Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Kotoamatsukami
At the edge of the battlefield, within the shadow of a certain tall building.
Obito, wearing his swirling mask, quietly watched the battle below.
Zetsu slowly rose from the ground beside him.
"Madara, your plan is working."
White Zetsu said with a grin. "Just as expected, the Uchiha instigated a coup ahead of schedule, and they were forced into it with incomplete combat strength."
Black Zetsu then spoke in a deep voice. "However, Uchiha Shisui’s Mangekyō ability is unknown. He’s trying to get close to Sarutobi Hiruzen... What could he be planning?"
Obito’s gaze fell on the green Susanoo, a slight frown forming under his mask.
For Shisui to be striving so desperately to get close to Sarutobi Hiruzen, it couldn’t just be for an attack. Could his Mangekyō possess some ability that required close range to use?
But with insufficient intelligence, he couldn’t be certain.
"Let’s wait and see."
Obito said calmly. "No matter what trump card the Uchiha have, faced with an absolute gap in power, they cannot escape defeat."
He looked toward the other end of the battlefield.
There, Jiraiya had already bitten his finger and placed both hands on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive plume of white smoke rose, and two elderly toads wearing haori appeared on Jiraiya’s shoulders.
Great Sage Fukasaku! Great Sage Shima!
"Little Jiraiya, summoning us so urgently, is the opponent that strong?"
Great Sage Fukasaku asked.
"Yeah, an Uchiha coup, two Susanoo."
Jiraiya answered briefly, simultaneously pressing his hands together as natural energy surged wildly into his body.
Sage Mode, activated!
Facial markings appeared, his pupils turned into toad pupils, and his aura exploded upward!
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
Jiraiya spat out oil from his mouth, Great Sage Fukasaku used Wind Release to fan the flames, and Great Sage Shima used Fire Release to ignite it!
Wind, fire, and oil combined, transforming into a world-destroying sea of flames that swept toward the green Susanoo!
Shisui’s expression changed, and he hurriedly manipulated his Susanoo to thrust its spiraling sword into the ground, fully expanding its chakra barrier.
"Boom——!!!"
The sea of flames crashed against the Susanoo, erupting with a deafening roar!
The green Susanoo shook violently, and even fine cracks appeared on its surface!
"Such powerful Sage Art..."
Shisui gritted his teeth and held on, his Mangekyō spinning wildly in his eyes, but he did not use its Mangekyō techniques.
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen also seized the opportunity.
While Shisui was occupied by the Sage Art, he formed hand signs as fast as afterimages.
"Five Releases: Great Combo Jutsu!"
Ninjutsu of the five natures—Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, and Wind—were released simultaneously, merging in the air into a massive energy ball that blasted toward the orange Susanoo!
Uchiha Fugaku’s pupils contracted as he hurriedly manipulated his Susanoo to raise its sword in defense.
"Boom——!!!"
The energy ball exploded, and the orange Susanoo was blasted back several steps.
"Clan Leader!"
Some Uchiha clansmen cried out in shock.
Fugaku endured the surging blood and chakra in his chest, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
They couldn’t drag this out any longer! They had to create an opportunity for Shisui!
"Jiraiya! Your opponent is me!"
Fugaku roared, and the orange Susanoo suddenly changed direction, ceasing its suppression of the ordinary Konoha ninja. Its great sword, trailing a sonic boom, slashed with full force toward Jiraiya and the two great sages!
The momentum of this strike was immense, forcing Jiraiya to turn back and defend.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
The massive Rasengan collided fiercely with the great sword, erupting in a blinding flash of light and a shockwave!
And in that instant of distraction!
A sharp gleam of light exploded in Shisui’s eyes!
The green Susanoo forcibly broke through the residual flames of the sea of fire. Ignoring his chakra consumption and the cracks on its surface, it pushed its speed to the absolute limit, charging like a green bolt of lightning straight toward Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Konoha ninja along the way tried to block it, but were all sent flying by the Susanoo’s spiraling sword!
