"Hmph. What a bunch of useless trash."
"No wonder none of you could awaken your Sharingan."
"Just look at yourselves. With attitudes like this, you think you're worthy of joining the Konoha Police Force? Go home and wait for death, you're better off!"
"We Uchihas don't need deadweight dragging us down. You're nothing but mud that won't stick to the wall!"
Uchiha Fugaku dismissed his Susanoo and unleashed a verbal barrage on the newly awakened clan members, his face twisted in disappointment and scorn. His tone was a mix of fury and regret, as if grieving their weakness.
Behind him, veteran Uchiha with two and three-tomoe Sharingan stood coldly, eyes void of sympathy—making the scolding all the more intimidating.
The villagers: "…"
Great. One plays bad cop, one plays good cop… What, do they think we didn't notice those little brats were seconds away from going on a killing spree?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "…"
Okay, okay, that's enough moral posturing. I'm still not dead yet! If you've got time to yell, maybe try killing off Root and rescuing me?!
"Long live the Uchiha!"
"Uchiha for Hokage!"
"Uchiha shall rebuild the village!"
Fugaku ignored the ongoing chaos between ANBU and Root as he barked at the newly awakened clan members with commanding authority.
"Now—tell me! What is the duty and the motto of the Konoha Police Force?"
"Sir!" they straightened their necks and roared in unison.
"The duties of the Konoha Police Force are: to prevent, suppress, and investigate criminal activity; to maintain village order; and to stop behavior that threatens Konoha's peace!"
"Our motto is: Loyal in duty, strict in discipline, defenders of justice, guardians of peace!
Loyal to the village, serving its people, enforcing the law with fairness, maintaining ironclad discipline!"
Their voices shook the battlefield.
"Good. Now, tell me—why did you draw your weapons earlier? And what are you doing now?" Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan spun as he shouted.
The newly awakened Uchiha went silent.
…They'd wanted to chop those mouthy villagers to pieces.
But—could they say that out loud?
Of course not!
So they turned helplessly to Fugaku, their eyes pleading: Help us, oh wise one.
He looked back. Message received.
They understood. They got it.
"Sir! We drew our blades to protect the villagers and uphold justice!"
"We of the Konoha Police Force will never stand with evil!" they bellowed with conviction.
"Excellent! Then draw your weapons again. Tonight, the Konoha Police Force will take a stand—for justice, against Danzo, to restore peace to the village!" Fugaku commanded.
"Yes, sir!"
The Uchiha drew their swords from their backs and hips and fell in line behind Fugaku, marching toward the Root forces.
They advanced in formation—Sharingan ablaze in crimson. The very sight made the Root members shudder.
Those cold red eyes... that synchronized march...
"Have the Uchiha gone insane?"
"Danzo-sama is a good man! Why would they—"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen's the real traitor here!"
"Are the Uchiha seriously siding with him? Are they just tools now?!"
But before the crowd could finish voicing their outrage—
The sound of barking filled the air.
Inuzuka clan members leapt onto the rooftops, surrounding Root from all sides.
"Brother Fugaku, for this grand endeavor, how about including the Inuzuka Clan?"
Tsume Inuzuka called out from the rooftop, her one-eyed partner, Kuromaru, standing by her side.
"You're more than welcome," Fugaku replied with a smirk.
"What? Even the Inuzuka are in on this?! They've lost their minds!"
Now Root was boxed in—Uchiha in front, Inuzuka at their backs.
"Itachi, hang in there! We'll finish off Root and back you up!" Inuzuka Hana waved at Itachi inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, her partner Haimaru at her side.
"So it's because of her…" Danzo muttered grimly.
But then—
"How could the Aburame not show up, given the occasion?"
A calm voice spoke as Shibi Aburame stepped forward, clad in his signature black cloak and dark glasses, insects swarming behind him like a living cloud.
"May we join you two?" he asked, looking to Fugaku and Tsume.
"Glad to have you," Fugaku said.
Root's remaining members tried to escape, only to be drained into desiccated husks by Aburame insects.
