Danzo: I've Got the Uchiha in My Pocket!

Hokage Office.

"Lord Hokage, I hope you will allow Shisui to return to the clan with me first, so that we may appease the clansmen who are agitated by these rumors!"

Uchiha Fugaku stated his request respectfully.

Upon hearing this request, the expression on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face behind the desk stiffened almost imperceptibly; had one not been observing closely, it would have been impossible to notice.

"My apologies, Fugaku. I just sent Shisui out of the village on a mission yesterday, so there is no way to have him return for the time being."

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave his explanation after taking a deep drag of his pipe.

As the Hokage, offering such a low-posture explanation to Uchiha Fugaku was, in a sense, giving him plenty of face.

Uchiha Fugaku nodded upon hearing this and said:

"Then I have troubled you, Lord Hokage. Once Shisui returns, I hope you can have him come back to the clan immediately."

With that, he turned and left the Hokage Office.

After leaving the office, the calm expression on Uchiha Fugaku's face instantly turned "cold."

As the head of his clan, he was no fool.

If Shisui were truly on a mission, Sarutobi Hiruzen, out of respect for the clan head coming in person, would have at least made an effort to recall him immediately so he could return to the clan to appease the people.

For Konoha, there was nothing more important than pacifying the internal unrest within the Uchiha.

Yet, the other party acted as if he were unaware of this, showing no intention of making any such promise.

Clearly, this already spoke volumes.

Shisui had likely...

And with this "bridge" to the village gone, he could only place his final hope on his eldest son.

Inside the Hokage Office.

"Someone come!" Standing before the window and watching the back of Uchiha Fugaku as he departed, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, calling over an Anbu with silver-white hair. "Go to Root and have Danzo come see me!"

He was now certain that his old friend had indeed made a move against Shisui.

Therefore, he not only had to summon him, but he also had to find a way to intervene in the disposal of that pair of Mangekyo.

He could not rest easy knowing such dangerous items were in Danzo's hands.

Elsewhere!

When Uchiha Fugaku returned to the clan, several elders were waiting at the entrance of the compound, and a large number of Uchiha were gathered behind them. The atmosphere was silent and oppressive, as if a volcano were about to erupt.

"Clan Head Fugaku, what did the Hokage say? Did Shisui not come back with you?"

An elder asked before Uchiha Tenzan could speak.

"No, Shisui has been sent by the Hokage to carry out an Anbu mission!"

Uchiha Fugaku forced himself to stay composed as he explained.

Even though he had a bad premonition in his heart, he naturally could not reveal it.

This was all to protect his clansmen!

The thought that surfaced in his mind made Uchiha Fugaku struggle to help the village leadership cover up the fact that Shisui might have met with an accident.

"Fugaku, we must make the village leadership give us Uchiha a definitive answer today, otherwise we will absolutely not let this go!"

A voice filled with anger made Uchiha Fugaku feel that things were taking a turn for the worse.

Uchiha Setsuna!

This Second Elder of the Uchiha was currently fully prepared for battle, having brought his faction along.

Yes, it was not just him; the Hawk Faction of the Uchiha had all prepared for combat.

And the reason for this was naturally because Uchiha Setsuna had obtained a piece of intelligence.

Shisui had not left the village!

Coupled with the rumors currently spreading like wildfire throughout the village that "Shisui was harmed by the village leadership," it proved that something must have happened to him.

Otherwise, no one would push a rumor that could be so easily debunked, would they?

Having confirmed this, it was no wonder Uchiha Setsuna would act in such a manner.

It was clearly a rhythm of "demanding an explanation by force."

"Elder Setsuna, do not be impulsive. Shisui might just finish his mission and return soon!"

Uchiha Fugaku felt a splitting headache as he tried to appease them.

If this were not handled well, it could truly trigger an open rebellion.

After all, the clan's situation over these years had indeed been getting worse and worse. From being the strongest ninja clan in Konoha in the past, they had become a group that struggled even to survive. Not to mention, the entire clan was blockaded within Konoha like prisoners, a situation that made them incredibly furious.