"Protect the Hokage-sama!"
The elite ANBU around Sarutobi Hiruzen deployed in full, the light of various ninjutsu and sealing techniques flaring up.
But Shisui was utterly focused now. The green Susanoo’s spiraling sword swung, forcibly tearing open a path through the crowd!
Thirty meters! Twenty meters! Ten meters!
Between him and Sarutobi Hiruzen, only a few personal ANBU remained!
"Get out of the way!"
Shisui roared in his heart. The green Susanoo’s spiraling sword swept horizontally, its chakra erupting, blasting the last few desperately resisting ANBU back, coughing up blood.
At this moment, there was nothing left between him and Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Their eyes, in the chaos of the battlefield, finally met!
Sarutobi Hiruzen saw the complex, spinning patterns in Shisui’s eyes, and alarm bells screamed in his mind!
Though he didn’t know the specific ability, the techniques of a Mangekyō must never be looked at directly!
He wanted to look away, wanted to form hand signs to defend, but Shisui had planned this for a long time, and his speed was too fast!
The giant green warrior seemed to freeze for an instant, and within the crystal on the Susanoo’s forehead, Shisui’s eyes blazed with intense light from their patterns.
Kotoamatsukami — Activated!
An intangible yet vast and overbearing genjutsu power, transmitted through their gaze, ignoring distance, directly invaded the depths of Sarutobi Hiruzen’s mind!
This was not a physical attack, nor an ordinary genjutsu; it was the supreme dojutsu that directly modified one’s will!
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s body stiffened suddenly. The sharpness and caution in his eyes rapidly faded, becoming somewhat dazed, and then were instantly covered by a new "cognition."
The entire process was unbelievably fast.
Aside from Shisui, the caster, and Zetsu and Obito, who vaguely sensed a strange fluctuation, no one else present even noticed what had happened.
Shisui breathed a sigh of relief internally. A wave of immense fatigue washed over him, and the green Susanoo wavered, becoming somewhat translucent.
The continuous high-intensity combat and the use of Kotoamatsukami placed an enormous burden on him.
But he had succeeded!
"Hokage-sama!"
Some Konoha ninja, unaware of what happened, saw Sarutobi Hiruzen standing motionless and shouted in terror.
Jiraiya had also driven back Fugaku’s entanglement and turned to look back, a foreboding feeling rising in his heart.
"Old man?!"
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen moved.
He lifted his head, his eyes already clear again, but the emotions contained within made the hearts of all the Konoha higher-ups who knew him well tremble.
It was a look of deep remorse, self-blame, and... resolve.
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his hand, and with a voice infused with chakra that spread across the entire battlefield, he announced with deep pain and clarity:
"Everyone... cease fire!"
The chaotic battlefield fell silent for a moment.
Konoha ninja stopped in stunned astonishment, and the Uchiha clansmen also panted heavily, looking forward in confusion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s gaze swept over the devastated battlefield, over the injured and dead ninja, and finally landed on Uchiha Fugaku’s orange Susanoo. His voice carried deep pain and an unquestionable firmness.
"The root of tonight’s calamity lies with me! It lies in the long-standing prejudice, suspicion, and injustice shown to the Uchiha by Konoha’s higher-ups!"
"The Uchiha clan is one of Konoha’s founding clans, carrying the glorious blood of the Flame Fan! They have never betrayed Konoha; it was Konoha... who first betrayed their loyalty!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene erupted in an uproar!
The Konoha ninja were dumbfounded, almost unable to believe their own ears.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado’s faces turned pale.
"Hi ruzen! You...!"
"My mind is made up!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted them, his gaze firm, as if he had completely understood everything. "To atone for past mistakes, for the true unity and future of Konoha..."
He took a deep breath, his voice resounding through the night sky.
"I, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hereby announce — effective immediately, I resign from the position of Hokage!"
"And I nominate the clan leader of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku, to succeed as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha!"
