I Choose Orochimaru as Hokage, Ten Years to Reach the Moon Chapter 8

Seeing Shimura Danzō speak thus, this Root member reported the truth, though he withheld a portion of the information.

He did not lower his voice while speaking; it was at a normal volume, yet for those present, it was more than loud enough.

"What!"

Both Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen wore expressions of shock.

Clearly, they had not expected this possibility.

The Uchiha members standing to the side were also incredibly startled, evidently thinking of something ominous, and their faces turned unsightly.

After all, they were well aware that the reason the Uchiha had become so detested was inseparable from that clansman with the Sharingan who had appeared during the Nine-Tails Incident.

"Can you be certain?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked directly.

He had a deep, bitter memory of that fellow; if not for him, he would not have to toil so hard now, and his successor would not have been lost just like that!

At his age, he still had to come out and deal with these wretched matters.

"The probability is extremely high. Aside from his appearance, the opponent also used the Rasengan, a ninjutsu created by the Fourth Hokage."

This Root member glanced at Shimura Danzō, and seeing no signal to stop, he spoke directly.

After all, Kakashi had already demonstrated that the Sharingan could copy ninjutsu, so he suspected that the one who attacked the Root base was very likely the same 'Uchiha Madara' who had attacked Konoha and controlled the Nine-Tails, having copied the Rasengan during his battle with the Fourth Hokage.

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows tightly.

The current situation in Konoha had only just stabilized, and he was preparing to resolve the Uchiha issue. Did the appearance of 'Uchiha Madara' at this time serve some other purpose?

Thus, with a suspicious gaze, he looked toward the group of Uchiha, including Uchiha Fugaku and the others who had just arrived.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not actually too wary of the Uchiha; what he feared most was the appearance of Uchiha Madara, and that the Uchiha clan might choose to follow Uchiha Madara in launching a rebellion. That was his greatest concern.

If not for the existence of this 'Uchiha Madara,' Sarutobi Hiruzen could have played the Uchiha clan like dogs, just as easily as he had dealt with the Senju clan.

Seeing this look from Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Fugaku knew there was trouble again. This gaze was exactly the same as the one Sarutobi Hiruzen had given him in the conference room of the Hokage Building after the Nine-Tails Incident.

"Hmph, in this situation, it might be that someone is merely disguised. It just so happens that someone was in the village today drawing attention, and at this very moment, a problem arises at the Anbu side. It must have been deliberately prepared!"

Shimura Danzō's mind had calmed down, and he immediately locked onto the prime suspect.

Although this was largely due to his instinct to target the Uchiha, his suspicion was not without reason.

Shimura Danzō's words also cleared Sarutobi Hiruzen's head, and he felt that this possibility could not be ruled out.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen also knew that such things were not suitable to be asked directly. As Hokage, he had to slightly ease the situation; at the very least, now was not the time to tear off the mask of civility.

In an instant, Sarutobi Hiruzen's entire body tensed up.

He felt a powerful mental force locking onto him, making him feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

He immediately discovered the source of this mental force.

"Uchiha Gin!!"

Shimura Danzō exclaimed.

His tone was filled with shock.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils also contracted.

"Don't speak in such a cryptic, mocking tone. Are you saying that I attacked the Anbu base?"

"Hokage Assistant?"

Uchiha Gin did not hesitate in the slightest and directly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

When others suspect you have a dangerous weapon, it is best if you actually have one!

When you truly possess it, even if you were the one who did it, there will be people who help explain it away, saying it wasn't you.

The scene fell into instant silence.

"This is... the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

The first to speak was a clansman who had followed Uchiha Gin; looking at Uchiha Gin's eyes, he said in disbelief.

As an Uchiha, he was naturally more familiar with the changes of the Sharingan.

At the same time, these words caused the hearts of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō to sink instantly.

"Damn Uchiha!"

The two cursed in their hearts simultaneously.

Chapter 13: Each Possessing Izanagi, No Longer Knowing Fear

"How dare he!"

Uchiha Fugaku was shocked and angry.

He had not expected that Uchiha Gin would actually display his Mangekyō Sharingan at such a time. Did he not know that the more he displayed his threat, the more he would be feared by the village!!

"Could the rebellion be today?"

While Uchiha Fugaku's mind raced, the situation also turned hostile.

The subordinates of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo glared at Uchiha Gin with open hostility, while the Uchiha, seeing this, did not hesitate to activate their Sharingan, immediately squaring off against the members of the Anbu and Root.

Even the few men brought by Uchiha Fugaku were no exception.

A massive battle between the two sides seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

"Danzo, how can I trust you to serve as Hokage Assistant when you slander others without a shred of evidence?"

"This matter could not possibly have been the work of the Uchiha clan. If it truly were them, they would never have left behind such obvious clues."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke directly, first reprimanding Danzo, then decisively denying any connection between the incident and the Uchiha clan.

Clearly, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not prepared to have a falling out with the Uchiha today, so he did not hesitate to throw Danzo under the bus to take the blame.

These words left Uchiha Fugaku stunned.

This was a result he had never anticipated; after all, he had already prepared himself to swallow his pride and act subserviently to avoid this conflict, only to return, gather his forces, and then make a clean break with Konoha in one fell swoop.

