Ascension of Konoha


A few days later; Hyuga courtyard…

Hanabi was overlooking the training of several of her younger clanmates, instructing them in the art of the gentle fist. She was considered one of the finest teachers of the Hyuga's taijutsu and thus was tasked with looking after the training of the future generation.

While training her fellow clanmates, she caught a glimpse of the arrival of someone completely unexpected to their front gates – the Uchiha's new leader. Hanabi quickly made her way over to the entrance in order to check out what was going on.

"Good morning…Uchiha-san. What brings you here?" Hanabi asked the new visitor.

"I need to speak to the Hyuga leader. Take me to him." Sasuke ordered in an emotionless tone, not even making eye contact with the Hyuga he was speaking to.

This was downright disrespectful to Hanabi. Not only the fact that she was clearly being nonchalantly brushed off, but ordered around like some kind of a servant inside of her own home.

"And what business might you have with my father?" She asked, this time with a hint of aggression in her voice.

"It's none of your business. This is important and I don't have time to waste, so either call him here or take me to him, now."

"Hey, watch your tongue! Who do you think you are speaking to me like tha-"

"Hanabi, is that any way to treat our guests?" Hiashi cut into his daughter's tirade and gave her a displeased stare, before moving his eyes over to his guest. "This is certainly an unusual sight. What brings you here today to the Hyuga compound, Uchiha?"

"I need to speak to you about some important matters regarding Konoha and our roles as the leaders of the founding clans of this village."

"Very well. Follow me to my office." Hiashi instructed as he made his way inside the compound. Although he was somewhat suspicious of the reason of his guest's visit, he did not wish to be rude either, which was part of the Hyuga's code of treating their guests.

As Hanabi looked at the two walk away, she had a bad feeling within. Something just felt off.

Within a few minutes, Hiashi and Sasuke were at his office and currently sitting face to face around the kotatsu in the middle of the room.

"So, what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?" Hiashi asked, feeling both curious yet cautious at the same time. This was the first time ever that he could recall an Uchiha visiting him for business at his compound.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase. I need you and your clan to support the Uchiha in an invasion of Kumogakure. They're at the brink of destruction. Konoha can use this opportunity to launch an all-out assault and take over that village, by force or otherwise."

"What!?" Hiashi was a man who barely ever lost his composure, but Sasuke's proclamation completely caught him from left field. "Surely you jest!"

"Do I look like the kind of person who would be joking, especially about a matter as important as this?"

"There is no way the village would agree to such a preposterous plan, especially without the Hokage's directive. You must understand that."

"Of course. That is why I'm here to enlist your clan's cooperation. With the Uchiha and Hyuga at the helm, the rest of the village will follow. Given that the Hokage isn't here right now, this invasion will be our directive."

"And you think I'm going to agree to cooperate, possibly going against the Hokage's wishes?"

"The Hokage's will has been made clear. He's the one that initiated this siege of Kumogakure. I just intend to finish it."

"I know the Hokage personally. He would never start a war against another village with the intention of invading them. He is NOT a warlord! There must be a reason behind it all and I firmly believe that he'll return shortly to explain his actions. My people are currently searching for him as we speak. The Hyuga clan will support the Hokage to the bitter end for as long as I am its leader!"

During their entire conversation, Sasuke's head was held low and he didn't even bother looking directly at his host. But for the first time he raised his head and made direct eye contact with his soon to be victim.

"It wasn't a choice Hyuga…it was an order…"

Hiashi finally lost his cool and slammed his hands on the table. He was not going to be disrespected in his own home. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO ORDER ME AROUND IN MY OWN H-"

But before he could finish, Hiashi found himself in an alien world in a moment's notice, one that was completely devoid of any colour or life – a vast array of black and white emptiness. Before he knew it, he found his entire body was tied up by chains against a great tree, withered of all its leaves. No matter how hard Hiashi tried, he could not break free.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?"

"Welcome to my world. You're the first to come here, and there is no escape. Such is the power of a genjutsu cast by the great Mangekyou Sharingan." For the first time, a smirk appeared on Sasuke's face as he watched his victim trying so hard to escape captivity. "I'll let you in on a little secret. It was the Uchiha who orchestrated the assassination of the Raikage. Your little daughter and son-in-law played their part perfectly in our plans by sacrificing themselves for the sake of this village, all to protect their beloved son. Now it's your turn to play your part."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!? WHERE ARE THEY!? IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THEM, YOU WILL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE!" Hiashi shouted at the top of his lungs, now writhing desperately in order to get his hands on the Uchiha that stood before him.

"Here…let me make your suffering just a little bit worse." Sasuke materialised a sword in his hand out of thin air and drove it right into Hiashi's heart.

Hiashi coughed up a mouthful of blood and the pain was excruciating, but he wasn't dead. The suffering only continued. He was stuck in what appeared to be a never-ending nightmare.

