The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Land of Fire. 

Konohagakure. 

When the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, sharply listed seven major crimes, the ceremony for the Fifth Hokage's succession reached its peak. 

If some people had thought this was just some dramatic stunt put on by Fugaku for entertainment, now everyone could tell—Senju Tobirama was serious. He was here to impeach the Hokage, and it looked very official. 

"Now this is interesting." 

Fugaku nodded slightly. Keeping the composure expected of a Hokage, he calmly evaluated Senju Tobirama's words. 

"In that case, go ahead and speak freely. Even if you're wrong, I won't hold it against you. You have my pardon." 

He was genuinely curious—what kind of Hokage did this Second Hokage see him as? 

As the Fifth Hokage, Fugaku figured that since Tobirama had already embarrassed the village, he might as well let it happen completely. In the end, it would only prove that the so-called "Iron-Blooded Hokage" making a scene was the real fool—not him. 

He suddenly recalled something his brother, Hitoshi, once said, and he couldn't agree more. 

The village might have lost face, but he hadn't. That was the key. And the ones embarrassing themselves were the Senju—now that was satisfying. He even gave Senju Tobirama an encouraging look, signaling him to continue boldly. 

Tobirama hadn't expected the Uchiha clan leader to be this open-minded and generous. That one encouraging glance almost threw him off. 

Frowning slightly, Tobirama sensed something wasn't right. 

Ever since he was revived, he had assumed he was in control of everything. But now, he was realizing that this village felt... unfamiliar. 

Still, no matter how much things had changed, this was Konohagakure! 

And in Konohagakure, the Uchiha were supposed to be the outsiders. 

His expression turned cold, and his resolve only grew stronger. No matter how the village changed, people's hearts didn't! 

But in reality, the sense of unfamiliarity bothering Tobirama—and the strange, unsettling atmosphere of the village—was mostly because Danzo had taken too long to fully master the Reanimation Jutsu. He had revived Tobirama too late. Although the jutsu worked, Tobirama had barely been back for a few days before the ceremony. And worse, most of the "correct" intel he had came from Danzo's heavily filtered version of events. 

So it was only natural for him to feel this way. 

Even so, Tobirama was still Tobirama—brilliant and confident as ever. 

He stared coldly at the acting Hokage in front of him and slowly raised a finger. 

"One of the seven major crimes: As the acting Hokage, you ignored the interests of the village and the nation. There are suspicions that you sold Land of Fire's territory without Daimyo's approval!" 

**Gasp—** 

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall was filled with shock. 

The invited guests looked back and forth between the Land of Fire's Daimyo and Uchiha Fugaku, their expressions filled with disbelief.

The rumors are actually true! 

People have been saying that the relationship between the Land of Fire's Daimyo and Konohagakure has hit rock bottom. Some didn't believe it, but now it seems things might be even worse than expected. 

"No wonder he's the Hokage. Only a village as strong as Konoha could produce someone like him." 

"This is amazing! When it comes to big scandals, nothing beats Konoha. This drama is too good!" 

"Exactly! Not only did the former Kage come back to life and stop his successor from taking over, but he also exposed such a huge secret right in front of everyone." 

This whole situation between the country and the village might change completely because of Fugaku's bold move. 

The crowd whispered among themselves, their shocked expressions not escaping the sharp eyes of the Second Hokage. But his own expression remained tense. 

There was a reason for that. 

It made sense that the guests invited to the Fifth Hokage's succession ceremony would be surprised. But Tobirama noticed that Konoha's villagers weren't reacting the same way. Instead of shock, some of them even had an expression that seemed to say, "I knew it." 

Hey. 

What's going on here? 

Shouldn't you all be outraged at the Hokage for pocketing money? Shouldn't you be standing with me, condemning him and putting pressure on him? 

Why are you all so calm? 

This feeling of losing control over the situation made Senju Tobirama frown. 

"Sigh… Second Hokage is too smart for his own good. And more importantly, he doesn't understand what Konoha has become." 

Nara Shikaku, who had tried and failed to warn him earlier, let out a quiet sigh. 

The so-called "one country, one village" system no longer applied to the Konoha of today. 

