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Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Damn! Danzo, You Are Such a Fool!

When Shimura Danzo heard that he was to be transferred into the custody of the Uchiha Police Force, his expression twisted in fury. His nose nearly crooked from the surge of emotion.

He had accepted being temporarily imprisoned. He even accepted apologizing to the Daimyo—if that would calm the political storm threatening Konoha. But this? Being handed over to the Uchiha?

"This isn't discipline... it's execution!"

"Damn you, Sarutobi Hiruzen!" Danzo clenched his fists behind his back. "So you've chosen to abandon me after all. Sacrificing me to buy Uchiha and the Daimyo's trust? I'll make you regret this decision."

Danzo was not naïve. He understood that if he had done half the things he'd done in another village, he would have been executed long ago. Hiruzen had protected him repeatedly—for loyalty, for history, and perhaps for the belief that Danzo's darkness was necessary for the light.

Hiruzen had even chosen him over Orochimaru when the time came. That loyalty made today's betrayal sting all the more.

"You only need me when the village's shadow is useful. Otherwise, I'm just Shimura Danzo again—not your 'old friend' Tuantuan."

But for all his bitterness, Danzo understood reality. He had no soldiers left to call on. Root's elites had been decimated or gone silent. Worse still, his current body was unstable. The cells of the First Hokage were beginning to reject him again, and he had yet to obtain another Sharingan to balance the load.

"I need to endure. Survive. Get to Orochimaru. That snake always has a contingency."

Danzo plotted silently. Even if today was defeat, tomorrow was unwritten. "The position of Elder, of Hokage advisor, of even Hokage itself... I will reclaim it all."

He sneered to himself. "Root will rise again. Stronger than Anbu. Stronger than any clan."

His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp voice.

"What's on your mind, Danzo-sama? Still scheming against the Uchiha?"

Danzo looked up to see Andrew, flanked by multiple Uchiha officers.

Danzo's pupils contracted slightly. Targeting the Uchiha from behind the scenes was one thing—facing them head-on was another matter entirely. Especially when two Mangekyō Sharingan were among them.

"Andrew..." Danzo growled, displeased to see the very person who had orchestrated his public downfall.

"Danzo-sama, I'm here to personally escort you to the Uchiha Police Department. Given your strength and... history, we've taken security measures seriously."

Andrew gestured, and several Uchiha members wheeled out a large sealed wooden container. It was carved with forbidden runes and plastered with explosive tags, emitting an aura that made Danzo visibly tense.

"You see, we've even prepared a special 'carriage'—a secure environment tailored just for you. We want to ensure the safety of the village, after all."

Andrew's tone was cheerful, but the malice was thinly veiled.

"Danzo-sama, don't worry. Hokage-sama has instructed us to guarantee your safety. As long as you cooperate, you'll be free when he returns. Please, step in."

Danzo's hands trembled slightly as he stared at the containment barrel.

Not far off, Shisui Uchiha stood quietly, refusing to even look in Danzo's direction. Once, he had believed Danzo to be the one capable of maintaining order in the village. Now? He questioned whether he had ever truly been in control of his own decisions.

"Maybe I really was caught by my own Kotoamatsukami," Shisui thought bitterly.

The other Uchiha didn't hold back their reactions either—sneering, muttering insults, and a few even preparing to spit on Danzo once he was loaded into the container.

"Shisui," Andrew said calmly, "Danzo is yours to supervise. He is not to leave the police department, nor contact anyone outside of his clan. Aside from that, let him do what he pleases. If he tries anything stupid... well, accidents happen during prisoner transport."

Danzo didn't speak. He was shoved toward the container, and for once, he felt real fear. Not for his life, but for his fading grip on control.

Meanwhile, in Amegakure, the Rain Village...

Obito, hiding under the mask of "Madara," listened as Black Zetsu detailed the situation in Konoha.

Konoha was fractured—its trust with the Daimyo broken, the Uchiha empowered, the other villages growing bolder. It was, in Obito's words, the perfect storm.

"Konoha is surrounded by enemies, destabilized from within, and weakened by public disgrace. They're ripe for destruction."

