Danzo's Ambition!

A moonlit night, with dark skies and strong winds!

Thick clouds shrouded the gloomy sky. A bright full moon broke through them, casting its light over a slender telephone pole.

As if he hadn't seen the light of day in a long time, Uchiha Shisui, crouched atop the pole, couldn't help but twitch slightly. But just as quickly, his face returned to its usual, lifeless expression.

But...

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump...

Though there was nothing unusual in Shisui's appearance, his heart was pounding rapidly, betraying the fact that he was not nearly as calm as he seemed.

"For the village and the Uchiha, I have no choice!"

The blade-like Mangekyō Sharingan slowly turned in Shisui's eye sockets. Nearby, blood vessels swelled and reddened, leaving less and less of the whites of his eyes visible...

At last!

Uchiha Shisui closed his eyes in pain. When he opened them again, his eyes had returned to normal.

The moment he witnessed Jin and the Uchiha sever all ties with Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other members of Konoha's High Command, Shisui had realized that his clan and the village were teetering on the brink of grave danger.

Impeaching the Hokage!

They had practically made an enemy of Lord Hokage, who had said those precious words, "The village trusts the Uchiha." At the same time, they had pushed the Uchiha Clan squarely into opposition with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

And then there was that man, Danzo...

In Shisui's eyes, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was the very embodiment of the Will of Fire. How could he be so dishonorable? Clearly, Danzo was the troublemaker behind all of this.

Lord Hokage... He was only... letting sentiment cloud his judgment...

Whatever had happened in the past, the village and the clan were now on the brink of destruction. Realizing he had to do something, Shisui had resolutely answered Sarutobi Hiruzen's unspoken request and quietly left the Uchiha Clan's massive barbecue gathering.

But...

Why had Jin looked so meaningful when he left?

It didn't matter anymore!

Thinking back to Danzo's fury in the Hokage Building, as he kept accusing the Uchiha and desperately trying to drive the clan and the village into a bloody conflict, Shisui had almost been unable to suppress the ocean of murderous intent in his heart.

But the Will of Fire that filled him had managed to hold that impulse in check.

By deliberately revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan and its technique, he had finally found a chance for peace between the clan and the village.

That's right.

Shisui knew that after Jin's series of heavy blows against the Uchiha Clan, Sarutobi Hiruzen had temporarily lost the ability to rally all of Konoha's forces against them.

And the supposed impeachment of the Hokage, along with Uchiha Fugaku becoming a candidate for the position, seemed to offer a path to a harmonious future.

But Shisui knew it was all an illusion, a beautiful and tempting bubble that could only lead to one of two outcomes.

The Uchiha's destruction!

The Uchiha and the village destroying each other!

But Shisui could never accept either outcome. Yet the situation was no longer something he could control alone, even with a Mangekyō that could make anyone wary...

So.

Shisui was taking a gamble!

If the clan could compromise, then Lord Hokage—the one who had spoken such an essential truth of the Will of Fire as "The village trusts the Uchiha"—would surely be able to mend the relationship between the village and the clan.

Thinking of the Third Hokage's trembling hands resting on his shoulders, and his resolute gaze filled with "trust," Shisui believed he couldn't be wrong about him.

Guided by the light of the Will of Fire, Lord Hokage would surely lead the clan and the village toward a better, more harmonious future.

So!

"Clan leader, I'm sorry!"

As Shisui cut away the last trace of hesitation in his heart, the blade-like Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in his eyes once more.

Whoosh!

As Shisui's phantom vanished into thin air, dozens of Kunai sank into the telephone pole from several extremely tricky angles.

Having easily dodged every Kunai, Shisui's figure solidified again. He now stood before several Root shinobi dressed in black cloaks and wearing animal masks.

"Lord Danzo, what do you want with me?"

Shisui ignored the Root shinobi, who held Kunai and watched him with cold, murderous eyes. Instead, he looked toward the figure slowly emerging from the darkness behind them.

"As expected of the Mangekyō Sharingan!"

As Danzo slowly spoke, two shadows suddenly appeared beside Shisui.

Clang! Clang!

Two Shuriken flew toward Shisui's vital points. Unsure of Danzo's intentions and unwilling to kill, Shisui could only retreat as he fought, using the Phantom Body Flicker Technique he was so proud of to flit through the narrow street.

"So you're Body Flicker Shisui. What a swift phantom."

The figure emerging from the shadowy woods was finally illuminated by the moonlight. Shimura Danzo, with his right eye wrapped in bandages and his right arm slung across his chest, looking like a frail old invalid, finally spoke again.

"Stand down!"

At Danzo's command, the Root shinobi who had attacked Shisui finally stopped and silently withdrew into the shadows once more.

"Danzo, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Shisui was growing impatient. He truly wished he could simply cut down this fool who kept stirring up trouble.

But Danzo's special relationship with the Third Hokage, combined with the tense situation between the Uchiha and the Hokage faction, made Shisui hold back.

Right!

One day, he'd teach Danzo a lesson. Maybe he'd trap him in an endless genjutsu loop—make him relive the humiliation of being trampled under Uchiha Jin's feet!

"The matter at hand is of great importance. If I don't test your abilities, how can I trust you to complete the mission?"

Danzo wore the air of a superior giving orders, with not a hint of apology in his voice. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a strange smile.

Foolish Uchiha!

You let me wear down some of your chakra so easily. And your foolish naivety today will surely leave a lasting impression.

"Did Lord Hokage send you to assist me?"

A trace of hesitation appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eyes. But Danzo had been at the Hokage Building earlier, so Shisui thought it was possible.

Danzo didn't answer Shisui's question. Instead, he slowly walked up to him. His single left eye narrowed slightly as he scrutinized Shisui, then he continued.

"If you acted against Uchiha Fugaku and stopped the Uchiha Clan from wanting to stage a coup, but the village still didn't change how it treated the clan..."

As he spoke, Danzo stared straight at Shisui, baring a cruel smile like a vulture eyeing a carcass.

"What would you do then?"

Danzo's sudden question made Shisui's heart tremble. It was something he had always wanted to avoid, but couldn't.

Yet when he remembered Sarutobi Hiruzen's strong hand resting on his shoulder, trembling but full of strength, Uchiha Shisui gritted his teeth and answered resolutely.

"The Third Hokage promised me. He'll lead the village and the Uchiha toward peace!"

"Ridiculous."

Hearing such a naive answer, Danzo sneered without mercy. Shisui's naivety only strengthened his resolve to take Kotoamatsukami.

The conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha was only a matter of time.

Even if he controlled Uchiha Fugaku, that would only buy them a little more time. The evil Uchiha were beyond saving. Wiping them out completely was the only way to protect Konoha.

Therefore.

Use Kotoamatsukami to control Fugaku?

What use was there in controlling such a weak, indecisive man? Shimura Danzo could never accept such a waste of power.

A power capable of controlling people's hearts and rewriting their will belonged in the hands of the "Darkness of the Ninja World," where it could be put to its greatest use!

And if Shimura Danzo could obtain this power, he would have the means to control Konoha and the Ninja World. He would lead Konoha to true greatness.

As long as he could control...

Sarutobi Hiruzen!