Konoha: The Soul King from the Uchiha Clan

Chapter 2 Hiruzen Sarutobi

Konoha ninjas gathered in the plaza of the Hokage Building.

There are genin, chunin, jonin, commoner ninja, clan ninja, and ANBU ninja, with a total number of about a thousand.

No one whispered; everyone remained silent.

The impending enemy weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder; while not suffocating, it was still a heavy burden.

A thousand men is not many, because Konoha's main forces are tied up on the front lines in all directions, leaving the village with few troops.

After all, it was one against four, and the war had been going on for so long, it was normal for them to be short of troops, and it was too late to send ninjas from the border to provide support.

If the four great ninja villages hadn't harbored deep-seated grudges and been constantly at war with each other, making cooperation impossible, Konoha might very well have already been defeated...

Wearing a Hokage hat and robe, around fifty years old and in his prime, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared at the edge of the Hokage Building's top floor, drawing the attention of all the ninjas.

In the world of Naruto, being around fifty years old is not considered old; in fact, due to the nourishment of chakra on the body, one could say that they are at the peak of their combat power.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who appeared in the original work, was already too old. It could be said that apart from his experience, he was at a low point in everything else.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, raised his hand to remove the Hokage hat he was wearing, and bowed deeply...

The ninjas in the square were shaken by this "shocking" scene, while only a very few remained unmoved, such as Uchiha Gen.

"Because of my misjudgment, Kumogakure and Sunagakure were able to penetrate into the heart of the Land of Fire, which put Konoha under unprecedented threat. I cannot shirk my responsibility."

"I know that a mere bow and apology will not do any good, so in order to atone for my sins, I am willing to resign from the position of Hokage after the Fourth Shinobi World War, and let a new leaf lead Konoha forward."

"I am not afraid of dying, but I implore you all to do your utmost to protect our homeland and never let the legacy of our ancestors be destroyed in our hands."

Please!

With the aid of chakra, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words echoed throughout the plaza. After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi bowed deeply once more and remained there for a long time.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior, the ninjas' hidden resentment disappeared.

Ninjas, whose mindset is solely focused on completing missions, tend to be relatively simple-minded and less prone to developing troublesome tendencies.

Uchiha Gen's discontent as a troublemaker had not completely dissipated; it had only partially dissipated.

Uchiha Gen hates the kind of behavior that involves closing the barn door after the horse has bolted and seeking justice after the fact. Why didn't he do it earlier?

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's attitude, whether genuine or forced, is somewhat acceptable.

After all, it's better to mend the fence after the sheep are lost than to get justice afterward; nothing is truly terrifying!

"We swear to defend Konoha to the death!"

Suddenly, one of the ninjas shouted something, and the atmosphere and situation were immediately changed.

"We swear to defend Konoha to the death!"

"We swear to defend Konoha to the death!"

"We swear to protect Konoha to the death!"

"..."

More and more ninjas began to shout, their shouts evolving from chaotic to unified, from soft to thunderous. Many ninjas felt their blood boil, their faces flushed, and they were filled with excitement.

To avoid being seen as an oddball, Uchiha Genya joined in the shouting, pretending to be enthusiastic and excited.

Will they protect Konoha to the death?

Come on, he has no sense of belonging to Konoha; his own life is the most important thing to him.

Although Konoha is likely to win in the end, if things look bad, it's time to get out of there!

Once the situation had calmed down a bit, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "All ninjas, immediately follow Shinnosuke to the southeast of Konoha to set up defenses and meet the enemy. I will come after I change into my combat uniform."

Shinnosuke's full name is Sarutobi Shinnosuke. He is the head of the Konoha Anbu, and his wife is the vice-head of the Konoha Anbu.

"yes!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... One after another, figures burst out of the air, leaping towards the southeast of Konoha like fleas, traversing cliffs and deep forests as if walking on flat ground, their speed varying from fast to slow.

Just as the group of over a thousand people crossed the famous historical site of Kikyo Castle in the northeast of Konoha and arrived at Kikyo Mountain outside the castle, four ANBU appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had changed into his combat uniform and caught up with them.

The four knelt on one knee. A squad leader wearing a white animal mask and a white trench coat said, "Lord Hokage, the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Sand Village are less than forty miles away from here."

