"So, you came to collect taxes from the Naka River territory!"
After torturing and interrogating Jūbei, they finally gave him an answer. For a moment, he felt that the world had become utterly unreal.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Jūbei was caught between laughter and tears. He could only mourn the Sarutobi Clan.
One should not exhaust all one’s wisdom, lest a single person bear the accumulated retribution of generations.
Apparently, all the intelligence of the entire Sarutobi Clan had been concentrated in Sarutobi Hiruzen alone.
The situation between Naka River and Konoha was something even a dog by the roadside could understand. And this was not even an exaggeration. For example, the dogs that begged for food in Konoha never came to Naka River.
Any Konoha dog that did come to Naka River would be bitten and driven back.
Yet even a dog could understand such an obvious situation, while the Sarutobi Clan had allowed money to blind them. They had even tried to squeeze some profit out of the Uchiha territory.
Did they really not understand that there was money one could earn with one’s life, but not necessarily live long enough to spend?
Besides, for clans like the Uchiha and Sarutobi, money was merely a tool for distributing benefits—a bargaining chip they used to divide the spoils among their followers.
To people like them, money itself had no meaning.
And yet, for something so meaningless, the Sarutobi Clan’s finest had actually committed such an absurd blunder. Worse still, they had acted under the instructions of the heir to the Sarutobi Clan.
Did they really not realize what kind of consequences could arise from one careless move?
They were insane! For a little money, they were gambling with their clan leader’s entire political career!
Jūbei suddenly felt that perhaps keeping a Sarutobi Clan like this around wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Sarutobi Yasukuni, who was kneeling on the ground with a swollen and battered face, carefully looked at Jūbei’s expression.
"My lord, I’ve told you everything I know. Can you let us go?"
Jūbei thought for a moment before answering.
"Break both their arms and send them back to Konoha!"
"Yes, sir!"
None of his subordinates questioned Jūbei’s decision.
"Ah!"
After eight screams of agony, the four Sarutobi survivors did not even bother taking Sarutobi Tsukiji’s corpse with them. Looking as though they had narrowly escaped death, they retreated from the area in trembling fear.
It was not until they had disappeared from sight that hateful expressions appeared on all four of their faces.
Watching the four men leave, a Kōga Uchiha shinobi asked,
"My lord, are we really letting them go just like that?"
Jūbei also looked unwilling to accept it.
"What else can we do? If we don’t let them go, this matter ends here. Do you really dare exaggerate our battle achievements to Lord Kei and conceal the fact that this whole conflict was nothing more than the foolish self-importance of a few idiots?"
The Kōga Uchiha seemed to understand, yet not quite understand.
"So... my lord, you intend to...?"
Jūbei sneered.
"Hmph. Those young masters have suffered such a humiliating loss. I don’t believe they won’t go home and exaggerate the story to their parents!"
With that, Jūbei turned toward everyone.
"If we simply drag four idiots back with us today, we’ll have made fools of ourselves. Four suicidal clowns have forced us to mobilize such a large force. What will the other daimyō think of us? And what will Lord Kei think?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Sometimes, honor was more important than life.
Jūbei continued.
"Since we’ve already humiliated these young masters, we’ll let them go for now. Once they return, those four will certainly go to Konoha and slander us. At that point, Sarutobi Hiruzen will have no choice but to stand up for them."
As he spoke, Jūbei shook his head smugly, displaying an air of complete confidence in his own cleverness.
Otherwise, having made such a huge commotion over nothing would be rather embarrassing.
"At that point, it will be Sarutobi Hiruzen who has taken the initiative to start a war. We’ll merely be defending ourselves against an invasion!"
The red-eyed Uchiha had no objections after hearing this, but the Kōga Uchiha was still reluctant.
"My lord, are we really going to let the Sarutobi Clan come knocking on our door?"
Jūbei, with only half of his body intact, reached out and smacked his subordinate on the back of the head.
"Are you an idiot? How can we fight a war on our own territory?"
After hearing that they would not actually allow the enemy to reach their doorstep, the Uchiha who had been struck was not angry at all. Instead, he grinned and waited for Jūbei to continue.
"In a moment, we’ll secretly infiltrate Konoha. The moment the Sarutobi Clan mobilizes its forces, we’ll detonate the hundred thousand Explosive Tags that Lord Kei said were hidden inside the faces of the Hokage Rock. We’ll launch a surprise attack and turn this war into an established fact!"
