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[NTU] [ARC-19] Chapter : 251
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 11:09:23 +0000 UTCWith a sneer, Toshiro dismissed the Sandaime, stating that if he failed to meet his expectations next time, he would not spare the Sandaime or the Sarutobi clan.
"Since you've already chosen to stand against me, there's no need for mercy!"
…
"Shikaku, how do you think this will end?"
From a distance, Jiraiya and the others observed the tense exchange between the Sandaime and Toshiro, hesitant to approach. Yet, even from afar, the situation filled them with unease and frustration. Jiraiya shifted his gaze toward Shikaku, seeking his opinion.
Not only him—Tsunade, Kushina, Hiashi, and the others present also turned their attention to Shikaku, waiting for his response.
“…It doesn’t look good!”
Nara Shikaku's usual air of laziness had vanished, replaced by a grim expression as he stared intently in the direction of Toshiro and the Sandaime.
Days ago, when rumors about the Uchiha began circulating in the village, he had attempted to investigate the situation indirectly. However, the Sandaime had refused to divulge any details. By the time he was suddenly summoned today, he knew something was amiss—but it was already too late. All he could do was go along with the unfolding events.
"If the Uchiha refuse to back down, not only will our clans suffer, but the entire village could face devastating losses!"
"Currently they've only resurrected four; the Konoha Prison is teeming with sacrifices for the Edo-tensei. And in the Uchiha clan cemetery, countless formidable shinobi and kunoichis have been laid to rest!"
"But that’s not even the worst of it. The real problem is that even if we rally all of Konoha’s clans to besiege the Uchiha, they might turn the tables and use our own resurrected ancestors against us!"
"If the Uchiha are pushed to the brink and resort to using their own people—or even capturing some of ours—as sacrifices, the cycle of enemies will never end!"
"At that point, internal chaos could inflict severe damage on Konoha, potentially leading to its complete collapse."
"On top of that, we're already teetering on the edge of war with Kirigakure. First, we’d have to fight a major battle here, and then we’d have to contend with an attack from Kiri!"
"There's no way to keep this under wraps. The moment we show even a hint of weakness against Kiri, the Kumo, Iwa, and even Suna Ninja will seize the opportunity to strike. Even if we manage a narrow 'lucky victory', we'll still be left in a dire situation!"
"That senile old man must have lost his mind—how could he make such a reckless decision? Let’s see how he gets himself out of this mess!"
Hearing Shikaku's analysis, Tsunade, still watching her grandfather’s figure, scowled in frustration. With a sharp kick, she shattered the rock at her feet, muttering her discontent.
She wanted to scoff—a lucky victory?
Clearly, they had never seen her grandfather when he was truly enraged. Even though he was no longer at his peak, he was still a formidable force when paired with Second Grandpa and that little menace, Uchiha Toshiro. Facing them would be nothing short of a nightmare.
There was no chance of victory!
"We can only hope the other side shows some mercy," Jiraiya sighed, muttering to himself.
If he summoned the two Toad Sages, he might be able to hold his own against either the Shodaime or Toshiro, but even then, he was only confident in stopping one.
As for the others? There was still the Nidaime, Uchiha Nako, Fugaku, and Izuna…
Glancing at Kushina and Tsunade beside him, he could only shake his head helplessly.
Just as Jiraiya was resigning himself to the fact that he and the others were little more than prey waiting to be carved up, the Sandaime approached them, his steps slow and heavy.
"Well, old man, what do they want in exchange for backing down?"
Before the Sandaime could even get close, Tsunade, impatient as ever, stepped forward, blocking his path and demanding an answer.
The Sandaime let out a heavy sigh, his expression grim. Ignoring even the exaggerated curves of his apprentice, he spoke in a weary tone:
"They want us to name the terms."
Tsunade's brow furrowed. "That little menace is really pushing his luck, huh?"
The moment she heard the Sandaime’s response, she knew this was going to be a headache.
If demands had been made upfront, there would at least be room for negotiation. It was standard practice to start high and work your way down.
But refusing to name any conditions and forcing them to come up with an offer? That was just extortion in disguise.
"Can we rally the major clans and put pressure on the Uchiha together...?"
Shikaku scratched his head, struggling to come up with a viable solution.
"The real issue isn’t just whether this will provoke them—even if we manage to rally the major clans, there’s no guarantee they’ll take our side..."
He knew all too well what his allies—especially Danzo—had done in the past.
Right now, they were at a disadvantage. Would those same clans seize the opportunity to turn against them instead?
"If that won’t work, what about targeting their ninjutsu? If we can prevent them from using it, we might be able to turn the tide in our favor!"
If one plan failed, he would come up with another. Nara Shikaku was racking his brain, trying to predict how the night would unfold.
"It's unlikely. To stop the Edo-tensei, we'd either have to seal the resurrected dead directly or target Toshiro himself… But both options are nearly impossible!"
"Kushina, do you have any ideas?"
As a last resort, the Sandaime turned to Kushina. If anyone still had a chance of coming up with a solution, it was her.
“…The Shodaime, Nidaime, and Toshiro are all too familiar with the Uzumaki clan’s secret techniques. There’s no way they’ll fall for them!”
