Leaving a Legacy for the Shimura Clan

In reality, Uchiha Itachi was also a target for elimination by Danzo.

He would use the condition of sparing Uchiha Izumi to threaten Fujiwara Chiya into exterminating everyone in the residential district except for her.

This included Uchiha Itachi himself.

Afterward, once Uchiha Itachi killed Uchiha Izumi, Chiya would inevitably erupt into a life-or-death battle with him.

Regardless of who emerged victorious, he would then send men to wipe out the survivor.

Even if Uchiha Itachi proved stronger and achieved final victory, he could still use Uchiha Sasuke to control him.

He might even groom Uchiha Sasuke into a sharp blade for his Root Division.

A blade that would help him ascend to the position of Hokage.

With that, the Uchiha clan and the truth behind them would vanish completely into the dust of history, ceasing to exist.

And he, Lord Danzo, would become the greatest hero to ever protect Konoha.

Not only would he excise the tumor of Konoha known as the Uchiha, but he would also harvest a room full of Sharingan.

Why wouldn't he do it?

This was the most honest thought currently in Danzo's mind.

Just as Danzo was lost in these pleasant fantasies, a Root Division ninja suddenly appeared behind him, leaning in to whisper a few words into his ear.

Danzo calmed his excitement, waved his hand, and after the ninja retreated, he said to Uchiha Itachi, "Itachi, if there is nothing else, you may leave. Remember, I do not wish for anyone to know you were here."

"Understood." Leaving behind only those words, Uchiha Itachi donned his mask and vanished from the courtyard.

Danzo turned and entered the house.

Shortly after, led by the same Root Division ninja, Chiya arrived at the small courtyard.

Chiya had long since sensed Uchiha Itachi's chakra, but he did not expose him. Standing outside the door, he said respectfully, "Lord Danzo, you summoned me."

"Come in." Danzo's voice sounded from within, calm and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Creak. The door opened in response.

Chiya walked inside to find Danzo sitting in a grand armchair, sipping tea delicately.

Seeing Chiya arrive, Danzo set down his teacup and got straight to the point. "Chiya, I presume you are already aware that the Uchiha clan is planning a coup."

"Yes, Lord Danzo. I have already reported it to the Hokage. He will resolve this matter peacefully." Chiya replied respectfully. He did not believe a word of the Third's nonsense; regardless of the outcome, he would take Uchiha Izumi and leave tomorrow night.

Seeing this, a trace of instinctive disgust rose in Danzo's heart, and the wound on his left arm, which had long since healed, began to ache faintly.

In Chiya, he saw the shadow of the late Uchiha Shisui.

Just as naive.

Just as damnable.

Not worth keeping alive.

"This civil war is inevitable. When the time comes, the entire Uchiha clan will be executed under the charge of treason. Including Uchiha Izumi."

Danzo recited the words he had prepared long ago.

"No... that's impossible. The Hokage promised me he would keep Izumi safe."

Kyōka Suigetsu was quietly released. Chiya displayed an expression of extreme agitation and hesitation, though in reality, he calmly sat beside Danzo, looking at him as if he were watching a clown.

Taking in 'Chiya's' reaction, Danzo felt secretly smug. He continued to guide the air, saying, "Don't listen to the Third's sweet words. When the critical moment arrives, he will choose the village without a moment's hesitation. The village cannot accommodate a rebellious Uchiha. Unless..."

Hearing this, 'Chiya' acted as if he knew what was good for him and pleaded with Danzo, "I beg Lord Danzo to show this humble one a path forward."

Danzo's lips curled upward as he lifted his teacup. "It is simple. The most direct method is the most effective. As long as you nip the rebellion in the bud, you won't have to worry about Uchiha Izumi being caught in the crossfire."

"Then what must I do?" Chiya knew Danzo was treating him as the second Uchiha Filial Son.

With quick hands and eyes, he added a bit of Child-Mother River Water to Danzo's tea before he drank it.

The Child-Mother River Water required some time to take effect.

After drinking it, Danzo felt nothing amiss and continued, "You have two choices before you now."

"Either stand with the Uchiha and perish alongside your lover, or spare only your lover and assist the village in slaughtering the Uchiha clan. Nip the rebellion in the bud."

"Of course, if you do this, you will become a rogue ninja. You will be unable to remain in the village."

"But at the same time, you will have protected Konoha. You will have saved your lover's life."

"Ninjas must always sacrifice themselves. If the Uchiha clan's rebellion is allowed to proceed, the village will fall into civil strife. Other nations will surely seize the opportunity to invade Konoha, and the damage caused will be a hundred times worse than the Nine-Tails Incident."

"Chiya, as a spy for both Konoha and the Uchiha, no one is more suited to shoulder this heavy responsibility than you. Are you willing to accept this mission? To rid the village of the Uchiha scourge?"

I fear the biggest scourge is you! Chiya thought, mocking him internally while using the Kyōka Suigetsu illusion to display a look of extreme confusion and hesitation.

He lowered his head, his eyes obscured by shadows, appearing as if he had been swayed by Danzo and was on the verge of turning dark. "Lord Danzo, is it true that as long as I slaughter the Uchiha clan, I can protect the village? And protect Izumi?"

"Yes." Danzo gave an affirmative answer, feeling secretly smug. It seemed the darkness in Fujiwara Chiya's heart had finally been guided out by this old man.

"Does the Hokage know about this?" Chiya continued to ask.

"There is no need for the Third to know; he has entrusted this matter entirely to me." Danzo began his daily routine of shifting the blame.

At the critical moment, Danzo still held a deep affection for the Third Hokage.

You are the wind and I am the sand... pfft, no, you are the leaves bathed in sunlight, and I am the Root that guards Konoha, destined to shoulder all the darkness.

"For the sake of the village, and for Izumi, I am willing to accept this mission, but with my strength alone, I fear it is not enough to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan."

Chiya stood up and put his mask back on. Originally, he had only intended to take Uchiha Izumi away from Konoha, with no plans to involve himself in the struggle between Konoha and the Uchiha.

But now that this old fox had set his sights on him, and that fellow, the Third, had tacitly approved, the situation had changed.

He was not Uchiha Shisui, and he felt absolutely no sense of belonging to Konoha.

Since Danzo and the Third had decided to target him, treating him as a pawn to be sacrificed at will, there was no need for him to be polite with them any longer.

Since those two old bastards were always spouting off about exterminating clans, then this Teng would simply exterminate the Shimura Clan and the Sarutobi Clan, letting them taste the flavor of annihilation themselves.

As for that Mother-Child River water, he would consider it a final offering of incense for the Shimura family.

Naturally, the Sarutobi family would be provided for as well; after all, one shouldn't favor one over the other.

"You need not concern yourself with the Military Police Force; there are others who will handle them," Danzo said. "You only need to work with Uchiha Itachi to eliminate the civilians in the Uchiha residential district and the commercial street. He has also accepted this mission, on the condition that his younger brother be protected."