Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The battle erupted in an instant.

The ANBU brought by Sarutobi Hiruzen were no ordinary ninjas; they were the village's most elite forces. The weakest among them was at least a Special Jonin, and each mastered at least one secret jutsu. At this moment, they held nothing back, revealing all their trump cards.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

An ANBU from the Yamanaka clan formed hand seals, turning his spiritual energy into an invisible arrow that shot toward Uchiha Taiga.

This was a secret jutsu that directly attacked the soul, impossible to defend against with physical means.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

The black shadow beneath the feet of another ANBU from the Nara clan rapidly extended, winding across the ground like a black snake, aiming for Uchiha Taiga's shadow.

As long as the shadow caught him, his body would be immobilized.

"Expansion Jutsu!"

The body of an ANBU from the Akimichi clan suddenly swelled, his palm becoming as large as a palm-leaf fan as he slammed it down toward Uchiha Taiga with enough force to flatten a person into a meat patty.

"Parasitic Destruction Insects!"

An insect user from the Aburame clan released a black cloud of bugs from his sleeve. The insects, tiny as dust, swarmed densely toward Uchiha Taiga, turning the very air murky wherever they passed.

Others were casting Fire Style, Water Style, and Lightning Style, weaving various ninjutsu into a dense net of firepower in the air.

Kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags were thrown from different directions, sealing off all avenues of retreat.

The Branch House ninjas of the Hyuga clan also joined the fray.

Their Gentle Fist was incredibly powerful in this kind of close-quarters melee. Every palm strike aimed at Uchiha Taiga's chakra points, attempting to seal his chakra flow with every hit.

Dozens of attacks erupted at the exact same moment.

Boom!

The assembly hall completely collapsed under the massive energy impact.

The roof was blown off, the walls were toppled, the pillars snapped, and the beams caved in.

Wood splinters, crushed stone, and dust filled the air. In the blink of an eye, the entire assembly hall was reduced to a pile of ruins.

The commotion of the battle rapidly expanded, spreading from the assembly hall to the entire Hyuga compound.

The clan members within the Hyuga compound had long been alerted. Some ran out of their houses, while others rushed into the streets still wearing their pajamas.

They saw flames soaring into the sky in the direction of the assembly hall, heard the roaring explosions of ninjutsu and the battle cries of ninjas, their faces filled with unease.

On the outskirts of the Hyuga compound, the residents of Konoha also heard the commotion. People peered from afar, climbed onto roofs, and whispered in discussion.

Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Amidst the ruins, Uchiha Taiga stood atop a pile of rubble.

His clothes fluttered wildly in the blast waves of the explosions, and his hair was covered in dust, but his eyes—those white eyes—were exceptionally bright.

He watched the attacks surging from all directions, the corners of his mouth splitting into a wide smile.

The next moment, chakra violently pulsed from his body. The tremor was not physical, but on a spiritual level.

The Yamanaka ninja casting the Mind Transfer Jutsu had barely touched Uchiha Taiga's soul with his mind when it felt like slamming into an iron wall. His consciousness was violently rebounded with immense concussive force.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed simultaneously from all of the Yamanaka ninja's facial orifices. His body stiffened, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight backward.

Dead. His soul had been shattered, dying before he could even let out a scream.

Uchiha Taiga's figure blurred, vanishing from his spot.

The black shadow extending from beneath his feet missed its target. The Nara clan ANBU gritted his teeth, manipulating the shadow to continue the pursuit, but Uchiha Taiga's speed was simply too fast; the shadow couldn't catch up at all.

He appeared in mid-air, directly facing the massive palm slamming down.

The Akimichi ANBU's expanded palm pressed down on him like a wall, the wind from the strike blowing his hair back.

Uchiha Taiga twisted his body, his right foot drawing an arc in the air as he viciously kicked the giant palm.

Boom!

The power behind that kick was astonishing.

The Akimichi ANBU felt as if his palm had been rammed by a giant beast; his entire arm went numb.

His hand was kicked upward, throwing his body off balance. He staggered back several steps and crashed into the ruins behind him, sending a pile of broken bricks and rubble flying in all directions.

Uchiha Taiga landed, holding a kunai in each hand.

Several ANBU wielding ninja swords appeared in front of him. The blades slashed from different angles, their speed so fast they left only silver afterimages.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Kunai clashed with ninja swords, sending sparks flying.

Uchiha Taiga's arms moved rapidly. The kunai in his hands seemed alive—parrying, counterattacking, parrying again, and counterattacking again.

His movements were simplified to the extreme. Every strike perfectly deflected the opponents' blades. Then, in the split second a gap appeared in their sword stances, the tips of his kunai sliced across one of their arms, drawing a string of blood beads.

The ANBU were forced to retreat. They glanced down at their arms; the wounds weren't deep, but they could no longer exert any strength. Uchiha Taiga had severed the chakra pathways in their arms.

Standing on the ruins, Uchiha Taiga felt his entire body warm up. He threw his head back and laughed aloud.

"Battle is exhilarating!!"

His laughter echoed in the air, carrying a long-suppressed sense of sheer delight.

Then he moved, charging forward on his own initiative straight into the crowd, plunging into the midst of the ninjas who were still forming hand seals, throwing kunai, or rushing toward him.

At this moment, his eyes turned crimson as the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was activated.

