The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Land of Fire.

At the entrance of Konohagakure village.

Under the watch of the defeated soldiers, Hyuga Hitoshi patted Sarutobi Hiruzen on the shoulder.

Long before Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura set their sights on his little kitten, those two had already paved their path to destruction!

But at that time, Fugaku was too eager to show off. Not only did he steal Hyuga Hitoshi's chance to strike, but he also let those two old fools live, only giving them a beating.

The return on investment from the esteemed Hokage advisor was that Konohagakure suffered defeats on the front lines. This time, the losses were severe, not just for the Uchiha clan; even the Third Hokage's faction was also deeply hurt.

Everything in this world has a cause and effect.

If Fugaku hadn't tried to show off first and had let Hyuga Hitoshi deal with them, even if they couldn't win this war today, it wouldn't be this brutal.

At this moment, almost everyone on the scene was looking at Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura with murderous intent, but only they were unaware of it.

"Patriarch Hitoshi."

In front of everyone, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't take the kunai that Hyuga Hitoshi offered. Instead, he looked up and stared into the eyes of the tall man.

The old village leader was aging.

Hyuga Hitoshi sighed softly.

The continuous defeats had turned his hair white. For the sake of the village, he had toiled and suffered so much. Having Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly a blessing for Konohagakure.

But now, that weathered old face bore a hint of pleading and hope. 

Even without the Third Hokage speaking, Hyuga Hitoshi could fully understand the old village leader's meaning. 

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were indeed at fault, but it shouldn't come to this! 

The worst-case scenario would be stripping them of their positions as Hokage advisors, throwing them in jail for questioning, and due to their past contributions, showing leniency by confiscating any money they shouldn't have taken. They could escape the death penalty but would still face a heavy punishment—that seemed about right. 

But what had Sarutobi Hiruzen heard? 

There was no doubt that Hyuga Hitoshi wanted to make this a big deal. He actually intended to execute the two Hokage advisors in front of everyone! 

What was even worse was that he wanted the Third Hokage himself to do it!? 

This would completely tear away his mask, making him publicly humiliate himself! 

If he went through with it, it would also confirm that he had poor judgment and allowed the wrong people to hold high positions. 

But if he didn't act, how would the villagers and ninjas behind him view him? 

It was possible that the trust he had regained at the cost of the Sarutobi clan's lives would also slip away. 

Right now, everyone needed a target to vent their anger. 

But even someone as conflicted as Sarutobi Hiruzen had things he cared about. 

After Tobirama-sensei's death, there were only three of his generation left: Danzo and the other two. 

Gazing at Hyuga Hitoshi, it seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen faced a choice. 

One, kill the two advisors to calm everyone's anger, then lead the charge in future battles to earn back trust. Although his prestige would take a big hit, he would still be Hokage. At least until the war ended and negotiations with Kumogakure and Iwagakure were completed, his position wouldn't change. He had experience in stepping down as Hokage, and it was impossible to change leaders during wartime; the Daimyo wouldn't agree. Everything could wait until after the war. 

Two, continue to protect his old friends, using his influence as Hokage to suppress the matter, going through the motions to save their lives. However, the price might be being torn apart by the angry villagers and ninjas, forcing him to step down as Hokage again. 

This was a simple question. 

It was just a choice between his old friends and his position as Hokage. From his perspective, the answer was already clear. 

Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen, looking into Hyuga Hitoshi's eyes, conceded. He shakily grasped the kunai and turned his gaze away from Patriarch Hitoshi.

He could no longer control his killing intent!

The moment he took the kunai, he even had the thought of directly stabbing Hyuga Hitoshi to death.

That's right.

No matter what Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura did, they were still his people.

And now, he was being forced by an outsider to turn against his own comrades.

This feeling was truly awful, but he had no way to resist, as if someone was forcing him to eat something disgusting and then made him say it was delicious after he finished.

"Hiruzen, you're finally back! Hurry and capture Hyuga Hitoshi!"

Short-sighted Utatane Koharu had no idea of the danger approaching. She even thought Sarutobi Hiruzen was bringing the kunai to free her.

"How dare that disrespectful fool capture me and Mitokado Homura? Is he trying to rebel?!"

Completely unaware of the danger, and unable to understand the angry gazes from the ninja leaders, she believed Patriarch Hitoshi was disrespecting his elders.

Beside her, Mitokado Homura seemed to sense something. Unlike Utatane Koharu, he could clearly feel the killing intent radiating from Sarutobi.

"Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura."