And the reason for that— 

Shikaku glanced at Hyuga Hitoshi, who was watching the scene unfold with amusement. A bitter smile appeared on his face. 

The moment that man got rid of the previous Daimyo, it was clear that Konoha and the Land of Fire were no longer on the same side. The fact that the new Daimyo refused to provide support for reconstruction only confirmed it. 

And if that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. But what happened next proved something even more important: without a shinobi village, a Daimyo alone had very little control over the country. 

In the end, they were just ordinary people. Without the protection of a ninja village, even the Daimyo couldn't live peacefully. 

As for the issue of selling off the nation's land—Fugaku had already hinted at it during a high-level meeting. He even used a shocking theory to convince the others. 

So— 

"Did you just say 'suspected'?" 

As the chaos started to settle, Fugaku blinked and looked at the Second Hokage, as if confirming something. 

"It may be 'suspected,' but I have solid proof." 

I have a key witness! 

Senju Tobirama lowered his gaze to the righteous Uchiha boy who stood firmly on Konoha's side. Without hesitation, Uchiha Itachi stepped forward, took a deep breath, and looked seriously at Fugaku. 

"Father, I—"

*Slap!*

The familiar slap, though delayed, arrived with such speed that even Senju Tobirama, standing nearby, didn't have time to react. It was clear that Fugaku had mastered this move to perfection, and no bystander had the right to interfere with a father disciplining his son.

With just one slap, Itachi's right cheek swelled up instantly, his mouth filled with shattered teeth and blood.

This slap was different from the usual "love-filled" ones from his father. Itachi could feel the boundless anger and disappointment behind it.

From this slap, he sensed a warning and perhaps a final hope. After all, his father didn't immediately demand the usual formalities this time. Instead, he told Itachi to reflect on why he had been struck.

This was his father's last chance for him.

But he still had to speak!

Staggering to his feet, Itachi wiped the blood from his mouth with a determined look.

"The esteemed founder of Konohagakure, the great Uchiha clan leader, master of the Mangekyou Sharingan, Fugaku-sama, wielder of the Third Power, absolute hero of Konohagakure, acting Fifth Hokage..."

This time, the clever Itachi, to avoid another slap, dutifully included the familiar formalities.

"As your son, it is my duty to remind you not to repeat your mistakes. That's why I'm willing to testify in support of the Second Hokage's words!"

Fugaku's eyes couldn't hide his disappointment, and the surrounding crowd fell into silence.

There was no doubt about it—the Uchiha clan had produced a traitor, and this traitor was supposed to inherit the title of clan leader!

"Big brother is a bad guy!"

A childish voice suddenly broke the silence in the square. People turned their heads in confusion and saw the Uchiha family's second son, held by a clan member, waving his tiny fists angrily at Uchiha Itachi.

It was Sasuke!

Even Sasuke couldn't accept Uchiha Itachi's actions and felt deeply ashamed!

The young Sasuke, not even four years old, didn't understand much. His innocent, shining eyes only saw his older brother, who was always sighing, causing trouble for Fugaku—his father? Wait, no, his uncle? Hmm, not that either... Well, whatever! It was all Uchiha Itachi's fault!

Facing Sasuke's furious gaze, Uchiha Itachi felt as if his heart was being torn apart. Overwhelmed with shame, he clenched his fists tightly and silently recited his mantra:

"Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last time."

Probably.

In the end, he had been betrayed by his own son.

Fugaku's expression shifted from disappointment to complete indifference. The hand he had raised for another slap ultimately didn't come down.

His son was a traitor.

The signs had been there for a long time.

But as a father, he had always excused it, thinking Itachi was still young and would grow to understand, to see things from his perspective.

After all, Itachi had been able to think like a Hokage from a very young age. And what was a Hokage if not the leader of the Uchiha clan?

Now, it was clear he had been wrong.

After a moment of silence, Fugaku shook his head at the smirking Second Hokage.

"He's not valid witness. He's just a child, barely a few years old."

So what?

Are children's words not evidence? The Second Hokage was about to argue but noticed Fugaku giving him a strange smile before speaking again:

"One of the seven deadly sins doesn't require suspicions or testimony from a child. I've always done things with integrity. If you want different evidence, I can provide it."

