Naruto: Uchiha's Resolve

"Captain, everyone's here," reported Uchiha Tetsuka, standing before Uchiha Hirito with a dozen Uchiha members—the ninjas on duty for the Uchiha Guard that day.

Typically, they'd be patrolling Konoha's commercial and residential districts. Despite the Ninja World War raging for eight years, the lives of ordinary citizens in Konoha had remained relatively unaffected, shielded by an unspoken agreement among the major villages to keep civilians out of the conflict.

However, smaller ninja villages, lacking the resources to sustain prolonged conflict, had begun extorting their civilians for funds or seizing their property outright. Many civilians fled these villages, seeking the stability of the larger villages, with Konoha as a prime destination.

With the increase in population came an economic boom—and a host of new issues for the Uchiha Guard. Petty thefts and minor disputes became more frequent, keeping the security force busy. On top of that, enemy spies from other villages occasionally infiltrated the village, forcing the Guard to work closely with the Hokage's Anbu to identify and neutralize threats.

"Captain, we've been overloaded lately," complained Uchiha Inahiro. "Has there been any word on expanding the Guard? We're running thin on manpower. Maybe we could bring in some civilian workers from the family to assist, so we don't need as many ninjas managing civilians."

Inahiro, a twin brother to Tetsuka, had fought alongside Hirito during the war. As non-registered Uchiha fighters, they served as part of the clan's private force. Their bond with Hirito had deepened through shared battles, and Hirito had even saved Inahiro's life on the battlefield.

"Captain, honestly, I'd rather be fighting on the front lines than stuck here dealing with pickpockets," Inahiro continued with a sigh.

"Inahiro," Hirito said, fixing him with a cold stare that immediately silenced him. Inahiro's mind raced back to a harrowing incident during the war when they'd been cornered in a cave by a group of elite Cloud Village jonin. It was Hirito's explosive counterattack that had saved them all.

Sensing the gravity of Hirito's mood, Tetsuka tapped his brother's head lightly. "Quit complaining. Let's hear what the captain has to say."

The rest of the Uchiha present also fell silent. Though Hirito was typically easygoing, his leadership was built on strength and battlefield merit. His rise wasn't due to family connections but to his consistent victories and his power in combat. The stern look on his face today left everyone on edge.

"Inahiro, you mentioned earlier that the Hokage is dragging his feet on expanding the Guard, yes?" Hirito finally spoke, stretching his arms and standing up.

"Uh… yes, Captain," replied Inahiro, rubbing his head.

Hirito let out a dark chuckle. "Well, it seems that expansion won't be happening anytime soon. In fact, Hokage-sama won't be agreeing to anything again."

Inahiro frowned, not quite understanding, while Hirito continued, "I just received news: the Hokage was killed during negotiations with the Raikage."

The revelation hit the Uchiha gathered there like a hammer. A stunned silence followed, and Tetsuka finally broke it.

"Captain… you can't be serious. The Hokage… dead? In the middle of negotiations?" Tetsuka's voice was laced with disbelief. Tobirama was a cunning strategist, known for his tactical brilliance. The older Uchiha often spoke of him with disdain, calling him shrewd and ruthless, with a mind full of schemes.

"If this is a joke, it's a poor one," Tetsuka added, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

Hirito shook his head. "Do you think I would joke about something like this?" he replied gravely. "Based on the information I received, Kinkaku and Ginkaku—the Raikage's own subordinates—staged a coup, attacking both the Raikage and Lord Tobirama. The Raikage was killed outright. Tobirama, though wounded, managed to escape with his Shadow Guard. He fought off the attackers alone to buy time for his men to retreat. Ultimately, he fell in battle."

The others absorbed Hirito's words with difficulty. The death of a Hokage was an almost unthinkable event.

"What do you mean, he covered his Shadow Guard's escape?" Tetsuka asked, sounding outraged. "A Hokage sacrificing himself for his bodyguards? What sort of survival is that?"

The idea of a Hokage—the leader of Konoha—protecting his own guards went against the principles of strength and honor that the Uchiha revered.

The room fell silent again, each Uchiha grappling with the new reality.

End of the Chapter.

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