"Clan leader, what should we do now?"Uchiha Kiyoshi turned and asked Fugaku.
The eyes of the other Uchiha clan members also all fixed on Fugaku.
Although these Root ninjas chose to commit suicide, everyone could see clearly they were not the masterminds behind this incident.
The anger of the Uchiha clan still hadn't calmed down.
They practically wanted to start a full-on fight with Danzo right now.
However, Fugaku didn't lose his reason because of this.
He had indeed considered the idea of staging a coup.
But that thought was based on having both his and Shisui's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Now that such an important force like Shisui was dead,
the chances of a successful coup dropped drastically.
After a careful and calm analysis, Fugaku felt he must not let this anger cloud his mind no matter what.
"First, bring these men's bodies to the Security Force."
Quickly, Fugaku gave orders as both clan leader and Security Force captain,
telling his clan to properly take care of the bodies.
"I'm going to see the Third Hokage."
After thinking it over, Fugaku decided this matter couldn't be left to the Security Force to handle recklessly.
It had to be reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen to see his stance.
"Kaze..."
Fugaku turned to call Kaze.
No matter what, Kaze was the first to arrive at the scene and delay those Root ninjas.
He likely knew more details than Fugaku.
But as soon as Fugaku called him, his brow furrowed deeply.
Just thinking about Kaze's temper made Fugaku worry — if he took him to meet the Third Hokage,
he'd probably end up shouting right in Hiruzen's face.
At this critical moment, no more complications could arise.
"What is it?" Kaze asked, noticing Fugaku suddenly went silent after calling his name.
Although the Root ninjas' suicides caught him off guard, he didn't feel any desperate or panicked emotions.
Instead, he was already calculating the next move.
Danzo definitely deserved to die.
But killing Danzo alone wasn't Kaze's ultimate goal.
Changing the Uchiha clan's reputation, gaining everyone's recognition, and reforming the Fire Country's system — that was the real priority.
Besides, both he and Danzo held one of the Kotoamatsukami each.
In Kaze's view, Danzo's threat didn't compare to Shisui's.
"You stay at the base. Don't go anywhere until I come back."
Fugaku changed his mind about taking Kaze along to see the Third Hokage.
He ordered him to stay put.
"Oh, got it."
Kaze responded cleanly and efficiently.
With just a few brief words, Fugaku disappeared from the scene, heading straight toward the heart of Konoha — the Hokage's office.
This matter had to be thoroughly discussed with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Take care of Shisui's body for me," Kaze said as Fugaku left the area near Nangashinja Shrine. He handed off the task of moving the body to others.
Kaze didn't have much emotional attachment to Shisui. Even as the rest of the clan burned with rage, his heart remained calm as still water.
Still, Kaze had no intention of sticking around.
On one hand, moving bodies was something the other clan members could handle just fine.
On the other, he already had plans to meet with Might Guy.
He had even set a time and place.
If it weren't for the incident involving Shisui's stolen eyes, he would have already been with Guy by now.
"Where are you going?" Uchiha Kiyoshi couldn't help but ask, seeing Kaze preparing to leave.
From Kiyoshi's point of view, no matter how urgent other matters might be, dealing with Shisui's body should come first.
But no matter what, Kaze was not only a young jonin of Konoha, but also the Security Force's deputy captain.
Kiyoshi and the others weren't really in a position to tell Kaze what he could or couldn't do.
So Kaze simply instructed Kiyoshi to handle Shisui's body and left.
Heading toward the meeting spot he had arranged with Might Guy.
...
Meanwhile,
Inside the Hokage's office.
After officially appointing Kaze as a newly promoted jōnin, Hiruzen Sarutobi called in Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, two of the village elders.
(T/N: And so the Four Fossils met up again. The OG authors names were absolutely hilarious. It even made me confused. Udon Koharu, Mitarashi Honoo. So turning them into different food items...)
Of course, he had also summoned Danzo, but the latter had not yet appeared.
They decided not to wait any longer.
Their discussion naturally focused on calming the turmoil caused by the death of the head of the Cloud ninjas.
Originally, their plan was to find two scapegoats from the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan.
But after Kaze's intervention, pushing things in a new direction, advancing the plan became difficult.
Just as the three elders contemplated their next move, an ANBU ninja hurriedly knocked on the door.
"Hokage-sama, something bad has happened."
Even through the door, Hiruzen could sense the urgency in the messenger's voice.
For a moment, Hiruzen and the others exchanged looks, all silently thinking of one possibility:
Had the Hidden Cloud Village made a move?
"Enter."
Hiruzen furrowed his brow and ordered the ninja to enter and report.
The office door creaked open.
The Anbu ninja hurried inside, took three quick steps, then knelt on one knee in the middle of the room, his right fist touching the ground and his head slightly bowed.
"What happened?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
Koharu and Homura instantly grew tense.
With the Sannin gone, Minato sealed the Nine-Tails sacrificing himself, and the Uchiha clan coveting power in the village leadership, Konoha was truly facing troubles inside and out.
If a conflict broke out now, it could deal a severe blow to the village's foundation.
The Anbu ninja took a deep breath and reported the intelligence gathered from monitoring the Uchiha encampment.
"Uchiha Shisui… is dead."
The words hit Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura like a thunderclap.
"What?!" Hiruzen almost jumped out of his chair.
Who was Shisui?
He was an exceptional ninja who inherited the will of the Uchiha clan's "Mirror," known for his legendary Body Flicker Technique.
He was a double agent Hiruzen had carefully placed within the Uchiha ranks.
More importantly, Shisui was a vital bridge for easing tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village leadership.
But now…
The Anbu who reported the news claimed Shisui was dead?
This had to be a joke!
Shisui had earned the nickname "Shisui of the Body Flicker" during the Third Great Ninja War because of his unmatched speed.
Even against powerful enemies, with his intellect and skills, Shisui was supposed to at least escape unscathed.
Hiruzen was utterly shocked by this news.
"Shisui is dead? How did he die?" Homura gasped.
Everyone knew how strong Shisui was.
How could he just die — especially inside the village?
"The cause of death is still under investigation…"
The Anbu collected his thoughts and detailed everything he knew.
Shisui's death was brutal: both his eyes had been gouged out, and his carotid arteries slashed.
"But…" the Anbu suddenly changed tone, "this matter seems to be related to Danzo."
"Danzo?"
At the mention of that name, Hiruzen's eyes darkened with meaning.
(T/N: Lets see how monkey is going to react to his boyfriend's act. Will he support him (100% Sure of this) or will he stand on the side of truth i.e. Uchiha (definitely not going to happen.). Anyway hope you all enjoyed this chapter.)