Inside the Hokage building, the clan heads were locked in heated discussion.
“We’ve finally caught the Hokage faction’s weak point!” Kazema Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan, snorted coldly.
“Although my Kato clan has declined, we are not someone a lowly civilian ninja can bully!” Taka Kato, the current head of the Kato clan, said coldly.
After speaking, he turned his head to look at the man sitting squarely in the center and slightly bowed his head.
“Thank you, Lord Masho, for supporting the Kato clan’s revenge.
From now on, the Kato clan will follow the absolute lead of the Uchiha clan!”
Masho Uchiha picked up his teacup, waved his hand slightly, and smiled.
“We are all members of Konoha’s noble clans.
Why draw lines between us?
Clan Head Kato is treating me like an outsider.”
“More than that, I am far more curious about him!” Masho Uchiha stared at a document in his hands, falling deep into thought.
Name: Tatsukaze Kuchiki.
Age: 20.
Rank: Jonin.
Mission Experience: S: 3, A: 18, B: 30, C: 25, D: 41.
Instructor: The Second Hokage.
Teammates: Danzo, Hiruzen…
Specialization: None.
Notable traits: Of civilian origin.
By independently developing the A-Rank ninjutsu ‘Rasengan’, he rose from an ordinary honorary disciple to a personal disciple of the Second Hokage in one fell swoop.
Additionally, he developed the ‘Monstrous Strength Punch’ for his disciple, Tsunade.
“No specialization?” Masho Uchiha narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Independently developing an A-Rank ninjutsu, yet the result is ‘none’ for his specialization.
This guy…”
“Suppressing civilian ninjas this time is a major priority for all of our ninja clans, so we must band together and focus our efforts in one direction.
Everyone’s goal is the same,” Masho Uchiha said with a smiling face.
“If I find out anyone is dragging us down…
heh.”
“We wouldn’t dare.”
The crowd of clan heads chimed in agreement.
Even Kazema Hyuga merely gave a cold snort without arguing.
With a creak, the doors to the Hokage’s office were pushed open.
The Second Hokage and Tatsukaze strode inside.
“Hmph, you all sure have a lot of free time.
Gathering in my office at a time like this…
is it because the war on the frontlines is going too smoothly?” Tobirama snorted coldly.
“Nothing of the sort.
We are all very busy.
It’s just that this matter concerns the stability and peace of Konoha, so us old bones had no choice but to get involved,” Masho Uchiha chuckled.
Tatsukaze blinked, thinking to himself, ‘So this smiling tiger finally showed himself!’
In this largely overlooked era, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Danzo weren’t the only powerhouses.
Among them, Masho Uchiha, the leader of the Uchiha clan, was a figure Tatsukaze had deeply ingrained in his memory.
For no other reason than the fact that when Madara Uchiha defected, Masho Uchiha managed to hold back the entire Uchiha clan, forcing Madara to leave completely alone.
This feat alone was enough for Tatsukaze to memorize him!
“Smiling Tiger”—that was his nickname.
Although his combat prowess was nothing to scoff at, unlike the rest of the Uchiha, he was a master of schemes and manipulation.
Even someone as impossibly strong as Madara was outmaneuvered by him and left to depart in isolation.
“Incidents of civilian ninjas bullying clan ninjas happen from time to time.
This time, the culprit, Tatsukaze Kuchiki, is a repeat offender among repeat offenders.
On behalf of the Uchiha clan, I request that Lord Second punish him accordingly!” Masho Uchiha narrowed his eyes.
“We also request that Your Excellency abolish the Ninja Academy system where civilian and clan ninjas are educated together.
I believe that as long as we clan ninjas are here, the remaining civilian ninjas are entirely unnecessary.”
“The Kato clan agrees with Lord Masho’s view!”
“The Kazekiri clan agrees with Lord Masho’s view!”
“Exactly!
Those civilian ninjas use up so many of our resources, yet all we produce in the end is still just cannon fodder!” Kazema Hyuga snorted coldly.
“Cannon fodder?” Tatsukaze instantly laughed.
Zzzzzzt.
The crackle of lightning echoed.
Immediately after, Tatsukaze moved.
His body directly transformed into a streak of light, shooting out at a terrifying, extreme speed.
Moving like an absolute phantom, with just a few flickers, he materialized directly behind Kazema Hyuga.
Kazema Hyuga’s body instantly tensed up.
