Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"Captain, please, stop! Don't kill the clan leader! It's all my fault, please!"

Tears streamed down Zhi Shui's face as she screamed with all her might.

Tenzo also shouted, "Captain, don't be impulsive. Once you kill the Uchiha clan leader, there will be no turning back."

The magical arrow in Qingwu's hand came to an abrupt halt less than an inch from Fugaku's brow.

The surging, violent natural energy had even pierced the skin between Fugaku's eyebrows, causing a string of blood beads to seep out.

Fugaku could clearly feel the imminent presence of death. His eyes, blurred with blood and tears, widened, and his heart almost stopped beating.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

All eyes were focused on Qingwu's expressionless face.

The Third Hokage, Kakashi, the Uchiha clan, the Anbu... all held their breath.

Qingwu's hand was as steady as a rock, without trembling, but deep in his eyes there was an extremely subtle fluctuation.

He looked at Shisui, who was in the distance with tears streaming down his face and almost kneeling down, and then glanced at Uchiha Fugaku, whose face was ashen.

Killing Fugaku would certainly eliminate future troubles, but... what would happen to Shisui, who was already feeling guilty?

Moreover, given that he previously killed Danzo in public and now has killed the Uchiha clan leader in public, Konoha would never tolerate him again, no matter how much they need him.

At that time, he will inevitably become an enemy of the entire Hidden Leaf Village, and the bonds between him and his comrades... will probably be forced to be severed.

If one day he were to stand on the opposite side of Kakashi, Anko, Yugao, Iruka, and others... would he be able to bring himself to do it?

But... are we just going to let him go like that? An enemy with the Mangekyou Sharingan?

Do not!

A cold glint flashed in Qingwu's eyes, and she made a decision.

The magical arrow that had been hovering between Fugaku's eyebrows extinguished in his hand, replaced by a hooked fingertip that suddenly slashed downwards.

"what--!!"

Fugaku let out a piercing scream.

puff!

With Fugaku's scream, his two bloodshot eyeballs were gouged out and placed in Qingwu's palm, which was enveloped in natural energy.

He didn't prepare the nutrient solution in advance, but the vibrant natural energy had a similar effect.

"Chieftain!!"

"Kaleidoscope Sharingan!!"

All the Uchiha clan members were filled with rage and grief, letting out a furious roar.

The Third Hokage and Kakashi were also stunned; they never expected Qingwu to do such a thing! He actually... gouged out the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan leader?

"Ahhhhh!!"

Fugaku covered his face with both hands, blood trickling from between his fingers, and collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

His suffering stemmed not only from physical pain, but even more so from the emotional blow. Losing his eyesight not only made him blind, but also stripped him of his strength and pride!

Qingwu didn't look at him again, but simply sealed and put away the eyeball in her hand using natural energy.

"Hokage, look at him! Senju Seigo, he said he wasn't coveting our clan's Sharingan? He's already blatantly stealing it from us!!"

A furious shout rang out, startling the Third Hokage who was still standing there in a daze.

"Old man, you're so noisy!"

Qingwu's gaze swept over Uchiha Setsuna, who had been fanning the flames from the beginning and whose face was still full of resentment.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The two figures appeared behind Uchiha Setsuna as soon as Qingwu finished speaking.

They moved with lightning speed, and two short daggers silently pierced Uchiha Setsuna's heart from behind.

"Uh……"

The resentment and horror on Uchiha Setsuna's face froze.

He looked down at the blade protruding from his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He tried to say something, but only blood and foam came out.

The two great elves, with their pointed ears and skill at concealing their presence, expressionlessly withdrew their daggers, drawing a spray of blood.

Uchiha Setsuna swayed, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, lifeless.

This radical elder, who had been stirring up trouble within the Uchiha clan for many years, died on the edge of the battlefield, dying so easily, so... insignificantly.

