Chapter 60: Danzō: Well Done, Truly Worthy of the Will of Root
"Remember, we have already lost a powerful combatant."
After these words were spoken, the Uchiha clansmen looked at each other blankly; some shifted their gazes towards Uchiha Itachi.
Even if we decide to rebel, it cannot be now.
With Shisui dead, our side lacks a powerful combatant. We cannot control the Konoha higher-ups instantly; it would only cause immense casualties.
Therefore, we now need an inside agent who can relay information...
Uchiha Fugaku glanced almost imperceptibly at the silent Itachi, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Simultaneously, he sighed inwardly: "I should find time to talk with Itachi. No matter what, the clan is our root."
He actually knew very well that Uchiha Shisui must have been killed by Root, and perhaps his own outstanding son witnessed that scene firsthand.
But even so, Fugaku still stopped the clansmen's uprising.
Firstly, he didn't believe Sarutobi Hiruzen had a hand in this matter.
He was, after all, hailed as the Shinobi Hero. How could he do such a thing?
Moreover, Shisui was close to the Hokage faction from beginning to end, always hoping to ease the relationship between the village and the Uchiha.
Fugaku couldn't figure out Hiruzen's motive for killing Shisui.
Secondly, killing a few Root ninja now wouldn't be difficult.
But the real problem lay in the subsequent handling of the matter.
Those few Root ninja were merely pawns sent to deal with Shisui's corpse.
The one who killed Shisui must be someone else!
Danzō!
If these few ninja were killed, then who could prove they killed Shisui?
The current reputation of the Police Force was extremely poor, which naturally implicated the reputation of their Uchiha clan.
If some rats hiding in the shadows made an issue of this, then neither the ninja nor the civilians would side with them.
There must be evidence.
Thinking this, Fugaku turned his head towards Itachi: "Shisui's remains, and those few Root members – have they all been brought back to the clan?"
As the clan head, he merely lacked daring and was indecisive; he wasn't a fool.
Although he didn't intend to break ties, he wouldn't let the other side off so easily either.
"...Mm."
Uchiha Itachi nodded, leading them towards the detention place.
When Fugaku and the others saw the Root ninja, whose appearances were tragic, faces bruised and swollen, they instantly looked at Itachi with strange gazes.
"Seems this guy isn't that heartless after all."
Unconsciously, the clansmen felt a bit more approval towards Uchiha Itachi.
The Aburame clan Root ninja heard the noise and slightly lifted his bruised eyelids.
Upon seeing Uchiha Fugaku and the others, a look of determination flashed in his eyes.
"Still can't escape..."
The other Root ninja similarly felt their hearts sink.
Although they hadn't killed Shisui, they knew about Lord Danzō's plan to take the eye and had received orders to hunt down Shisui.
If these secrets are discovered, then Lord Danzō's situation...
In a daze, Lord Danzō's philosophical words echoed involuntarily in the Root ninjas' minds.
"My heart is like a tree. The more a tree yearns for the light above, the deeper its roots must reach downwards, towards the soil, towards the depths of darkness."
The lush leaves bathe in sunlight; the roots underground must extend into darkness.
Since joining Root, they had already dedicated their bodies and minds to Konoha's roots.
Not just because they were branded with the Tongue Curse Seal, but also for Konoha's future.
"Lord Danzō, I finally understand what you mean."
The Aburame ninja and the other Root ninja all clenched their teeth.
In an instant, a sense of foreboding arose in Fugaku's heart.
But by the time he rushed before the Root members, their breathing had already completely stopped.
Uchiha Yashiro knelt, removing a Root ninja's mask.
He saw blood and white foam trickling from the corner of their mouth; clearly, they had died from poison.
"They actually prepared poison in their mouths..."
Fugaku couldn't help but suck in a cold breath, a surge of anger finding no outlet. He absolutely hadn't expected the people trained by Danzō to be so ruthless, actually committing suicide directly without hesitation.
"Captain, what now?" Uchiha Yashiro turned and asked Fugaku.
The gazes of the other Uchiha clansmen also focused on Fugaku.
"Take these bodies to the Police Force first. I will go see the Third Hokage."
Fugaku suppressed the anger in his heart. After some calm analysis, he gave the order.
No matter what, he still had to see Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Tower.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in Hokage robes, stood by the window, having already dismissed all the ANBU.
Click!
"Hiruzen, why did you call me here?"
The sound of a door opening was heard. Shimura Danzō's face was livid, his tone somewhat unfriendly.
He had only simply bandaged his wound and was still anxious to find Orochimaru to get a replacement arm.
And that masked man who stole Shisui's right eye and escaped – he needed to put a bounty on him in the black market!
"Hiruzen! Where are my Root ninja? And also..."
Danzō was about to seize the initiative in speaking, but was interrupted by Sarutobi Hiruzen:
"You killed Shisui. Now where are his eyes?"
Whether Uchiha Shisui died or not wasn't important.
The key was the Mangekyō Sharingan and Kotoamatsukami – they absolutely could not fall into Danzō's hands.
"Eyes?"
Danzō couldn't help but freeze, instinctively frowning.
One eye was stolen by that masked man, but the other eye should still be with Shisui, right?
Suddenly, Danzō seemed to think of something, joy abruptly showing on his face.
Could it be... the Root ninja he sent out already succeeded?
Thinking carefully, it made sense. When Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned him, he mentioned Shisui's name, clearly already aware of his eye-snatching affair.
And his dispatched Root ninja hadn't returned yet – they were probably detained by Hiruzen!
"Hiruzen!"
Danzō tapped his cane somewhat excitedly: "You should return the Root ninja and Shisui's eye to me!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen froze, momentarily failing to react.
What does he mean, return Shisui's eye to him?
Isn't that pair of Mangekyō Sharingan in Danzō's hands?
Didn't he kill Shisui and then take both his eyes?
Instantly, Hiruzen suddenly felt an ominous premonition.
"Are you serious? Shisui's eyes aren't in your hands?"
"Hmm?"
Danzō was also taken aback, but quickly reacted.
Well done! Worthy of me teaching them the Will of Root! They actually didn't spill!
But after thinking slightly, Danzō still decided to confess to Hiruzen: "Shisui's eyes are with those few Root ninja you captured."
Who knew, as soon as Danzō said this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face changed instantly on the spot.
"I'll ask you one more time. Are you certain Shisui's eyes are not in your hands?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned grave as he questioned him again.
(End of Chapter)
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