Different evidence?

What does he mean by that?

Tobirama froze, not understanding what Fugaku was up to.

But Fugaku had already shown him with his actions what that evidence was.

"Although the process isn't complete yet, there shouldn't be any big issues."

Fugaku walked over to Hyuga Hitoshi, pulled out a contract and a map, and handed them over.

"There shouldn't be any big problems."

Hyuga Hitoshi glanced at the papers and nodded slightly.

This was exactly what they had agreed upon. Starting today, the territory of the Sun God Kingdom would be fully connected, forming a truly powerful entity.

"I really have to thank you, brother . If it weren't for you, Konohagakure's rebuilding funds wouldn't even be settled yet."

Fugaku said while signing the documents, sounding a bit emotional.

"Hey, we're brothers. Don't make it sound so formal."

Hyuga Hitoshi leaned back slightly and pointed to the Land of Fire Daimyo.

"Brother, it's just a matter of passing things along, but are you sure you don't need the Daimyo's signature for this?"

It was just a matter of passing things along—the money came from the Daimyo, but the result of the deal was that Fugaku got the money, and the map went to Hyuga Hitoshi and the Sun God Kingdom.

There was legal backing for all this. The contract was valid anywhere.

"The Daimyo? Not needed. Do you need the Sun God Kingdom's Daimyo's approval when you buy land?"

Fugaku raised an eyebrow, confused.

"No, we don't have a Daimyo in the Sun God Kingdom. I make the decisions directly."

Hyuga Hitoshi said with sincerity.

"Well, that works then."

Fugaku shrugged. If buying land doesn't need the Daimyo's approval, selling it doesn't either. No problem there.

"And you don't know, brother, even though Konohagakure claims to be the strongest in the ninja world, we know how things really are. How can Konohagakure hold onto such a large area like the Land of Fire? If we lose our people, we definitely don't deserve the best resources."

"Rather than letting it fall, why don't we just sell the land? At least that's better than having it slip through our hands later."

Here it came.

The Fifth Hokage's twisted reasoning!

Rather than risk losing it later, sell it to the Daimyo. The Daimyo clearly didn't need that much money, so to help strengthen the military power and increase Konohagakure's influence, using the money to rebuild the village made perfect sense.

And all of this is legitimate business. Once the Land of Fire and the Sun God Kingdom align, it might even boost domestic trade. It's a win-win situation! 

Nara Shikaku, who had nearly been swayed by Fugaku's reasoning back then, wiped a cold sweat from his forehead and shook his head helplessly. 

This Fifth Hokage… 

He probably thought that since they had already offended the Daimyo, they might as well go all the way. 

But while his words were blunt, the logic wasn't wrong. 

At the end of the day, it was all for the development of Konohagakure. The Land of Fire cared about territorial size, but Konohagakure didn't. As long as the village remained strong, they could always reclaim lost ground in the future. 

That was the logic, but only a few could truly understand it. 

Especially when Senju Tobirama watched as Fugaku and Hyuga Hitoshi dared to trade Land of Fire territory right in front of him, the Land of Fire Daimyo, and everyone else. He completely lost his composure. 

What made it even worse was that Hyuga Hitoshi then turned to the Land of Fire Daimyo and asked for his opinion on the deal! 

This was beyond insulting! 

The Land of Fire Daimyo nodded furiously, "Of course, I fully support this deal! I'd even be willing to offer a discount!" 

How could he dare to oppose it? The previous Daimyo had died at this man's hands. If he dared to object, he was sure he'd be killed on the spot. 

"Is this evidence enough?" 

Fugaku personally handed the signed agreement to the Second Hokage and spoke solemnly. 

"You…" 

Was this evidence? 

No, this was the Uchiha clan mocking the Senju clan right to their faces! 

The Second Hokage's expression grew colder. 

"I did all of this for the village." 

To everyone's surprise, Fugaku spread his hands and adopted the same expression as the old village leader once had. 

"The village was already destroyed once because of the Nine-Tails' rampage. After the second destruction, we had no funds to rebuild. At that time, Konohagakure couldn't even hold onto the vast territory of the Land of Fire. So, I don't see anything wrong with selling off the excess land." 

