Shimura Danzō's Overconfidence

Before long, the advance squad led by Uchiha Itachi and Minagawa Uchiha arrived at the underground entrance to the Root Base.

After swiftly clearing out the surrounding sentries, the team led by Uchiha Fugaku arrived as well.

Having arranged the Clan's housing, Uchiha Fugaku was surprised by the efficiency of their advance when he saw the scene before him.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Uchiha Itachi told Uchiha Fugaku about the Root Base entrances he and Uchiha Shisui had learned of during their time in the Anbu. Without further ado, he took the lead and charged into the Root Base.

After all, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi were close friends, so it was only natural for them to share intelligence. This also made it easier for Uchiha Fugaku to seal off the base's exits.

Minagawa Uchiha and the remaining advance Clan Members did not linger either, following Uchiha Itachi into the Root Base one after another.

Uchiha Fugaku did not waste time outside either. He immediately arranged for Clan Members to guard every exit, while he personally stationed himself at the exit closest to the Hokage Building, in case the Third Hokage received word.

Minagawa Uchiha was the last to enter the Root Base and hold the rear. By the time he entered, several Root ninjas' corpses were already strewn across the ground.

Those Root ninjas had likely tried to ambush Uchiha Itachi, only to be killed instead. With so many members of the Uchiha Clan gathering outside, they would naturally have noticed and taken countermeasures.

After advancing farther, he found traces of battle all along the way. Among the corpses on the ground were Clan Members of the Uchiha as well.

Suddenly, several pitch-black shuriken shot from the shadows toward the relaxed-looking Minagawa Uchiha. He did not evade, and the three shuriken passed straight through his body.

Ever cautious about staying alive, Minagawa Uchiha naturally kept Intangibility active at all times in such cramped terrain. He appeared leisurely along the way, but his mind was highly focused, and his Mangekyō Sharingan had long since been activated.

To make up for his lack of combat experience, activating his Sharingan on a battlefield like this to rapidly study others' fighting methods could also help him draw useful parallels.

Still, when he lacked absolute confidence, keeping Intangibility active at all times to preserve his life was the first priority in places where ambushes came so easily.

Seeing that his surprise weapons had failed, the Root ninja hidden in the shadows did not hesitate in the slightest. With a short blade in hand, he launched a direct assault on the Uchiha brat before him. Minagawa Uchiha's Sharingan clearly reflected the enemy's attack trajectory. He easily evaded, then swept the kunai in his hand across the man's throat and continued onward without even looking back.

He made his way to the previous hall, suffering several more attacks along the way as the sounds of fighting reached him.

The Root ninjas out in the open had all been dealt with by the Clan Members who entered first. Only a few ninjas hiding in the shadows remained, waiting for a chance to ambush from behind. When they saw another Uchiha brat trying to pass through, they naturally greeted him with a barrage of sneak attacks.

Minagawa Uchiha did as before. To temper his combat experience, he first activated Intangibility to evade the first wave of ambushes, then used the extraordinary dynamic vision granted by his Mangekyō Sharingan to fight the enemy.

Through this, his understanding of combat improved considerably.

The moment he entered the hall, he saw the Uchiha Clan Members who had arrived earlier fighting Root ninjas fiercely. Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi stood alone upon the corridor bridge, instantly killing any Root ninja who approached him with masterful combat techniques.

After thinking for a moment, Minagawa Uchiha understood why Uchiha Itachi had stopped searching deeper for Shimura Danzō.

This was the passage hub of the entire Root Base. As long as they guarded this place, no matter how many people were in the base, whether they chose to fight or leave to report to the Third Hokage, they would have to pass through here.

Rather than search everywhere for Shimura Danzō in this sprawling Root Base, risking missing each other or letting him escape, it was far simpler and more convenient to wait here for him to come.

Minagawa Uchiha naturally would not let such a chance to hone his combat ability pass by. He dispelled Intangibility and joined the battle, cautiously sharpening his fighting skills while observing the other Clan Members' battles. After some time, he had gained greatly.

At this moment, Shimura Danzō deep within the base received word that Uchiha Itachi had led the Uchiha Clan in an invasion of the Root Base. Rage immediately surged within him, and he killed the reporting ninja on the spot.

He had thought he would soon receive news that the Uchiha had been completely Destroyed, along with reports of Root ninjas returning with a large number of Sharingan. Yet the Uchiha, who should have been Destroyed, had instead charged directly into his base. The one leading them was even Uchiha Itachi, whom he had valued most in this operation. His excellent mood instantly darkened.

"Damn Uchiha Itachi. As expected, no Uchiha can be trusted. Some of you, continue preparing the equipment for storing the Sharingan. The rest of you, come with me and kill the invading Uchiha. The others do not matter, but make absolutely certain their eyes are not damaged.

"Hmph, Uchiha Itachi? This is good too. Not only will I have a chance to completely Destroy the Uchiha Clan, but I can also obtain a precious pair of Mangekyō Sharingan. Sarutobi can only acquiesce to this."

Previously, because of the agreement between Uchiha Itachi and the Konoha High Command, Shimura Danzō had been unable to act against the brothers Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke due to pressure from the Third Hokage.

Now, they had delivered an excuse right before the Darkness of the Shinobi World himself. For Shimura Danzō, who commanded the immense force of countless Root ninjas, this was the perfect opportunity to completely Destroy the Uchiha Clan.

In Shimura Danzō's understanding of the Ninja World, no matter how sharp your attacks, how powerful your defense, how fast you were, or even if your chakra was as vast as a Tailed Beast's, you could not withstand the tactics of overwhelming numbers.

The Third Raikage was a living example. So what if his defense and offense were unrivaled, and he could fight for three days and nights? He had still been worn to death by ten thousand Iwagakure ninjas.

And Root, in Shimura Danzō's hands, possessed precisely such overwhelming numbers. They were even more elite than those ten thousand Stone Ninja. This was also why Shimura Danzō had chosen to stand by and watch whenever Konoha was attacked.

He was confident that as long as he led the many Root ninjas, he could turn around any situation, no matter how dire.

Thus, after arranging the matters concerning the collection of the Sharingan, Shimura Danzō confidently prepared to erase the Uchiha from the Ninja World completely, along with Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.