Danzo angrily struck the ground of the Root base with his cane, leaving a small crater. It was rare for him to lose his composure in front of subordinates unless he was utterly furious.
After a moment, Danzo calmed down and asked coldly, "What were the results?"
"The heads of all nine targets were destroyed. However, we found traces of blood from an unknown individual at the scene. Additionally, the poison needle from Aburame's insect was discharged, so the target likely didn't survive," reported Aburame Torune.
The corpses of the Root operatives had been disgracefully piled together, likely because the assassination was successful, resulting in such treatment.
"Good. If they succeeded, then the lives of our Root operatives weren't wasted," Danzo nodded, his voice icy. "Keikou Sanmoku... That man played a significant role in Sunagakure's rise and their annexation of several minor nations. And that lobbyist, Pakura—unfortunately, she escaped quickly."
"But, Lord Danzo, Keikou Sanmoku is now the Kazekage's advisor. If he died within the Land of Fire, wouldn't that provoke the Sand Federation into joining the war? If that happens, the Hokage on the front lines..."
Torune paused mid-sentence, a sudden suspicion flickering in his mind. But when he glanced at Danzo through his sunglasses, he saw no signs of anything unusual.
"The front lines won't face excessive pressure," Danzo replied calmly. "The village has already assembled a second wave of reinforcements. If not for the Uchiha, they could have departed for the front long ago. Even if the Sand Federation joins the war, it won't matter. A place like the Land of Rain hardly warrants the combined forces of two major villages."
Torune considered this and found Danzo's reasoning sound. A single minor nation like the Land of Rain didn't require such overwhelming force. Moreover, Konoha had prepared three waves of troops—enough to counter a major village, as seen in the Third Shinobi World War.
"Keikou Sanmoku was also heavily involved in the collaboration with the Land of Rain. Eliminating him is equivalent to cutting off one of the Sand Federation's arms. Even if Hiruzen finds out, he won't say anything."
Danzo's tone remained indifferent. Torune had nothing to add, so he stood silently like a wooden post.
"As for the Uchiha clan... Hmph. Their rebellious intentions are blatant. Inform Uchiha Itachi to act swiftly. I'll have Koharu use the Hokage's Office to notify the Ninja Academy—his younger brother will be detained there for some time."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
Torune acknowledged the order and withdrew, preparing to relay the day's events to Itachi.
The Uchiha clan no longer had any possibility of reconciliation with Konoha. If Itachi wanted to prevent the stain of rebellion from tarnishing the Uchiha name, he would have to eliminate the entire clan himself.
This was Itachi's promise to Danzo—he would shoulder the infamy of slaughtering his own clan to preserve the Uchiha's honor, while sparing his younger brother, Sasuke, and ensuring no harm came to him.
The demand was approved by Homura and Koharu. All they cared about was preventing internal strife—how the Uchiha died was irrelevant. If Itachi was willing to do the deed himself, ANBU and Root could handle the aftermath, preserving the village's combat strength.
To guarantee Sasuke's safety, Itachi had even revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan. Due to Shisui's fate, he remained highly wary of Danzo.
Each Mangekyō possessed unique abilities. Compared to Shisui's "Kotoamatsukami," Danzo had no idea what Itachi's ocular power was. Without that knowledge, he had no choice but to accept Itachi's terms.
Moreover, Root's investigations revealed that Sasuke's talent was mediocre—while he ranked first overall in the Ninja Academy, his actual combat skills were inferior to the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
No threat at all. Just another Uchiha with slightly above-average talent, still far from reaching genin-level strength—nowhere near prodigies like Itachi or Shisui.
Danzo acted swiftly, immediately approaching Koharu and Homura to arrange a training exercise at the Ninja Academy under the Hokage's Office's authority, ensuring Sasuke wouldn't return home immediately after school.
Itachi, who was surveilling the Uchiha, saw the document and immediately decided on the time to strike.
"Have you decided to act?"
Obito Uchiha appeared behind Itachi using Kamui.
Itachi said nothing, simply tossing the Ninja Academy's schedule to Obito. After glancing through it, Obito understood the timing.
"I see. So we'll have to finish before your brother returns to the clan compound. No problem on my end—it's up to you to move quickly."
Obito spoke casually, as if dealing with the Uchiha Police Force—one of Konoha's most powerful combat units—was as trivial as wiping out a school.
