Trust from the Daimyo!

At the sight of this, Uchiha Fugaku was horrified.

If Roy hadn't warned him, he would still be outside the village right now!

If anything happened to the Daimyo, then...

As he thought of the consequences, Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan began spinning wildly.

Then it transformed into the shape of an inverted pinwheel.

The Mangekyō Sharingan activated!

"Roy, use your wide-area Fire Style!"

Uchiha Fugaku roared.

"Got it."

"Fire Style: Flame Pillar!"

Without hesitation, Roy drove the chakra in his body into action, and a massive blaze surged up in an instant.

It enveloped the surrounding area.

"Oh?"

"Not bad flames!"

"Gatemei!"

Uchiha Fugaku raised his hand, and a gigantic Susanoo instantly rose around them.

The Flame Pillar that had surrounded the area was drawn away in an instant.

The Susanoo's hand reached out and seized the flames.

They took the shape of a massive sword.

"Whoosh!"

As the sword swung, several ninja failed to dodge in time and were engulfed in flames.

In just a few seconds, they had been reduced to ashes.

"So this is Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō?"

"Fire enhancement, fire control!"

Roy narrowed his eyes and spoke thoughtfully.

He had known Uchiha Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō, but had never known what its abilities were.

"Retreat!"

When the attackers saw Uchiha Fugaku arrive, they prepared to flee.

Seriously, were they supposed to fight Uchiha Fugaku while he was piloting a giant mech?

They weren't Danzo, foolish enough to try stabbing Susanoo with their Kunai.

"Trying to run?"

"Too late!"

"That technique just now was called Flame Pillar, right?"

"Fire Style: Flame Pillar!"

As soon as Uchiha Fugaku finished speaking, Susanoo raised its hand.

Terrifying flames swept across the surrounding area.

"Feel despair. I know who you are, so there's no reason to let pests like you, underground rats, live."

As Uchiha Fugaku spoke, Susanoo grew larger.

"Let's go!"

Uchiha Shisui appeared beside Roy, grabbed him, and headed straight toward Uchiha Fugaku.

The remaining Uchiha ninja also brought the Daimyo into Susanoo's range.

"Boom!"

The powerful flames surrounding the area rushed toward the center in an instant.

Then a terrifying explosion spread outward.

When the dust cleared, the area had been swept clean. Not a trace of anyone remained.

"So you're Uchiha Fugaku?"

"I remember you're the current head of the Uchiha clan. Good."

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire walked out slowly, looking at Uchiha Fugaku with approval.

"Daimyo, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Next, we—"

"Daimyo!"

Just then, a group of masked ninja appeared.

The leading Anbu Ninja interrupted Uchiha Fugaku.

"We were assigned by Lord Hokage to protect you, Daimyo."

"Please come with us to your Imperial Palace."

The leading Anbu Ninja spoke directly.

"Go back and tell your Hokage that I've already entrusted my safety to the Uchiha."

As he spoke, the Daimyo walked toward Uchiha Fugaku again.

"Captain Fugaku, I—"

"Since when have Konoha's ninja become so disobedient?"

Before the Anbu Ninja could finish, the Daimyo roared furiously.

He had been attacked at Konoha's gates, and for all that time, not a single other Konoha ninja had shown up.

From the moment he'd arrived from outside the village until now, only the Uchiha had protected him.

Anyone who could become Daimyo was no fool.

"Understood, Daimyo."

The Anbu Ninja nodded helplessly, then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

"Clan Head Fugaku, take me to the Uchiha Compound."

"I think I'll be safer in your clan's territory."

"Let's go."

The Daimyo spoke, then headed toward the Uchiha Compound with Uchiha Fugaku.

A few people stayed behind to clean up the battlefield, while everyone else left together.

Inside the Hokage Office.

"Rejected?"

"Looks like Danzo has lost again."

After receiving the report, Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows.

He took a puff, and his gaze grew sharp.

There were things he needed to start preparing for.

Otherwise, the Uchiha would soon become impossible to keep in check.

"Lord Third."

Just then, two people entered the Hokage Office.

Only a handful of people could enter without being announced.

The visitors were Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

"What brings you here?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't have much affection for the two.

They had once served as the Second Hokage's guards and fought alongside him countless times.

But after Sarutobi Hiruzen took office, the two cared only about their clans' interests.

As long as something didn't affect those interests, they didn't bother getting involved.

Over the years, they had often used their positions to secure benefits for their clans.

They had probably come now because they sensed a threat.

"Have you still not found a solution to the Uchiha problem?"

"The Uchiha are no longer just a powerful clan."

"They also have a strong reputation among the common people."

"On top of that, they've completed the Daimyo's escort mission and brought tangible benefits to the village."

"Some of the other clans are starting to waver, too."

Utatane Koharu looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with reproach.

"Koharu is right."

"If things continue like this, the Uchiha's influence will keep growing."

"When we can no longer suppress them, we'll be the ones under their thumb."

"Before long, the Uchiha might even produce Konoha's Hokage and lead the village down a dangerous path!"

"Lord Third, have you come up with a plan?"

Mitokado Homura asked in quick succession.

Hearing their words, Sarutobi Hiruzen almost laughed.

When he'd asked them to help deal with the Uchiha, they'd made all kinds of excuses.

They'd believed Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen alone would be more than enough to handle the Uchiha.

But after all this time, they hadn't weakened the Uchiha at all. Instead, they'd watched the clan grow stronger step by step.

Now they'd come to reproach him. It was just like them.

"Stop beating around the bush."

"I have a plan, but it'll require you to sacrifice some of your interests."

"Well? Are you willing?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at them with an amused expression.

At his words, the two grew tense.

Since Sarutobi Hiruzen had raised the matter directly, the price he expected them to pay would certainly be more than they could comfortably bear.

But if they refused, they would have no grounds to reproach Sarutobi Hiruzen again.

As expected of an old fox. With just one sentence, he'd turned the tables on them.