If one looked closely, it wouldn't be hard to notice that his eyeballs were darting rapidly within their sockets, capturing everyone's movements, the trajectory of every attack, and every single flaw.

His speed increased once more. He transformed into a streak of lightning, weaving through the crowd.

Wherever he passed, no one could withstand even a single exchange.

An ANBU raised a sword to cleave him; he dodged sideways, swiping his kunai across the man's wrist, causing the ninja sword to slip from his grasp and fall.

A Hyuga Branch House ninja thrust both palms at him. He leaned back, letting the palms slide right past his chest. Pushing off the ground with his foot, his body sprang up, driving his knee into the man's abdomen. The man let out a muffled groan, his eyes bulging, mouth wide open, and his face flushed and contorted.

Other people's ninjutsu flew past him. Fireballs, water bullets, wind blades, and earth walls—not a single one could hit him.

Someone cast a genjutsu, attempting to disrupt his vision, but his Sharingan saw through everything the instant the illusion was activated, leaving him completely unaffected for even a split second.

Taijutsu strikes were blocked and seamlessly countered.

Kenjutsu attacks were effortlessly parried with his two kunai. Then, the moment the opponent retracted their blade, his kunai slid down the flat of their sword, stabbing straight into the fingers gripping the hilt.

He fought his way from one end of the crowd to the other, leaving a trail of downed ninjas in his wake.

Some clutched their wrists, some held their legs, and others lay flat on the ground, unable to move.

No one had died yet—at least they were still alive for now—but everyone had lost the ability to continue fighting.

He landed on a roof, casually brushed back his hair, and threw his head back in laughter.

"Hahahaha!!!"

In the sky, the clouds seemed to echo his laughter. Unbeknownst to anyone, they had gradually gathered, and the sky was steadily growing dark.

Before his laughter even faded, a flash of lightning struck from his rear flank.

The speed of that lightning flash was astonishing, its angle incredibly tricky. A figure wielding a short sword and wreathed in Lightning Style chakra appeared behind him to the side.

His movements were completely silent, not even disturbing the air. Only the edge of that short sword gleamed with a cold light in the air.

Hatake Kakashi!

He dashed out from the shadows, his short sword thrusting straight for the back of Uchiha Taiga's neck.

Uchiha Taiga didn't even turn his head. He raised the kunai in his hand from his waist and reached backward, the movement as casual as if he were scratching his back.

Clang!

The tip of the kunai precisely tapped the edge of the short sword, emitting a crisp, metallic clash.

Hatake Kakashi's short sword was blocked. The blade was less than an inch from the back of Uchiha Taiga's neck, but it could not advance a single fraction further.

"Hatake Kakashi."

Uchiha Taiga's voice drifted from the front, unhurried and calm.

"I helped you kill the enemy who caused your father's death. It's one thing if you aren't grateful, but why would you attack me?"

He paused, his tone eerie.

"Do you have no heart?"

Hatake Kakashi's pupils slightly contracted.

His body paused in mid-air, then he withdrew his sword and leaped back, landing on another roof several meters away.

He knelt on one knee, his left hand supporting himself on the eaves, his right hand gripping the short sword with its tip pointing at the ground. But his eye—the one exposed outside his mask—was fixed dead on Uchiha Taiga, his pupil carrying a fleeting look of shock.

"What did you say?"

His voice was very soft, but every word carried an uncontrollable tremble.

Uchiha Taiga turned around to face him, the corners of his mouth splitting into a smile—a smile that appeared exceptionally glaring.

He tilted his head slightly, as if looking at an ignorant child.

"What? You don't believe me?"

Uchiha Taiga raised his hand, pointing the tip of his kunai at his own temple, as if reminding Kakashi to recall something.

"Did you think your father, Hatake Sakumo, died simply because he couldn't get over it himself?"

His smile grew wider.

"Heh, little did you know, this was all Shimura Danzo's doing. That old bastard spread rumors behind the scenes and manipulated public opinion, making the entire village curse Hatake Sakumo as a piece of trash who abandoned his mission. Your father couldn't bear the inner torment, which is why he chose to take his own life."

He lowered his hand, twirling the kunai around his fingertips.

"Now that I've killed Shimura Danzo, you should be thanking me."

Hatake Kakashi's breathing grew ragged. His right hand trembled, the short sword in his grip emitting a faint hum.

In his eye, there was shock, confusion, anger, and something indescribable.

"Don't listen to his nonsense!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out from afar, laced with urgency. He stood at the edge of the ruins, backed by several ANBU who had just arrived.

"Kakashi, attack now!"

Hearing this, Uchiha Taiga's smile deepened.

He turned his head to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, raising his voice a few notches so that everyone present could hear.

"Whether I'm spouting nonsense or not, don't you know best?"

His gaze stabbed into Sarutobi Hiruzen's face like a knife.

"Cut the bullshit acting! You think you're some innocent saint?"

His laughter echoed in the air, his tone growing increasingly delighted.

"Without your tacit approval, could such massive public outrage have been stirred up in the village back then? You watched helplessly as Hatake Sakumo was driven to his death by the very village he loved!"

Uchiha Taiga paused, unable to suppress his smile any longer. As if thinking of something utterly ridiculous, he burst into loud laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Hatake Kakashi's sword slipped from his hand, falling onto the eaves with a crisp clang.

His body froze in place. In that single exposed eye, his pupil had completely lost its focus.