Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

If a bunch of mindless synthetic beasts that fight solely on bloodthirsty instincts could so easily rampage through Konoha, then the Hidden Mist, Hidden Rock, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Sand ninjas could all just slit their own throats or hang themselves.

Whether it's the strange dog carrying a crossbow on its shoulder, or the blue-scaled serpent that can regenerate endlessly,

Every step forward against the formidable defenses of the Konoha ninjas required a heavy sacrifice. The only reason these blue-scaled serpents could regenerate was that they could only be killed using fire or lightning release techniques, making them quite troublesome to deal with. Otherwise, their advance would have been even slower.

but,

Rather than saying that the synthetic beasts were advancing step by step into the village, it would be more accurate to say that the Konoha ninjas were actively and orderly retreating. There was no need to fight to the death with these mindless monsters. If the houses were destroyed, they could be rebuilt. As long as people were alive, Konoha could withstand such a loss.

The top priority right now is to protect the villagers and help them evacuate.

As a result, a large number of manpower were diverted, leaving only a limited number of ninjas fighting the chimeras. They were able to defend against the chimeras' attacks, but they were not strong enough to launch a counterattack, since the guy who called himself Hiruko had not yet made a move.

The Jonin held back some of their strength during the battle, keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

We need to wait until the villagers have completed their evacuation and more people have gathered before we can truly sound the horn of counterattack.

"Konoha!"

Hiruko stood on the back of a strange bird, looking down at the battlefield below.

"As expected of Konoha! Haha!"

He let out a cheerful laugh.

The chimeras did not bring the expected results, but this did not anger him. Rather, he even had a feeling that this was how it should be. This was Konoha! The strongest ninja village in the ninja world, the hometown that nurtured him. Strength... was to be expected!

If not strong enough,

Then wouldn't he have become a joke by hiding his identity all these years and not daring to show his face?

"However... we can't let important matters get in the way!"

Hiruko's gaze lingered on the Konoha ninjas, trying to discern the Uchiha clan among the swaying figures. However, to his disappointment, the reorganized police department was no longer solely the domain of the Uchiha clan; it was now filled with ninjas from different families and commoners.

The Uchiha clan has become a minority in the police department.

There are Uchiha among these ninjas, but none of them are Jonin-level. The two strongest seem to have only awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan, which is different from what he wants. At the very least, he needs a three-tomoe Sharingan to help him complete the final step of his evolution.

If conditions permit

The Mangekyou Sharingan is naturally better.

Based on the information he collected and shared with Ma, there are currently three confirmed Uchiha clan ninjas in Konoha who have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan: the current clan head, Uchiha Sogen, known as the "Flame Demon"; the former clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, known as the "Fierce Eye"; and the famous "Body Flicker" Uchiha Shisui.

Five years ago, these three individuals each demonstrated the power of their Mangekyou Sharingan on the battlefield against the Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja.

obviously,

None of these three are easy to deal with.

Uchiha Munen needs no introduction. This current head of the Uchiha clan led the clan to defeat that scoundrel Danzo, brought down the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was considered an evergreen in Konoha, and had a glorious record of leading the army to victory against both Kirigakure and Kumogakure. He is a ruthless figure recognized throughout the ninja world.

As for Fugaku Uchiha, the former head of the Uchiha clan, he wasn't as illustrious as the current head. However, this retired former head was a shut-in who only knew how to stay at home raising his daughter. He hadn't left the house at all in the past two years. Conquering the Uchiha clan's territory... it felt just as difficult as completely annihilating Konoha!

And finally, there's Uchiha Shisui, the master of the Body Flicker Technique.

After counting and comparing, this one might be the best target?

As various pieces of information slowly flowed through his mind, Hiruko still harbored a sliver of hope, wishing he could acquire the Mangekyou Sharingan to help him complete the final step of his evolution. "Uchiha Shisui... let's see if we can find an opportunity this time. But with my current strength, there is still a chance."

He clenched his fist.

My confidence was practically overflowing.

"Oh! Finally, we found one."

Hiruko's eyes lit up as he noticed another group of Konoha ninjas arriving to provide support. Among them were several Uchiha ninjas, whose terrifying killing intent, unrestrained and emanating from them, was enough to tell that they were no ordinary people.

perhaps,

Before hunting Uchiha Shisui

It is advisable to prepare one or more backups in advance to prevent any unexpected situations from occurring.

This idea took shape in Hiruko's mind.

then,

After observing from the sidelines for so long, Hiruko finally made his move.

【Molten Release: Fire Meteor】

Hiruko stretched out his right hand, and his bandaged palm was instantly covered with scorching lava. The intense heat caused the strange bird beneath his feet to let out mournful cries, but it was restrained by the creator standing on its back and could not move.

Then, Hiruko suddenly waved his hand downwards.

