The Great Root Evacuation

In front of the Hokage Building.

The sky had yet to brighten.

The Uchiha had returned once more.

But this time, they did not bring back only a Root Liaison.

They also brought a crate of surveillance files.

Three empty vials of Sharingan preservation fluid.

A list of missing clansmen.

And the most lethal item of all.

The Night Owl Plan.

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

The Third Hokage opened the scroll.

He only read three lines before his expression changed completely.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu leaned in to look.

The next second, their faces also turned deathly pale.

Uchiha Priority Elimination Plan.

Nighttime Elimination.

Retain Controllable Young.

Special Bloodline Samples.

This was no longer surveillance.

This was a plan for clan extermination!

Tekka's eyes were scarlet, his voice sounding as if it were being squeezed through his teeth.

"Lord Hokage."

"Now, will you still claim this was the unauthorized action of a remnant of Root?"

No one answered.

Because there was no answer to give.

Fugaku stood at the very front, his voice icy.

"My Uchiha clan has bled for Konoha for many years."

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

"Yet, Root was secretly drafting an elimination plan, collecting our clansmen's eyes, and treating our children as samples."

"Lord Hokage."

"Is this the explanation Konoha gives the Uchiha?"

The Third Hokage's hand holding the scroll trembled slightly.

He knew Danzo operated in the shadows.

But he had not expected Danzo to have sunk to such a degree.

The Night Owl Plan.

Once this was exposed, there would be no trust left between the Uchiha and the Konoha high command.

Danzo stood in the shadows, his face grim.

He offered no explanation.

Because there was none to give.

Shingetsu stood at Fugaku's side, his Three-Tomoe slowly rotating.

"Lord Danzo."

"Do you have nothing to say?"

Danzo looked at him coldly.

"Uchiha Shingetsu."

"Do you know what you are doing?"

Shingetsu smiled.

"I do."

"I am digging out the rotting flesh you've hidden underground, piece by piece."

A flash of murderous intent erupted in Danzo's single eye.

But this time, he could not strike.

Because everyone was watching him.

The Anbu were watching.

The Uchiha Clan were watching.

The Konoha ninja were watching.

Even the Third Hokage was watching him.

Shin-getsu raised his hand and pointed at the evidence.

"Surveillance files."

"Subject lists."

"Sharingan preservation fluid."

"Night Owl Plan."

"Danzō, if you still claim you were unaware, it only proves one thing."

"You cannot even control your own Root."

"Since you cannot control it, then stop trying."

BOOM!

These words tore away the last shred of Danzō's dignity.

The Third Hokage closed his eyes.

A moment later, he opened them.

His gaze was colder than ever before.

"Shimura Danzō."

Danzō looked at him.

"Hiruzen."

The Third Hokage's voice was low.

"Effective immediately, you are relieved of your duties as a Konoha advisor."

The entire room shuddered.

Danzō's pupils constricted.

"Hiruzen!"

The Third Hokage did not stop.

"All operational authority of the Root is hereby suspended."

"All Root strongholds are to be taken over by the Anbu under the direct command of the Hokage."

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

"Danzō himself shall immediately submit to questioning by the Hokage."

"Without my orders, you are not to leave the Hokage Building."

As these words were spoken, the members of the Uchiha Clan finally exhaled a breath of long-pent-up frustration.

Tekka laughed outright.

"Good!"

"Danzō, so this day has finally come for you!"

Danzō stared daggers at the Third Hokage.

"You will regret this."

The Third Hokage's face looked weary, but he did not back down.

"Perhaps I should have done this a long time ago."

Danzō fell silent.

Shin-getsu watched this scene, but he felt no sense of relief in his heart.

Because he knew that Danzō would not fall so easily.

That old man was a master at cutting off his own tail to survive.

Sure enough.

The next instant, an Anbu suddenly appeared via Body Flicker.

"Lord Hokage!"

"Three Root strongholds have suffered simultaneous self-destruct explosions!"

"Some Root members are currently retreating!"

The Third Hokage's expression shifted violently.

Tekka roared:

"Still trying to run?"

Shin-getsu's eyes turned cold.

"Danzo has already prepared a contingency."

He immediately looked at Fugaku.

"Clan Head, we cannot wait for the Hokage's orders to filter down through the layers."

"Split our forces now."

"Seize the strongholds."

"Seize the scrolls."

"Seize the captives."

"The faster Root retreats, the more flaws they leave behind."

Fugaku did not hesitate.

"Tekka, Inabi, Yashiro."

"Three squads, move out."

"Shisui, you take a squad to the South District."

"Shin-getsu, you stay by my side."

Shin-getsu shook his head.

"No."

Fugaku frowned.

Shin-getsu said:

"I am going to the South District."

Shisui was taken aback.

"Why?"

Shin-getsu looked at him.

"Because there will be a big fish there."

Shisui wanted to say more, but Shin-getsu had already turned away.

"Senior Shisui."

"This time, you protect me."

"I will be responsible for finding the fish."

The system notification chimed.

[Main and side quest acceleration triggered: The Great Root Evacuation.]

[A critical fate node exists at the South District stronghold.]

[Host is advised to participate.]

Shin-getsu's eyes grew colder.

As expected.

There is something in the South District.

Or rather, someone.

Konoha South District.

Root Third Outer Stronghold.

Flames soared into the sky.

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

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

"Stop them!"

Shisui gave the order.

The Uchiha ninja scattered instantly.

Shuriken blocked the path.

Fire Style suppressed the enemy.

Genjutsu locked them down.

The Root ninja did not linger to fight, focusing only on desperately escorting a Black Sealing Box as they retreated.

Shingetsu stood on the rooftop, his gaze locked onto the box the moment he arrived.

"That's it."

Shisui flickered into motion.

He was fast to the extreme.

Before the Root ninjas could even track his movements, they were sent flying.

The reputation of Body Flicker Shisui was on full display in that instant.

But just as Shisui was about to touch the box, a blade of wind suddenly slashed out from the darkness.

Shisui's expression shifted, and he flickered backward.

BOOM!

A deep trench was carved into the ground by the wind blade.

A figure stepped out from the shadows.

He wore a Root mask.

He held a short blade.

His presence was chillingly cold.

Shisui looked at his opponent, his face darkening.

"A Root elite jonin."

Shingetsu narrowed his eyes.

A system notification popped up.

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

[Current mission: Prevent the transfer of the sealed box.]

[Reward: Distributed based on completion.]

Crow spoke coldly.

"Uchiha Shisui."

"You shouldn't have come."

Shisui gripped his short blade tightly.

"What is inside the box?"

Crow did not answer.

Shingetsu, however, said calmly:

"Sharingan."

Everyone's expression changed.

Crow's gaze snapped toward Shingetsu.

Shingetsu smiled.

"It seems I guessed correctly."

Crow wasted no more words.

He vanished in an instant.

His target was not Shisui.

It was Shingetsu!

Root already knew.

Uchiha Shingetsu was the most troublesome variable.

Killing him was more important than securing the box.

Shisui's expression shifted.

"Shingetsu!"

But Shingetsu did not retreat.

His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly.

[Causality Perception] activated.

A Death Line pointed directly at the center of his brow.

He shifted half an inch to the side.

Crow's short blade slashed past his forehead.

Shingetsu raised his hand.

Lightning erupted.

"Lightning Style: Earth Flash!"

ZZZT!

The lightning spread across the ground.