"I won't fail," Itachi replied coldly. Though the clan members were numerous, they were ordinary. For an Uchiha with the Mangekyō, it wouldn't be difficult.
"Good. Then it's settled."
Once the time was set, Obito vanished with Kamui. After Itachi bore the infamy of annihilating his clan, Obito could recruit him into Akatsuki.
At thirteen, Itachi had already awakened the Mangekyō—meeting Akatsuki's standards for full membership. With him, the organization would soon have all its core personnel, allowing the Eye of the Moon Plan to proceed.
As for the Sand Federation's reforms, Obito dismissed them entirely. No matter how much the real world changed, suffering would persist. Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi could fulfill all desires and end all conflict.
Otherwise, the cycle would continue—just like the Land of Rain seeking progress, only to provoke Iwagakure and Konoha. Desires in reality were insatiable, an immutable truth.
---
Uchiha Clan Compound
After returning, Uchiha Tekka gathered intelligence and learned that Itachi had briefly appeared at the Police Force. He and several others immediately confronted Uchiha Fugaku.
They demanded an explanation—if the coup was to proceed, Itachi had to be detained first.
The six of them had used a secret Uchiha passage to leave Konoha but were immediately tracked by Root. Since deciding on the coup, the Police Force's patrols had tightened, forcing ANBU and Root to monitor from outside the clan compound.
If Root could pinpoint their movements and the secret passage's exit, what chance did the Uchiha have? Facing such an overwhelming force, they might as well surrender and accept death.
There had to be a traitor—someone within the clan.
Given that Itachi, who rarely attended clan meetings, had suddenly appeared at the Police Force, the answer was obvious.
Uchiha Yashiro couldn't accept it either. After clashing with Itachi over Shisui's death, he had refrained from retaliating out of respect for Fugaku, despite being struck.
But now, Itachi's actions endangered the entire clan.
Collaborating with Root against his own people, coupled with the suspicious circumstances of Shisui's death—even if they didn't interrogate him, he had to be confined until after the coup.
"Why have you all come together? What's happened?" Fugaku asked, surprised by the sudden arrival of Yashiro, Tekka, and the others. Their grim expressions filled him with unease.
"There's something we need to discuss with you, Clan Head," Yashiro said.
Fugaku led them inside, but before Mikoto could serve tea, Yashiro spoke gravely:
"Clan Head, we ask that you confine Uchiha Itachi—at least until the coup is over!"
Fugaku's eyes flickered. "Is this about Shisui? Yashiro, Itachi is in ANBU..."
"Not just Shisui," Yashiro interrupted. He pulled out the agreement signed with the Sand Federation and explained everything.
Fugaku's face twisted in shock and confusion. How could such a major decision be made without his knowledge? They had finalized the deal before even informing him.
"You—"
"This was my idea," Tekka cut in coldly. "If we proceed with the coup, the safety of non-combatants can't be guaranteed. Expelling them under the pretext of exile ensures the Uchiha bloodline survives, even if we fail."
His tone suggested little hope for the coup's success.
"Tekka, with our clan's strength, if we use the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails—"
Fugaku was cut off again. "Clan Head, as I recall, Itachi never agreed to lead the clan in abducting the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Are we supposed to storm the Ninja Academy in broad daylight?"
The Academy wasn't just home to the Jinchūriki—it housed children from every major clan. If the Uchiha attacked, they'd provoke the entire village.
Even if each clan contributed just twenty fighters, the Uchiha would face hundreds of additional enemies.
Uchiha Inabi tried to mediate. "Clan Head, evacuating the civilians is a sound plan. Tekka may have acted rashly by not consulting you, but we all agree it's necessary."
'Not just Tekka—all six of you kept this from me.'
Fugaku closed his eyes, suddenly feeling like a failure as a leader. Had even his most trusted subordinates lost faith in him?
Before he could dwell on it, Tekka pressed on: "Clan Head, the matter is settled. Root already knows thanks to the traitor in our midst. The priority now is restraining Itachi—or the entire clan will suffer!"
Crash!
The sound of shattering porcelain and a woman's gasp came from outside. Everyone recognized it as Fugaku's wife, Mikoto.
Then, the door opened, and Mikoto's startled voice followed:
"Itachi... You're back?"
(End of Chapter)
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