Root Organization's New Leader

The sky was turning pale, and the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, illuminating the streets of the prosperous Konoha Ninja Village and dispelling the darkness.

For ordinary people.

This was another ordinary day.

ANBU had cleaned up the battlefield near the Uchiha Clan Grounds and set up a cordon around the outskirts.

Without orders from the higher-ups.

ANBU still could not clear out the Uchiha Clan Grounds, but some ANBU had already infiltrated the area, standing atop the wooden houses to survey the scene and establish tight defenses.

On the main street of the Uchiha Clan Grounds, Itachi carried Sasuke on his back as he walked toward the clan grounds' exit, while the ANBU elites simply turned a blind eye to them.

Itachi was in a daze, trying to come up with excuse after excuse to deceive Sasuke, but he rejected each one in his heart.

According to his plan.

Sasuke should not have fainted so early.

"Stop!"

A familiar voice rang out.

Itachi looked up. A fox-faced mask and two familiar figures appeared in his vision.

Two ANBU blocked his way.

Itachi looked past them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two were walking toward him. Their gazes were indifferent, and they radiated the bearing of people in high positions, completely ignoring the corpses of Uchiha civilians on the street.

"Stand down!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said indifferently to the two ANBU who had stopped Itachi.

Before the ANBU wearing the fox mask could leave, Itachi reached out to stop him and handed over the unconscious Sasuke. "Kakashi, please look after Sasuke for a while."

Kakashi froze, then sighed softly as he took Sasuke and withdrew with Yamato.

Only four people remained on the entire street.

Utatane Koharu got straight to the point. She stepped forward and said slowly, "Uchiha Ingetsu annihilated the Uchiha Clan and fled Konoha with a squad of Uchiha Renegades. Itachi, you don't have to leave the village."

Itachi's dazed thoughts gradually gathered into focus. He looked up at Sarutobi Hiruzen beside the old woman.

He immediately understood what they meant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze was calm as he looked directly into Itachi's questioning eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Itachi. In the end, I still couldn't find a better solution.

"As for staying in Konoha.

"What are your thoughts?"

In the eyes of Konoha's three higher-ups, the Uchiha Clan could have been annihilated by Itachi, or by Ingetsu.

And now, Sarutobi Hiruzen was more inclined to believe that the Uchiha Clan had been annihilated by the defecting Uchiha Ingetsu.

The two Hokage Assistants were right.

Konoha urgently needed people now.

Seeing Itachi's silence, Utatane Koharu spoke bluntly.

"Only the three of us, you, and the dead Danzo know the truth about tonight."

"Danzo is dead?"

Itachi abruptly raised his head. His bloodshot black eyes stared fixedly at Utatane Koharu, and the news exploded in his mind.

Shimura Danzo, who pushed for the Uchiha Clan's extermination... is dead? How did he die?

Itachi immediately thought of an unbelievable answer.

Uchiha Ingetsu killed him!

Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes slightly. Her breathing stopped, and her body trembled faintly.

The eyes of the Uchiha boy before her seemed to contain kunai forged from killing intent. In that instant, they had delivered a fatal stab.

Utatane Koharu nodded and did not hide the truth. "Uchiha Ingetsu killed him!"

At those words, Itachi's pupils contracted. His thoughts descended into chaos again. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and reassessed Uchiha Ingetsu's level of danger.

Itachi raised his head and stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen. In a faint, trembling voice, he said, "The Uchiha Military Police Force had already been dealt with by Uchiha Ingetsu before I took action."

As soon as he said this.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were once again thrown into turmoil.

In other words, after Uchiha Ingetsu annihilated the Uchiha Military Police Force at the clan grounds, he had returned and killed Danzo as well!

An Uchiha who could kill the entire Uchiha Military Police Force.

And assassinate Danzo on top of that.

He absolutely qualified as an S-Rank Missing-nin!

The last Missing-nin of this level in Konoha had been Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Sannin.

"This..." Utatane Koharu's pupils shook violently. She swallowed, and the words at her lips died there.

This was simply unbelievable!

Sarutobi Hiruzen was the first to regain his composure. He mentally considered all the shinobi in Konoha Ninja Village. He feared that only his three disciples could accomplish such a feat.

Even if Uchiha Ingetsu had awakened the Mangekyo.

He still could not have committed both crimes in succession.

Annihilating an entire Uchiha Military Police Force.

His Chakra would inevitably have been exhausted.

And then he had assassinated Danzo afterward!

The three of them understood Danzo's strength better than anyone. Even if Konoha's Sannin joined forces, they could not instantly kill Danzo.

The scene fell into a deathly silence.

Itachi broke the stalemate.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. For Sasuke's sake, I can't stay in Konoha. I'll find a way to deal with that squad of Uchiha Renegades for the village. Please look after Sasuke."

The three Konoha higher-ups gathered their thoughts.

All three had held high positions for many years, and they immediately pulled themselves away from the matter of Ingetsu annihilating the Military Police Force and then assassinating Danzo.

What they needed to do now.

Was persuade Itachi to stay!

The Uchiha Clan was already gone. Since there was a squad of Uchiha Renegades to take the blame, Itachi indeed did not have to leave Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not surprised by Itachi's answer. He then narrowed his eyes at Utatane Koharu.

The two exchanged a brief glance.

Utatane Koharu continued persuading him.

"Itachi, we understand how you feel. You can hear the conditions we're offering first.

"Danzo is dead.

"Konoha's underground intelligence department, the ANBU Training Department's 'Root Organization,' desperately needs someone to take over.

"You are the most suitable person for the position.

"As long as you stay in Konoha, you can look after Sasuke yourself and raise him to adulthood.

"Itachi, think about your little brother.

"Of course.

"If you insist on leaving the village, we will keep our promise and take good care of Sasuke."

Uchiha Itachi quickly weighed the pros and cons. He slowly raised his head and looked at the Third Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.

"None of us wanted to see this happen to the Uchiha, but circumstances and momentum have their own power. Once you enter the game, the situation will force you to make a choice.

"What I'm about to say may sound harsh, Itachi.

"But you upheld the Will of Fire and made an outstanding contribution to Konoha's peace. You are a hero of Konoha.

"You shouldn't have to live in darkness.

"Itachi, stay. In the name of the Hokage, I beg you."

Two days into their flight.

At the border of the Land of Fire.

Kikyo Mountain.

The stream was like a silver ribbon winding through the bleak autumn valley, flowing quietly outward.

Splash—

Ingetsu stood upstream. He bent down and cupped a handful of clear water in both hands, washing the bloodstains from his face. His feet stood on the crystal-clear riverbed, the water covering his ankles.

The stream water at the end of autumn was bitingly cold.

Under the sunlight, the surface reflected Ingetsu's appearance: short, tousled hair, sharp brows and starry eyes, a clearly defined face, a white robe, and an elegant bearing.

The other Uchiha were also cleaning the grime from their bodies near the stream.

They had long since changed into ordinary clothes.

Now, they looked like local villagers living in the nearby mountains, except that their looks were exceptionally striking.

At that moment, Uchiha Izumi furrowed her willow brows. Carrying her ninja shoes in her right hand, she walked through the water from downstream.

Representing the other Uchiha, she approached Ingetsu, who had not spoken to them in two days, and asked softly, "Inge... Ingetsu Captain, should we travel by water and go around Kikyo Mountain?

"Or should we enter Kikyo Mountain and pass through Kikyo Castle?

"I per... personally think.

"Although taking the water route will be a little farther, it can erase our trail."

P.S.: Two chapters tomorrow. They'll be very exciting!