Inside the Uchiha clan's stronghold.
The sole remaining elder of the Shimura clan was now surrounded by a group of radical Uchiha ninjas.
Their gazes, filled with ill intent, roamed over him.
"If my memory serves me right," an elderly Uchiha, Shisui, leaning on his cane, squinted at the Shimura elder, who was about his age, "most of the Shimura clan's ninjas serve in the Root. But ever since Uchiha Akainu went on a rampage, hunting and slaughtering Root ninjas... your clan has been stretched thin, hasn't it? The younger generation's dwindled to kids barely in their teens. Your clan's down to just a handful of stragglers, isn't it?"
Shisui's eyes gleamed with disdain as he stared down the Shimura elder.
"And let's not forget, Shimura Danzo was stripped of his position as Root's leader by the Third Hokage after Uchiha Akainu drove him out. He's been missing for days now, hasn't he?"
"With so few clan members left and your backbone, Danzo, nowhere to be found, you think the Shimura clan is worthy of negotiating with me?" Shisui's tone dripped with arrogance.
The Shimura elder's face darkened. As expected of the naturally wicked Uchiha clan—every single one of them exuded an aura that made his skin crawl.
"Danzo-sama isn't missing," the elder replied coldly. "He's been in the Hidden Leaf all along. However…"
"Last night, under a shameless sneak attack by Uchiha Akainu, Danzo-sama sacrificed himself to protect the village."
Shisui's eyes widened in shock. "...!!!"
To be honest, the news of Danzo's death had only circulated among a small circle the previous night, kept under wraps. Shisui hadn't known until the Shimura elder dropped the bombshell in his face.
"Dead, huh… Danzo," Shisui muttered, his wrinkled face twitching as a mocking smirk curled his lips. "Good riddance! If I recall, he was the one with the biggest grudge against the Uchiha, wasn't he?"
His smirk faded, replaced by a cold glare. "As long as Shimura Danzo was around, our clans were destined to be at odds. Now that he's gone, do you think the Uchiha will just forgive you lot?"
"Without Danzo, the Shimura clan is barely hanging on by a thread. You think a handful of stragglers have the right to talk big in front of me?"
The Shimura elder clenched his fists, struggling to keep his temper in check on Uchiha turf. He hadn't come here to pick a fight with Shisui.
His face darkened further as he gritted his teeth and said, "But we share a common enemy, don't we? Uchiha Akainu! That rogue Uchiha, a minority in your clan, is the biggest obstacle you face, isn't he?"
"If the Shimura clan is willing to go all-in… just to make sure Uchiha Akainu joins Danzo-sama in the grave! Would you still ignore what I'm saying, Uchiha Shisui?"
"Because whether it's the Shimura clan's downfall or Akainu's death, either way, it's a win for you, isn't it?"
Shisui's cloudy eyes deepened with thought, his aged fingers rubbing the polished wood of his cane. He had to admit, the old Shimura's words were tempting.
But…
"Hey, old man!" a young, radical Uchiha ninja sneered, glaring at the Shimura elder. "Are you trying to sow discord within our clan? You think the Uchiha are that stupid?"
"Danzo was the guy we wanted dead the most, and now Akainu's taken him out. We're grateful to him! Work with you to kill Akainu? Tch, what a joke!"
"An old fool trying to stir trouble in our clan? Why don't you just leave your life here? This isn't a place you can waltz in and out of."
Another Uchiha jeered, "Cooperate with us? You think you're worthy? Bring Danzo back from the dead, make him kneel before us, and maybe we'll consider it!"
"No matter what, Akainu's one of us. And I gotta say, his 'Absolute Justice' kinda speaks to me. Why would we team up with you against him?"
Shisui remained silent, his wrinkled face darkening alongside the Shimura elder's.
He realized the younger radicals' opinions of Akainu had shifted dramatically. Yes, he was somewhat tempted by the Shimura elder's offer, but his own people seemed to be drifting away from his influence.
Damn it! How did that brat Akainu manage this? Was he secretly colluding with the radicals behind my back? Shisui's face darkened with suspicion.
"I understand," the Shimura elder said suddenly, his expression calming as he let out a breath. Glancing at Shisui, he said slowly, "It seems you don't have full control over the Uchiha's hardline faction. I see now—I came to the wrong person."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Hold it!" Shisui's voice was icy as he interrupted, spitting out each word through gritted teeth. "Did I say you could leave?"
…
The news of Danzo's death at Akainu's hands reached Uchiha Fugaku through his eldest son, Itachi.
Fugaku's heart churned with shock, and it took him a full half-minute to regain his composure.
Even though Danzo had been stripped of his position by the Hokage, everyone knew it was just for show. Given time, Danzo would surely be reinstated to a high-ranking role, though perhaps not as Root's leader. Fugaku had never underestimated the man, who'd been absent for so long.
Yet, this very man, a former Leaf high-ranking official Fugaku had always been wary of, had died at Akainu's hands the previous night!
"Itachi… were you there?" Fugaku asked his son after a long silence.
"No," Itachi replied, his face expressionless. "By the time I noticed Uchiha Akainu, he'd already succeeded. If I'd been there, I never would've let him touch Danzo-sama. To be precise, though, Akainu was only the mastermind. The one who actually did it… was Uchiha Izumi."
"Izumi… that girl has fully embraced 'Absolute Justice,' hasn't she?" Fugaku sighed, lost in thought. "She's the only trainee in the police force who's stuck by Akainu's side for so long."
"Itachi, you know what it means for Danzo to be killed, especially with the Uchiha involved, don't you?"
Itachi's tone was cold. "Some within the clan will get restless because of this. They'll naively think the Leaf's leadership is weak. Their narrow-mindedness will lead to irreversible mistakes."
"Itachi, give me some time, alright?" Fugaku took a deep breath. "You don't have to let a tragedy unfold. I might have a better way to handle this."
Itachi looked at his father deeply. "Father, your so-called solutions are just patchwork. There's only one way to truly resolve the conflict that's about to erupt."
Fugaku opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. He looked at his son, both unfamiliar and yet somehow comforting.
In the end, he could only sigh helplessly, repeating, "Itachi, give me some time. The Uchiha and the Leaf don't have to reach a point of no return."
He wasn't sure if he could convince his son.
"But…" Fugaku's eyes held a father's love mixed with indescribable pain and conflict. "If I can't resolve this, I won't try to stop you anymore."
"I know beneath your cold exterior, you carry a lot of pain. I know the threats you've made to Sasuke are a form of love, hoping he'll grow stronger in the future."
"Itachi, if it comes to an unavoidable point, no matter what choice you make, I'll be proud of you."
Itachi was silent for a long moment before bowing deeply to Fugaku.
"Yes, Father."
…
The news of Danzo's death didn't seem to cause much of a stir. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, appeared to be deliberately suppressing its impact, avoiding any direct confrontation with Uchiha Akainu.
After all, while it was a shame to lose such a powerful asset to the village, Danzo's death wasn't entirely a bad thing for the Hokage. At the very least, the Root—once an uncontrollable shadow organization—was now fully under his command.
Plus, he no longer had to worry about Danzo pulling another one of his infamous coup attempts. The man had a history of trying to overthrow the Hokage, after all.
The pros and cons balanced out, making it seem like nothing had happened.
But the one person Sarutobi couldn't stop worrying about was Naruto.