Root's Great Evacuation

In front of the Hokage Building.

It was still dark.

The Uchiha had returned once more.

But this time, they had brought back more than just a Root contact.

They also had a box of surveillance files.

Three empty bottles of Sharingan Preservation Fluid.

A list of missing clan members.

And the most damning thing of all.

The Night Owl Plan.

When Fugaku slammed the scroll down in front of the Third Hokage, the air in front of the entire Hokage Building seemed to freeze.

The Third Hokage opened the scroll.

He had only read three lines when his expression changed completely.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu leaned in to look.

The next second, both of their faces turned deathly pale.

Uchiha Priority Elimination Plan.

Nighttime Elimination.

Retain Controllable Young.

Special Bloodline Samples.

This was no longer surveillance.

This was a plan to wipe out a clan!

Tekka's eyes were bloodshot, his voice grating as if forced through clenched teeth.

"Lord Hokage."

"Are you still going to claim this was a rogue operation by the remnants of Root?"

No one answered.

There was no way to answer.

Fugaku stood at the front, his voice icy.

"My Uchiha Clan has shed blood for Konoha for years."

"During the Nine-Tails Incident, countless members of our clan died in battle."

"And yet Root secretly drafted an elimination plan, collected our clansmen's eyes, and treated our children as specimens."

"Lord Hokage."

"Is this how Konoha answers the Uchiha?"

The hand holding the scroll trembled slightly.

He knew Danzō was ruthless.

But he had never imagined Danzō could sink this low.

The Night Owl Plan.

Once this came to light, there could be no trust left between the Uchiha and Konoha's High Command.

Danzō stood in the shadows, his expression dark.

He offered no explanation.

There was none he could give.

Shingetsu stood beside Fugaku, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly spinning.

"Lord Danzō."

"Don't you have anything to say?"

Danzō stared coldly at him.

"Uchiha Shingetsu."

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Shingetsu smiled.

"I do."

"I'm digging up the rotting flesh you've hidden underground, piece by piece."

Killing intent flashed in Danzō's one eye.

But this time, he couldn't make a move.

Everyone was watching him.

The Anbu were watching.

The Uchiha were watching.

The Konoha Ninja were watching.

Even the Third Hokage was watching him.

Shingetsu raised a hand toward the evidence.

"Surveillance files."

"Lists of specimens."

"Sharingan Preservation Fluid."

"The Night Owl Plan."

"Danzō, if you still claim you knew nothing, that proves just one thing."

"You can't even control your own Root."

"If you can't control it, then stop running it."

Boom!

Those words tore away Danzō's last shred of cover.

The Third Hokage closed his eyes.

A moment later, he opened them.

His gaze was colder than ever.

"Shimura Danzō."

Danzō looked at him.

"Hiruzen."

The Third Hokage's voice was low.

"Effective immediately, you are stripped of your position as Konoha Councilor."

The crowd was shaken.

Danzō's pupils shrank.

"Hiruzen!"

The Third Hokage continued.

"Freeze all Root operational authority."

"All Root strongholds are to be taken over by the Hokage's direct Anbu."

"The Uchiha Police Force may jointly supervise the sealing of evidence related to the Uchiha."

"Danzō himself is to be questioned by the Hokage immediately."

"You are not to leave the Hokage Building without my orders."

At those words, the Uchiha clansmen finally let out a breath of relief.

Tekka laughed outright.

"Good!"

"Danzō, your day has finally come!"

Danzō glared at the Third Hokage.

"You'll regret this."

The Third Hokage looked weary, but he didn't back down.

"Perhaps I should have done this long ago."

Danzō fell silent.

Watching this unfold, Shingetsu felt no relief at all.

He knew Danzō wouldn't fall so easily.

The old fox was best at cutting off his own tail to survive.

Sure enough.

The next moment, an Anbu appeared in a flash.

"Lord Hokage!"

"Three Root strongholds have self-destructed simultaneously!"

"Some Root members are evacuating!"

The Third Hokage's expression changed dramatically.

Tekka roared:

"They're still trying to run?"

Shingetsu's gaze turned cold.

"Danzō had a fallback plan ready all along."

He immediately turned to Fugaku.

"Clan Head, we can't wait for orders to trickle down from the Hokage."

"Split our forces now."

"Seize the strongholds."

"Seize the scrolls."

"Take prisoners alive."

"The faster Root withdraws, the more openings they'll leave behind."

Fugaku didn't hesitate.

"Tekka, Inabi, Yashiro."

"Three teams, move out."

"Shisui, take a team to the southern district."

"Shingetsu, stay by my side."

Shingetsu shook his head.

"No."

Fugaku frowned.

Shingetsu said:

"I'm going to the southern district."

Shisui froze.

"Why?"

Shingetsu looked at him.

"Because there'll be a big fish there."

Shisui was about to say something, but Shingetsu had already turned away.

"Shisui, senpai."

"This time, you protect me."

"I'll find the fish."

The system prompt sounded.

[Main and side quests accelerated: Root's Great Evacuation.]

[The southern district stronghold contains a Key Destiny Node.]

[Host participation recommended.]

Shingetsu's gaze grew even colder.

As expected.

There was something in the southern district.

Or rather, someone.

Southern Konoha.

Root Third Outer Stronghold.

Flames soared into the sky.

Black smoke from burning scrolls poured out of the underground entrance.

By the time Shisui arrived with the Uchiha squad, Root had already begun evacuating.

"Stop them!"

At Shisui's command, the Uchiha ninja scattered at once.

Shuriken sealed off the escape routes.

Fire Style kept them pinned down.

Genjutsu locked them in place.

The Root ninja didn't stay to fight. They desperately escorted a Black Sealing Box as they fled.

Shin-getsu stood on the rooftop, his eyes immediately fixing on the box.

"That's it."

Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique.

He moved at blinding speed.

The Root shinobi barely saw him move before he sent them flying.

In that moment, the name Body Flicker Shisui proved itself.

But just as Shisui was about to reach the box,

a blade of wind suddenly slashed out of the darkness.

Shisui's expression changed, and he used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.

Boom!

The wind blade carved a deep gash into the ground.

A figure emerged from the shadows.

He wore a Root mask.

He held a short sword.

His aura was ice-cold.

Shisui watched him, his expression darkening.

"An elite Root jonin."

Shin-getsu narrowed his eyes.

A system prompt appeared.

[Critical enemy detected: Elite Root jonin, codename: Crow.]

[Current mission: Prevent him from moving the Sealing Box.]

[Reward: Granted according to completion level.]

Crow spoke coldly.

"Uchiha Shisui."

"You shouldn't have come."

Shisui tightened his grip on the short sword.

"What's in the box?"

Crow didn't answer.

Shin-getsu, however, said calmly:

"Sharingan."

Everyone's expression changed.

Crow's gaze snapped toward Shin-getsu.

Shin-getsu smiled.

"Looks like I guessed right."

Crow didn't waste words.

He vanished in an instant.

His target wasn't Shisui.

It was Shin-getsu!

Root already knew.

Uchiha Shingetsu was the most troublesome variable.

Killing him mattered more than protecting the box.

Shisui's expression changed.

"Shin-getsu!"

But Shin-getsu didn't retreat.

His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.

[Causality Perception] activated.

The Death Line pointed straight at his brow.

He shifted half an inch to the side.

Crow's short sword slashed past his forehead.

Shin-getsu raised his hand.

Lightning erupted.

"Lightning Release: Earth Flash!"

Crackle!

Lightning spread along the ground.