"What? How could it be so fast?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed in surprise, his face turning pale.

"Damn it!"

"Immediately issue orders to rely on Jonin and Special Jonin to prepare for battle on the spot."

"Send another large battalion to intercept them and slow down their advance as much as possible."

"Remember not to linger in battle; retreat when necessary."

"yes!"

The Anbu members surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi, including the Anbu ninjas who had just returned and hadn't had time to rest, all vanished instantly, leaving only the Anbu captain and vice-captain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the mountain, gazing at the boundless forest that resembled a sea of ​​trees. He was filled with worry, but in an instant, his resolve hardened.

There was nothing we could do; the enemy arrived too quickly, leaving no time for extensive preparations.

But no matter the cost, we must defeat the enemy; Konoha must not be destroyed in his hands!

With the Anbu sparing no chakra, all the Konoha ninjas quickly received the news.

Under the organization of Jonin and Special Jonin, various traps were quickly set up from south to northeast, with Kikyo Mountain as the center of the battlefield.

As the war has dragged on, the ninjas who have survived have all been tempered by blood and fire, and they carry out their tasks in an orderly manner after being assigned them by their superiors.

Despite the immense pressure on all the ninjas, none of them panicked.

The most important thing for a ninja is to remain calm; panic is a major taboo, something that is repeatedly emphasized in ninja academies.

In the Uchiha clan's defense zone, on a grassy field, as the ninjas were quickly leaving, Uchiha Yatsuho suddenly called out to Uchiha Gen.

"Xuan, stay behind for a moment."

Uchiha Gen asked calmly, "Does Captain Eighth have any orders?"

"Stay with me, and remember not to stray too far from me during the battle," Uchiha Yatsuho said expressionlessly.

Uchiha Gen immediately understood that this was to make it easier to take care of and rescue him during the battle.

No wonder he had no teammates or missions earlier.

Is this the privilege of geniuses?

It feels pretty good, but there are some tricks I can't use in front of you.

The battlefield is the best opportunity to reap souls; everyone is an enemy, so there's no need to hold back!

"Thank you for your kindness, Captain Yashiro, but Gen doesn't need any special treatment."

"The Uchiha are a born fighting clan, never afraid of war. I will definitely survive!"

Uchiha Genji spoke with righteous indignation and full of confidence.

Although his kindness was rejected, Uchiha Hachimoku was not angry. Instead, he looked at Uchiha Gen with even greater respect.

Uchiha clan ninjas should have this kind of spirit!

"In that case, let's leave it at that."

"I'll arrange for you to be the squad leader."

Uchiha Gen looked troubled and said, "Captain, I haven't gotten over the... the shadow of last time yet, what if my teammates..."

At this point, Uchiha Gen fell silent, his eyes dimmed, his face filled with sorrow, and he silently lowered his head.

Uchiha Yatsuhoku was also aware that Uchiha Gen had activated the two-tomoe jade after the death of his teammate and captain.

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yatsuhoku understood. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You have awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan, and after recovering from your injuries, you have also learned some ninjutsu from the clan's collection. Your strength should be among the best of the Chunin."

"He does have the ability to act alone, but he lacks experience."

"Going against a squad alone is a huge disadvantage. Have you thought it through?"

A Uchiha clan ninja who has awakened the Sharingan is basically invincible against a single ninja of the same rank, but the power of the Sharingan is greatly reduced when facing a small team.

Uchiha Gen said seriously, "Captain, I've made up my mind."

"I won't blindly attack a team led by a Chunin; instead, I'll strike hard against a Genin team."

"Even if we were to take action, we would use methods such as diversion, division, and surprise attacks to defeat them one by one, and we would never engage in a head-on confrontation."

"If I encounter a Jonin or a Jonin squad, I'll turn around and leave without hesitation."

The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good, it seems you are very clear-headed."

"That puts my mind at ease. Go ahead, and be careful."

"Yes."

Uchiha Gen bowed slightly, then moved and left.

He was going to choose his hunting grounds.

Friends who have read this book, please don't "keep it running" (i.e., don't wait for it to become a bestseller). The editor said that only Naruto fanfiction with great potential, or one or two hundred readers without any prior engagement, will be signed. You don't want to waste your time, vote, or investment, right? (crying)

(End of this chapter)