"The Inuzuka and Aburame clans have lost it, haven't they?"
The villagers were in shock.
"Danzo-sama's supposed to be the good guy... How could they betray him?!"
But then came the final blow:
"If the Inuzuka and Aburame clans have taken a stand, how could the Hyuga, as fellow members of Konoha's reconnaissance corps, sit this out?"
Hiashi Hyuga stepped onto the battlefield, his Byakugan active, leading a full squad of Hyuga shinobi.
"Wh-What the hell…"
Even Root was stunned speechless.
ANBU and villagers alike were frozen with disbelief.
The two great dōjutsu clans of Konoha… joined by the two great reconnaissance clans… all fighting as one.
Konoha itself was about to be turned upside down.
"Secret Technique: Parasitic Destruction Insects!"
"Fang Over Fang!"
"Byakugan!"
"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"
The battlefield erupted with battle cries, buzzing wings, howling ninken, and crashing blows. With the strength of four clans now bearing down on them, the Root shinobi were quickly overwhelmed.
Screams of pain, cries for help, and desperate pleas echoed across the plaza.
Elsewhere, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, watching from the shadows, turned pale and shut their eyes.
They knew—any of their clansmen hiding inside Root wouldn't make it out alive.
After all, without their help earlier, the Sarutobi clan's ANBU wouldn't have died so fast.
On the upper floors of nearby buildings, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Torifu Akimichi stared down, their expressions darkening.
They never imagined that the Uchiha, Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame would all side with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
For the few surviving ANBU of the Sarutobi clan, it was a miracle.
Finally—after the massacre had nearly wiped them out—they could breathe.
They were alive.
Even if only a few remained—it was better than being wiped out.
Now, with Root being annihilated before their eyes, the tide had turned.
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Danzo Shimura was unraveling.
His forces were being slaughtered. Even if he killed Hiruzen and became Hokage—what good would it do?
He'd have no men, no army. Just a title and empty ambition.
With no one to command—how could he conquer the shinobi world?
Hiruzen, meanwhile, was feeling more alive than ever.
Danzo, you're finally getting what you deserve! The tables have truly turned!
"Uchiha, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame… I'll remember this!" Danzo roared, watching his Root agents die one after another, his face contorted in rage. He clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth nearly cracked.
Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, Tsume Inuzuka, and Shibi Aburame approached the Four Violet Flames Formation. With every step they took, Danzo's heart sank further.
"Danzo," Fugaku said, voice like iron. "Will you gouge out the Sharingan in your right eye yourself—or shall we do it for you?"
Danzo's expression twisted in horror.
How does Fugaku know?!
Did Shisui tell him before he died?!
"What?! Danzo-sama has a Sharingan in his right eye?!"
"I thought that was already proven to be false…"
"Wait, could that Danzo back then have been a fake? Like the one who died earlier?"
The crowd buzzed in confusion.
"And your right arm," Hiashi added, veins bulging around his eyes as his Byakugan pierced through every secret. "Care to explain why there are so many Sharingan embedded in it?"
The newly awakened Uchiha were stunned.
Just moments ago, they had defended Danzo in their hearts. They'd doubted Itachi.
And now they learned Danzo had butchered their clan and stolen their eyes?
They had nearly become traitors to their own people.
Thank the heavens Fugaku had stopped them in time.
Otherwise, how would they face the clan—or the village—again?
The young Uchiha looked gratefully at Itachi and Fugaku.
Their hatred for Danzo now ran bone-deep.
Root suffered for it.
The slaughter only grew more savage.
"Heh... so you found out. Then there's nothing more to say," Danzo spat hatefully.
"Orochimaru! Release the Nine-Tails! Destroy them all!"
"Understood!" Orochimaru, who was Itachi Uchiha's physical clone, formed a hand sign. Then, Reanimated Minato placed his hand on his stomach and twisted.
"ROAR!"
With a thunderous roar, a massive orange fox with nine tails burst into view, towering before them all.
That night, the villagers were once again reminded of the terror of living under the shadow of the Nine-Tails.