"Damn it, Andrew... If only Kirigakure was still under my control, I'd launch the next Great Ninja War myself."

But Mist had slipped from his fingers, thanks in part to Andrew's meddling. Now all Obito had was Amegakure, hardly enough to trigger a global conflict.

"The Akatsuki is still too weak," Obito muttered. "Nagato and Konan are doing their best, but strong, independent shinobi are hard to come by."

And the ones he could recruit?

"Idiots. Most of them are only good at blowing things up or whining about money."

His mind drifted to Kisame, the shark-like assassin he had hoped to bring into the fold via the Fourth Mizukage. But Andrew's interventions had thwarted that too, pushing him out before the plan had matured.

Even worse... the Uchiha were watching for him. Watching with Mangekyō Sharingan, no less.

"Those damned eyes. They see through everything."

"I need both Kamui eyes," Obito whispered. "Next time I face the Uchiha... I need Susanoo."

His Kamui was powerful—but not invincible. Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, Itachi's Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu—all of them had faster activation speeds than Kamui. One wrong moment, and even his intangibility would be for nothing.

"I can counter illusions. But not Amaterasu. Not if I'm slow."

"Black Zetsu," he ordered, "track Kakashi. It's not time to act yet—but it will be soon."

Back in the Land of Fire, a breakthrough had finally come.

Under the guarantee of the Uchiha, the Daimyo had finally agreed to grant an audience to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The man was wary, but he had questions—and more importantly, he trusted the Uchiha to keep him safe.

Knowing that a second Mangekyō user had joined Itachi's security team, the Daimyo had relented.

When Hiruzen approached the Daimyo's residence, he was stunned by the layers of protection—barricades, soldiers, and even troops from the Fire Army were stationed at every entrance.

"Now I understand his paranoia," Hiruzen thought. "This isn't politics anymore. It's survival."

"Lord Hokage," Uchiha Kamasu greeted him at the gate, "the Daimyo will see you and Andrew. Your guards must stay outside."

Hiruzen nodded. It was a reasonable request under the circumstances. He dismissed his escort and entered the mansion, Andrew walking beside him silently.

Inside the grand hall, the Daimyo awaited them.

What stunned Hiruzen wasn't the man—but the thirty Uchiha surrounding him, forming an unbroken wall within five meters of his seat. Even Andrew raised a brow.

"This isn't protection. This is a fortress."

"My lord," Hiruzen said, bowing deeply, "I come seeking your forgiveness and clarity. The old man offers his sincerest apologies."

The Daimyo's face twisted in scorn.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, how dare you come here as if nothing happened! I fed your village, funded your defenses, supported your reign. And how did you repay me?"

"With assassins!"

He barked with such force that even Hiruzen flinched.

"You let your advisor, Shimura Danzo, attempt to end my life! If not for Uchiha intervention, I'd be dead! And now you want forgiveness?"

Hiruzen bowed again. "Danzo has been imprisoned. He is currently held under Uchiha supervision. We were investigating thoroughly before replying—that's why I didn't respond immediately."

The Daimyo looked at Andrew for confirmation.

Andrew nodded. He had done exactly as promised.

The Daimyo grunted. "Fine. I trust the Uchiha. But Sarutobi, don't think this ends here. Danzo tried to kill me. That can't be excused."

Hiruzen hesitated. "There may be a misunderstanding, my lord. Danzo might not respect you as he should, but he wouldn't dare assassinate you. Perhaps it was another village's plot."

"MISUNDERSTANDING?!"

The Daimyo thundered. "You take me for a fool? You think the Uchiha are fools too? Or the ninja world?!"

He clapped his hands.

"Itachi. Show him the corpse."

Itachi entered quietly, unrolling a sealing scroll. As the jutsu activated, several bodies with unmistakable Konoha symbols appeared—evidence of the attack.

Hiruzen paled.

"This... this can't be..."

The forehead protectors. The jutsu. Even the armor.

"You damn old fool... Danzo, what have you done?!"Get membership in patreon to read more chapters

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