Danzo's Scheming

"Chuan Yu..."

"You!"

When Itachi saw the Mangekyo in Chuan Yu's left eye, he was shocked.

He knew what Chuan Yu was enduring at that moment.

The Uchiha were born with the mark of pain carved into them.

And the Sharingan was proof of that mark.

He drew Chuan Yu into his arms, his heart aching for him.

The rain suddenly stopped...

The Main House still held a funeral for Hizashi.

Poor Neji felt nothing as he faced his father's gravestone.

"Hello. Can we be friends?"

Standing in front of Neji, Chuan Yu slowly held out his right hand.

"My father told me that geniuses are lonely."

"Strong people don't need friends."

Neji replied coolly, then walked past Chuan Yu.

Chuan Yu gave a self-mocking smile.

Watching Neji's retreating figure, Chuan Yu let out a deep sigh.

The Cloud Village shinobi had left Konoha.

Their painstaking plan had ultimately come to nothing.

Now it was Chuan Yu's turn.

According to eyewitnesses, the culprit could use Raikiri and Fire Style.

The first person Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of was Kakashi.

There was no doubt about it: Kakashi was arrested.

But that wasn't what had Danzo on edge.

The Body Flicker Technique...

Shisui's signature jutsu.

If Shisui hadn't died, that would actually be good news for him.

After all, there was still one Sharingan he hadn't obtained.

"Interesting..."

The Anbu interrogation room.

Kakashi sat on a cold bench, turning one question over in his mind.

Who had learned his Raikiri?

He could use Fire Release Ninjutsu, too.

Could it be...

The interrogation room door slammed shut.

Darkness filled the room.

The only light came from the ventilation opening overhead.

A single, blinding beam.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Kakashi narrowed his eyes and peered into the gloom.

Danzo's face emerged from the darkness, crossing that beam of light and appearing before Kakashi.

"Kakashi, tell me the truth."

Danzo spoke in a cold voice.

Kakashi had never expected that, after giving so much to the Anbu, he would never be trusted.

His heart sank into despair.

"The truth?"

"Lord Danzo, the truth you're looking for isn't with me."

Kakashi replied calmly.

Then he glanced at the chains binding his hands, deliberately closed his eyes, and said no more.

"So resolute. You must know something."

Danzo gave a cold laugh, turned, and walked out of the interrogation room.

Outside,

Hiruzen Sarutobi had watched Kakashi's every move through the glass.

He took a heavy drag on his cigarette, then suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

"Hiruzen, you take over."

Danzo knew Kakashi was innocent.

Kakashi was Hiruzen Sarutobi's trusted subordinate, so it made sense for Hiruzen to question him.

Hiruzen knew perfectly well that Kakashi couldn't have done it.

Danzo was doing this to turn suspicion toward the Uchiha.

He thought Hiruzen was too stubborn now.

He still clung to hope for the Uchiha.

This was the perfect opportunity.

Then he could move against the Uchiha directly.

And he would find out whether Uchiha Shisui was alive or dead.

The identity of that person...

Would be revealed, too!

Pushing open the heavy iron door,

"Release Kakashi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, his hands clasped behind his back.

Beneath his Hokage cloak, his face was full of worry.

Just as he'd expected...

A satisfied smile appeared on Danzo's lips.

"Then everything should be clear."

"Uchiha are the only ones in Konoha who can use Raikiri, since they can copy ninjutsu with the Sharingan."

"Hiruzen, I know you still have hopes for the Uchiha, but this has already been decided."

With that, Danzo stood up.

He no longer needed Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval.

He decided to act that very night.

Hiruzen remained silent.

If they moved against the Uchiha,

Konoha would suffer a devastating blow.

"Shimura! Why don't we put this matter aside for now..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly called out, stopping Danzo.

Danzo stopped in his heavy tracks.

He merely glanced back at Hiruzen, then turned and left again.

"Lord Danzo, what are you in such a hurry to do...?"

Suddenly, Orochimaru appeared in the doorway.

"Investigate the Uchiha thoroughly..."

"But what brings you here...?"

Danzo replied.

"I'm just here to make something clear to the Third Hokage..."

"Yesterday, one of my failed experiments escaped from the laboratory..."

"I heard he caused trouble at the Hokage Building, so I brought him here to explain the situation to the Third Hokage..."

Then Orochimaru clapped his hands.

A figure suddenly emerged from behind him.

He had an ordinary appearance, a long sword strapped to his back, brown clothes, and black combat boots.

But on closer inspection, he looked a little like a wooden puppet.

He seemed dull-witted and didn't speak.

Danzo grew suspicious and stepped forward to examine the man carefully.

"A failed experiment? What went wrong?"

Orochimaru gave a raspy laugh, and the two fingers hidden behind his back twitched slightly.

In an instant, the man pressed down with his left hand and unleashed Raikiri!

"But sometimes he gets out of control..."

The moment Orochimaru finished speaking, a massive fireball shot straight toward the three of them.

Fire Release Ninjutsu...

Danzo furrowed his brow.

But he still wasn't convinced...

"Then how do you explain the Body Flicker Technique?"

The man seemed to understand what Danzo had said.

The moment he drew his long sword, seven or eight identical copies of him appeared before the man.

Damn it!

Danzo had been thoroughly stumped.

"Then make sure you keep your things under control from now on!"

Danzo stormed out of the Anbu headquarters.

And just like that, the matter was settled.

But Danzo had never given up on the Uchiha.

That Clan Annihilation Plan, taking root in his heart...

Continued to sprout and grow there...

Uchiha compound.

Crows wheeled across the sky.

Sitting on a rock, Chuan Yu was still thinking about what had happened earlier.

Before leaving the laboratory, Orochimaru had specifically asked him to leave behind a vial of his blood.

Orochimaru was an expert at creating artificial humans.

All he had to do was find a body, extract the blood, and inject it.

The body would then gain some of the blood donor's ninjutsu.

It wouldn't cause any real harm.

But Orochimaru could use his chakra to control the body.

The power it wielded would be only a third of its host's.

After leaving the Anbu, Orochimaru found Chuan Yu.

"The time is about right. This matter's taken care of..."

Orochimaru's voice came from behind Chuan Yu.

Chuan Yu turned to look, but had no idea when Orochimaru had arrived.

"Get ready tonight..."

"I'll give you another copy of the map to Ryūchi Cave..."

"Be careful. I'll wait here for news from you."

With that, Orochimaru spat a sharp long sword from his mouth and handed it over.

"You might find it useful..."

The Kusanagi Sword.

"All right, let's go. I'll get you out of Konoha first..."