"It's no use struggling. You're trapped in one of the strongest genjutsus in existence, and while you're trapped here, your brain's conscious control over your body has been severed, allowing for me to control your actions instead. So unless someone realises you're trapped here and breaks you out from the outside, or you somehow manage to overpower me in my own world, there is no escape…just pain and suffering as long as I will it." Sasuke explained in a gleeful tone. "Let's face it – neither of that is going to happen. But don't stop me from keeping you trying though. I'll enjoy watching you struggle."

Thus Sasuke opened his eyes in the real world, his victim sitting in front of him, now trapped under his control. Yet no one would be able to tell. That was one of the powers of his new eyes. He exited the room and saw Hanabi standing not too far from her father's office, clearly agitated by something. Even though she had been watching the two inside the room with the Byakugan, she had no idea what had actually happened to her father.

Sasuke paid no mind and took his leave. On his way out though, a sharp pain spread from his eyes to every inch of his body unlike anything he had ever felt before, one that nearly made him lose his balance.

"The side effects of using these eyes seem to already be kicking in. Even though this pain may be tough to bear, if this is what it takes to bring Konoha to its destined greatness, then I will withstand any and all hardships that stand in my way." With those final thoughts, Sasuke exited the Hyuga compound in preparation of the next big step in his plan.

The next day; Hokage tower…

Given the currently unknown status of the Hokage and the news of his battle against the Raikage, as well as the demise of the Uchiha clan leader, Konoha had grown increasingly restless with each passing day. Everyone wanted to know what was going on and almost all shinobi previously on missions had been called back to the village to remain on high alert for a possibility of retaliation from Kumogakure. Turmoil was starting to ensue. Thus, all the clan leaders and main representatives along with the authorities of the village called for a strategy meeting in order to determine the best course of action going forward in the absence of the Hokage.

Shikamaru, being the closest working representative of the Hokage decided to stand up from his seat along the roundtable and address the audience. "As you're all aware, we're gathered here today to discuss the state of Konoha, especially given the fact that the Hokage is still AWOL and we are unaware of his current status. We're still searching for him to the best of our abilities. We do know that his last known whereabouts was in Kumogakure, where he was part of a great battle with the Raikage. This news has been causing a lot of instability within Konoha and all current operations have been brought to a halt in order to fend off any potential counter-attack from Kumogakure, even though that is unlikely given the damage they've already suffered. Therefore, as the respective leaders of the clans that make up this village, we need to chart out our future course of actions, at least until we're able to get a more definitive idea of the Hokage's status."

Sasuke stood up as Shikamaru took his seat and glanced across the room, before making his grand declaration. "We have in our hands right now a once in a lifetime opportunity, one that we cannot let slip through our fingertips. Therefore, I propose this plan – a full scale siege of Kumogakure to bring that village and its forces under our control."

There was a momentary silence in the room followed by a plethora of gasps and whats from the others sitting around the table.

"Have you gone insane!?" Konohamaru, the current leader of the Sarutobi clan, yelled out from across the room. "An invasion? Do you realise what you're even proposing?"

"I agree with Konohamaru. This is just…ridiculous." Shikamaru added in agreement.

"Tell me Nara, why is it so ridiculous?"

"Because you are planning to invade another major shinobi village! That is akin to announcing all-out war on them! Have you even taken into account the repercussions of such an action on our own village?"

"Why shouldn't we use this opportunity to finally take down one of our greatest enemies ever since this village was formed? Do you think they wouldn't do the same if we were in the same situation? Kumogakure has instigated many battles against us throughout ages and we've suffered much loss against them. They even planted a double agent within our village that led to the assassination of my father, the leader of the most powerful clan of this village. Not to mention the fact that Kumogakure has been stealing confidential intelligence from our village using some of our own people. Why do you think they've been doing all of that?" Sasuke questioned aggressively, one that caused the majority of people in the room who were outraged by his idea to take a moment to consider his arguments. "If we combine the powers of all the clans and shinobi of Konoha and act fast, we will suffer little to no casualties at all in this operation. In return we will not only defeat one of our greatest enemies, but gain much of their resources. All status reports on Kumogakure suggest that they're heavily weakened and are currently teetering at the brink of destruction. They're practically defeated. They don't even have a leader anymore!"

"WELL NEITHER DO WE!" Konohamaru cut in, this time in a much more aggressive tone. "And without a leader, what you're suggesting is out of the question!"

"That's right For Konoha to collectively undertake such a huge operation, we would need the Hokage's unequivocal guidance in this matter. Without knowing his directive, this is absolutely out of the question." Shikamaru added.

"But we do know the Hokage's directive." Sasuke countered in a calculating tone. He saw this coming from a mile away. "The Hokage is the one that launched this all-out assault on Kumogakure. He is the one who crippled Kumogakure and his actions are what led to the assassination of the Raikage. It should be abundantly clear to anyone with even a shard of common sense what the Hokage's intentions were."

