Shin’s gaze swept over the remaining five people, and he said in a heavy voice: “The rest of you, follow your respective captains’ orders.
Remember, always put your own lives first; the mission comes second.
Strike fast, retreat even faster, settle things quickly, and absolutely do not drag your feet!”
“Yes!
We shall follow Master Shin’s orders!”
Sixteen voices converged, carrying a fire-forged determination that echoed for a long time in the sealed underground chamber.
The flickering lamplight reflected pairs of crimson Sharingan, like sparks ignited in the dark night, waiting for three days later to shock the entire Konoha.
Late at night, the lights of the Hokage Building were blindingly bright.
In the top-floor office, the smoke was so thick that figures were nearly invisible.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk.
His pipe had long since burned out, but he remained oblivious, his fingertips clutching a secret report just delivered by the Anbu, his knuckles white from the force.
On the desk, a thick stack of urgent reports from the border was piled high.
The wax seals were each more crimson than the last, like death-summoning talismans.
The string in his heart, which had been loose for nearly a month, was now stretched to its limit once again.
Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
The Anbu reports grew more frequent by the day, and suspicions continued to mount: within the entire Uchiha clan, except for a few shops on the street kept for appearance, almost no one stepped foot outside the Uchiha Clan Compound anymore.
Even daily shopping and Ninja mission handovers had completely stopped.
The Chakra fluctuations around Naka Shrine grew stronger by the day.
Sensory Anbu reported a large-scale sealing array operating beneath the shrine, but every time they tried to approach for investigation, they were unceremoniously intercepted by Uchiha patrols.
Even the Ninja Cat Clan, bound to the Uchiha for generations, frequently entered and exited the compound using Summoning Jutsu.
The Anbu had watched them for half a month but failed to discover exactly what they were transporting inside.
The small reassurance from Fugaku’s previous initiative to surrender power and request surveillance had long since vanished under these suspicions.
“Hiruzen!
We can’t wait any longer!”
Utatane Koharu slammed the table, her face ashen.
“The Anbu has investigated; dozens of bounties targeting Uchiha Clan Members have been posted in the Underground Exchange, all high-priced hits!
But look, instead of sending people to investigate, the Uchiha have locked all their clansmen inside the compound.
Is this normal?!
They are definitely plotting something!”
“Even more critical is the border!” Homura Mitokado took over, pushing the top two urgent reports toward him.
“The Fourth Raikage A of Kumogakure, leading Killer Bee and two thousand elite Ninja, has already pressed up to the border of the Land of Fire.
On the surface, they claim it’s a routine exercise, but they’ve brought full supplies and provisions.
They’re clearly waiting for us to have internal strife!
Ōnoki of Iwagakure has also moved.
Earth Release units are massing at the border.
With one in the south and one in the north, they’re just waiting to take a bite out of us!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, feeling his temples throb.
It had only been five years since the Third Ninja World War.
Konoha had lost nearly half of its elites and still hadn’t recovered.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure were already powerful nations in the Ninja World.
With pressure coming from both sides, the cards he held were simply not enough to go around.
He remained silent for a long while before finally opening his eyes and looking at the Anbu Commander beside him: “Pass my orders.
Have Kakashi lead Anbu Division One, along with the elites of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, to the northern border immediately to guard against Kumogakure.
Then, have Asuma lead Anbu Division Two to the western border to keep an eye on Iwagakure.”
“Hokage-sama!” The Anbu Commander’s expression changed.
“If we do that, the remaining Anbu in the Village won’t even be able to maintain regular patrols!”
“I know,” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s voice was full of exhaustion.
“But the borders cannot fall into chaos.
Once Kumogakure and Iwagakure invade, Konoha will truly be finished.”
Homura Mitokado said urgently, “If the Village’s defenses are emptied, what about the Uchiha?
If they really rebel at a time like this, who will stop them?!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, a hint of calculation flashing in his eyes.
The Uchiha still had nearly a thousand Ninja, including many Elite Jonin.
If he could send this group to the border, he could fill the manpower gap there while also drawing the Uchiha’s core combat strength out of Konoha.
By splitting their forces, even if they truly had rebellious intent, they would be leaderless and unable to cause much trouble.
“Deliver my official order.” He looked up at the messenger Anbu.
“Go to the Uchiha Clan Compound, find Uchiha Fugaku, and tell him the border is in crisis and Konoha is in peril.
Order him to immediately mobilize two hundred elite Uchiha Ninja to set out for the northern border within three days to assist Kakashi against Kumogakure.”
The Anbu departed as ordered, and the office fell silent for a moment.
But to everyone’s surprise, only half an hour later, the messenger Anbu returned with a grim expression: “Hokage-sama, Uchiha Fugaku has refused.”
“What did you say?!” Utatane Koharu stood up abruptly and shouted sharply.
“Uchiha Fugaku said,” the Anbu lowered his head, his voice tight.
“He said that the Underground Exchange is currently filled with high bounties on Uchiha clansmen.
Once the clan’s Ninja leave the compound, they will be targeted by bounty hunters from across the Ninja World.
He cannot use the lives of his clansmen to fill the holes at the border.
Furthermore, the entire clan is preparing for the centennial Ancestral Sacrifice, and core members must participate, so they truly cannot spare any manpower.
He also said that if Hokage-sama is truly short on manpower, he can first deploy Lord Shimura’s Root elites to the border; Root’s combat strength is not inferior to the Uchiha’s.”
“Insolent!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the table hard, his pipe hitting the surface with a heavy thud, his eyes swirling with overwhelming rage.
He had been Hokage his whole life, and no one had ever dared to reject his orders so directly.
Fugaku’s words were ostensibly an excuse, but in reality, they were a clear stance: he refused to provide a single soldier, choosing instead to watch Konoha suffer under border pressure.
By this point, if he still couldn’t see that the Uchiha were up to something, he would have occupied the Hokage’s seat for nothing all these years.
But he found himself powerless.
The pressure on the border was at his throat.
He had already sent out all his elites and had no capacity left to break ties with the Uchiha.
Once a war with the Uchiha began, Kumogakure and Iwagakure would definitely march south immediately.
At that point, they would be attacked from both sides, leading to total ruin.
The office was deathly silent.
Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and looked toward the figure in the shadows by the window, his voice as cold as ice: “Danzo.”
Danzo Shimura stepped out of the shadows, the single eye beneath the bandages filled with undisguised mockery: “What?
Hokage-sama, you remember me now?
I told you long ago that these Uchiha ingrates can’t be tamed.
You insisted on considering the bigger picture, and now look—they don’t appreciate your kindness at all.”
“Enough nonsense,” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face was so dark it could drip water.
“I order you to immediately mobilize all Root elites and surround the Uchiha Clan Compound tightly.
Set up triple sentries at all four entrances and exits.
Have sensory Ninja on watch twenty-four hours a day.
Not even a fly from the Uchiha is allowed to leave!”