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Uchiha Compound, Konohagakure
"Are all the Zodiacs in position?" Kanzou asked Hazuki.
Hazuki quickly confirmed with the others and nodded. "Yes, Kanzou-sama, all of them are in position."
Kanzou gave a nod. "Good. Then let's begin setting up the perception-blocking barrier formation. Mikoto, Hazuki, work with me."
"Hai, Kan-sama," Mikoto replied, taking her place at one vertex of the triangular formation.
"Understood, Kanzou-sama," Hazuki echoed, moving to the second vertex.
Kanzou himself stood at the third.
The three began weaving hand signs in perfect synchrony. With each completed sign, glowing script stretched from their positions toward the compound's edges. By the time the final seal was formed, the markings across the Uchiha Compound lit up, and a transparent shimmering dome began to materialize, transparent yet immense, wrapping the entire compound in a protective veil.
Its base wasn't a perfect circle; the compound's layout made that impossible, but the barrier still arched elegantly into a dome, an invisible yet tangible layer enveloping every inch of Uchiha territory.
When the formation was complete, the three lowered their hands and activated their Sharingan to inspect the chakra field. A faint outline of energy rippled around them, and Kanzou gave a satisfied nod.
"Good… this should block all external perception," he said calmly.
The barrier's purpose was simple yet absolute: to conceal everything that happened within the compound from the outside world.
For that reason, it was solid in essence but not opaque… it wasn't like the Four Purple Flame Formation, the Red-Yang Formation, or the Uchiha Flame Formation; it didn't act like a wall that would prevent intruders from entering the Compound.
It was just like the barrier surrounding Konoha, one could pass through it, but the moment they did, they would feel that they had crossed into the Uchiha Compound. At the same time, it would also alert the barrier maintenance teams the moment someone attempted to enter the Uchiha Compound.
As for how Kanzou was able to use this barrier, naturally, it came from the Scrolls of Fūinjutsu he had extracted from Kushina. Before that, he had only been speculating on how to create such a formation, but with those scrolls in his possession, everything became much easier.
"With this," Kanzou murmured, "even Sarutobi Hiruzen's Telescope Jutsu will fail… and the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan won't pierce it. Our privacy is secured."
Satisfied, he turned to Mikoto. "Ninjas will be needed to maintain the barrier continuously," he instructed. "It requires a steady flow of chakra. Without it, the formation will collapse."
While the chakra demand wasn't as large as it merely blocked perception rather than physical intrusion, it still needed constant upkeep.
Kanzou, Mikoto, Hazuki, or the other high-ranking officers couldn't be tied to such a task indefinitely; others would have to handle it.
Mikoto understood immediately and nodded. "I'll assign a few squads from the clan to handle it. They'll work in shifts to keep the barrier stable and functioning."
"That's good," Kanzou replied, watching as she left to carry out the order.
Once it was just him and Hazuki, he turned to her. "Hazuki, are the isolation chambers ready?"
Hazuki bowed slightly. "Yes, Kanzou-sama. I had the Zodiacs prepare them; they're ready."
"Excellent. Then let's go inspect them," Kanzou said, creating a shadow clone to temporarily oversee the barrier formation until Mikoto finished assigning the teams.
For someone like him, a shadow clone was more than enough to maintain the barrier, but only for a limited time. Sustaining it indefinitely required dedicated squads to handle the chakra supply.
While Mikoto and the Shadow clone managed their tasks, Kanzou and Hazuki descended into an underground bunker-like chamber built under his orders.
Rows of reinforced prison cells stretched before them, each one completely sealed and isolated. Anyone confined within would be cut off from the world outside, unable to see, hear, or sense anything beyond their cell. Even the passage of time would become meaningless. It was pure, absolute solitude, just as Kanzou intended.
"Its location is known only to you and us Zodiacs," Hazuki said, opening the gate of one of the cells to show him.
"Indeed… It's good enough," Kanzou replied with a satisfied nod. "Well then, let's bring in the first few who deserve some solitary confinement."
