The Hidden Cloud commander stared at Shuoye Uchiha, fear rising in his chest.
But anger burned hotter.
He drew in a sharp breath and forced his voice steady.
"Shuoye! Do you realize what you're doing? Are you trying to start a war between our villages? Do you think you can walk away from this?"
Shuoye did not answer.
He simply raised his hand.
Chakra gathered around him, dense and oppressive, like a storm compressed into a single point. The air trembled faintly under its weight.
There was no hesitation in his eyes.
Only certainty.
The surrounding Hidden Cloud shinobi began to retreat instinctively. They had never faced such presence—had never felt power that pressed down without even being unleashed.
The entire compound fell silent.
Then Shuoye's voice cut through the stillness.
"War?"
"If that is what you want, come."
"I, Shuoye Uchiha, do not fear challenges."
—
A cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
[Ding! Key Choice Triggered!]
Option 1: Kill the Hidden Cloud shinobi directly
Reward: Hōgyoku (Unawakened)
Option 2: Release them as a gesture of goodwill
Reward: All Lightning Release ninjutsu below S-rank
Option 3: Surrender to the Hidden Cloud and hand over Itachi
Reward: Genjutsu Immunity
Shuoye's Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed faintly as he analyzed the options.
Lightning Release techniques?
Useful—but not essential.
Surrender?
Laughable.
His gaze sharpened.
"Hōgyoku… even unawakened, it's another leap."
He chose without hesitation.
Option 1.
Kill.
The moment the decision settled—
A surge of unfamiliar power pulsed within him, merging subtly with the ocular force of his Mangekyō Sharingan. It did not explode outward. It sank deeper.
Condensed.
Refined.
"Gura Gura no Mi—Iron Grip."
Shuoye clenched his hands.
Invisible shockwaves rippled outward, space itself trembling as if struck by unseen hammers.
The Hidden Cloud commander's instincts screamed.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Current!"
Lightning erupted around him, violent and crackling. He lunged forward, pouring every ounce of chakra into the technique.
But the lightning met the tremor field—
And vanished.
Swallowed.
As if striking the ocean.
"It's over."
Shuoye's voice sounded from behind him.
When—
The commander's pupils shrank.
Shuoye had already moved.
His right hand flicked casually.
A tremor pulse—barely visible—passed through the commander's body.
There was no scream.
No time.
His form shattered under the internal vibration, collapsing into fragments before he even understood what had happened.
Silence followed.
The Hidden Cloud shinobi stared in disbelief.
Their commander—
The pillar of their delegation—
Had been erased in a single exchange.
"Go."
Shuoye's voice was cold.
"Tell your Raikage."
His gaze swept across them like a blade.
"War begins now."
One of the vice officers trembled so violently he could barely stand. Words failed him. He nodded frantically and fled, not daring to look back.
—
High within the Hidden Cloud's tower—
The Raikage was savoring imagined victories.
Compensation from the Hidden Leaf.
Political leverage.
Perhaps even the Sharingan.
Then—
A shinobi burst into the chamber, face drained of color.
The report fell like thunder.
The Raikage froze.
Then rage exploded.
"What?!"
His palm slammed the table, cracking the wood.
"Hiruzen dares scheme against me?!"
"And Shuoye—he dares declare war in the name of the Uchiha?! He actually attacked?!"
The chamber shook with his fury.
"Mobilize the forces!"
"Now!"
"I will show the Hidden Leaf what happens when they provoke the Hidden Cloud!"
—
Back in the Hidden Leaf—
The atmosphere was equally suffocating.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders sat in grim silence.
War loomed.
And it had been triggered by Shuoye.
"Shuoye must take responsibility for this disaster!" one elder snapped, slamming his hand against the table.
Yet the man in question appeared entirely at ease.
Shuoye sat casually, faint amusement in his eyes.
He listened to the shouting without interruption.
Then he spoke.
"You're mistaken."
The room quieted.
"It was the Uchiha who declared war on the Hidden Cloud."
"Not the Hidden Cloud invading the Hidden Leaf."
His gaze was steady.
"The Uchiha have our own pride. Our own stance. We will not watch our interests be trampled."
Before anyone could respond—
His body dispersed into white smoke.
A Shadow Clone.
Realization dawned across the room.
He had never even been there.
Uchiha and the others lowered their heads slightly in acknowledgment toward Hiruzen before turning and leaving without hesitation.
Their footsteps carried resolve.
Danzō rose slowly.
"Hmph."
"If the Uchiha have created this mess, then let them handle it."
"When the time comes…"
"They will come begging."
He turned and walked away without looking back.
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