Successful Infiltration

The Root members responsible for pursuing Uchiha Shisui lowered their heads, not daring to utter a single word.

They could only endure Danzo's furious reprimand.

At this moment, Danzo's mind was storming; if the Uchiha clan learned of Shisui's disappearance, would they launch a coup d'état ahead of schedule?

Danzo gripped his cane tightly, his expression incredibly grim.

No, the operation must be moved forward.

While Danzo was lecturing his subordinates, Uchiha Yan used the copying ability of his Sharingan to forge suicide notes for both Shisui and Itachi.

The general content of Shisui's note was as follows:

Shisui had met with Danzo in secret, was ambushed by him, and died from his severe injuries; Shisui hoped the Uchiha clan would consider the bigger picture, and so on.

However, Uchiha Yan did not intend to let this note surface immediately; instead, he fabricated the illusion that Shisui and Itachi had gone out on a mission.

Given the tense relationship between the Uchiha clan and the Konoha high command, it was impossible for Fugaku or any other Uchiha clansman to personally go and question Danzo or the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Moreover, Itachi and Shisui were very close, practically inseparable.

Naturally, no one would be suspicious.

And Danzo, for his part, was more than happy for Shisui to simply vanish.

In this way, with Itachi and Shisui temporarily out of the picture, the Uchiha coup would be delayed, allowing him to watch Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen tear each other apart.

Uchiha Yan was plotting to incite infighting among the Konoha high command.

It was only then that Sarutobi Hiruzen learned from an Anbu operative that a battle had taken place in the Forest of Death.

What could be confirmed was that one of the combatants was a master of Fire Release.

As for who the enemy of this Fire Release master was, it remained unclear.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand with a headache and said to the Anbu, "Understood, you may withdraw."

At the entrance of the Root headquarters.

Uchiha Yan appeared at the gates of the Root base like a ghost.

He had already changed into a Root uniform, followed by two companions he had created using Shadow Clones.

Relying on the memories of the cannon fodder he had replaced, Uchiha Yan walked into the Root headquarters.

Based on that subordinate's description, Uchiha Yan already had a rough impression of the Root base.

However, the sight before him still exceeded Uchiha Yan's expectations.

The sides of the corridors were lined with human and animal corpses preserved in formaldehyde.

The air was thick with a nauseating stench of blood.

Because it was located underground, the air here was exceptionally damp.

This made Uchiha Yan feel a sense of discomfort.

Just then, a masked Root member blocked his path.

"Ding, Lord Danzo has issued an order for an emergency assembly."

Uchiha Yan lowered his head slightly and replied, "Yes, my lord."

Following his memories, Uchiha Yan walked to the area where Danzo usually issued his commands.

The originally empty plaza became crowded as the Root members gathered.

Danzo leaned on his cane and walked slowly onto the railed platform above.

He looked down, scanned his surroundings, and said, "I have summoned you here for one primary mission."

"This mission concerns the survival of Konoha."

The Root members, whose humanity had long since been extinguished, all raised their heads.

They stared at Danzo with dead, fish-like eyes.

Danzo was very satisfied with their reaction.

He stomped his cane and said, "The mission is to find Uchiha Shisui and bring him back. I want to see him alive or his corpse if he is dead, do you understand?"

His tone carried an unquestionable authority.

The Root members in the plaza shouted in unison, "Yes, Lord Danzo!"

Their voices echoed throughout the plaza.

Only then did Danzo speak again, "Very well, dismissed. Those responsible for monitoring the Uchiha today are to remain."

As Danzo's words fell, the plaza, which had been packed with people, was left with only Uchiha Yan and his two Shadow Clones in an instant.

In order to find Uchiha Shisui, Danzo had sent out everyone he could possibly spare.

Only he remained in the plaza.

Danzo slowly descended from above, his gaze locked onto Uchiha Yan as he asked, "What have the Uchiha been up to lately? Have you found any leads on the missing Root members?"

Uchiha Yan feigned shame and replied, "My apologies, Lord Danzo. I truly haven't found any clues regarding the missing Root members, but I did find..."

"Found what?"

Danzo was somewhat excited; he instantly closed the distance to Uchiha Yan.

Uchiha Yan whispered into his ear, "I saw it, Lord Danzo's..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Uchiha Yan drew a kunai and stabbed Danzo in a vital spot.

Squelch.

Danzo looked down in disbelief at the kunai embedded in his heart.

A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

He felt his life force gradually slipping away.

Uchiha Yan looked at the system options.

Option 1: Kotoamatsukami

Option 2: Izanagi

Option 3: A small amount of Hashirama Cells

Uchiha Yan already had ways to obtain both Option 1 and Option 2.

Therefore, Uchiha Yan chose Option 3: Hashirama Cells.

Following the explanation of the option, Uchiha Yan felt a surge of warmth flow through his body, but there was no further reaction.

By this time, Danzo had realized that there was a traitor within Root.

He looked at the traitor before him, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Izanagi."

No sooner had his voice fallen than he suddenly vanished from his spot, reappearing behind the traitor.

"Let me see who you really are!"

Danzo muttered.

He then drew a kunai and drove it directly into the traitor's vital point.

As a puff of white smoke dissipated, it turned out that the person before him was merely a Shadow Clone.

Uchiha Yan also realized that he could still receive rewards even if his opponent used Izanagi.

However, he had no time to think about anything else; Uchiha Yan began to analyze his opponent.

He knew very well that the duration of Danzo's Izanagi was one minute.

During this window, he only needed to keep Danzo under control.

With that thought, he pulled out a sealing scroll he had prepared in advance.

"Barrier: Silent Lotus Formation."

This was a scroll Uchiha Yan had specifically purchased on the black market.

Its primary effect was that no matter what happened inside the sealing barrier, nothing could be seen or heard from the outside.

One would only see a hazy gray color inside the barrier, and even if a sensory ninja were to intervene, they would only perceive an absence of chakra within.

Unless the caster died, their chakra was exhausted, or they ended it voluntarily, this sealing barrier would remain in effect.

Because it was a scroll, it could only last for about two minutes.

But for Uchiha Yan, that was more than enough.

Although Danzo had lost a Sharingan, he felt no regret whatsoever.

Even if it was Shisui's eye.

After all, once this was over, he could simply find Shisui and replenish his second eye.

The battle between Danzo and Uchiha Yan continued.

Danzo formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets."

He then spat out a series of air bullets that looked like transparent projectiles.

Uchiha Yan's expression remained unchanged; the terrifying dynamic vision of his Three-Tomoe Sharingan allowed him to dodge the attack with ease.

Danzo was not panicked to see his attack evaded, for he had already seen the Three-Tomoe Sharingan of the traitor before him.

As long as he created enough of a commotion for his trusted subordinates to arrive, he could at the very least severely wound this traitor, or better yet, kill or capture him alive.

When that time came, he could coordinate with Hiruzen and the others to carry out a massive purge of the Uchiha.

Thinking of this, Danzo couldn't help but hum to himself.

As the exchange between the two intensified, however, Danzo began to sense that something was wrong.

They had been fighting for half a minute, creating such a massive commotion.

Why had no reinforcements arrived yet?

Danzo suddenly recalled a fatal detail.

It was that scroll in Uchiha Yan's hand.

Staring at Uchiha Yan with the intensity of a viper, Danzo said, "A sealing barrier? It seems you have been planning for this day for a long time."