"Besides, if the village isn't rebuilt, morale will collapse, and everyone will lose hope. Our home will fall apart. As Hokage, I had to restore everyone's confidence as quickly as possible." 

"This is something I, as a member of the Uchiha clan and one of the founders of Konohagakure, had to consider." 

He paused, then looked at Senju Tobirama with a mocking expression. 

"I couldn't let the Uchiha follow the Senju's example, just blending into the village and acting all noble while contributing nothing. In the end, it's always the clans who foot the bill for the village's development. What have the Senju ever done besides sending civilians to die as cannon fodder in the Great Shinobi Wars?" 

The Senju integrated into Konohagakure's civilian population! But did Konohagakure win any of the Great Shinobi Wars? 

How many geniuses have emerged from Konohagakure's civilians? 

What have they contributed to the village's development? 

Nothing at all. Let's be honest, Konohagakure is a military organization made up of clans. 

It's always been the clans who sacrificed everything, while the so-called integrated Senju became the ones being protected!

Fugaku couldn't help but smile faintly.

"And what about you? Are you the one who's really blended into the village? Forgive my poor eyesight, but I can't see any trace of the Senju here. Do you think your people have blended into the village, or have they blended into hell instead?"

Senju Tobirama froze for a moment upon hearing this, his uneasy feeling growing stronger. But compared to his own disciple and the Uchiha before him, he clearly trusted the former more.

"How dare you try to shake my resolve! Nonsense, it's all nonsense!"

The Second Hokage's face remained full of righteousness, still convinced that he was the one truly fighting for the right cause. As Hokage, he also had his own beliefs.

"No matter what the reason, selling the land of your own country as Hokage is always wrong!"

"Besides, your position as Hokage itself is unearned. The so-called village savior is nothing more than a play set up in cooperation with the Hyuga clan!"

This was the second of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"Partnering with traitors, an unearned position!"

However, Senju Tobirama didn't dare directly call out Hyuga Hitoshi's Hyuga clan as traitors of Konohagakure. He only pointed out the collaboration between Uchiha Fugaku and the Hyuga.

But still, the point remains:

Never assume you're the only clever one.

Nara Shikaku remained silent.

Even the so-called first charge, along with the unearned position now, could anyone in Konohagakure really be blind? Couldn't they see the shady dealings with the money that went into building the village? Couldn't they tell this was all a drama staged by the Hyuga and Uchiha clans?

Many people were smart. At first, people might have thought the Uchiha were the heroes who saved the village. But considering the relationship between Hyuga Hitoshi and Uchiha Fugaku, it wasn't hard to see that the man who summoned the statue was really just helping Fugaku rise to power.

But by the time they realized what had happened, everything was already set. Fugaku had become acting Hokage, and for months now, he had managed the village well. Even without the support of the Daimyo, Konohagakure could support itself, regaining a foothold in the Land of Fire. His actions were perfectly fine, at least for now. He had even secured the help of the Sun God Kingdom.

Under these circumstances, people began to feel like Fugaku was the only one fit to be Hokage.

Don't treat others like fools. Surely, no one was unaware of the so-called partnerships with traitors, unearned positions, and selling the land of the country?

The real brilliance was that everyone knew, but no one would ever bring it up.

Now, though, Senju Tobirama, who had chosen to speak up, had made himself the fool.

"So, Second Hokage, are you saying that the Uchiha's actions as the village's saviors were wrong, and I should have just watched as the village was destroyed while sitting idly by with my people?"

Fugaku calmly looked at the Second Hokage, asking the question that shut down everything.

There was no problem with him contacting Hitoshi in advance.

When Kakashi found him, he wasn't even hiding it. Someone must have seen him and realized he was gathering his clan in preparation to rescue Konohagakure at a moment's notice.

Everyone had seen it. Everyone knew what was going on, but no one was saying it.

"Do you think you're the only clever one in Konohagakure? The only one who sees things clearly? Do you think you've figured out everything just from a few words my son said, deciding the fate of the entire Uchiha clan?"

Fugaku sneered.

No matter the circumstances, the Uchiha were undeniably the heroes who saved the village. That much was beyond question!