"Former Konohagakure Hokage advisors, who misappropriated military funds during their time managing logistics and repeatedly provided substandard war supplies, leading to serious losses for the village on the front lines."

"Now there is solid evidence against you. You cannot escape the death penalty, and all your family's assets will be confiscated. Your clan will face collective execution."

Patriarch Hitoshi walked forward, his voice low but clear enough for everyone to hear.

After reading the charges against the two advisors, Hyuga Hitoshi habitually checked with the Third Hokage.

"Is this okay? Hokage-sama?"

Right, he was the Hokage.

As for confiscating their assets?

It could be done, but only a little bit; the rest had already been sent to Patriarch Hitoshi's space and was ready to be moved to the moon at any moment.

To be honest, the wealth of the two Hokage advisors truly shocked Hyuga Hitoshi.

Let's put it this way: even if the Hyuga clan lived off their savings, it would take them three to five years to finish it all, and they'd have to eat lavishly every meal. Their basic needs would have to be top-notch.

This was a fat haul.

However, Hyuga Hitoshi was a man with principles. If the investigation concluded and he chose to take the position, that money could be used to rebuild the village.

But for now, it belonged to him.

"Hiruzen!"

As the crimes were revealed, Utatane Koharu finally panicked.

It seemed she understood what Sarutobi intended to do with the kunai!

"You can't do this, Hiruzen! Don't you remember what we talked about in the Hokage office?" 

*Pfft!*

She shouldn't have brought it up. 

As soon as it was mentioned, Sarutobi Hiruzen got even angrier. 

If it weren't for the fact that he and Danzo carried out their plan in front of this woman, she and Mitokado Homura probably wouldn't have been so bold! How could they use such worthless weapons as substitutes? 

To be fair, even if they had used the usual quality of weapons for war, the outcome this time would have likely been different! 

If those two had been a little less greedy, he could have been celebrating with Danzo right now instead of being in this situation! 

A sharp kunai cut through Utatane Koharu's neck. 

In the end, the once-respected Hokage advisor never revealed the scene of her and the Third Hokage together in the office before her death. 

With one fatal strike, the Third Hokage didn't leave a way out; in front of everyone, he couldn't do that. 

"Help us get our revenge." 

Mitokado Homura still kept his wits about him, looking calmly at Sarutobi, silently expressing his thoughts. 

Sarutobi nodded slightly in response. 

If there was still room for negotiation before, now the hatred between him, the Hyuga clan, and Hyuga Hitoshi was impossible to resolve. 

Even if that kid begged for mercy, it wouldn't change anything! 

With a puff! 

Sarutobi Hiruzen, with red eyes, moved again and took out the other Hokage advisor. 

At this point, the remnants of the old era, the legendary Konohagakure F4, were left with just himself and Danzo. 

Not far away, Shimura Danzo watched this scene calmly, but he felt a bit uncomfortable inside. 

He believed that if he were in Sarutobi's position, he would make the same decision and eliminate those two. Yet even so, he still felt a sense of sadness for their fate. 

Moreover, it turned out that taking the blame was also a skill in itself. 

Throughout his life, he had walked on eggshells for Sarutobi, taking the blame countless times, yet he was still doing fine. It was Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu who barely took the blame once and ended up dead—how disappointing that was. 

The only regret was that he didn't get to enjoy Koharu's old charm after coming back. Sigh, now it seemed like there was no way to savor it while it was still hot, which felt a bit disappointing. 

At the entrance of Konohagakure village. 

With the deaths of the two Hokage advisors, the leaders of various clans changed expressions several times before finally shaking their heads and bitterly smiling. They wanted to shout that it was good to kill them since those two truly deserved it; how could the lives of just two people compare to so many of their fallen clansmen? 

But now that the Third Hokage had acted, wouldn't it be a bit too much to say it was a good kill? 

The ninja world wasn't just about fighting and killing; it was about human relationships and social dealings.

We're still in wartime, and even if we change Hokage, that's something for after the war. For now, they are still soldiers under Sarutobi Hiruzen. If things get too messy...

"Good job killing them! This should have been done a long time ago!"

Just when everyone thought the matter would end here, a brave warrior stepped forward!

He faced Sarutobi Hiruzen's murderous glare without fear, full of righteous anger, and walked step by step toward the two corpses, speaking firmly.

"Great kill!"

With another fierce shout, he even kicked Mitokado Homura's body.

"The village doesn't need pests like these! I will keep a close watch on my father from now on, making sure he sets an example for everyone! This must never happen again!"

