"Today, the Hidden Cloud Village can demand that the Hidden Leaf Village hand over Hyūga Hiashi. Tomorrow, he can demand that the Hidden Leaf Village hand over your children for experiments, to be used as cannon fodder. So tell me—when that time comes, will you still agree!?"
"No!!"
Countless Hidden Leaf civilian ninjas and Hyūga clan ninjas shouted in unison.
What!?
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared in shock at the sea of Hidden Leaf villagers before him, their emotions fully stirred, flames of fighting spirit igniting in their eyes. His heart skipped a beat.
He can't be allowed to continue—he must be killed!
Hiruzen Sarutobi never imagined that his decades of speeches and indoctrination would be completely overturned by just a few words from Akashō. If this continued and the people were fully won over, even his position as Hokage might be at risk. But as Hokage, he couldn't publicly make a move himself.
But now, who could he rely on?
Turning his head, he saw Utatane Koharu with a glint in her eyes, Mitokado Homura deep in thought, and Nara Shikaku—who had opened his eyes at some point—staring intently at Akashō.
Isolated and helpless.
At this moment… he had lost the people's support.
Good. Let it burn—ignite their fighting spirit. The fiercer the flames, the better!
Akashō stepped forward and shouted, "Then tell me now—if the Hidden Cloud Village tries to take the life of the hero who protects you, will you accept it!?"
"No!!!"
With the third question came the third response—an overwhelming roar from nearly the entire Hidden Leaf.
Hyūga Hiashi looked around at the ninjas and civilians of the Hidden Leaf, a strange sense of comfort in his eyes. They even grew slightly red.
Yes… this was the Hidden Leaf he wanted to protect. Not one where he risked his life under the oppression and orders of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Brother."
Hyūga Hizashi patted Hyūga Hiashi on the back. When Hiashi turned around, Hizashi gave him an encouraging smile.
"Akashō…"
On a rooftop, Kakashi's trio froze mid-motion, the bandages they were about to wrap around their wounds suspended in the air as they stared blankly at Akashō.
"It's over… completely over…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's once-straight back slumped slightly, his shoulders trembling as his eyes turned lifeless.
"That's right—no! This is the Hidden Leaf in my heart! This is the Hidden Leaf that countless heroic spirits and martyrs would sacrifice their lives to protect!!"
Akashō stepped on the already unconscious leader of the Hidden Cloud envoys, whose eyes had rolled back. With a sharp swing of his left hand, a head flew into the air, blood spraying skyward.
He killed him!?
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Nara Shikaku, and the others showed shock on their faces. The previously fired-up Hidden Leaf villagers suddenly fell silent.
What is he doing!?
Nara Shikaku widened his eyes. Killing someone now wasn't the right move. Even if he wanted to kill, he should at least have negotiated with the Hidden Cloud first, stirred the crowd further—
But Akashō didn't even give the envoy leader a chance to speak before killing him, and without the slightest pause, he continued loudly:
"If those bastards from the Hidden Cloud Village dare lay a hand on the Hidden Leaf, then I—though not even a ninja—will charge at the front! Because wherever the leaves of the Hidden Leaf dance, the fire will burn eternally! Even if I, Uzumaki Akashō, fall, thousands upon thousands of Uzumaki Akashōs will rise in my place!"
"Dignity exists only at the edge of a blade! Whoever offends the Hidden Leaf—no matter how far—will be slain!!"
After Akashō delivered several famous lines in one breath, the stunned crowd froze for a second before erupting into chaos.
That kid!
Danzō, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally couldn't hold back and stepped out. Standing among the Root ninjas, his blood boiled as if it were about to burst: "If war begins again, I will lead the charge!!!"
And besides Danzō, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyūga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, and other leaders also stepped forward and shouted:
"Wherever the leaves of the Hidden Leaf dance, the fire will burn eternally!!"
"Dignity exists only at the edge of a blade!!"
"Whoever offends the Hidden Leaf—no matter how far—will be slain!!"
With the high-ranking figures leading the chant, Root, civilian ninjas, clan ninjas, civilians, and even the ANBU directly under Hiruzen Sarutobi all followed, shouting in unison.
"Slay them no matter how far! Slay them no matter how far! Slay them no matter how far!"
Today, the Hidden Leaf Village no longer had its usual surface-level liveliness and underlying decay. There was only the resounding cry of "slay them no matter how far," its momentum nearly shaking heaven and earth.
"Slay them no matter how far!!"
Hearing the chants below, Itachi couldn't help but shout along once before his expression stiffened. He glanced guiltily at Kakashi and Shisui, who had remained silent beside him.
"Heh."
The two curled their lips slightly, then raised their fists and joined in: "Slay them no matter how far!!"
That bastard!!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes filled with bloodshot veins, his breathing rapid. He actually stole my famous speech lines!?
Meanwhile, outside the crowd, the remaining members of the Hidden Cloud envoy group—who had earlier been knocked down by Akashō with two punches—were trembling.
Though they hadn't heard everything, they had clearly heard Akashō's final words. In this situation, surrounded by the Hidden Leaf, their lives were very much at risk.