsu watched the scene quietly.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
He looked toward the dark sky above.
"Now..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"It's time to move the next piece."
While a new beginning was taking shape elsewhere, the Uchiha Clan was also moving toward a new future.
Or perhaps...
A new division.
Inside the clan compound, dozens of Uchiha shinobi had gathered.
Many were elite jonin.
Others were newly promoted jonin who had distinguished themselves during the war.
The atmosphere was unusually heavy.
Fugaku sat quietly and looked at the people before him.
Even now, part of him found the situation absurd.
If someone had told him years ago that the Uchiha would one day sit together and discuss dividing the clan, he would have laughed in their face.
Yet that impossible day had arrived.
Grand Elder Setsuna slowly looked around the gathering.
His gaze paused briefly on Kohaku and Akzuto.
"These decisions may be bitter."
His voice was calm.
"But they are necessary."
"If we do not settle everything now, regrets and resentment will remain in people's hearts in the future."
Fugaku listened in silence.
The discussion had already moved toward property distribution, clan assets, and which jutsu records would be taken by each group.
Every word made his expression darker.
Not far away, Shisui stood quietly.
His hands tightened slightly.
He desperately wanted to stop this.
He wanted to tell everyone this was a mistake.
That the clan shouldn't be divided.
That there had to be another way.
But he couldn't.
Because many of the events that had led to this moment were connected to him.
If he spoke now, things might only become worse.
The weight in his chest grew heavier.
Meanwhile, Uzuku stepped forward.
"The people who wish to leave with us and fully join the merchant faction can submit their names within one week."
Several shinobi exchanged glances.
Some looked hesitant.
Others had already made their decision.
Uzuku then turned toward the elders of the other faction.
"And Elder."
"If any of your people choose to follow us, prepare a list."
"Include their families as well."
The words felt like a hammer striking the room.
Fugaku's patience finally snapped.
"This is ridiculous!"
Bang!
His fist struck the armrest of his chair.
Several people immediately turned toward him.
Fugaku stood up.
His eyes moved between Setsuna and Uzuku.
"Have either of you thought about what you're doing?"
His voice carried obvious anger.
"Dividing the clan?"
"Have you thought about how you'll face our ancestors?"
His fists trembled.
"They gave their lives to unite the Uchiha."
"They fought and bled to make the clan stronger, but—"
He stopped.
Because Setsuna had already interrupted him.
The Grand Elder's expression didn't change.
Instead, he looked directly at Fugaku.
"They would praise my decision."
The compound became silent.
Setsuna's voice remained steady.
"Because I am saving the future of descendants of the Uchiha."
For the first time, neither side looked willing to back down.
"And that's exactly opposite of what you've been doing."
Setsuna looked directly at Fugaku.
"You've been sacrificing the clan at every turn."
There was no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes.
Several Uchiha lowered their heads.
Others exchanged uneasy glances.
The tension between the two sides was becoming harder to ignore.
Before Fugaku could respond, Toyoma suddenly spoke.
Until now, he had remained silent.
"Grand Elder."
His voice drew everyone's attention.
"What about the families whose parents died in the war?"
The compound grew quieter.
"And the children who lost both their mother and father?"
Toyoma's gaze swept across the gathered shinobi.
"We can't simply abandon them."
As soon as the words left his mouth, many people turned toward him.
Some of the older shinobi frowned.
Others seemed thoughtful.
A few war veterans lowered their eyes.
The war had left behind more widows and orphans than anyone wanted to admit.
"You have no right to decide that!"
Fugaku's voice suddenly rang out across the compound.
His eyes locked onto Toyoma.
"I am the Clan Head."
He pointed at himself.
"The responsibility for those families belongs to me."
His voice carried obvious anger.
Several people shifted uncomfortably.
Fugaku clenched his fists.
If the Hawk Faction took those families with them as well...
Then what would remain of the Uchiha Clan?
More and more people were already leaning toward Setsuna's side.
If the widows, children, and families of the fallen are left too...
The clan he led would become little more than a name.
And Fugaku had no intention of letting that happen.
"Can you even support all of them by yourself?"
Toyoma looked directly at Fugaku.
"And where exactly will that money come from?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who are you planning to beg from?"
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Several people looked between the two of them.
Before the argument could escalate further, Kohaku stepped forward.
"Enough."
His voice wasn't loud, but it immediately drew everyone's attention.
"We can ask the families themselves what they want."
Many shinobi nodded at that.
It was, after all, their future being decided.
Kohaku then paused before continuing.
"As for the orphaned Uchiha children..."
His gaze shifted toward Fugaku.
A brief silence followed.
"Their faction affiliation will be decided by their faction heads."
Several people frowned thoughtfully.
Kohaku remained calm.
"Both sides will present what they can offer."
"After that, a decision will be made."
"But Elder—"
Fugaku immediately tried to object.
However, Kohaku raised a hand.
The gesture alone stopped him.
For a few moments, Fugaku remained silent, though the frustration on his face was obvious.
Setsuna watched the exchange quietly before speaking.
"As everyone here knows, most of the clan's remaining wealth is in liquid funds."
His gaze swept across the gathered shinobi.
"The money we earned through security contracts."
"A few shops."
"Some land."
"And little else."
Several elders nodded.
The war had drained much of the clan's resources.
Then Setsuna's eyes shifted toward Fugaku.
A hint of sarcasm entered his voice.
"After all, a large portion of our property was sold away."
"Some to prove loyalty."
"Others simply to keep the clan running."
His meaning was obvious.
Several people looked toward Fugaku.
The Clan Head's expression darkened.
Setsuna continued as if he hadn't noticed.
"The funds will be divided into four portions."
"One portion for the Clan Head's faction."
"And one portion for each of the remaining three factions."
No one immediately objected.
That arrangement had already been discussed among most of the elders.
"As for jutsu."
Setsuna folded his arms.
"Any technique personally possessed by a faction leader remains their property."
"No one else has a claim over it."
The moment those words left his mouth, Fugaku spoke.
His voice carried obvious anger.
"Then what about Izanagi?"
The compound instantly became quiet.
Every gaze turned toward Setsuna.
Fugaku stared directly at him.
"What happens to the Izanagi in your possession?"
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Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to (Chapter 143: The Third Hokage's Last Decision).
P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
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