About seven or eight magma balls separated from his arm and were flung out. The reason for using the inaccurate number of seven or eight is that the magma balls that flew out split apart again in mid-air, and the scattered magma balls attacked the group of reinforcements, including the Uchiha clan ninjas.

This wave of attacks,

It failed to achieve the desired effect.

The Konoha ninjas who came to provide support were all on high alert, especially since there were two Jonin brothers from the Uchiha clan in the team.

"Be careful!!"

Uchiha Inahi issued a warning.

then,

Form the hand seal immediately.

Water Release: Water Fang Bullet Technique

As a master of fire manipulation, he immediately realized that the magma ball was not something easy to deal with. His best fire-style techniques were not very effective against it, and earth-style techniques were also not very effective. Unless it was a very powerful earth-style technique, it would be difficult to defend against that solid, high-temperature magma ball.

Water escape,

It is the optimal choice.

Fortunately, he didn't stand still in these past few years. In order to become stronger, he sacrificed his love and his private life, and devoted all his free time to cultivation. He is almost thirty years old, but he is still single.

He made such a great sacrifice.

Naturally, they also reaped corresponding rewards.

Previously, his most powerful techniques were illusion, fire release, and the four-sword style swordsmanship passed down in his lineage. Now, he has also mastered water and wind release techniques to an extremely high degree, making him more versatile and able to handle a wider range of situations.

For example, right now,

He used the Water Fang Bullet technique.

A massive surge of water was conjured from thin air in this waterless land, transforming into rapidly spinning, high-pressure water projectiles that met the falling magma sphere head-on. The two collided in mid-air, and then—

White steam billowed into the sky.

The water evaporated completely in an instant.

but,

The temperature of the magma ball dropped precipitously as a result. The magma ball, which was originally bright and dazzling orange-red, turned into a blackish-red rock, and its destructive power dropped to an extremely ordinary level.

"watch out."

"Uchiha Four-Sword Style: Crimson Hunting Leaf!!"

Uchiha Tekka leaped into the air, wielding swords in both hands, one tucked under his left armpit and the other behind his right knee. Flames shone on the blades, and in that instant, he seemed to transform into a weapon that knew only how to kill, shattering the still slightly warm, dark red stone into pieces.

The two brothers, working in perfect unison, blocked Hiruko's attack.

"Not bad!"

Biliu Hu commented condescendingly.

Then--

Another round of attacks has begun.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Barrier Class.

It is under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Department. Logically speaking, this department, which controls the large barrier that covers the entire Hidden Leaf Village, would be more effective if it were handed over to the Police Department. After all, this large barrier is not a defensive or imprisoning type, but a sensory barrier.

That is,

Within the range of the great barrier, as long as one is not 'obstructed', the barrier team can determine a person's whereabouts in the village at any time.

However, due to certain historical reasons, the barrier team was assigned to the jurisdiction of the administrative department. If the police department needs to use the tracking and monitoring capabilities of the barrier, it needs to contact the administrative department. The procedures are extremely complicated, so the police department has basically never used the power of the barrier to do its work.

Although the situation has improved somewhat now.

However, to be honest, this was Uchiha Shisui's first time visiting the office building where the Barrier Team was located.

only--

What awaited him there was not a welcome from his companions, but a ground littered with cold corpses.

"asshole!"

Standing in the corridor,

Shisui clenched his teeth, making a grinding sound, and his crimson eyes seemed to be spitting fire. The flames of anger burned wildly in his chest, and he wished he could find the perpetrator and burn him to ashes right now.

I had nothing to do today,

He was enjoying a rare moment of leisure at home. After feeding the crows, he sat in his rocking chair, slowly pondering the difficulties he encountered in developing the new ninjutsu.

As a result, disaster struck suddenly.

The leisurely time has come to an end.

After receiving Zongxian's order, he rushed to the Barrier Squad's base as quickly as possible. However, when he arrived, he was met with such a horrific scene that he could hardly bear to look at it. All the personnel on duty in the Barrier Squad had fallen down. He searched every corner of the building but could not find a single survivor.

The person who carried out the attack must have been a master of assassination.

Zhi Shui examined several corpses and found that without exception, all the victims had been killed by a single blow. The wounds were all in the throat, where someone had pierced the throat with a sharp, stick-like object without the victim noticing. It wasn't that everyone was unaware of the attack; many of the corpses clearly fell down during the attack.

But unfortunately,

The difference between them and the attackers was not mere millimeters; even for a Jonin, it would be a one-hit kill.

"Who exactly is this person?"

Shisui suppressed his anger and forced himself to calm down and think things through.

To be honest, killing all thirty-odd people in the barrier squad wasn't a particularly difficult task; there are quite a few people in the ninja world who can do that. But to kill so many people without leaving any trace... Shisui couldn't think of anyone who could do that.