With Guan San taking the lead, the others stopped making snide remarks and started training.
Roy's speed,
and his fighting style,
had both surprised them.
At the same time, he had earned their recognition.
Under the circumstances, Roy's training methods were accepted as well.
Hokage Office.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"You should know that even the slightest mistake in your plan could plunge Konoha into a massive quagmire."
Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with a grave expression.
"A massive quagmire?"
"If we're already stuck in one, do we really need to worry about an even bigger one?"
"Those Anbu you stationed around the Uchiha are being watched, aren't they?"
Danzo said pointedly.
Hearing Danzo's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression grew a little uneasy.
He had originally thought that once the Uchiha returned to the center of Konoha, it would be easier to keep an eye on them.
But when he sent Anbu over, the Uchiha shinobi spotted them immediately.
There had been no direct confrontation, but the Anbu members had virtually no chance of gathering intelligence.
"Fine. Go ahead."
"I'll take care of things in the village."
After thinking for a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and said no more.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen's support, a smile appeared on Danzo's face.
Then he slipped into the shadows and vanished.
After Danzo left, Sarutobi Hiruzen walked to the window and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
Was this peace about to be shattered?
The Uchiha...
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
By then, the Uchiha Training Ground was packed with shinobi.
Some lay sprawled on the ground, too tired to care about appearances.
Some gritted their teeth and kept training.
Others sat on the ground and focused on refining their chakra.
Over the past few days, Uchiha Fugaku had purchased all the weights they needed.
He had even been training this way himself for the past two days.
At that moment, they were in Fugaku's study.
"Clan Head, Shisui and the others will be back in three days."
"Have we made all the necessary arrangements?"
Roy took out the message from Uchiha Shisui and handed it to Uchiha Fugaku.
"Three days?"
"They'll be back two days earlier than expected."
"So this is to..."
After reading the message, Uchiha Fugaku looked pleased.
He also understood that they were returning early to avoid the preparations being made by Konoha High Command.
"Don't underestimate Konoha High Command. They're no fools."
"We need to prepare in advance, and then handle every step ourselves."
Roy had a feeling that he was overlooking something.
But for the moment, he couldn't figure out what it was.
That was why he had come to see Uchiha Fugaku again.
"Fine. I understand."
"By the way, you said that once Itachi comes back, you want him to help you with an experiment."
"Can you tell me about it now?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked at Roy expectantly.
The mission to escort the Daimyo was practically complete.
What interested him more was Roy's next plan.
"I'll explain once Itachi gets back. For now, it's just a guess."
Roy smiled.
Over the past few months, Roy's strength had improved considerably.
The Uchiha had also changed significantly.
Under the circumstances, the chances of the Uchiha Clan Downfall Night happening two years from now had grown even slimmer.
In the blink of an eye, three more days passed.
The day before their return, the Uchiha Training Ground emptied out.
Once everyone had rested, they headed outside the village to set up their defenses.
They wanted to prevent an attack on the Daimyo's escort party.
As for Roy, he stayed in the village with Uchiha Fugaku, waiting for Shisui and the others to return.
"Clan Head, this is bad! We were attacked by a large group of mysterious shinobi outside the village."
"Many of our clan members are wounded. Lord Shisui and young master Itachi are protecting the Daimyo."
"We need reinforcements!"
A Uchiha shinobi dragged his injured body before Fugaku.
"So they really did attack outside the village."
"Roy, want to go with me?"
Fugaku looked at Roy beside him and asked with a smile.
They had prepared thoroughly, and the fight was taking place on the outskirts of Konoha.
Under the circumstances, no matter how many attackers came, it wouldn't matter.
"Sure."
Roy nodded and left the village with Fugaku.
For some reason, the plan was going far too smoothly.
It was almost as if everything were unfolding according to a script Roy had written in advance.
Still, with so many preparations in place, there shouldn't be any major problems.
With that thought, Roy and Fugaku headed straight for the battlefield.
"The Clan Head is here!"
"Finish this quickly! We can't delay the Daimyo's arrival in the village."
"They're nothing but trash shinobi, and they still dared to attack an escort mission under the Uchiha's protection!"
"Wipe them all out and remind the Ninja World what it means to live in fear of the Scarlet Eyes!"
Uchiha Fugaku's arrival sent the Uchiha shinobi's morale soaring.
They had already held the advantage, and now they pressed it, wiping out all the attackers in a single push.
Some of the captured shinobi took their own lives immediately, leaving no survivors.
The Uchiha, meanwhile, had suffered only minor injuries.
Not a single one of them was seriously wounded.
All that preparation hadn't been for nothing.
"Clan Head, let's escort the Daimyo into the village first."
"We can deal with the situation here afterward," Shisui suggested.
"Agreed. Get the Daimyo into the village. We'll clean up out here."
"Understood, Clan Head."
After a brief exchange, Shisui led the Daimyo toward Konoha.
The rest stayed behind to clear the battlefield.
The dead shinobi were a considerable source of wealth for the Uchiha.
Besides, they had dared to attack the Daimyo's escort party, so the Daimyo would reward them as well.
"Clan Head, something's not right."
"None of our people here are seriously hurt. So that shinobi who came back to deliver the message..."
A few minutes later, Roy finally spotted the problem.
These bodies weren't enough to make the Uchiha send someone back for help.
"Are you saying someone lured us out here?"
"The Daimyo's in danger?"
Uchiha Fugaku reached the conclusion immediately and sprinted toward Konoha.
Roy followed close behind.
Not long after they set off, a powerful surge of chakra erupted from the direction of Konoha.
"Clan Head, we need to hurry."
"They're acting like they're prepared to stake everything on this."
As soon as Roy finished speaking, powerful flames burst out behind him, sending him speeding forward.
Uchiha Fugaku accelerated as well.
Right in front of Konoha's gates, dozens of powerful shinobi were fighting Shisui and the others.
Konoha's guards had joined the battle too.
But they were being suppressed.
Before you continue