Inside Konoha, the night was as dark as ink, but it was far from peaceful.
After Uchiha Obito mysteriously disappeared from the heavily guarded Konoha Hospital, the village's alert level was raised to an unprecedented height.
Using the authority of the clan head, Uchiha Mikoto made the Police Force the core of the operation and worked together with the Anbu and the various clans to create a strict patrol network that covered the entire village and its surrounding areas.
On the brightly lit streets, ninja squads moved back and forth without stopping. The atmosphere was so heavy that it felt almost suffocating.
Mikoto sat alone in the office on the top floor of the Police Force headquarters.
It was Chiya's seat, but she was temporarily taking his place.
She was not sitting in the large chair. Instead, she leaned against the cold windowsill.
Her deep black eyes looked through the glass at the seemingly orderly village below, where hidden currents quietly flowed beneath the surface.
The night breeze stirred her ink black hair, but it could not blow away the worry tightly locked between her brows.
Obito's disappearance was far too strange.
The enemy had bypassed layer after layer of guards and taken him away without alerting anyone. Such methods were far beyond what an ordinary ninja could possess.
Was it the remnants of Kirigakure?
Or revenge from Iwagakure?
What exactly was their goal?
If it was for the war, why target a young boy who had only just awakened his Sharingan and whose strength was still nothing remarkable?
Was it for the Sharingan? Or...
Was there an even deeper conspiracy aimed at the Uchiha Clan, or even at Chiya himself?
Mikoto's fingertips unconsciously tapped against the window frame as countless thoughts filled her mind.
She could not shake the feeling that an invisible black hand was quietly reaching toward Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
And Obito's disappearance might only be the first warning.
Knock. Knock.
A gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Without turning around, Mikoto's voice returned to its usual calmness.
An elite Uchiha ninja entered the room, knelt on one knee, and respectfully reported, though a trace of exhaustion could be seen on his face.
"Lady Mikoto, we have searched the outer areas three times.
We found a small number of withdrawal traces left behind by Iwa nin and Mist nin, but they had already gone far away. We found no signs of large scale enemy forces hiding nearby.
And... we found no clues related to Obito's disappearance."
Mikoto slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
The result was both unexpected and completely reasonable.
Since the enemy could silently take him away, they could naturally erase all traces as well.
"I understand. Continue expanding the search area. Focus on rogue ninja and suspicious individuals who possess unusual ninjutsu or special infiltration techniques.
Report immediately if you discover anything unusual."
"Yes!"
The ninja accepted the order and quietly withdrew.
The office fell silent once again.
Mikoto looked out the window once more. The countless lights of Konoha reflected in her dark eyes, making her expression appear even heavier.
Where exactly was the enemy hiding?
...
The next day, the northern battlefield, Konoha Allied Forces Headquarters.
The land still bore the black scars and devastation left by the great battle, but the atmosphere was completely different from just a few days earlier.
Rows of enormous tents stretched into the distance. Konoha's elite shinobi from every battlefield had gathered here, filling this once desperate battlefield with tense but passionate life.
When Uchiha Chiya arrived with Tsunade, Kushina, and the newly joined Terumi Mei, who had dark circles under her eyes...
Her tent had been the closest to Tsunade's the previous night.
Not long after she had gone to rest...
There had been some unusual movement coming from Tsunade's tent.
Driven by curiosity, she quietly moved closer.
After seeing what was happening inside the tent...
She returned to her own tent with a blushing face and her legs tightly pressed together.
Her curiosity had been satisfied, but she had almost fallen apart herself.
Because throughout the entire night, she could hear it.
Now, she looked mentally exhausted...
The moment Chiya appeared at the entrance of the camp, it was as though an invisible magnet had instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"It's Lord Chiya!"
"The Clan Head has returned!"
"Lady Tsunade and Lady Kushina are back too! But who is that other woman?"
"..."
The news spread through the camp like the wind. The solemn atmosphere instantly cracked apart like breaking ice, replaced by excitement and anticipation that could no longer be contained.
Patrolling ninja stopped in their tracks. Training ninja put away their weapons. Countless eyes focused on the man in black leading the group.
After receiving the report, the curtain of the main command tent was suddenly pulled open. Led by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha's top officials and battlefield commanders quickly came out to greet them.
One figure in the crowd stood out in particular.
Jiraiya, who had returned from the southwestern battlefield while still recovering from old injuries, heard the commotion and walked over.
His eyes immediately locked onto Tsunade.
Seeing her glowing face, refreshed spirit, and expression filled with happiness...
Jiraiya could not help but feel bitter inside.
He let out a long sigh and looked at Uchiha Chiya with envy.
The commander from the northwestern battlefield, the Konoha White Fang, Hatake Sakumo...
Stood tall and straight with a cold expression. When his eyes met Chiya's, he gave him a slight nod.
Hyūga Sakusei, along with elite representatives from the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and many other clans, had all gathered here.
