Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 202: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Inside the Tavern!

Faced with a barrage of questions, Unno Irubi was at a loss for words. However, Shirou did not press him further. Instead, he raised a finger and pointed directly into the crowd.

"Uchiha Shisui! Graduated and became a Genin at the age of six. He is now part of Kakashi's squad. And Hatake Kakashi—who became a Genin at five, a Chunin at six—is now eight years old, performing missions related entirely to war!"

As Shirou pointed to the two young boys—one six years old and the other eight—the entire tavern was moved. Their gazes began to shift.

Yes, they had considered many things, but never had they thought about what the Genin of these prominent clans were doing.

Uchiha Shisui, a genius of the Uchiha Clan, the most prestigious family in Konoha, was already carrying out brutal missions at the age of six.

And Hatake Kakashi? There was no need to elaborate. Graduated at five, became a Chunin at six, and now, at eight, his missions were no less demanding than those of seasoned veterans.

Both of them—weren't they born into privilege? Didn't they lack for nothing?

So, why were they fighting?

"Shirou-sensei!"

At this moment, Shisui and Kakashi, under countless stares, were visibly moved but said nothing.

From an early age, they were taught to fight for honor! To fight to protect the village!

At this time, a middle-aged ninja with a limp and a red nose had tears welling in his eyes. He roared passionately:

"That Irubi graduated, became a Genin, and spent two years performing mere C-rank missions. He hasn't even left the Land of Fire. Yet, because of the so-called Will of Fire, he has now been promoted to Chunin and appointed as a school teacher!"

"I may not be strong, but I fought in the First Great Ninja War. Under the protection of the Second Hokage's clansmen, I survived but lost a leg. In the Second War, it was my son who fought! And you, how dare you, sitting safely in the village, criticize me so brazenly..."

In his panic, Irubi fell from the stage, making a complete fool of himself. Yet, this pathetic display only invited ridicule from the crowd.

But they weren't mocking Irubi alone. They were mocking the ignorance of this group of people, as well as the despicable manipulators behind them.

At this moment, Shirou stood solemnly in front of the tavern stage and calmly said:

"Konoha today... compared to the Konoha of the past!"

"I only remember that when the First Hokage founded Konoha, no one in the Ninja World dared provoke us. During the outbreak of war, the Second Hokage personally led us to defeat our enemies! But what about our Third Hokage?

In the Second War, we did not see the so-called strongest Hokage on the battlefield. During the Third War, an intelligence error was used to cover up a massive strategic blunder."

As Shirou spoke of the past, his tone was calm, as though he were merely recounting history.

Yet, this tone stirred memories in everyone—of the once peaceful and glorious village they called home.

"And now, Konoha! Our morale is crumbling. But our problem is not that we face enemies ten times our number, nor that the Four Great Ninja Villages have allied against us. Our problem is indifference!"

The usual noise of the tavern was eerily absent today. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the figure standing on the stage.

As Shirou pointed out, the sudden alliance of the Four Great Ninja Villages, combined with the fact that all the triggers of this war seemed to stem from their Hokage's actions, had caused unrest within the village.

Faced with this sudden war, most ninjas were lost and in chaos.

Yesterday, they were still the Ninja World's strongest village. Overnight, they had fallen from their pedestal. Their Hokage...

Shirou spoke calmly, as though describing the changes in the village caused by the outbreak of war.

"All of you! And the entirety of Konoha... You are lost. You are not about how to win this war nor about defeating our enemies. What concerns you is the conflict between these so-called noble clans and the common ninjas within the village!

What concerns you is that we started this war. And these! These have nothing to do with us!"

His voice, initially calm, evoked the memories of the crowd. Gradually, his tone rose, his emotions intensifying, until it carried an unmistakable tone of anger.

Especially in the final sentence, Shirou's voice erupted with rage. Glaring furiously at everyone, he roared:

"Does no one care? Are we going to stand by and watch Konoha fall from its pinnacle in the Ninja World? Our enemies are already at our borders!

This is a war! A war that has already begun! They will invade our homes, plunder our resources, kill our families, and ravage our lands...

In the First Great Ninja War, we joined forces to trample one village after another beneath our feet! Are we now going to allow those defeated beneath us to return and trample on Konoha?"

As Shirou's furious words echoed, the entire tavern fell silent. No one responded for a long time.

Deep down, ninjas are born with a violent and combative nature. But this time, the suddenness of the situation had thrown them into disarray.

As Shirou described the brutality of war, many ninjas' eyes began to clear. Memories of past battlefields resurfaced.

Scenes of small nations displaced, their homes devastated—it all came flooding back. A cold sweat broke out on many ninjas as they realized the consequences of losing this war.