With that, he vanished from sight in a flash, disappearing before Hazuki's eyes using the Flying Raijin.
She wasn't surprised, Hazuki already knew he could use the Flying Raijin. What she did wonder, however, was how he had managed to acquire it in the first place.
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Uchiha Police Station
"Well, well… P. Jiraiya-sama," Kanzou said as he strolled in front of the prison cell, his tone mockingly polite. "I trust you're living comfortably here?"
Living comfortably was far from the truth. Jiraiya looked haggard and sleepless, his hair a tangled mess, his face swollen and bruised, with multiple untreated wounds marring his body. He hadn't received any medical attention since the parade, and even in confinement, the guards had shown him no mercy, leaving new injuries on top of the old.
"Uchiha Kanzou… you bastard!" Jiraiya snarled through clenched teeth as he watched Kanzou unlock the cell door and step inside. If not for the chains binding him, he would've lunged at Kanzou and beaten him senseless. But restrained as he was, all he could do was glare and shout the question that burned inside him. "What did you do to Minato and Kushina!?"
Kanzou raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. "What do you mean? Did I do something to them?" he asked innocently.
Of course, he had done plenty, especially to Kushina, whose mind he'd driven to the brink of wanting to commit suicide, but Jiraiya didn't need to know that. With a casual shrug, Kanzou continued, "Aren't they both at home right now? Or maybe at work? I wouldn't really know, I don't keep tabs on them."
This was also not true since Kanzou was keeping a very close watch on Kushina, though not on Minato as much.
Jiraiya's glare faltered, his expression twisting with disbelief and suspicion. "Both at home? Even Minato? But didn't you…?"
"Oh, right," Kanzou interrupted smoothly. "You wouldn't know. Namikaze Minato was released just yesterday. See? I'm a good guy. He wasn't guilty, so I let him go. You really misunderstand me."
Jiraiya's jaw tightened, fury rising to his throat. 'Uchiha Kanzou… a good guy?' The very thought made him sick. Those words didn't belong in the same sentence, hell, not even in the same world.
Still, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a small measure of relief upon hearing that Minato had been released. But he also knew there had to be a price; there was always a price when dealing with the Uchiha Police Force.
"What did you take from the old man for Minato's release?" Jiraiya demanded.
Of course, there was a chance Minato himself had offered something, but Jiraiya doubted it since Minato probably didn't have anything that he could offer to Kanzou which Kanzou would find attractive.
In fact, Jiraiya knew that Minato possessed both the Flying Raijin technique and the Summoning Scroll of Mount Myōboku. But he also knew Minato well enough to be certain, he'd never hand over either without Jiraiya's or the Hokage's permission. He'd sooner die than betray that trust.
In Jiraiya's mind, Uchiha Kanzou shouldn't even know that Minato possessed such things, especially the Flying Raijin; otherwise, he would have tried to take them already.
That left only one plausible explanation: Hiruzen must have made a deal.
Given Hiruzen's critical situation and the urgent need to bring Tsunade back, it wasn't hard to imagine him making a sacrifice. He knew Minato had mastered the Flying Raijin, so he might have turned to him for help.
Kanzou merely shook his head. "Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't give me anything. Or rather, he hasn't had the chance to give me anything," he said smoothly. "Come to think of it, he hasn't been seen in public much lately. I've even heard he hasn't set foot in the Hokage Building for quite some time…"
A faint smirk curved his lips as he added, "I wonder why. Could it be that his condition is… rather poor at the moment?"
Hearing those words, Jiraiya's expression tightened with worry. He didn't doubt Kanzou, not about this. If Hiruzen's condition truly was that bad, it could mean disaster.
"Uchiha Kanzou… why are you doing this?" Jiraiya demanded, his voice sharp with anger and concern. "If something happens to the old man, don't you realize a war could break out? Without the Hokage, Konoha's situation will fall apart!"