What could she possibly do? These people knew most of her tricks inside and out—even without her revealing anything.
It felt like she had already lost the advantage before the battle had even begun. To make matters worse, the Kyuubi wasn’t exactly eager to cooperate. She was completely out of options!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Toshiro was being pulled aside by his grandmother.
"Who has been taking care of you all these years?"
Her son had died before he even had the chance to meet his own grandson. It was heartbreaking. The boy must have endured so much growing up…
That wasn’t all. What started as casual small talk soon took a different turn.
"How old are you this year?"
"Do you have children?"
"What… not married yet?"
"Is there really no one in the clan you fancy?"
As his "grandmother" continued her relentless questioning, Toshiro couldn’t help but wonder 'Is this some kind of universal law? No matter where you go, you’ll be pressured into marriage?
I’m only 23! Isn’t it perfectly normal to still be single? And yet, here I am, being nagged to settle down…'
"Um... excuse me!"
Just as Toshiro was drowning in his grandmother’s insistence that he needed to marry soon—lest she never live to see her great-grandchild—a voice interrupted the overwhelming "concern."
"Toshiro, may I call you that?"
Moving with a quiet but undeniable weight, the Shodaime stepped forward, fixing his gaze on Toshiro as he spoke.
"Shodaime-sama!"
Facing the former Hokage, Nako greeted him with polite restraint.
Although she had managed to quell the Uchiha’s internal strife with the help of Izanami, the clan’s strength had plummeted, leaving them on the brink of destruction.
While the early establishment of Konoha had played a role, the impact of the Shodaime could not be overlooked.
"Ah! It's you, Nako!"
Suddenly, the restraining force on the Shodaime seemed to ease, and in an instant, his demeanor shifted. His expression brightened, and he spoke with an unexpected familiarity.
"I never thought we’d meet again under circumstances like these!"
"Indeed."
"Thanks to your brother’s generous care, things have escalated to this point."
Having learned from Toshiro about the events that transpired after her death—and the key figures responsible—Nako responded with a deliberately vague remark.
"Hahaha!"
Scratching his head, the Shodaime found himself at a loss for words.
After all, whether it was his younger brother, Saru, or the others, their actions had been far from honorable. He couldn’t, in good conscience, defend them.
"Um... Has Toshiro decided how he plans to settle this matter?"
Despite his awkwardness, the situation was too important to ignore. Konoha’s future was at stake, and he needed to understand Toshiro’s intentions.
If things took a turn for the worse… he would personally plead with Toshiro to abandon any catastrophic plans.
"Plans?"
Toshiro’s lips curled into a faint smirk as he glanced at his clansmen on one side and the Sandaime and his group in the distance.
"I'll tell you how the Uchiha have been oppressed for the past years.. I'll let you ponder then.."
…
"Tsk! So this is the Sandaime’s idea of a solution?"
At the entrance of the Uchiha compound, the Sandaime, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kushina, and their small entourage—now joined by Shikaku and the others—approached Toshiro.
On the other side, the Shodaime, Nidaime, Izuna, and Nako stood off to the side, observing the tense negotiations.
"The Sandaime will step down, Tsunade becomes the Fifth Hokage, and all the blame falls on Danzo—then everything returns to the status quo?"
With a disdainful sneer, Toshiro eyed Shikaku and the others behind the Sandaime.
"You don’t think that will erase everything that’s happened, do you? Or is this some kind of test to see how far we’ll bend?"
"If you are interested in the Hokage position, once Tsunade steps down, the Sixth Hokage will be an Uchiha!"
As if worried that Toshiro might doubt his sincerity, the Sandaime quickly added,
"Don’t worry, with the Shodaime and Nidaime here as witnesses, both Tsunade and I will make sure our promise is kept!"
"All these years of oppression to make sure that no one from the Uchiha can become even an advisor or be eligible for an important position on the administration of the Village.."
"Using our bodies and eyes as test subjects"
"Assassinating our clan members for their eyes..all in the name of maintaining power and control over us."
"Now, trying to eliminate our whole clan.. Are these your reparations for this?"
"Do you want me to continue, Hiruzen.. What you and your friend Danzo had subjected our clan to during these past years?"
"What are you talking about, what assassinations?" Jiraya came forward and asked puzzled.
"It seems the Sandaime hasn't been very forward with you regarding all that he has done.." Toshiro said sarcastically.
"Kagami Uchiha, a genius of our clan, his own friend assassinated by Danzo, and Danzo, that worm, transplanted those eyes for himself."
"Don't make baseless accusations here now; you weren't even born when Kagami died on one of his missions!!" Homura Mitokado exclaimed, enraged.
"Not only Kagami, but Danzo and Hiruzen both 'tried' to assassinate Shisui when they learned of his growing support in the village and his potential to become Hokage."
Hiruzen's face paled at the accusation when he understood that Shisui was still alive.
"Shisui's still alive..?" Hiruzen muttered, astonished at the revelation. Danzo had taken 200 of his Root operatives, the masked shinobi calling himself Madara, the Kiri elites. Even with all of them combining forces to kill him, Shisui was still alive…?
Comments
Jose Miranda
Thanks for the chapter
Jj Abrego
Ohhh nvm then. I thought this was gonna turn out with shisui dead.