Losing didn't just mean falling from their position as the strongest of the Five Great Villages. It meant something far worse. The horrors they had inflicted on smaller nations during past wars would now befall them.

"No!"

At this moment, an older Chunin, recalling the disastrous state of the Land of Rain during the Second Great Ninja War, was filled with dread.

"Fight! We cannot let our home fall!"

"Damn it! The devastation we brought upon small nations will become our reality if we lose!"

"We are Konoha's strongest ninjas! How can we let that happen?"

In an instant, Shirou's speech ignited the fear and anger in countless ninjas. Their visions of a defeated Konoha filled them with both terror and fury.

The oppressive atmosphere in the tavern suddenly erupted into chaos.

"Those Four Great Ninja Villages are nothing but trash!"

"Damn it! On my last mission, I killed two Kumo ninjas. How could they possibly defeat us?"

"Fight!"

The suppressed emotions in the tavern exploded. One by one, the furious shouts of the ninjas filled the air.

Seeing the madness in the crowd's eyes, Ebisu's face turned pale with panic.

"Asuma!"

"Shut up!"

But this time, Sarutobi Asuma, his face filled with excitement, stared intently at the man on stage.

On the stage, Shirou continued his impassioned speech. As the emotions of the tavern reached a fever pitch, he waved his arms fervently.

"...Our enemies have reached our doorstep. Raise your kunai! Your ninja blades! Show them that the Land of Fire does not welcome them! Even if the Four Great Ninja Villages have allied! Even if they outnumber us many times over!

We have defeated them before. We have vanquished them before. The current weakness and chaos in our village are temporary. It only allowed these thieves to strike!"

"Now! Let us wager everything we have! Our honor! Our lives!" As Shirou's voice reached its crescendo, his Mangekyo Sharingan spun wildly, filled with the unyielding spirit of fire. He roared:

"With our ninja blades and kunai, let us show every enemy who dares oppose us that we are invincible! Let these invaders become sacrifices! Victory will belong to Konoha! Ten thousand victories!"

As he shouted the final words with fervor, he waved his arms passionately. The tavern erupted in response.

The ninjas, long suppressed, were now inflamed by alcohol and Yo's rousing speech. Their emotions boiled over.

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

In an instant, the entire tavern was ablaze with terrifying fighting spirit. Countless Konoha ninjas roared furiously, venting their pent-up frustrations.

"Tell the entire ninja world that we of Konoha are still the undefeated leader among the Five Great Shinobi Nations! We shall once again make the entire ninja world tremble!"

"Yeah!"

"Charge!"

Ninjas are complex. They are intelligent, but their upbringing as shinobi has largely shaped their thinking. Killing, and deploying tactics—they excel in those areas, but when it comes to politics, they are utterly clueless! Even if they know it's just a speech to boost morale, they are still at a loss.

But when a leader appears—someone who can unite them, someone who can make them act as one—then even the elite Jonin will shout with excitement. A strong, charismatic leader, especially one who leads from the front, is enough to inspire them like nothing else.

Beneath the stage, the ninjas under Shirou's command all looked at him with fiery, fervent eyes. They shouted with excitement, for this was the strong leader they wanted to follow.

This was their Mangekyō Sharingan!

Especially the Uchiha clan members. Their eyes burned with passion as their Sharingan activated in their excitement.

In the corner of a tavern, Sarutobi Asuma's face was flushed red, his emotions surging uncontrollably. In his eyes, there was only the voice of the man on the stage who was shouting passionately for Konoha.

This was the true Will of Fire!

This was the kind of strong leader worth following!

This was the future of Konoha!

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma seemed to realize something deep in his heart. His father had long since lost his faith. What Konoha needed now wasn't kunai or resources—it was faith!

Faith that could unite all of Konoha as one!

A leader who would unhesitatingly charge at the front lines with countless Konoha ninjas, igniting their fighting spirit!

This was what Konoha truly needed. But now...

"Father! You were wrong!"

Realizing this, Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but shout in anger within his heart. If only his father had raised his arm and led the charge, even if it led to failure, so what?

Let the entire Konoha see how their Hokage protects their home! Only then could Konoha's fighting spirit be ignited!

"Why, Father? Where is your fighting spirit? Where has your shinobi pride gone? Right now, the village doesn't need schemes or political plotting—it needs the will to fight back against outsiders!"

Even Sarutobi Asuma, who often acted rebelliously, understood this truth. Yet, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, remained silent, as if he couldn't see it.

It wasn't that he didn't understand; it was just that his considerations were far more complex.

"Kakashi, it's Shirou-sensei!"

At the same time, the youngest Uchiha in the tavern, Uchiha Shisui, flushed with excitement and shouted passionately. His eyes burned with fervor as he found his life's goal and the person he would follow to the death.

Beside him, Hatake Kakashi also nodded firmly.

