Under normal circumstances, when a "rumor" explosive enough to shake Konoha's foundations appears, the village leadership wouldn't sit idle.
The correct move would be to completely lock down the news and smother the "rumor" in the cradle.
In reality, however, the leadership truly made no move. Not because they were doing nothing, but because the "rumor" spread far faster than anyone expected.
In just a few days it became common knowledge across Konoha. When nearly everyone knows, trying to ban it only looks like a cover-up.
Those who had doubts in their hearts might simply take the matter as true.
And the leadership lacked the capacity now. After the joint attack by the Sand and the Sound, Konoha was still in recovery. To show the outside world that Konoha's strength hadn't been damaged—putting on a brave face—they sent almost all the jonin out on missions.
That left Konoha internally hollowed out and short-handed. Even the Hokage's own ANBU left only a small portion behind. And when the "rumor" first surfaced, who could have imagined its impact would be so great?
The only ones barely affected were the protagonist of this incident, Danzo, and his Root. Another infuriating fact: the whole village mobilized—even the self-serving clans contributed to Konoha—while the mercenary boss of a private army was still watching from the sidelines, holding his troops. Is he planning to act only after Konoha truly falls?
Root's and Danzo's behavior caused the upper echelons to lower their opinion of him once again. Coupled with the "rumors" and Danzo's silence, the higher-ups turned suspicious eyes toward Root.
Was it good or bad for Konoha to have such a unit? Even knowing Root's importance, if you do nothing in all matters and think only of power-grabbing, what use are you?
You stood down during the Nine-Tails incident, were giddy during the Uchiha massacre, stood down when the Sand and Orochimaru attacked Konoha, and now—when Konoha needs manpower most in its recovery—you still stand down. What's that supposed to mean? It's beyond disheartening. You're a master of infighting, but before foreign enemies you play dead.
Even in the Second's day, the focus would likely not be on the Uchiha, but on Root.
This was exactly Uchiha Musashi's intent. And if Danzo did send Root shinobi to aid reconstruction, would that ruin Musashi's plan?
Of course not. Sending them out would be even better.
It would let Musashi destroy Danzo's Root more easily. But Musashi calculated Danzo wouldn't do it.
A man like Danzo was far more likely to gather all his force and wipe out the Uchiha by brute force.
Few in Konoha could check Danzo now, especially after the Third's death—Tsunade barely counted as a half.
Nominally there were still the Konoha Advisors and the Council of Elders, but Danzo wouldn't care about them when moving in the dark.
Just like what he was about to do to the Uchiha now.
"I wiped out your clan once; I can wipe you out a second time." Stroking his bandaged right arm, Danzo's lone left eye gleamed darkly.
"Root, act according to plan tonight."
The night sky was pitch black without a cloud. When the moon quietly rose, only moonlight bathed the earth. In the Flower Kingdom, such a night would make one think of monsters.
The scene mirrored the Uchiha clan massacre that took place here a few years back.
Tonight, the Uchiha compound was quieter than usual. Perhaps because there were only a few dozen people left—the vast domain was desolate.
Nothing like the once-bustling district years ago.
A cold wind rustled the leaves, but listen closely and you'd find it wasn't leaves at all—it was the faintest sound of running feet.
Countless black-clad figures infiltrated from the compound's perimeter. The Uchiha's sealing barrier might as well not have existed—it detected nothing.
"Su Squad, no anomalies." "Chu Squad, no anomalies."
"Infiltration successful. Execute Phase Two—extermination." The figures first assembled at one point, then rapidly dispersed to different targets.
Last to arrive, Danzo made a villain's entrance through the main gate with several of Root's best of the best.
"A mere Uchiha clan will end by my hand after all. Lord Second, I'm finally going to fulfill your wish." Danzo spoke as if victory were certain. The Uchiha's new clan head? Just a kid in his teens. So he stirred up public opinion—he was still too young.
Even if he were as gifted as Itachi, so what? He couldn't survive a joint strike by dozens of Root elites.
Danzo had only heard about the Itachi–Musashi fight, but he didn't believe Itachi would lose to a twelve-year-old. He even suspected Itachi staged a show with the boy—just as he hadn't believed Shisui back then. Danzo believed no one—especially not an Uchiha. Did they really think every last one of them was a genius?
But should he spare that brother of Itachi's? Itachi's power was something to consider.
"Who goes there?" While Danzo pondered, his bodyguard barked.
Danzo's bodyguards were modeled after the Hokage's Guard Platoon—so deep was his obsession with the Hokage's seat.
No one answered the guard. Two huge black shapes flew at Danzo.
The Root bodyguards did their duty, tearing the black shapes apart.
"Damn it! They're ours!" Closer, they realized the "attackers" were Root shinobi.
"Lord Danzo, what brings you to the Uchiha? Come to play? How about the gift I just gave you—do you like it?" A man stepped from the shadows where the moonlight didn't reach. The lighting revealed only half his face.
Danzo recognized him: Uchiha Anmie, an old-line Uchiha master with at least elite jonin strength.
But only an elite jonin. Danzo's guards all had elite jonin strength. A variable, yes, but nothing fatal.
"You don't know why I'm here?" Danzo narrowed his eyes at Anmie, a dangerous light in them.
"Of course—to erase your traitorous clan from this world."
Even Danzo could kill Anmie, so he wasn't worried. Though the First's cells had made him neither man nor ghost, his power had undoubtedly grown. Add in transplanted Sharingan—though fewer than in the original—and Shisui's Mangekyo's ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami—
Danzo was confident that even against Itachi he would be unshakable.
"Hmph. Just you?" Anmie glanced at Danzo with scorn. "Or do you think with these few pieces of trash at your side you can annihilate the Uchiha?"
Root shinobi may have had no emotions, but being so utterly belittled still stoked their anger.
Root's conditioning showed—had it been a regular unit, especially hot-headed ones, they'd have rushed in to fight Anmie long ago.
Root merely looked to Danzo, awaiting orders.
"Clicking my tongue for nothing—I thought I could pick off one or two." Inwardly cursing, Anmie admitted his plan had failed. If Root had attacked, he was confident he could have taken them.
Now that they'd calmed down to face him, even with a Sharingan it would be hard to handle so many peers alone.
It would be a hard battle.
"Weren't you arrogant just now? Why so much like a dead dog now?" Danzo planted a foot on Anmie and jabbed his forehead with a stick from who knew where.
Anmie's body was covered in wounds large and small. One arm had somehow been severed. The faint rise and fall of his chest showed he lived, barely.
Danzo's side wasn't much better. Of his men from before, only two still stood intact before Anmie—one badly hurt.
Even Danzo had suffered for his carelessness, though not severely.
One against many, Anmie's record was enough to be proud of—worthy of being the strongest Uchiha besides Uchiha Musashi. When he fought to the death, he truly wasn't ordinary.
Never underestimate an Uchiha—the "cheat clan" nickname wasn't for nothing.
"Would you kindly remove your filthy hoof from my incompetent subordinate?" A voice, cold and emotionless, sounded in the emptiness.
Danzo's group jumped—who would have thought someone else would appear now, here? None of them had sensed him. One of the two remaining by Danzo's side was a top-shelf sensory ninja.
"Clan Head... I've disappointed you." Hearing the newcomer, Anmie forced out a few words.
(End of Chapter)
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