'War will erupt? Isn't that exactly what I want?' Kanzou mused silently, his expression unreadable. It was only disappointing that war hadn't erupted yet. Perhaps it wasn't so simple, perhaps something more was needed to provoke the other nations into making the first move.
'Then again,' he thought, 'it hasn't even been a week… maybe it'll happen soon.' He was still trying to be optimistic.
As for Jiraiya's warning about Konoha's instability, Kanzou merely shrugged. "Not really. Sarutobi Hiruzen's existence is irrelevant. Even if he dies, it won't affect Konoha's situation."
After all, Konoha's strength and survival rested solely on him. As long as Kanzou remained, who would dare threaten the village? Even if Madara himself returned with the intention of destroying Konoha, he'd have to answer to him first.
Hearing Kanzou's words, Jiraiya felt his anger flare. It was clear Kanzou didn't care about Konoha at all. Still, beneath that fury, concern for both Hiruzen and the village pushed him to ask, "What would it take to release me?"
He didn't believe Kanzou would keep him imprisoned forever. Surely there was a price, a 'cost.' And if he paid it, perhaps Kanzou would let him go. Under normal circumstances, he would never agree to give this man anything, but with the situation as dire as it was, he had no other choice.
"Release you?" Kanzou repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? A criminal like you, someone who peeps at little girls in bathhouses, can't just be released. You need time to reflect on your actions. In fact, I came here to move you to a different place for solitary confinement. You'll spend a few days there… and think about what you've done."
Release him? Of course, Kanzou had no intention of doing that. Jiraiya was far too valuable, a convenient hostage to control Minato. Besides, if Jiraiya were released, it might hasten Tsunade's return, and that was something Kanzou absolutely didn't want. Jiraiya would remain a prisoner for the foreseeable future.
Not that the man had anything worth offering, anyway.
As for the Mount Myōboku Summoning Scroll, Kanzou couldn't care less about it.
In his opinion, the only good toad was a boiled one.
Hearing Kanzou's refusal, Jiraiya's anger flared, and he opened his mouth to shout, but Kanzou merely shrugged and swung a fist into his face. The blow was brutal; Jiraiya slumped unconscious, possibly suffering brain trauma that would dull his wits and emotions. Kanzou didn't care. He produced a key from his pocket, unlocked Jiraiya's chains, touched the man's shoulder, and vanished with a black flash using the Flying Raijin, reappearing in the isolation chamber before Hazuki.
"Well, put him inside, and take care of him," Kanzou ordered as they secured Jiraiya in one of the cells.
"Yes," Hazuki replied, bowing.
In truth, there was a far more important reason why Kanzou chose to imprison Jiraiya in the isolation chamber. Namikaze Minato had recently been released from prison. Kanzou had no doubts about Minato's abilities; he was an exceptionally skilled shinobi, and on top of that, he had mastered the Flying Raijin.
With that technique, it wouldn't be difficult for Minato to find and reach Jiraiya inside the Uchiha Police Station, allowing the two to escape from the Police Station's holding cells. To prevent that possibility entirely, Kanzou decided to relocate the Toad Sannin to the isolation chamber.
In this sealed and hidden place, Minato would never be able to locate him.
'But… let's make sure Jiraiya doesn't have a Flying Raijin mark on him,' Kanzou thought as he began inspecting the unconscious man's body. If Minato had marked Jiraiya, the location of his imprisonment would be meaningless, Minato could appear beside him at any time.
Though the likelihood of that was low, Kanzou decided to verify it anyway.
As he carefully examined Jiraiya, another thought crossed his mind: whether to transfer Minato's two squadmates to the isolation chamber as well.
'Yeah… why not, I guess,' he shrugged and decided to bring them here as well.
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Somewhere deep beneath Konoha, in a hidden underground place
Danzō sat in one of his underground chambers, listening to his subordinates report on the latest developments in the village. It was a routine he followed diligently, gathering intelligence not only on Konoha's internal affairs but also on external matters, ensuring that everything remained under his watchful eye… or at least allowing him to feel as though it did.
