Killing the Heart!

Two red dots suddenly appeared within the thick fog.

Masaki Uchiha's gaze was drawn toward them.

It turned out that Kaito Uchiha had activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.

"Masaki, why don't you try out my genjutsu?"

[Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique]

Masaki Uchiha suddenly found that he could no longer move his body; he couldn't even control his own hands and feet.

"Hiss."

Feeling the waves of pain radiating through his body, he thought to himself: The amplification of ocular power provided by the Hashirama Cells is quite good. I've learned just about enough.

"Kaito, you've forgotten one thing."

"My ocular power is superior to yours!"

A pattern resembling a triangular pinwheel immediately appeared in Masaki Uchiha's eyes as he stared fixedly at Kaito Uchiha.

[Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change]

He reflected the genjutsu directly back onto Kaito Uchiha.

"Ah!"

Struck by his own reflected genjutsu, Kaito Uchiha couldn't help but beg for mercy.

After all, this wasn't a life-or-death struggle, and Mangekyō-level genjutsu were not easy to dispel.

So—

"I give up, I give up! Hurry and release the genjutsu."

"That's all you've got?"

With a faint smile on his lips, Masaki Uchiha snapped his fingers and dispelled the genjutsu.

"However, judging by your current strength, the results of this experiment are quite impressive. Your ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu have all been greatly improved."

"With your current strength, you can fully contend with a Kage-level expert like Rasa. Congratulations, you have successfully entered the ranks of Kage-level experts."

Kaito Uchiha, sitting on the ground, rolled his eyes at these words. "That sounds so awkward, but... whatever. Being able to step into the Kage level is enough to satisfy me."

"Let's go. I happen to have something I need your help with." Masaki Uchiha pulled Kaito Uchiha, who was still sitting on the ground, to his feet.

He patted the dust off his clothes.

The two then walked toward the Uchiha clan grounds with their arms around each other's shoulders.

The training ground was left with nothing but a few craters silently crying out.

Just as they reached the front door, they saw Eshin Uchiha had already woken up and started tidying the house and cleaning.

"Eshin, look who's here." Masaki Uchiha stepped aside to let Eshin Uchiha see the person behind him.

Eshin Uchiha was wearing loungewear, busy with chores.

Hearing Masaki's voice, she immediately looked up. "Masaki-kun, welcome home."

Her gaze then shifted to the figure behind him.

Upon seeing the visitor, she realized it was her second brother, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

She shouted happily, "Second Brother!"

She immediately dropped her work and ran over to Kaito Uchiha, chattering away:

"Second Brother, you didn't send any news for a whole month. Big Brother was starting to worry that something had happened to you."

"If Masaki-kun hadn't told me about your situation, I wouldn't even have known what you were doing."

"Seeing you looking so full of energy now, you really had Big Brother and me worried for nothing."

"I'll go call Big Brother over later so we can have a meal together. I'll go buy some groceries first; Masaki-kun, you keep him company and have some tea."

Listening to Eshin Uchiha's rapid-fire monologue, Kaito Uchiha was pushed into the living room before he could even get a word in.

"Eshin, I already notified Big Brother on the way here, you don't need to go."

"Then I'll go buy the groceries first. We can chat while we eat later, you just sit." Without waiting for a reply, Eshin Uchiha headed straight out the door toward the market.

"I hope you can forgive my little sister's impulsive personality, Masaki," Kaito Uchiha said, turning his head.

Masaki Uchiha waved his hand and laughed, "What are you saying? I'll be proposing to Eshin before long, and we'll all be one family soon. Don't say such distant things."

"Hahaha, then I must congratulate you both!" Kaito Uchiha was overjoyed to hear this. His little sister's lifelong happiness was settled; all that remained was to seek revenge against Shimura Danzō.

At this thought, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. "Masaki, when are we going to move to intercept and kill Shimura Danzō?"

For the clansmen who followed Masaki Uchiha, there was currently only one greatest enemy—Shimura Danzō!

During the war, he had continuously murdered Uchiha clansmen, including but not limited to intentionally providing false information, betraying the intelligence of Uchiha squads, and ambushing Uchiha members.

It wasn't until Masaki Uchiha traded with Orochimaru last time that Orochimaru, in order to maintain his relationship with his "gold-daddy" benefactor, handed over this intelligence to Masaki Uchiha as a gesture of goodwill.

Only now had the truth about what Shimura Danzō had done to the Uchiha been exposed.

Upon learning of this, the other clansmen immediately wanted to risk their lives to take him down.

It was Masaki Uchiha who held them back, promising that he would ensure Shimura Danzō met a death without a burial ground.

The crowd said nothing more, merely asking when they would finish off Shimura Danzō.

At the time, Masaki Uchiha offered a mysterious smile: "Give me one year. Doesn't Shimura Danzō pride himself on being the only one fit to be Hokage?"

"He claims he can sacrifice everything for Konoha? Very well. Our first step is to ruin his reputation, the second is to make him witness the destruction of the Shimura Clan, and the third is to turn him into dust."

To kill the man and destroy his heart!

Seeing that Masaki Uchiha already had a plan, the others stopped asking, signaling that they were ready to stand by at any moment to execute Danzō.

With half of the year nearly gone, everyone grew impatient and had Kaito Uchiha ask Masaki Uchiha when they would make their move.

Masaki Uchiha said with a smile, "The three-step plan I told you about back then? We can begin the first step tomorrow."

"As it happens, Uchiha Naoya has arrived. Once he sits down, we shall discuss the second step."

As soon as the words left his lips, Uchiha Naoya walked in from outside.

"Lord Clan Leader, your subordinate is late." He bowed slightly, standing as straight as a pine.

"We are all family now; there is no need to call me 'Lord'." Masaki Uchiha smiled helplessly.

"Masaki, when did you become Clan Leader?" Kaito Uchiha asked, utterly astonished.

Seeing Kaito Uchiha address the Clan Leader by his given name, Uchiha Naoya felt a surge of displeasure. He strode forward and slapped Kaito on the head. "Show some respect to the Clan Leader!"

Because the fear of his older brother was carved into his bones, Kaito Uchiha could only shrink his head back, not daring to make a sound.

Seeing this, Masaki Uchiha stepped in to smooth things over. "We are all family, there is no need for this. Naoya, sit down; what follows is critical."

Hearing Masaki Uchiha speak with such gravity, the two brothers immediately sat up straight.

"Kaito, I need you to lead a squad of Jonin to the Capital of the Land of Fire to have an audience with the Daimyo."

"I recently received news that the Daimyo is establishing an organization called the Twelve Guardian Ninja to protect himself."

"I hear Sarutobi Asuma is also in this organization. Take our clansmen and join them; do not let the Hokage faction influence the Daimyo."

"There are three benefits to doing this."

"First, you can protect the Daimyo from assassination by rogue ninja."

"Second, you can prevent 'extremists' from whispering in the Daimyo's ear and influencing his judgment regarding the Uchiha or Konoha."

"Third, and most importantly, you will gain the Daimyo's trust."

"This is the key to my subsequent succession as Hokage and the clearing away of other opposition."

"Kaito, because this mission is so important, I have thought it over and decided you are the most suitable. Do you have the confidence to complete it?"

Looking at Masaki Uchiha's stern face, Kaito Uchiha immediately stood up and knelt on one knee. "Please rest assured, Lord Clan Leader. Your subordinate swears to complete the mission."

Although Kaito Uchiha was usually unreliable, his attitude toward missions was worth affirming.

Masaki Uchiha's lips curled upward, and he nodded in gratification. "The matter is urgent. You shall depart tomorrow morning."