The moment Jūbei finished speaking, everyone became excited.
"Yes, sir!"
This was a clear-cut opportunity to earn military merit!
Up until now, it had always been Lord Kei standing up for everyone. They had yet to accomplish anything worthy of being presented as a reward for his trust.
To boost their morale, Jūbei continued.
"Do not fear war. Do not fear death. You all know how miraculous the Naka Shrine is. Who knows? Perhaps even after we die, we may become yōkai gods who protect the Uchiha."
That was right.
As long as the Uchiha believed in the existence of the yōkai gods, the power of those gods could be summoned to protect the Uchiha. And the yōkai gods themselves were created through the faith and prayers of humanity.
"Yes, sir!"
The thought of becoming an entity worshipped at the Naka Shrine, and perhaps even becoming a question on the examination of the "Forty-Nine Iga Shrines," filled everyone with the same excitement as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
Jūbei continued.
"Using our forces recklessly without earning military merit is what should shame us. Death is not shameful. Men, let us cause a great commotion in Konoha!"
"Loyalty! Honor!"
"May we return only after victory!"
After saying this, everyone concealed their presence and quietly infiltrated toward Konoha.
Meanwhile, Konoha remained immersed in an atmosphere of singing, dancing, and celebration.
Sarutobi had finally reached his favorite part of the ceremony: the speech.
Standing high atop the ceremonial platform, Sarutobi spoke eloquently, and most of the people below were stirred by his words.
Only Orochimaru remained calm.
He had suddenly lost all information concerning everything beyond Konoha. The situation made Orochimaru deeply uneasy.
What exactly was happening outside?
And why was his teacher still so confident?
This was completely different from what he and Uchiha Kei had discussed!
It was one thing for events to have slipped beyond his control. Given the current situation, even someone like Orochimaru was little more than an insignificant figure.
But receiving absolutely no intelligence at all was simply too strange.
Could something even worse have happened?
Watching Sarutobi on the ceremonial platform, Orochimaru began considering slipping away.
But Sarutobi’s speech was becoming even more compelling.
"Looking back upon the last war, I cannot help but feel a profound sense of solemnity. During that war, conflicts among shinobi brought immense suffering to countless people throughout the world, including the villagers of Konoha."
"I hope that the shinobi of Konoha will face this regrettable history honestly. For those who sacrificed their lives in those wars, we must offer our deepest condolences."
"Relations between nations must never again descend into the cycle of war."
"Today, we have gathered here before the spirits of those who, in such difficult times, believed firmly in Konoha’s future and charged fearlessly into battle. I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, have once again come to understand that Konoha’s peace and prosperity today were built upon their precious sacrifices."
"Therefore, from this day forward, we shall return here every year and make an oath to peace."
"As the leaves sway in the wind, I hope that we can designate this day as a day of remembrance for the end of the war, so that we may comfort the spirits of the dead. Afterward, I will convene a Five Kage Summit and spread the significance of today’s event throughout the shinobi world."
"Let the tragedy of war never again fall upon the families of Konoha. From this day forward, we of Konoha shall fight for peace. Every shinobi clan must remember this."
"If any clan, for its own selfish interests, attempts to take an action that would bring harm upon everyone, then we must stand united and resist such an unjust act."
"If anyone doubts my fundamental policy of ’placing peace above war,’ then that is certainly not what I wish to see."
"I sincerely hope that all the people of Konoha can understand the sincerity in my heart."
From his tone to his demeanor, from his expressions to his gestures—everything about the Third Hokage’s speech was flawless.
Decades of experience had honed Sarutobi’s oratory skills to perfection.
Following the Third Hokage’s speech, the people of Konoha first fell into contemplation, remembering the horrors of war. They then reflected upon the past and concluded that war should never happen again. Finally, they affirmed the Third Hokage’s decision.
"Long live the Third Hokage!"
Someone in the passionate crowd shouted first, and soon everyone began cheering for the Third Hokage.
Perhaps a world without war was exactly what the shinobi had always hoped for.
And just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was leading the people of Konoha in an impassioned celebration, Sarutobi Yasukuni, his arms broken, came running toward them in tears.
"Lord Third! The Uchiha have rebelled!"
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