Everything proceeded as usual until one of his operatives, assigned to observe the Uchiha Compound from afar, reported an unusual event that had occurred earlier that day.
As Danzō listened, his brow furrowed. "The Uchiha Clan has surrounded themselves with a barrier formation?" he muttered, irritation and suspicion lacing his tone.
The subordinate nodded and explained, "It doesn't appear to be the kind that blocks entry. It's more like the formation surrounding the village, and the one protecting this base. It's designed to block perception. With this barrier in place, it would be impossible to see or sense what's happening inside the Uchiha Compound."
Danzō was visibly displeased by their audacity. Setting up a barrier around their compound was as good as declaring to the entire village that they knew they were being watched. And while that was true, they were constantly under surveillance by both his operatives and Hiruzen's, Danzō saw that as perfectly normal. After all, the Uchiha were the cancer of Konoha; keeping an eye on them was nothing more than a necessary precaution.
Never before had they dared to erect such a barrier, and now, suddenly, they had. The message was clear: they no longer wished to be spied upon.
Of course, their wishes meant nothing to Danzō. But the fact that the barrier now blocked his operatives from observing them infuriated him.
Scowling, he muttered under his breath, "The Uchiha Clan… are they planning to go to war with the village?"
He really had to consider this possibility, considering the current dire state of the village and the lawlessness of the Uchiha Clansmen, but that doesn't seem to take anyone into consideration.
As he weighed the possibility of conflict, Danzō swiftly asked for an update on Hiruzen's condition and the situation of the village's leadership.
"Exact status of Hokage-sama isn't known, but… our man in the Hokage building says that he hasn't been seen in his office for the past two days," the Root operative reported. "Elder Koharu and Elder Utatane are both in the hospital. Their conditions are stable, they'll survive, but recovery will take time." The operative hesitated before continuing. "Elder Mitokado has lost his sight… both eyes are injured beyond recovery. And as for Elder Utatane… she suffered a miscarriage. The child in her womb didn't survive… and she's no longer capable of bearing children."
When it came to Elder Koharu's injuries, Danzō merely snorted; there wasn't a trace of sympathy in him. The woman had already borne enough children; her suffering was of no concern to him. What troubled him more was Mitokado's blindness, and above all, Hiruzen's uncertain condition.
Honestly, he hadn't expected all three of them to end up injured like this. Once again, he found himself begrudgingly impressed, not only by Uchiha Kanzou's audacity but also by his sheer strength.
To have hospitalized Konoha's top leadership was no small feat.
At the same time, Danzō felt an odd sense of relief that he hadn't attended that meeting himself. Otherwise… he suspected his fate might have been the same.
Despite having great ambitions, Danzō is still quite well aware of his own limits. He isn't stronger than Hiruzen; in fact, he is weaker, and that meant he would've stood no chance against Uchiha Kanzou. And considering Kanzou had already dared to attack Hiashi, Koharu, Mitokado, and even Sarutobi himself… Danzō had no illusions that the man would hesitate to strike him, too.
Thankfully, he hadn't gone, and now, it was up to him to handle the situation.
Pressing his lips into a thin line, he had to admit the situation was dire.
With Hiruzen incapacitated, Mitokado blinded, and Koharu recovering, Konoha's leadership was in shambles. Adding to that, Jiraiya was still imprisoned in the Uchiha Police Station. The village's top echelon of power had been effectively neutralized, and the ones responsible were obvious: the Uchiha Clan, or more precisely, Uchiha Kanzou.
'Uchiha Clan… I always knew they'd become a problem,' Danzō thought grimly.
He had warned Hiruzen countless times to deal with the Uchiha Clan, but the old fool had refused every single time. Danzō had told him again and again that he would regret it, but Hiruzen never listened. And now… these were the consequences.
'Forget it… Now's not the time to dwell on that,' he thought. 'First, I need to focus on the problem at hand.'
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Read up to 60+ Chapters in advance on P atreon at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]