Their faces still carried the exhaustion of war, but even more obvious was their urgency to confirm the results and the hope hidden within their eyes.
Chiya's return meant that his mission had come to an end.
"Chiya!"
The Third Hokage quickly stepped forward. He did not even bother exchanging greetings before urgently asking,
"How did it go? What happened with Sunagakure and Kirigakure..."
Everyone held their breath as the air itself seemed to freeze.
They all knew Chiya was powerful.
But overwhelming two great ninja villages by himself was still beyond imagination.
Especially Kirigakure, which was famous for its isolation, bloodshed, and madness.
Under countless nervous gazes...
Uchiha Chiya's expression remained as calm as ever, carrying the relaxed look of someone who had merely returned from a pleasant outing.
His eyes swept across the crowd before the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile. His calm voice clearly echoed throughout the entire camp.
"Sunagakure has surrendered. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, personally promised to accept all of Konoha's conditions without exception."
The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath.
Before they could even process that shocking news, Chiya's next sentence exploded like a bomb.
"Kirigakure resisted for a short time, but I personally destroyed its defenses and the Mizukage Building.
The remaining senior leader, Fukami, has also declared Kirigakure's surrender on behalf of the village.
Those who continued resisting have already been eliminated."
Silence.
Dead silence.
Even the wind seemed to stop blowing.
Everyone's expression froze as their pupils violently contracted in extreme shock.
Surrendered?
Two great ninja villages...
Just like that...
Surrendered?!
Not defeated.
Not negotiated.
They had been completely crushed by overwhelming power, their will to resist destroyed, forcing them to lower their proud heads and surrender unconditionally!
This...
Was something that perhaps only the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, could have achieved!
Had Uchiha Chiya already reached the level of the God of Shinobi?
The hand holding Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe trembled slightly. His eyes were filled with disbelief and shock, along with a trace of awe that even he himself had not noticed.
He opened his mouth, only to discover that his throat had become too dry for any words to come out.
The carefree smile on Jiraiya's face completely disappeared.
His eyes widened as though he were seeing the young Uchiha Clan Head before him for the first time.
He remembered the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
He remembered the vague words about the black haired young man.
His heart pounded violently.
A rare crack appeared in Hatake Sakumo's cold expression.
It was the shock that came from witnessing absolute power.
Only now did he truly understand that an individual's strength could reach such a godlike level.
Hyūga Sakusei's Byakugan narrowed slightly.
As a member of a dojutsu bloodline clan, he understood better than anyone the terrifying ocular power hidden behind those crimson Sharingan eyes, power capable of overturning everything the ninja world believed to be common sense.
Compared to that power, the pride of the Hyūga Clan seemed somewhat pale.
The elite members of every major clan looked at one another.
Each of them could see both horror and relief in the others' eyes.
Horror at the unfathomable strength of Uchiha Chiya.
Relief that such a person stood on Konoha's side.
"Hiss..."
Someone finally recovered enough to let out an uncontrollable gasp, breaking the suffocating silence.
Immediately afterward, an enormous wave of shocked discussion erupted like a tsunami!
"My God! Two great ninja villages... surrendered at the same time?!"
"So this is the power of the Uchiha Clan Head? Is it really that Susano'o? It actually reached this level!"
"We... We won? We completely won?!"
"Who would still dare covet Konoha from now on?!"
"..."
Joy, shock, awe, disbelief...
Every emotion mixed together and boiled through the crowd.
The way everyone looked at Chiya had completely changed.
He was no longer merely a powerful comrade or clan head.
He was a living legend.
A myth capable of ending this chaotic era and deciding the fate of the world through his own strength.
Standing slightly behind the crowd, Namikaze Minato looked at Chiya, who stood at the center of everyone's attention, and revealed a complicated smile that soon turned into determination.
No matter what the future held, Uchiha Chiya was undoubtedly the brightest light shining upon Konoha.
Danzo's single eye remained hidden within the shadows as his fingernails nearly dug into his palm.
His heart was consumed by jealousy and greed like poisonous snakes.
But even more than that, he felt a deep sense of helplessness.
Could someone with such power truly still be manipulated or controlled?
The rise of the Uchiha Clan could no longer be stopped!
Teacher...
Danzo has failed your teachings.
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally found his voice.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to keep his tone steady, though a slight tremble still remained.
"Chiya... You... You have achieved a world changing accomplishment for Konoha! This achievement will be recorded forever in the history of the ninja world!"
Chiya gave a slight nod.
He had clearly expected everyone's reaction, and his tone remained calm.
"It was simply my duty. Next comes discussing peace, the Five Great Ninja Villages Alliance, and establishing the new postwar order."
His calm eyes swept across the crowd, who were still trapped in their shock.
It was as though everything he had just said was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Absolute power brought absolute authority and the unquestionable right to decide.
After this battle, the will of Uchiha Chiya would become the only direction guiding the future of Konoha and the entire ninja world.
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