The head of the Sarutobi clan!
The Hokage's own cousin!
A veteran jōnin with years of distinguished service—and now, in Chiyu's hands, he'd just been beheaded without a sound, dying a miserable death on the spot.
For a moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent.
Even Fugaku couldn't help feeling a shiver run through him.
Heavens… Just how bold was this Chiyu, to kill whomever got in his way—fearless of gods or men? Did the word "fear" not exist for him? Did he ever hesitate?
Uchiha Aoki and Uchiha Yamakaze were similarly stunned.
They understood and admired Captain Chiyu, yet… this was too decisive!
Meanwhile, the Sarutobi were momentarily unable to believe what they'd just witnessed.
Shock swiftly exploded into an earth-shaking roar of rage.
"You bastard!"
"Uchiha Chiyu! How dare you really kill our Patriarch?!"
"Avenge the Patriarch! Kill him!"
In an instant, furious cries erupted on all sides. However, Chiyu merely raised his katana, the three tomoe of his Sharingan glowing coldly—some might even say evilly—as he gazed silently at them. His aura alone was enough to cow them from leaping into action, despite their anger.
But someone did move. Two figures darted from opposite directions, landing together in the middle of the battlefield: Uchiha Shisui and Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Shisui spoke first, shouting, "Chiyu, are you out of your mind?!"
He stared at Nichio's severed head in disbelief, then fixed his eyes on Chiyu.
Chiyu turned slightly, his voice icy. "What part of this is madness?"
"T-That was the head of the Sarutobi clan!" Shisui retorted. "You just killed him like it was nothing! Do you really mean to spark a full-scale war between the Uchiha and the entire village?!"
Shisui had just come from a talk with the Hokage, and now he was faced with this scene—his worldview felt as though it was crumbling.
Chiyu let out a cold laugh. "Start a war? Which side charged onto another clan's territory with dozens of zealots, looking for a fight—me, or Sarutobi Nichio?"
Shisui faltered. "E-even if Nichio-dono was too impulsive, it was only because his son died at your hands! He lost his mind for a moment. Even if he was in the wrong, couldn't you have tried to settle things peacefully? Did you have to kill him? He's a shinobi of Konoha!"
Chiyu cast his gaze around and asked icily, "Who made the first move?"
The Sarutobi around them were silent.
Uchiha Aoki raised his voice: "It was Sarutobi Nichio who attacked first!"
Chiyu glanced at Shisui. "You hear that?"
Shisui opened his mouth but no words came out. Nichio had indeed invaded Uchiha territory and attacked Chiyu first. Still…
"Even so," Shisui pressed, "you could have subdued him without killing him—why did you have to go so far?!"
Chiyu gave a derisive snort.
"Ridiculous. Uchiha Shisui, you've fought on the battlefield for years, yet I can't believe you'd say such childish, naive nonsense."
"You—!" Shisui was both angry and flustered, not knowing how to respond.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, clad in a dark cloak and wearing an Anbu mask, gave off a menacing aura like a hawk circling overhead.
"Uchiha Chiyu, you'd better come with us to the Anbu for questioning."
"And why is that?"
Shinnosuke's voice was cold. "You murdered Sarutobi Nichio. Don't you owe the village an explanation?"
"I don't owe anyone anything. And even if I did, it wouldn't be to the Anbu. When has the police force ever been under Anbu's jurisdiction?"
"You—!"
Chiyu sneered. "Sarutobi Nichio trespassed onto Uchiha land and even killed three of your Anbu. Why aren't you demanding the answer for that?"
Shinnosuke drew in a slow breath, forcibly restraining his rage.
"His crimes should've been judged by the Hokage, not executed on the spot by you! You are not the Hokage."
"You aren't the Hokage either."
"I'm acting under orders!"
"What orders?"
"…"
Shinnosuke fell silent. Truthfully, he'd been ordered to stop Nichio from doing anything rash and prevent a direct war between the Sarutobi and Uchiha. Chiyu, easily discerning this, scoffed.
"The Hokage's order was for you to stop Nichio, to avoid bloodshed. Correct?"
"Exactly! But if you keep this up, those who want revenge for Nichio will refuse to back down—bloodshed will still be inevitable!"
"I don't see them making a move."
"You—!"
Shinnosuke let out a stifled growl. His killing intent surged, prepared to settle this by force.
Shisui sighed and turned to Fugaku. "Patriarch, forgive me, but I must stop Chiyu."
He, too, let out a powerful surge of chakra, poised to fight alongside Shinnosuke.
Fugaku paled. No matter how strong Chiyu was, Uchiha Shisui alone was a force to be reckoned with—let alone teaming up with Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Nichio simply couldn't compare to either of them. How could Chiyu possibly hold his own against both?
But Chiyu, having never once feared consequences, simply curved his lips into a slight grin.
He poured the newly acquired 100 Virtue Points into his Sharingan, and at once…
Hum…
A surge of far fiercer ocular power erupted. The three tomoe glowed scarlet like freshly spilled blood, emanating a piercing chill that could shatter a man's will.
"Come on, then!"
In everyone's mind, "Uchiha Chiyu" was practically a byword for madness. A battle on the verge of breaking out…
But suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku stepped forward, positioning himself beside Chiyu.
Shisui stared in surprise. "Patriarch, you—?"
Shinnosuke's tone was icy. "Fugaku-dono, do you intend to shield him?"
"It's not about shielding," Fugaku replied quietly. "It's about resolving this situation."
Shinnosuke narrowed his eyes. "And how do you propose to do that?"
"Simple. We report everything to the Hokage and let him handle it personally."
"And what about Uchiha Chiyu?"
Fugaku met Shinnosuke's gaze without flinching. "He'll face the Hokage's judgment as well."
Shinnosuke exhaled sharply. "That might sound fair on the surface, but isn't that just a way of saying we can't take him right now?"
Fugaku nodded calmly. "Yes, that's precisely what it means."
For the first time, Fugaku stood as firmly as steel. The moment he spoke, every member of the police force behind him silently gathered their chakra, ready to fight at a moment's notice. In that instant, power surged—like a pack of Uchiha with blood-red eyes, predators waiting to strike.
Shinnosuke's breath caught. He'd never expected the typically indecisive Fugaku to go this far for Chiyu. But if he waged war on the police force now, never mind whether he could prevail—the consequences would be dire, well beyond anything he could handle alone.
He cast a hesitant glance at Shisui. Under these circumstances, Shisui—a loyalist to the Hokage yet still an Uchiha—was in a better position to act than he was…