It was just that the Uchiha clan was emotionally restrained, so they had bottled up all these grievances, anger, and dissatisfaction inside. But that did not mean they had no emotions; it only meant they were accumulating more and more.

Therefore, the increase in the number of the Hawk Faction was entirely due to the accumulation of too much negative emotion.

Now that something had happened to Shisui, the negative emotions accumulated in the hearts of the Hawk Faction were instantly ignited.

As long as someone took the lead, they were truly capable of storming the Hokage Building to demand an "explanation."

The situation here was being observed by others at this very moment.

Inside the Hokage office.

"Danzo, look at the mess you've made!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen withdrew his gaze from the crystal ball and began to rebuke Danzo, who had just been summoned.

"That's right, Danzo, how could you lay a hand on Shisui!"

Utatane Koharu, who had just arrived, also spoke up with extreme dissatisfaction.

Although she had cooperated in suppressing the Uchiha, she had never intended to use such extreme methods; this was practically forcing them into rebellion.

"Danzo, just tell us what you're planning. You couldn't have attacked Shisui without anticipating this outcome, could you?"

Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, his gaze fixed on Danzo.

He knew his old classmate well; while the man appeared ruthless and impulsive, he was actually quite cunning and must have foreseen this situation.

"No, the Uchiha cannot rebel, because Shisui was their greatest source of confidence. Now that this confidence is gone, Uchiha Fugaku will stop them. He lacks the courage to stake his entire clan on a gamble!"

Danzo stated his judgment in a cold tone.

Yes, he had Uchiha Fugaku pegged.

Despite the "Wicked Eye" title he held in the ninja world, his personality was actually indecisive, and he would certainly be unable to make such a critical decision on the spot.

Once this opportunity passed and the Uchiha's emotions cooled down, giving them some compensation and benefits would force them to swallow their anger, just as it had happened time and time again before.

And once he had completely mastered the Mangekyo, the Uchiha would no longer be a problem.

It was because of these thoughts that Danzo hadn't taken the Uchiha seriously.

How could anyone be afraid of a pride of lions led by a sheep?

The facts proved this to be true.

At the entrance to the Uchiha compound, the situation that had been on the verge of erupting was already beginning to calm down under the various persuasions and pacifications of the Uchiha leadership.

Even with the Hawk Faction present, they couldn't exactly charge at their own clan head, could they?

Within the clan, Uchiha Fugaku still held a decent amount of prestige, so even the radical Hawk Faction could not truly turn against him as their leader.

"Finally..."

Uchiha Fugaku looked at the clansmen gathered in the streets, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxing a little.

As long as they could get through today, even if they were to rebel in the future, they could prepare slowly rather than acting on a hot-headed impulse like today.

Yet he failed to consider that with the clan riddled with internal traitors, dragging things out would not increase their chances of success; it would only lower them.

It would have been better to take advantage of the public indignation today to force the issue—whether to seize some benefits or strike at the prestige of the higher-ups, it would have been the best course of action.

Even if it had led to an all-out war, they could have dealt massive damage to the village and perhaps even seen the emergence of a few more Mangekyo, which would still be better than being unilaterally slaughtered by that White-Eyed Wolf in collusion with that newborn brat.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Fugaku knew none of this... or perhaps he had already foreseen it through the ocular jutsu of his Mangekyo, yet still chose a path that sacrificed all his clansmen so that his two children might survive.

"Fugaku, you will regret this!!"

Seeing that Uchiha Fugaku, as clan head, not only had no intention of leading them but was actively obstructing them, Uchiha Setsuna roared in anger.

"Elder Setsuna, I am the clan head!"

Uchiha Fugaku instinctively retorted, using his status to suppress the other man.

The only reason he could stop the clansmen was by relying on his status as "clan head."

"..."

Uchiha Setsuna was incensed, but there was nothing he could do; unless he declared his defection from the Uchiha right now, he could not defy the clan head.

Just as all the Uchiha were filled with dissatisfaction but forced to endure.

"Blood for blood!!"

An abrupt voice shattered the silence at the perimeter.