The village ninja's mouths twitched.
Yet all of them were won over by Jinghuo Uchiha's composure, unable to stop themselves from praising him inwardly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already made his decision, but after seeing Jinghuo Uchiha's terrifying appearance just now, he felt even more helpless.
Jinghuo Uchiha did not need to do anything. If he merely walked around the village in that form, Konoha would probably be destroyed.
Without further hesitation, he issued the order and prepared to personally lead the Anbu to bring Shimura Danzō and every Root Member before Jinghuo Uchiha.
Jinghuo Uchiha sat down cross-legged again, utterly calm.
But he felt deeply regretful.
He had been so close.
If he had condensed it for another 0.1 seconds, he could have killed him.
What a pity.
Yet Jinghuo Uchiha's tranquil figure made the Uchiha Clan Members' eyes shine.
Admiring strength was human instinct.
Especially when that powerful person was one of their own, the pride in their hearts surged fiercely, filling them with a sense of shared glory.
The Fūma Mangekyō in Uchiha Shisui's eyes faded. He walked back and sat cross-legged beside Jinghuo Uchiha.
"Jinghuo, who was he?"
"An Uchiha. The culprit behind the Nine-Tailed Night. He has a space-type Mangekyo."
Those three phrases shook even Uchiha Shisui, who had spent the past year cultivating his temperament.
He opened his mouth, only to realize that even if he asked something, there was nothing he could do.
Jinghuo Uchiha had probably told him only because he feared Shisui might underestimate the Masked Man and suffer an accident.
But from the fact that Jinghuo Uchiha had been ambushed by him, combined with the words "culprit behind the Nine-Tailed Night," Uchiha Shisui could be certain that the Masked Man's goal was likely to wipe out the Uchiha Clan.
"Wipe out the clan..."
It was not only Konoha's upper ranks who wanted the Uchiha Clan destroyed.
Even Kumogakure and Iwagakure were waiting for the Uchiha Clan to rebel, hoping to use their lives to create an opportunity to seize Konoha.
And now, there was also a mysterious man hidden in the shadows who wanted to destroy the Uchiha Clan...
Uchiha Shisui felt exhausted and irritated.
What had the Uchiha Clan ever done to make so many people wish for its destruction?
Jinghuo Uchiha saw Uchiha Shisui's distress. With his eyes closed, he said calmly, "It is nothing more than Konoha's upper ranks having ambitions that exceeded their abilities. Their incompetence created this situation."
After thinking it over, Uchiha Shisui found that it was indeed true.
The Uchiha Clan had done nothing wrong.
So he gave a soft "Mm" and waited alongside Jinghuo Uchiha for Danzo and Root to arrive.
Seeing Jinghuo Uchiha's calm demeanor, the Uchiha Clan Members also waited quietly.
But calm as they appeared, their aura grew increasingly solid, and the more they thought about it, the more impassioned they became.
The village ninja could not help comparing him to their leader—the Third Hokage.
They immediately shook their heads, filled with disappointment and sighs. The gap was simply too great.
He could not compare.
He truly could not compare.
Twenty-three minutes later.
Shimura Danzō arrived with more than forty Root Members, his face as black as thunder and his manner imposing.
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could speak, he charged forward.
"Uchiha rebellion! For Konoha, for the families behind us! Everyone, attack together!"
His momentum was astonishing, but he had overestimated his own influence.
What kind of person was Shimura Danzō in the eyes of the surrounding ninja?
A man who stole ninja from their clans, dug up their ancestral graves, and acted without any bottom line.
How could such a man expect everyone to attack just because he told them to?
But Root truly did attack.
Only...
Orange flame surged from Jinghuo Uchiha's body, transforming into golden flames and condensing into an Imperial Crown and Golden Script.
In an instant, his aura became noble. Against the backdrop of the golden flames, he appeared immaculate and flawless.
The bracelets and anklets on his limbs, in particular, transformed Jinghuo Uchiha into an untouchable emperor in an instant.
Fire Style Chakra Mode: Emperor Flame Mode!
The second appearance of this form left the surrounding ninja even more astonished than the first time.
This was probably because they had been so frightened the first time that they had not dared raise their heads, only sneaking glances in secret.
Now, they looked openly and saw everything clearly.
He was too noble.
The figure of the emperor wreathed in golden flames was etched into their minds without their realizing it. They would probably never forget it for the rest of their lives.
Even the brainwashed Root Members could not help revealing looks of amazement.
But their movements remained vicious. They wanted only to kill the Uchiha Clan Members.
Shimura Danzō was utterly shocked by Jinghuo Uchiha's transformation.
Hadn't he become useless?!
Why?!
And why were the ninja beside him... not listening to his orders?
He gritted his teeth, intending to withdraw first and make further plans.
But at that moment, the temperature around them rose rapidly.
A streak of gold rose like hell itself.
"Purgatory Cage."
Jinghuo Uchiha's voice sounded like the low chant of myriad people.
In an instant, golden flames erupted.
The scorching high temperature made the surrounding ninja instinctively retreat.
Looking again, they saw nothing but golden flames before them.
The flames condensed into one large cage and one small cage. The larger cage trapped over forty Root Members, while the smaller one imprisoned Shimura Danzō.
The Root Members continuously unleashed ninjutsu and attacked with short blades, but most of their attacks evaporated before they could even get close due to the searing heat.
The faint scent of roasted meat drifted through the air as the Root Members gritted their teeth and endured the agony of their burning bodies.
Then screams rang out.
"Aah—!"
Everyone looked over and saw Shimura Danzō inside the smaller cage.
His clothes were being burned away. The exposed skin of his hands and feet had turned scalding red, with blisters swelling and bursting across it, making for a horrifying sight.
Shimura Danzō's face twisted viciously as he stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had brought him here. "Hiruzen! What are you waiting for?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked pained, as though he were about to offer some helpless excuse.
Jinghuo Uchiha spoke.
His voice carried unquestionable majesty, filled with the will to pass judgment in accordance with the will of the people.
"Shimura Danzō.
Conducting human experiments with Orochimaru;
Murdering my parents, Seifu Uchiha and Seiya Uchiha, during the Nine-Tailed Night;
Promising compensation for relocating the Uchiha Clan's territory, then refusing to provide it;
Spreading rumors in the village about the Uchiha Clan's connection to the Nine-Tails, and claiming Uzumaki Naruto was the Demon Fox;
Attempting to assassinate the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen;
Deceiving the Uchiha Clan into serving on the front lines during the war against Kumogakure and Iwagakure, while concealing the Uchiha Clan's War Merit;
Murdering the captain of the Kumogakure Envoy and framing the Uchiha Clan;
Digging out my brother Uchiha Shisui's eye and sending people to hunt him down and murder him;
Deceiving Uchiha Itachi into betraying the Uchiha Clan;
Kidnapping Uzumaki Naruto, an important figure in the village.
Shimura Danzō is hereby sentenced to death!"
Everyone around them, including the Uchiha Clan Members, was stunned.
Human experiments, murdering Uchiha, breaking promises, spreading rumors, assassinating the Hokage, concealing War Merit, framing others, gouging out eyes, deceiving, kidnapping...
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen was shocked.
He knew about half of these matters, but hearing them all listed together still left him stunned.
Was this man really his comrade? Was he truly the Hokage's aide Hiruzen had chosen?
Shimura Danzō's expression darkened.
He knew it was too late to say anything now.
Even if he had not killed the captain of the Kumogakure Envoy, it was already too late to argue.
But...
"Jinghuo Uchiha! You have no right to carry out my sentence!"
Before you continue