He never imagined that he would be killed in front of the Third Hokage.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Even Fugaku, who was lying on the ground, sensed that something was wrong and stopped wailing.

The Uchiha clan members looked at their clan leader, whose eyes had been gouged out, at Elder Setsuna, who had been instantly killed, and then at the indifferent-looking boy.

All anger, hatred, and courage seemed to be extinguished by a bucket of cold water, leaving only fear and... bewilderment.

Yes, this is Senju Seigo's territory. He... he still has many trump cards he hasn't used yet, and the Uchiha were utterly defeated.

How do you spell it? How do you compare it?!

……

The Third Hokage looked at the scene before him, opened his mouth, but found himself unable to say anything.

He wanted to rebuke Qingwu's ruthlessness, to soothe the Uchiha's grief and anger, and to maintain the stability of the village...

But a thousand thoughts, stuck in his chest, ultimately turned into a heavy sigh.

So...so tired...my heart is so tired...

Things have completely spiraled out of control.

What will become of Konoha's future?

Exhaustion and weakness, like a cold tide, spread from his feet to his whole body, almost swallowing his old bones completely.

……

Chapter 278 Then Destroy It

The third generation's eyes were somewhat obscured by the brim of his hat.

In the past, given his status as Hokage and his adherence to the "Will of Fire,"

Seeing his fellow villager ninjas being slaughtered in such a brutal manner, he would surely be furious, vehemently rebuke them, and even use every means to bring the "perpetrators" to justice.

Maintaining the unity of the village and the dignity of its rules was his lifelong creed.

But now...

Can he reprimand him? Is he capable of taking it down?

Rebuke Thousand-Handed Green Wu?

Just now, in front of everyone, this kid brazenly shattered the Mangekyou Sharingan Susanoo and casually gouged out those legendary eyes.

He then casually executed an elder of the Uchiha clan.

His strength had long since reached a level that made everyone feel apprehensive.

Reprimand him? What good would it do besides escalating the conflict, provoking a fierce backlash, and possibly even pushing Konoha's "only" hope to the opposite side?

Capture him? Leaving aside Qingwu's current strength, there's also the mysterious woman in white and the massive army of summoned beasts…

How do I take it?

And the Uchiha... indeed, they were one of the founding clans of Konoha.

However, since the Nine-Tails' attack, the seeds of suspicion have been sown, and the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha has long been dead in name only.

Tonight's conflict is nothing more than the eruption of long-suppressed contradictions instigated by those with ulterior motives.

The actions of Uchiha Setsuna and others were also a blatant provocation against the village's authority.

Their siege of Qingwu was also intended to escalate the conflict or to use him to fight against the village.

……

On one side is the powerful and unruly Senju Qingwu, who is of great use to the village and whom he had recently "begged" for.

On one side is the Uchiha clan, which had long been disloyal and was now suffering heavy losses and losing face.

This seemingly simple multiple-choice question... is actually incredibly difficult to answer.

The third generation's mind raced...

Choosing either side could trigger a chain reaction, shaking the very foundation of Konoha.

The Uchiha clan represents more than just a declining family; it also represents... the Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other powerful clans.

If not handled properly, it could cause those families to feel a sense of shared fate, which would be disastrous.

Especially at this critical juncture, with Konoha beset by internal and external troubles...

The Third Hokage slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his back seemed to be hunched even more.

He was still thinking, saying nothing, just standing there quietly.

With the death of Uchiha Setsuna, the Third Hokage remained silent, and no one else present dared to speak.

A suffocating silence enveloped the battlefield where the smoke of battle had not yet cleared.

For Yu Qingwu, things were much simpler.

Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, was spared his life, which was only out of respect for Shisui and to take into account the potential trouble that might follow.

As for Uchiha Setsuna, who repeatedly stirred up trouble and clearly colluded with the masked man, killing him was fine.

Leaving this malignant tumor will only bring more trouble.

Moreover, the difference in public status between an elder and a clan leader is quite obvious.