"Shisui, we must believe in Shirou-sensei. He will lead us to defeat the enemy!"

Only those who have endured pain can truly understand. When Kakashi was at his most lost after his father's death, it was his teacher who showed him the way. His teacher had told everyone that Kakashi's father was a hero—a hero who had sacrificed himself bravely for the village!

That night, the tavern was filled with fervor. The passionate shouts even startled nearby restaurants and shops. Those who didn't know better might have thought the tavern was under attack.

Amid the chaos of war, Konoha had birthed a new voice and a new will.

...

Hokage Office.

"Hokage-sama, about last night in the tavern..."

Hearing the report from the Anbu, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting at his Hokage desk, showed no expression of joy or anger. Only after hearing the full report did he slightly lower his Hokage hat.

"I understand. You're dismissed."

"Yes!"

As the Anbu left, the eyes beneath the Hokage hat grew cold and sharp.

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"Uchiha! The village has only just begun to stabilize, and you're already unable to hide your ambitions?"

As Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself, the door to his office opened. His expression returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

"Hokage-sama, Team 7 has come to receive their mission..."

A jonin bowed respectfully, followed by three young genin. Among them, Ebisu wore a flattering smile, while Asuma yawned, the smell of alcohol and smoke lingering around him.

Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and spoke in a stern tone:

"Asuma, it seems you've been lacking discipline lately. Why can't you learn from your elder brother?"

Faced with the Third Hokage's reprimand, the elite jonin lowered his head as if he hadn't heard anything, his eyes focused solely on the mission scroll.

The two genin beside him bowed respectfully, not daring to make a sound.

Only Sarutobi Asuma raised his head, glanced at the old man who stayed lofty in the Hokage Office, and revealed a mocking smile as he replied nonchalantly:

"Yes, yes. I'll learn from my brother in the future."

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma, looking at his father, who only sat in the Hokage Office acting authoritatively but doing nothing, felt a deep sense of disappointment. He no longer had the energy even to argue.

He was tired. Let it all crumble.

"Hmph! Learn from Ebisu, your teammate. Look at yourself—what a disgrace!"

Seeing that Asuma didn't retort as usual, Sarutobi Hiruzen was momentarily stunned. He quickly shifted his focus, casually reprimanding him before assigning the mission.

"This mission is within the Land of Fire... eliminate bandits. It's suspected that a chunin is among them. Mission rank: C."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

Watching the lead Jonin respectfully accept the mission, Sarutobi Hiruzen's calm demeanor suggested he was used to this routine. This made Asuma's expression grow distant as he thought back to the tavern last night.

The Uchiha—despite their family responsibilities—had sent even six-year-old Shisui to the battlefield.

But the Sarutobi clan's so-called family mission was to "protect the village as its last line of defense." They were told to train diligently for the sake of the village.

Now, in hindsight, Sarutobi Asuma let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Father, the so-called 'last line of defense' was just a selfish excuse. Even the Uchiha face the battlefield head-on, but we Sarutobi hide in the shadows to preserve our strength..."

"Now I finally understand. What the village needs is a brave, strong Hokage—someone who doesn't even hide their ambition. Not you, these decaying old men!"

In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen, preoccupied with the ongoing war, failed to notice the change in Asuma's expression.

"Let's go, Asuma."

Ebisu called out, confused by Asuma's silence.

The once-rebellious Sarutobi Asuma, as if he had grown overnight, raised his head with a calm expression and nodded lightly.

"I'm coming."

There was no argument or rebellion this time. After Asuma left the office, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to realize something and revealed a rare, satisfied smile.

"War truly is the best catalyst. Even Asuma has begun to grow."

From start to finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi had never noticed the changes in his second son, whom he rarely paid much attention to.

Walking out of the Hokage's office, looking at Asuma, who was heading out for this mission, his gaze was filled only with determination.

"Even the Uchiha genin are taking on war-related missions to reduce the burden on the village, yet we of the Sarutobi clan are still carrying out tasks near our homes..."

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma lifted his head and squinted as he gazed at the Hokage Rock, illuminated by the rising sun. For the first time, seeing his father's face carved into the stone, he felt it was unbearably glaring.

The decaying Sarutobi clan, leeching off Konoha—perhaps one day, they would inevitably face retribution!

A strange thought suddenly surfaced in his mind, startling Sarutobi Asuma himself. But then, catching sight of the clan emblem on his sleeve, he smirked bitterly.

"What an ugly symbol it truly is..."

Under the sunlight, as Sarutobi Asuma and his group stepped out of Konoha's gates, a torn armband fluttered in the wind and slowly fell into the river.

The armband, bearing the emblem of the Sarutobi clan, gradually became soaked and sank into the water, leaving no trace.