Just as he was about to move, Tatsukaze flicked out a shuriken with lightning-fast speed, pressing the sharp edge flat against the back of Kazema’s neck before he could even react.
“I’m cannon fodder.
So what the hell does that make you?
An ant?
Or trash that’s not even worth an ant’s life?!”
Although he was chuckling, his voice was laced with biting frost.
“A…
Lightning Body Flicker technique?” Kazema Hyuga froze instantly.
“What a fast Body Flicker!” The Second Hokage narrowed his eyes, his heart trembling slightly.
“Such fierce and rapid speed…
it surpasses all current Body Flicker techniques by more than just a single level!”
“As expected, he’s hiding his true strength!
This must be the reason behind the ‘Specialization: None’!” The three tomoe in Masho Uchiha’s eyes spun rapidly.
“Because when facing him, he could whip out completely unknown ninjutsu at any given moment.
Since nobody knows what he actually specializes in, they simply wrote ‘none’.”
“However, during that fleeting flash of movement just now, it seemed as if his physical body underwent a change as well.
What exactly is this?”
How could Masho Uchiha possibly know that the very first thing Tatsukaze thought of after eating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was the Body Flicker technique?
The standard Body Flicker, plainly speaking, was essentially instantaneous movement via physical displacement or substitution.
Even though it had been a very short time since he acquired the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, seamlessly integrating the fruit’s power into his basic ninjutsu was something Tatsukaze could easily accomplish!
Tatsukaze cast an indifferent glance around the room before locking his gaze onto the head of the Kato clan, Taka Kato.
“I hear you’re the one looking for trouble with me?”
Although he didn’t make a single move, he stood like a drawn sword, exceptionally sharp and biting.
His piercing killing intent forced Taka Kato to involuntarily take a step back.
“How is this looking for trouble?
You completely destroyed the Kato clan’s genius, Dan Kato, who specifically came to seek tutelage under you!” Masho Uchiha calmly stepped in front of Taka Kato, shielding him from Tatsukaze’s killing intent.
“That’s right!
Tatsukaze Kuchiki, if you don’t give the Kato clan a proper explanation, then don’t blame my Kato clan for fighting you to the bitter end!” Taka Kato said sinisterly.
“Ever since my grandson Dan Kato returned, he’s been acting like a complete, braindead idiot!
After investigating, I found out it was your doing!
The Kato clan will absolutely avenge this grudge!”
“A pathetic piece of trash like you, who doesn’t even have the balls to speak to me face-to-face, wants to fight to the bitter end?
Bring it on, let’s fight to the death right now!”
“You!” Taka Kato barked, trying to look fierce but lacking the courage to back it up.
He didn’t dare bring up “fighting to the bitter end” again.
“What a piece of trash!
You don’t even have the guts to seek revenge, yet you still call yourself a ninja?!” Tatsukaze snorted in utter contempt.
But then, he paused for a moment before letting out an incredibly bizarre laugh.
“Dan Kato went back completely braindead?
I thought as much.
If that idiot could still talk, how could useless trash like you ever have the courage to come looking for trouble with me?”
“Do you people actually know why I nearly killed Dan Kato?” Tatsukaze’s eyes flashed with an amused, mocking smile.
“Wasn’t it because, as a civilian ninja, you harbor hatred toward us clan ninjas?”
The clan heads were all highly surprised and focused their attention on him.
“Even if I did harbor hatred, I wouldn’t vent my anger on a little kid.
I’d just go straight up and beat the shit out of Taka Kato.
Do you think he’d even be able to fight back against me?” Tatsukaze tossed his head dismissively and snorted.
“It was all because that arrogant little brat had the audacity to run up to me and say he wanted to woo my student, Tsunade!
He harbored completely impure intentions, spouting nonsense about how Tsunade is the noblest and richest girl in Konoha!
Otherwise, do you really think I’d lower myself to attack a brat?”
“The fact that I spared his miserable life is already his greatest honor!”
“What?!” The clan heads were even more shocked.
But before they had time to process their astonishment, they instantly felt a bone-chilling, absolutely terrifying wave of killing intent wash over them.
The berserk killing intent filled the surrounding air as if it were a physical substance.
The thick, pungent, and viscous scent of blood wafted through the room, making it feel like they were standing in a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.
The Second Hokage’s face was as dark and gloomy as a volcano on the absolute verge of violently erupting!
The surrounding air seemed to freeze solid, suffocating everyone present.
Only Tatsukaze’s eyes betrayed a faint hint of a smile.