Uchiha Chiyu casually allocated the newly acquired thirty Virtue Points to his ocular power.
Attributes: Fire, Lightning, Yin, Yang
Chakra: 650
Abilities:
Three Tomoe Sharingan (373/1000)
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Mastered, 100/100)
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique (Mastered, 100/100)
Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu (Advanced, 88/100)
Virtue Points: 0
At the same time, he heard another system notification:
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host, on surpassing 100 total Virtue Points!]
[You have unlocked a new ability… Lightning Release Ninjutsu!]
[Currently unlocked… Lightning Release: False Darkness (Novice 50/100)!]
Chiyu felt a twinge of excitement.
"Huh? So once I accumulate a certain number of Virtue Points, I directly unlock new abilities? A Lightning Release technique… Well, that's definitely in line with my chakra nature, though I've never trained in it before.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness… If I recall correctly…"
In the original story, it's a Lightning Release ninjutsu used by Kakuzu, the S-rank rogue ninja of the Akatsuki. Its power is formidable—so much so that it forced Kakashi Hatake to use a dual Lightning Cutter just to counter it!
With such a powerful Lightning Release ninjutsu, Chiyu would be even more capable in carrying out his duties. A rare smile flickered across his lips.
Just then, two figures appeared, rushing toward him on the road he was patrolling.
Leading the way was none other than the head of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Fugaku.
When Fugaku spotted Chiyu, his expression changed instantly.
"Chiyu, what happened? Did Sarutobi Hiruzen…?"
Chiyu stopped walking and shook his head calmly.
"It's fine."
Behind him, Uchiha Yamakaze hurriedly explained the whole chain of events. Fugaku listened, relieved that Chiyu was safe, but also full of emotion.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen… truly a cunning old fox," he murmured with a sigh.
Uchiha Aoki nodded emphatically.
"He saw which way the people's hearts were leaning and acted out a perfect charade. Now all the shinobi and villagers who watched the scene are grateful to him, completely forgetting that the murderer who killed an innocent villager was actually executed by Captain Chiyu…"
Uchiha Yamakaze gave a cold snort.
"What a sly old devil!"
Fugaku sighed.
"If he wasn't like that, how could he have held the Hokage's seat so steadily for decades? When it comes to manipulating people, no one can match him…"
Then Yamakaze asked cautiously, "Patriarch, last time, you were furious at Captain Chiyu for using extreme measures against civilians. Now he's gone so far as to kill the Sarutobi clan's heir, the Hokage's own nephew—yet you're not scolding him at all?"
Fugaku forced a bitter laugh.
"What good would scolding do? Besides, I've been thinking about what Chiyu said before; maybe there's truth in it… If no matter what we do, we can't change how the upper echelons of Konoha and the majority of villagers view the Uchiha, then perhaps it's better to just let things run their course…
"Chiyu, well done. It's just a pity that so much of the credit ended up going to Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
Chiyu replied coolly, "I don't care about that."
Fugaku glared at him.
"Don't give me that. Listen, you can do things without seeking praise or reward, but that doesn't mean we hand over our merits to an enemy! "
Aoki and Yamakaze nodded in agreement.
"The Patriarch is right!"
Chiyu said, "No one can cover the truth forever. Eventually, people will see what's good and what's evil, what's black and what's white."
Fugaku stared at him silently. After a long pause, he shook his head and sighed.
"For someone whose methods are so extreme, you can be surprisingly naive at times…"
Chiyu shrugged. "I've always been an optimist. I firmly believe that as long as I keep on killing, one day, I'll wipe out all evil."
Fugaku took a deep breath.
"Maybe so…"
…
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in a towering rage.
Bang!
He slammed his fist down on the desk, causing it to quake. Papers flew everywhere.
Sarutobi Nichio flinched in terror.
"Wonderful, just wonderful…"
"You and your son—so very wonderful…"
"I made you Patriarch, and this is how you repay me?!"
Nichio immediately fell to his knees.
"Lord Hokage, I— I just couldn't stand by and watch Jirō die…"
Hiruzen's anger was palpable.
"Idiot! Did you think I would stand by and watch Jirō be killed?! Did I ever say I wouldn't save him?"
"But look at how you handled it. So many villagers and shinobi watching in broad daylight—you tried to shield your son, showing blatant favoritism. What were you trying to do?!"
"Maybe you don't care about your own face, but have you considered the Sarutobi clan's dignity? Where does that leave my dignity as a Hokage?!"
Nichio now realized that Hiruzen wasn't furious about him protecting his son, but that he'd done so "publicly," nearly ruining Hiruzen's carefully built reputation and prestige. Anger flared in Nichio's heart. Was Sarutobi Hiruzen's good name really more important than my son's life?
But he dared not speak his mind.
Hiruzen saw his resentment clear as day.
"You're unhappy about that, aren't you? You think I value my name more than your son's life, right?"
Nichio was silent.
"Fool!"
"Of course the deed needed to be done, but the method is what matters! I entrusted you with an important position, and it turns out you can't even grasp this simple concept. It seems stripping you of the Patriarch seat was absolutely the right decision."
Nichio was consumed by grief, already numb.
"It doesn't matter anymore… I no longer have the right to serve as Patriarch. I couldn't even protect my own son—so what's the point?"
He gave a bitter laugh, walking out like a soulless husk.
"You—!"
Hiruzen's anger suddenly had nowhere to go, leaving him even more furious. One of the ANBU by his side spoke up:
"Lord Hokage, he just lost his son. He probably can't take your scolding right now. And with his position gone, all that's left is his hatred for Uchiha Chiyu… If this goes on, who knows what he might do."
Hiruzen nodded.
"Assign people to keep watch on him."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
A few ANBU swiftly left the room.
Simultaneously, another figure appeared at the door.
"Huh? Shisui…"
Hiruzen tamped down his rage, forcing himself to assume a calmer face. Uchiha Shisui was his most crucial trump card for dealing with the Uchiha clan. He could not afford any slip-ups.
"What is it? You look a bit… disheartened."
Shisui knelt, lowering his head.
"Forgive me, Lord Hokage. You ordered me to talk some sense into Uchiha Chiyu, but that man—"
"He pays no heed, does he?" Hiruzen let out a forced smile. "He's always been like that—getting through to him isn't easy. It's fine, I was just making a suggestion anyway. However, Shisui…"
Hiruzen's gaze bore into him.
"Judging from your eyes, could it be that you were the one who got swayed by him?"
A sudden chill glinted in the Hokage's stare.
~~~
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