The Gate Collapsed

The Uchiha compound had now been reduced to a pile of ruins.

Uchiha Yoru slowly deactivated his Susanoo, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings. He let out a cold laugh and casually disposed of a few small fries wearing Anbu or Root uniforms, as if their existence were entirely inconsequential.

He looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky; its cold light was like water, and the night grew ever deeper.

Tonight, it would be a long one.

The night in Konoha appeared tranquil; Root ninja moved about without a sound, while most villagers slept soundly, as if all were well.

However, this peace was destined not to last.

The massive Susanoo from moments ago had shaken the earth, and almost no one could ignore its might.

Immediately following this, the violent tremors of the ground drove the villagers out of their homes. Almost everyone saw that purple giant standing tall against the horizon, radiating such intense pressure that it felt as if all of Konoha were shrouded in its shadow.

The atmosphere in Konoha turned tense in an instant. The villagers' shock and fear intertwined, and the once-quiet night seemed to be swallowed by a tidal wave.

Meanwhile, the upper echelons of Konoha had already realized the severity of the situation.

Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, and Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others wore grave expressions.

Except for Shimura Danzō, the other high-ranking officials of Konoha had gathered together.

Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe repeatedly, the smoke swirling until the entire conference room was filled with a sense of oppression.

Before long, Shimura Danzō walked into the room with a look of extreme displeasure. Seeing the atmosphere, he immediately frowned: "Hiruzen, I am currently arranging for Root ninja to maintain order in Konoha. Isn't calling me here a waste of time?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen swept a cold glance at him, his eyes as sharp as blades: "Danzō, why are you late? Are you hiding something?"

Shimura Danzō responded angrily: "My actions are open and aboveboard! You are slandering me, Hiruzen!"

"He is slandering me!" Shimura Danzō roared.

In truth, he had been in a rush to head to the Uchiha compound to check on the situation because the original plan had hit a snag.

The original plan was for Uchiha Itachi and the mysterious masked man to cooperate with Danzō's Root subordinates to wipe out the Uchiha clan tonight.

This plan had received Sarutobi Hiruzen's tacit approval.

However, that massive Susanoo was clearly not something a brat like Uchiha Itachi could use; no matter how strong he was, he could not release such immense power.

Accidents were accidents, but how could Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly turn on him?

Just because the plan went wrong, he had to be the scapegoat?

Was there no justice? Was there no heaven's law?

Before Shimura Danzō could finish speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off: "You had best not have done anything you shouldn't have..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head and began to address the real issue: "Everyone should have seen it—a massive figure appeared in the territory of the Uchiha clan..."

"That figure, if I recall correctly, should be..."

"Susanoo!"

Those present had all seen Susanoo to some extent. Aside from Danzō, who knew of the intelligence regarding Uchiha Shisui, the others remembered the last time Susanoo appeared was during the era of the First Hokage.

Utatane Koharu could not help but feel a lingering fear: "That pressure... it is exactly the same as Uchiha Madara back in the day!"

Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, his eyes filled with a hint of wariness: "Back then, it was just one Uchiha Shisui, and the Uchiha clan had already stirred up a coup. Now that another powerhouse has appeared within the clan, I fear..."

"The Anbu we sent to investigate have all gone missing."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed helplessly.

At this moment, the upper echelons of Konoha remained completely in the dark regarding the true state of the Uchiha compound, and the identity of the person who wielded the Susanoo remained a mystery.

Even Shimura Danzō had failed to figure out exactly what had happened; he only knew that tonight, two Uchiha traitors were supposed to bathe the Uchiha compound and the Police Force in blood, respectively.

The Root and Anbu ninja originally responsible for monitoring Uchiha Itachi had all been intercepted and killed by Uchiha Yoru—amidst such large-scale slaughter, there was no way Uchiha Itachi could have spared the time to report to him.

And that giant Susanoo was undoubtedly the biggest variable.

Fortunately, the appearance of the giant Susanoo did not last long; it soon vanished, as if the opponent's actions were limited strictly to the Uchiha compound.

This discovery allowed the villagers of Konoha to breathe a sigh of relief, and Sarutobi Hiruzen also let out a breath.

"The teacher once said that the Uchiha clan is a clan cursed with evil!" Shimura Danzō said in a deep voice.

"Hiruzen, I will go and check the situation!" he said urgently.

Shimura Danzō had similar thoughts to Uchiha Obito; although that giant Susanoo was shocking, the more flashy the ninjutsu, the more chakra it consumed.

By his estimation, the caster could not be having an easy time either.

At this moment, the most important goal in Shimura Danzō's heart remained seizing the Sharingan from the corpses of the Uchiha clan.

If others acted first, his dream of becoming Hokage would go down the drain once again.

Sarutobi Hiruzen saw through Danzō's intentions and said without hesitation: "Danzō, wait until the Jonin squad is ready, then we will go to the Uchiha compound together!"

"Hiruzen, you!!" Shimura Danzō was furious to the extreme, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.

If so many people went together, he, Shimura Danzō, would certainly not be able to seize the Sharingan in broad daylight...

Damn that Sarutobi Hiruzen, always ruining everything!

Then, the classic Hokage scene played out once again.

"Danzō, I am the Hokage!!!"

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!!!"

BANG!!!

The sequence of movements was swift and precise, as if rehearsed a thousand times over, and Shimura Danzō stormed out in a rage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen did not let his guard down, calmly waving his hand to have someone bring Shimura Danzō back.

Shimura Danzō's fury had yet to subside, his expression dark and gloomy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a light cough, his face turning solemn as he spoke in a low tone: "If a being like Uchiha Madara truly exists, we must do everything in our power to protect Konoha, no matter what happens."

No sooner had the words left his lips than he prepared to order the Anbu to assemble and instruct the major ninja clans to ready themselves.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside.

"Who goes there?" Sarutobi Hiruzen stared fixedly at the door, his expression instantly alert.

Immediately, a soft "thwip" was heard, followed by a few intermittent screams that gradually faded into silence, leaving only stillness behind.

The Konoha high-ranking officials present stiffened, casting nervous glances toward the entrance as the atmosphere grew abruptly more suffocating.

"Creeeak..."

After a harsh, grating sound, the door opened quietly.

Then, accompanied by a heavy thud, the door and its frame, unable to withstand the pressure, collapsed with a thunderous crash.

The door had fallen...

Everyone's eyes widened, their gazes fixed on the doorway; the air was thick with oppression, as if something unforeseeable were about to happen the very next second.

A youth clad in dark robes stepped into the room, his eyes flashing with red tomoe, radiating a cold and bloodthirsty light as he locked his gaze directly onto them.

"Good evening, animals."