Fury! Roaring Danzo

"However, the most important thing right now is to shake off the pursuers behind me!"

Looking at the familiar mask worn by the Anbu captain, Uchiha Ye's heart sank slightly: "Hatake Kakashi, what a troublesome guy."

He used Lava Release to dive into the ground, vanishing at high speed.

"Tracking squad, don't let him get away!"

Seeing this, Hatake Kakashi narrowed his eyes, yet he issued the order without a hint of panic.

Immediately, an Anbu member from the Hyuga clan activated his Byakugan, leading the others to continue the pursuit.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Obito!

"Very well, brat, I'll remember you!"

Tearing off his scorched sleeve, Uchiha Obito's eyes were icy cold.

He, the dignified Uchiha Obito, the man pulling the strings of the ninja world from the shadows, had actually been played by a thirteen-year-old brat using a shadow clone.

This humiliation must be avenged!

He would take Uchiha Ye's two-tomoe Sharingan for himself!

At the same time!

"I'm sorry, Father, Mother!"

Uchiha Itachi gripped a blood-stained short blade with trembling hands. Looking at his parents lying in a pool of blood, he knelt on the ground, his spirit on the verge of collapse.

"No need... to worry, Itachi. Compared to you, we only felt... a moment of pain."

Uchiha Fugaku's voice was weak, yet his tone was relieved: "Even if our... choices differed, I... still consider you my pride!"

In his final moments, he smiled, took his wife's hand, and said to Uchiha Itachi: "Take... good... care of Sasuke!"

With that, he passed away with a smile!

"Yes!"

Uchiha Itachi rose in grief. By the time he stood up, his tears had dried, leaving only deeper lines around his mouth.

Half an hour later, the Hokage's office.

"What did you say?"

After hearing Kakashi's report, Shimura Danzo slammed his hand down and barked in disbelief: "The members I sent are elite even by the standards of the entire ninja world. How could they all die at the hands of a single Uchiha brat?"

"Kakashi, what kind of joke is this!"

Hearing this, Hatake Kakashi replied calmly: "Lord Danzo, I know this is difficult for you to accept, but it is the truth."

"If you don't believe me, you can send someone to the village gate to verify it."

Danzo's face grew even gloomier at these words; he snorted and sat back down.

He felt absolutely miserable!

Before this operation, the upper echelons had reached a consensus.

Aside from the brothers Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke, there would be no third survivor of the Uchiha clan.

Yet now, such a critical matter had been botched under his watch.

How would all of Konoha view him?

As an incompetent fool?

He could not tolerate it!

"Sarutobi, send out a pursuit unit immediately! We cannot leave such a threat alive!"

"There is still time to act!"

Since the incident had already occurred, anger was useless.

Resolving this runaway and rectifying the mistake was the only logical path.

He desperately wanted to know who could have hidden under his nose for so long without him ever noticing anything unusual!

However!

The Third Hokage shook his head: "According to the situation Kakashi just described, the fact that he could eliminate over five elite Root members in a matter of minutes shows just how strong he is."

"Furthermore, for this person to have hidden his strength within the Uchiha for so long without exposure, and to have predicted this crisis so precisely that he fled Konoha the moment we made our move, it is clear his methods are extraordinary."

"I don't believe a rash pursuit will yield any results!"

Hearing this, Shimura Danzo became anxious: "Sarutobi!! How do you know it won't work if you don't try?"

He needed this pursuit to salvage his own prestige!

He could not allow the Third Hokage to refuse!

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, but still shook his head in refusal.

Then, his expression turned stern: "Compared to this, we should prioritize handling the aftermath of the Uchiha and responding to the reactions of various factions in the ninja world."

"The stability within Konoha is more important than anything else!"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the two advisors standing by, nodded in agreement at these words.

However, this was something Shimura Danzo found completely unacceptable.

With a livid face, he prepared to argue further: "Sarutobi, you..."

Before he could finish, the Third Hokage said sternly: "Danzo, this is an order from the Hokage!"

Shimura Danzo's face flushed with sudden rage. He glared at the Third Hokage with eyes that could kill for a full half-minute before rising in indignation and flicking his sleeves to leave: "Sarutobi! You will regret today's decision!"

Root out evil completely!

He was truly disappointed in the Third Hokage!

Since that's the case, then Uchiha Itachi... cannot be left alive! he thought, his face twisted and his teeth gritted.

The Uchiha clan had already been eliminated by Uchiha Itachi's hand, so there was no need to keep Uchiha Itachi around any longer.

It would be perfect to splash the dirty water of the Uchiha clan's massacre onto Uchiha Itachi, clearing the high-level officials of suspicion and maintaining their positive image.

After all, the dead cannot speak!

It would also slightly salvage his own reputation!

Yet, just a few hours later, at the Root headquarters.

"Clack, clack, clack..."

After hearing the report from his subordinate, his face turned deathly pale once more, his gaze so icy it could kill.

"Are you saying... you let Uchiha Itachi... get away... too?!!"

Shimura Danzo spoke in a low voice, like a beast ready to devour someone.

"Yes!"

Seeing this, the Root member reporting trembled with terror: "Uchiha Itachi never once let his guard down against us."

"He had placed genjutsu on all the 'teammates' he had ever worked with, so when we moved against him, the genjutsu triggered automatically. In the end, they all killed each other, allowing him to leave with ease."

Hearing this answer, Danzo gritted his teeth until they clicked, his expression abysmal as he shouted: "So, I've spent all this time training you, only to raise a bunch of trash!!"

He stood up agitatedly and kicked the Root member over, roaring: "It was one thing to be wiped out by some unknown Uchiha brat, but as long as Uchiha Itachi was taken care of, this old man's reputation could still be salvaged."

"But you..."

He gritted his teeth, his killing intent sharp: "Is this how you bunch of losers repay my investment in you!"

"Have you spent all these years living like dogs? You can't even handle one Uchiha Itachi!"

In the vast Root headquarters, no one answered.

Only the sound of Shimura Danzo's angry, ragged breathing echoed through the space.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Land of Fire.

"As expected of the Konoha Anbu, truly relentless in their pursuit!"

Looking at the devastated earth before him, Uchiha Ye shook his head and wiped away the traces.

After luring all the pursuing members to a remote location, he had finished them all off with a single Lava Scorch Shot.

"Now, it's time to find a place to settle down!"

After a brief rest, Uchiha Ye headed toward the northwest.

Staying in one place for too long would inevitably lead to being surrounded by Konoha reinforcements, which would be a significant nuisance.

Just now, while luring the Konoha Anbu, he had already roughly mapped out his path forward.

First, join an organization to accumulate strength, then establish his own ninja village.

Only with strength could one truly discuss life and ideals.

And the organization he had chosen was none other than the one perpetually shrouded in rain—the Akatsuki!