"At the end of the day, it's just because my last name is Uchiha." 

In front of everyone, Fugaku directly exposed Senju Tobirama's true intentions. 

"I have reason to believe that if anyone else were standing here today, even if they did the same thing I did, you wouldn't have stood up to stop me for the sake of Konohagakure's reputation. You would have let them become Hokage instead." 

He had never approved of the Uchiha clan! 

"Such an arrogant thought." 

Fugaku's words were sharp and cutting, but even if Senju Tobirama didn't want to admit it, he couldn't deny it. 

"Let me think... If disrespecting the Daimyo and selling land is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, then what about the second one? Is it about doing things dishonestly? Could the third sin be arrogance, ignorance, and pride?" 

"The fourth sin would involve the emotions of our Uchiha clan—treating us like a ticking time bomb. And the fifth sin would probably be using my position as Hokage to defend my reputation, right? The sixth sin... excessive luxury? Using my power to take from the village's resources to create the most extravagant succession ceremony?" 

"As for the seventh... turning a blind eye to subordinates exploiting the common people, using the security force for personal gain?" 

He even stole the spotlight from the Second Hokage, completely taking over his lines and, almost thoughtfully, listed all of Senju Tobirama's alleged crimes for him! 

How arrogant! How bold! 

This Uchiha was so difficult to deal with?! 

No, it wasn't that the Uchiha were hard to deal with; maybe it was that man, Hyuga Hitoshi, who had been advising him. 

What was even more terrifying was that he might have been fooled from the start! 

Suddenly looking down, Senju Tobirama's gaze toward Uchiha Itachi changed in an instant. 

As expected, he shouldn't have trusted the so-called friendly Uchiha; any Uchiha was a naturally evil devil! 

A traitor! 

The Seven Deadly Sins Fugaku just mentioned matched exactly with the script he had rehearsed with Itachi yesterday! 

"You see? You're even habitually doubting your key witness, simply because he's Uchiha." 

Fugaku smiled, the expression full of disdain. 

"But I can assure you, Itachi didn't leak anything. I am indeed very disappointed in him." 

It wasn't Hitoshi's idea. 

It was simply based on his own understanding, and the insights from his brother Hitoshi, about this so-called 'Iron-Blooded Hokage' that led him to figure out this Seven Deadly Sins act. 

Because, in the eyes of this Hokage, the entire Uchiha clan was simply too disgraceful. 

"Later generations always have the chance to analyze the lives of their ancestors, learning from their habits and words what kind of people they were." 

"So sometimes, when you're brought back to life, you should accept that you're dead. And being dead means people will figure you out thoroughly. Like you." 

After saying all that in one breath, Fugaku took a step forward, coldly staring at Senju Tobirama. 

Up to now, after consulting with his brother Hitoshi, the grand "Fifth Hokage succession ceremony" was almost finished, but the most important part was yet to come. 

"I had prepared the events for past Hokages just for you. Since the Second Hokage has been revived, it's only natural that you, from the Hokage's perspective, should stand in the village's shoes and offer corrections to me, the Fifth Hokage. I welcome that."

But 

With a serious expression, Fugaku pointed at the Second Hokage. 

"If you're attacking me as the Hokage from the perspective of the Senju clan, looking at the Uchiha through the eyes of Senju, I will never accept that!" 

"As the head of the Uchiha clan, I am even more ashamed of the Senju who helped build Konoha but later became traitors, and in the end, were wiped out by the village! You didn't even have the courage to use the Senju name to help Konoha!" 

"And you, Senju, who lost your own clan, have no right to criticize my Uchiha clan!" 

"Now! This village has a new Will of Fire!" 

Fugaku's will was overwhelming, and his Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in his eyes! 

"This is the village built by the Uchiha and others! Who are you to talk about how we should handle the succession ceremony, how we should develop the village, or how we should plan for the future? What gives you, a naturally evil Senju old man, the right to speak out? Instead of that, you should ask your own disciple what he's been doing!" 

"Dead men should just get lost! The Senju are finished, so what gives you the courage to show your teeth at me?!" 

---

---------------------------------------

You can read 10 chapters ahead on patre on

patr eon.com/JYouyi