Ignoring Sarutobi Hiruzen's grim face, Sarutobi Asuma, one of the war survivors, bowed deeply to everyone.

"I apologize on behalf of my father!"

*Damn it, I really thank you! How did I end up with someone like you after giving everything I had?*

The Third Hokage, unable to control his anger, managed a fierce grin. If it weren't for the onlookers, he would have kicked Asuma hard to vent his frustration.

But as expected, once Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Hokage, spoke up, the villagers and ninjas, who had been holding back their emotions, erupted.

"Good kill! I've been fed up with those two old fools for ages!"

"Exactly! Asuma is right; Hokage-sama has truly lost his sight letting them be advisors for so long!"

"Killing them off is too easy! I'd rather sell them to a brothel and squeeze every last bit of value out of them!"

"We need to keep a closer watch on Hokage-sama; being Hokage doesn't mean he's always right!"

Once emotions flared up, it became hard to control them.

Watching all this, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt tired. He glanced silently at his son, then at Uchiha Itachi in the corner of the village, who was nodding quietly, feeling a sense of absurdity.

Although Asuma had been rebellious before, he would never have embarrassed himself in front of everyone like this or led the charge like this!

Was this all part of your scheme?

Uchiha Fugaku!

Fixing his gaze on the Patriarch of the Uchiha clan, Sarutobi shut out the noisy emotions around him. 

Just as he had underestimated the Hyuga, he also underestimated the Uchiha clan.

The third power of the Sharingan.

Two Susano'o from the Uchiha clan have exaggerated battle power. 

At the very least, 

Sarutobi turned his head and glanced at Shisui in the distance, his eyes flickering. 

The alliance between the Hyuga and Uchiha must be broken! 

The sun was setting. 

After letting out their frustrations, the Konohagakure ninjas dragged their exhausted bodies home. They were lucky—at least they made it back alive, while some others were destined to have their names on the newly erected memorial stone. 

The counterattack in the Land of Fire ended in a stalemate due to logistical issues on the Konohagakure side, forcing them to retreat and lose all initiative. After regrouping, Kumogakure Village and Iwagakure Village didn't dare to push further into the Land of Fire. 

The war had turned into a tug-of-war, with both sides continuously testing the borders. Even today's survivors had no idea if they would be alive tomorrow. 

This was the reality of war. 

As sadness settled in, night slowly fell. 

To many, this was just a quiet night during the war. 

But for a few individuals, it was quite complicated. 

The two Yugito were once again tasked with warming their mistress's bed. They stood hesitantly outside Patriarch Hitoshi's room, trying to convince themselves that they were being forced by Nibi-senpai. 

Meanwhile, Samui was locked inside, feeling anxious and unsure of how the captured female ninja would be treated. Her mind filled with various bizarre scenarios. 

Tsunade, Pakura, and Uchiha Mikoto were playing a popular card game from the Hyuga clan, with Tsunade, who was loudly calling the shots, undoubtedly losing quite a bit. 

At the edge of the Hyuga clan grounds, the rabbit goddess watched a group of Hyuga clansmen head toward the moon, frowning as she scanned the surroundings with her Byakugan. 

Days had passed since she sent a signal to her son, Black Zetsu, yet she hadn't seen him show up at night, which puzzled her. 

The rabbit goddess absolutely did not believe that her will manifestation could be less clever than a monkey. 

But the bloody truth troubled her deeply: her son just didn't understand what her wave meant. 

"Hmph!" 

With a cold snort, the rabbit goddess angrily cursed the incompetent being, then returned to the clan grounds. As Hyuga Hitoshi's human-shaped summoned beast, she had her own room right next to his. 

As soon as she entered the room, her pretty face flushed as she perked up her ears. 

Listening closely, it seemed like the person was changed today? 

There was an unfamiliar presence, something not quite human—wasn't that something separated from the Ten-Tails? 

Could that even be used?

The shocked goddess of the moon pressed her ear against the wall, as if she could hear a cat meowing!

What a terrifying blasphemer!

Kaguya's expression grew serious as she realized a major issue. 

Would this blasphemer also set their sights on her? Even though she was just a puppet now, that might not matter! 

After all, the blasphemer seemed quite obsessed with the process of reproduction. 

The night light fell upon the earth. 

Tonight, there was an extra puppet unable to sleep and a Jinchuriki pierced by a weapon. 

But the goddess of the moon didn't know that at this moment, the incompetent being she had been murmuring about, named Otsutsuki Black Zetsu, was staring blankly at the night sky. 

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