"But the Hokage never spoke to any of us about any plans to invade Kumogakure. Surely he would have told us if this was indeed part of his plans." Shikamaru countered. Even he was perplexed by Naruto's actions thus far.

"Actions speak louder than words, and with his actions the Hokage has laid a clear path in front of the village. He has created for us a golden opportunity and we cannot waste it by any means. The future of Konoha is at stake and the shinobi world at large is at stake!"

"The Uchiha is right." Hiashi spoke for the first time that day and to the shock of everyone. If anyone would vehemently support the Hokage, it would be him given the relationship they shared. "The Hokage's directives are clear to me as well and my clan will act in accordance. I have lived long enough to see the many battles our village has fought against Kumogakure and the repercussions of those battles. Time and time again they've tried to steal the Hyuga's precious doujutsu, along with our village's other secrets. Thus, in order to protect the future of Konoha, the Hyuga will join the Uchiha in the siege of Kumogakure."

There was silence across the room after hearing Hiashi's input. He was considered one of the oldest and wisest of all those present in the room and his decision to join the Uchiha held great weight. Both the Uchiha and the Hyuga had just decided to combine forces, the two strongest clans in Konoha, if not the whole world. Given Kumogakure's current crumbling state, just these two clans themselves could potentially carry out the siege. Even though it seemed outrageous at first, the other clan leaders were seriously re-considering the whole plan.

"You know what, maybe Sasuke is right. Maybe we should be using this opportunity to take over Kumogakure after everything they have done to us over the years. An opportunity like this probably won't arise again and it may just be better for the village in the long run. My clan will join as well." Kiba threw the Inuzuka clan into the gauntlet before turning to his best friend. "What about you Shino?"

"If this was indeed the Hokage's wish and the others agree, then my clan will lend its assistance." The hooded and mysterious leader of the Aburame clan agreed to collaborate.

"You guys are actually serious about this, aren't you?" Shikamaru questioned in disbelief and looked over to his previous squad mates. "You two aren't thinking of joining as well, right?"

Both Chouji and Ino held their heads down and did not reply. They were both incredibly conflicted. After all, both of their significant others were currently imprisoned on charges of colluding with Kumogakure.

Sasuke saw this opportunity and decided to use their emotional distress to his advantage. "It is true that your family members are currently in the midst of being tried for their crimes, but consider this. If Kumogakure and its forces were to become a part of Konoha, perhaps there would be less of a reason to consider either of them traitors. Maybe, just maybe, they could be granted a reprieve and the sentence could be lessened."

Sasuke's offer was certainly enticing and it caused a stir within both the Yamanaka and Akimichi. For once, both of them felt hope after much despair. They were willing to do whatever it took to save their families. Little did they understand that it was the Uchiha that were manipulating them from the very beginning.

"Look, I'm not going to force anyone to join me. The Uchiha and the Hyuga will be regrouping tonight to plan out the exact details of the siege. We will spread this message to the rest of the shinobi of Konoha. Whoever wishes to join us in this operation can come to the meeting tonight. We intend to prepare and leave for Kumogakure as soon as possible, within a day or so. I hope to see you all there. That is all." Sasuke's job was done and thus he took his leave. He had successfully gained a large number of supporters and riled up the rest to at least consider joining his cause. Everything was going according to plan and the rest would fall into place. This would be the beginning of Konoha's rise as the singular hidden village that united all shinobi across the world under one authority – the one TRUE Kage!

Early next morning…

There was a huge uproar within the Uchiha compound as another member of their clan was found dead within the compound after being stabbed right through the heart. This time it was Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother.

Paranoia was setting in within the other members of the Uchiha clan given that not too long ago their previous clan leader had been killed. Now his wife was also dead. Many within the clan were angry and sought vengeance. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Sasuke, as their current leader and one of the closest to the victim re-assured his fellow clanmates that their clan would not suffer any further losses and that the anger they felt needed to be harnessed to bring down their enemies. Thus he rallied the Uchiha clan with only one sight in mind - the ascension of Konoha!


Join me on the 1st of January next year for the finale to Naruto and Hinata's reunion. It's only fitting that the ending happens with a new beginning. You'll find that there is a deeper meaning to that indeed.

As for today, I'll leave you with a bit of a murder mystery to solve. Who assassinated Mikoto? I'll make it a little easier - it wasn't Sasuke, but it was an Uchiha. The real question though - why? I'd love to see if anyone gets it. It's a little challenge I leave you with since it'll play a big role in the next chapter, aptly named "Team Zero Reunited".

That is all I have for today. BTW, yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of this story! I know I normally don't give exact dates for chapters since my update pattern is haphazard at best, but this time I'll make a conceited effort given that it is the finale to this entire story arc. Thank you all for joining me on this crazy journey and here's to the surprises that lie ahead in the new year. Thus I close out 2017 with the usual - take care until next time!