"Hmm… so this is the path your Sarutobi clan has chosen."
A chuckle escaped Uchiha Shin as he shook his head, his expression strangely relaxed. In the eerie silence that followed, he raised a single hand and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Fair enough. I respect your choice."
Without hesitation, the inextinguishable black flames of Amaterasu erupted upon Sarutobi Sasuke, engulfing him in an instant.
Whoosh!
Sasuke's body convulsed violently, his agonized screams echoing through the chamber. Within moments, he was reduced to nothing but ashes—just like Danzo before him. The raw life energy and chakra from the kill coursed into Uchiha Shin, his expression contorting into one of twisted ecstasy.
To the onlookers, he looked like a demon, basking in the glory of his so-called masterpiece.
At that moment, every leader present understood—there was no mercy. The consequence of defiance was death.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."
With a single hand seal, dozens of Shin's clones materialized, each staring coldly at the horrified crowd. Without needing further orders, the clones leapt into action, their target set.
Uchiha Shin's voice rang out, calm yet laced with absolute authority.
"Surround the Sarutobi compound. Kill every last one of them. Men, women, children—leave no one alive. Not even their damn pets."
Ding—!!!
A chill ran through the room. The air grew so thick with tension that some forgot to breathe.
Jiraiya clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury, while Orochimaru, for the first time in a long while, looked visibly shaken.
They were witnessing a massacre in the making.
Shin, however, turned his attention back to the remaining elders and clan leaders. His Sharingan glowed ominously as he addressed them with an unsettlingly kind expression.
"Well then, what about the rest of you? What's your decision?"
The elders of the Shimura clan—the remnants of Danzo's bloodline—exchanged glances before lowering their heads. One of them finally spoke.
"We... wish to leave Konoha."
Their words were resolute. The Shimura clan refused to bow to a Uchiha. If submission was the only option, then exile was the only alternative.
"Oh?" Shin tilted his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "That's quite reasonable."
A flicker of hope sparked in the elders' eyes.
Then—
WHOOSH!!!
The black flames of Amaterasu erupted once more, engulfing them in a cruel embrace. Their screams barely lasted a few seconds before they too were reduced to nothingness.
The silence was deafening.
The remaining leaders stood frozen, their bodies rigid with terror. The realization hit them all at once—there were never any choices.
With a lazy stretch, Shin created another wave of clones and ordered them casually.
"Annihilate the Shimura clan. Burn their corpses and scatter the ashes beyond Konoha's borders."
A shudder ran through the room. Despair settled in.
No choice.
There was never a choice.
The clan heads and elders who had remained silent up until now suddenly wore forced smiles, as if convincing themselves they had never even considered defiance.
Shin clicked his tongue in mock disappointment.
"Why the long faces? Have I tortured you? I don't think so."
A long pause. Then, awkward, hesitant nods and murmured agreements followed.
"No… no, you haven't."
"Yes, yes… no, no… of course not."
Shin clapped his hands together in satisfaction, grinning wide.
"See? That's the spirit! I am a fair and democratic leader. They made their choice, and I merely gave them their freedom."
His gaze swept across the room, pausing on the pile of ashes that once was the Shimura and Sarutobi elders.
"Now, onto more important matters."
He turned to the trembling remnants of Konoha's ruling elite. "With the recent… vacancies left by the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, there are positions to be filled. I want you all to handle the redistribution of their assets. Do as you see fit."
Greed flickered in their eyes. The promise of power and land had its intended effect. One by one, the remaining clan leaders bowed their heads, pledging loyalty.
In the end, self-interest won over morality.
Only two figures remained steadfast—Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Both stood motionless, unreadable expressions masking their thoughts.
Unlike the others, they had no family to protect. And more importantly, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been their sensei. The bond of master and student wasn't something they could simply cast aside.
Shin sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Man, you guys really know how to make things difficult."
He motioned to his men. "Lock them up."
Jiraiya and Orochimaru didn't resist as the guards moved in. It wasn't fear—it was calculation. There would be another opportunity to act, another day to strike. Now wasn't the time.
For Shin, the decision was pragmatic. He held no personal grudge against them.
If anything, he respected Orochimaru's intellect and talent. The man could be useful in the long run.
"They just need a little… convincing."
With the matter settled, Shin turned towards the village. Konoha had changed forever, and the ripples of his actions would spread far and wide.
Would the other Great Nations make a move? Would the remaining clans stay loyal? And then there was Uchiha Madara…
Shin narrowed his eyes.
"The game has just begun."
One thing was certain—there was no turning back now.
He never wanted to be Hokage.
After all, that was just the title of a glorified village chief.
No, he was thinking bigger.
"The Fire Daimyo… what a useless figurehead. This country needs a real ruler."
His decision was made.
As the news of his coup spread, the Uchiha clan was the first to react. The disbelief was overwhelming—Shin had single-handedly crushed Konoha's political elite.
He had done what their entire clan had dreamed of for generations.
Some hesitated, questioning whether they were dreaming.
But that hesitation quickly gave way to something else.
Euphoria.
The Uchiha Clan had risen.
Their time had finally come.
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