But the current situation... it made no sense.

Danzo's fists were clenched tight, his heart burning with rage, yet his face remained incredibly calm, for he saw through Sarutobi Hiruzen's intentions.

Clearly, he also knew that now was not the time to break with the Uchiha.

However, he could not bring himself to bow to the Uchiha, so he remained silent.

"The Uchiha are Konoha's Uchiha. We are the Uchiha who protect Konoha. Our clan would never do anything to harm the interests of the village."

"Even Uchiha Madara would be the same."

Uchiha Gin declared with an imposing air.

He was not at all surprised that Sarutobi Hiruzen had made this choice.

Once he truly brought out a dangerous weapon that invited suspicion, the other side would naturally defend him.

If this were the Sarutobi Hiruzen of twenty, or even ten years ago, they might have started fighting today.

But the current Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer had that courage; he only wanted to ensure the continuation of Konoha and resolve all the unstable factors within the village, fearing a repeat of the Nine-Tails Incident.

Otherwise, war would drag Konoha into the abyss!

"Indeed, I trust the Uchiha clan."

"Let this matter be investigated jointly by the Uchiha clan and the Anbu, so we may confirm the culprit's objective as soon as possible."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, and after finishing his sentence, he turned and left, his expression turning icy the moment his back was to them.

Too many things had happened today, leaving him in a state of chaos. He wanted to return to calm himself, summon Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to analyze the situation, and determine the next course of action.

With Sarutobi Hiruzen's departure, the tension on the scene eased slightly.

Danzo said nothing, his face dark as he left, intending to return to his base to carefully assess the day's events.

The captain of Root followed him directly, leaving a few subordinates behind to guard the site.

"This is a Root base; it is not appropriate for the Uchiha to interfere. Let the Anbu be responsible for the scene, and we shall discuss the intelligence at the Military Police Force tomorrow."

Uchiha Gin walked past Uchiha Fugaku and spoke to the Anbu members.

"Understood."

The Anbu captain hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Uchiha Gin recognized the voice as Kakashi's, but he paid it no mind; there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him in the future.

He then turned and left, heading back in the direction of the Military Police Force.

The members of the Uchiha clan hurriedly followed.

Uchiha Fugaku's expression was complex; the day's events had unfolded differently than he had imagined. However, he believed Konoha would certainly be making preparations now, and the situation ahead would be the most troublesome—if things went poorly, Konoha might strike directly.

"Prepare for a fight to the death!"

Uchiha Fugaku had also grown tired of being pushed around.

At the same time, Uchiha Gin's performance today had given him a measure of courage; Konoha still feared the Mangekyo.

With himself and Uchiha Gin, two Mangekyo users, they might not be without a chance of victory against Konoha.

Perhaps there was no need to be so subservient. It wasn't just him who was afraid; Konoha was also afraid of the Uchiha, otherwise, they wouldn't be targeting them so aggressively!

Night fell.

The events that took place in Konoha during the day spread throughout the entire village immediately. After all, the residential area was not that large, and with the massive explosion earlier, the incident could not be concealed.

The members of the families who had been berated were now cursing loudly in their homes, but they lacked the courage to go and cause trouble for the Uchiha.

After all, while Konoha could take action, if they were to act, the Uchiha would show no mercy.

The lights in the Hokage Building remained on; clearly, today's events had given Sarutobi Hiruzen a massive headache.

"Has Shisui not arrived yet?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow was furrowed in deep concern.

He was furious, wondering why he had not been informed that Uchiha Gin had awakened the Mangekyo.

"Lord Hokage, the Uchiha clan seems to have held a family meeting tonight. Shisui likely attended, which is why he hasn't received the message to report here."

An Anbu knelt on the ground, reporting to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Contact him immediately and have him come here."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was grim.

He had just finished a meeting with several Hokage Assistant members; the consequences of suppressing the Uchiha now would very likely result in mutual destruction.

The Mangekyo Sharingan that had suddenly appeared provided a massive boost to the Uchiha.

The current priority was to protect the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and personnel had already been dispatched to handle that.

Danzo and the other two had already gone to prepare new countermeasures; the surveillance of the Uchiha needed to be even tighter.

In the secret chamber beneath the Uchiha shrine.

All members of the Uchiha clan who were not on missions and had awakened the Sharingan were gathered here.

Almost everyone looked with burning gazes at Uchiha Gin, who stood in the center, and at his unique pair of eyes; they saw hope.

The crowd had long been dissatisfied with Konoha's oppressive policies toward the Uchiha. Back in the era of Uchiha Madara, they would have fought back long ago, but years of being kept in a semi-captive state had dulled their edge. However, a sharp blade had now appeared that could lead them to hone their edge once more!

Shisui watched the clansmen's expressions, his heart filled with immense complexity. Was it truly impossible to stop the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha?

"In the past, we Uchiha were too weak, but from today on, we no longer need to act like cowards hiding in our shells!"

Uchiha Gin said to the crowd below with great seriousness.

Fugaku's expression was numb; he knew that once the existence of a Mangekyo was revealed, it would be difficult to keep the clansmen under control.

A simple sentence made the eyes of the clansmen below burn with fervor.

If not for their ninja instincts keeping them quiet, they might have already cheered aloud.