Retreat from Danzo, Shadows of the Past

"Clang!"

The tip of the cane struck the gleaming blade of the straight sword, sending sparks flying!

Uchiha Mo held Futsunomitama one-handed, having drawn it from his waist to block the cane. With his other hand, he swiftly shoved Shisui backward, then turned to meet Danzo Shimura's eyes.

"In a situation like this, even if I killed you, the Third Hokage couldn't say anything, could he?"

As soon as the words fell, the three tomoe in Mo's Sharingan abruptly contracted, and an aura of utter chill suddenly radiated from him.

Danzo's heart jolted, and his hand trembled as he withdrew his cane.

This brat... his ocular power is no weaker than that of my left eye! Is he really only ten years old? ...It seems impossible to abduct Shisui without anyone noticing...

Having made up his mind, Danzo turned around and replied in an even voice, "I merely wished to see the caliber of the village's younger generation of geniuses. Now that I have, you indeed live up to the name 'Blood Ninja'..."

Since he was not confident he could take Shisui away without alerting the Third Hokage, an old fox like Danzo naturally would not act rashly again.

Mo tightened his grip on the hilt and watched Danzo's back without changing expression. Yet the three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, his ocular power rising at breakneck speed.

But at that moment, Mo suddenly felt someone tug at the clothes on his back. Turning around, he saw Shisui looking at him seriously, gently shaking his head.

"Shhk—click!"

Uchiha Mo turned back and released his grip. Futsunomitama slid back into its sheath on its own, the guard and scabbard locking together with a crisp clack. Mo glanced at Danzo, then led Shisui deeper into the clan district once more.

"Rotten roots should stay buried in the dark mud and struggle there. Don't come out and make a fool of yourself!"

With that, the two figures completely widened the distance between themselves and Danzo.

A vein throbbed sharply at Danzo Shimura's temple. He turned around, brow deeply furrowed, and stared fixedly at the prominent flame fan emblem on Uchiha Mo's back...

Uchiha... Teacher was right, and so am I. The Uchiha are evil by nature; they truly are a clan that needs to be purged! Hiruzen is simply too weak! But it doesn't matter. I will help Hidden Leaf sweep away every obstacle!

After saying that, Danzo withdrew his gaze from Uchiha Mo and vanished from where he stood.

"..."

"Hiss—"

On a branch of a cherry tree outside the Uchiha Clan District, a small white snake flicked its crimson tongue beneath the moonlight.

It looked toward where Danzo had disappeared, then slithered down the trunk to the ground and swiftly vanished into the bushes...

Mo and Shisui returned home in silence. Only after they entered the living room did Shisui finally fail to hold back any longer and ask in confusion, "Big brother, who exactly was that man...? You seemed to really dislike him."

Hearing that, Mo lowered his head and looked at Shisui's young face in silence for a while.

"Since they've already set their sights on you, I'll tell you some things in advance."

As he spoke, Mo hung his robe on the coat rack, then went over to sit at the table in the living room. Shisui hurriedly sat across from him as well, putting on the obedient look of someone ready to listen.

"That man is Danzo Shimura. He was a disciple of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and also the teammate of our grandfather, Uchiha Kagami."

"Grandfather..." Shisui looked stunned.

Mo did not elaborate on the matter and continued, "The Second Hokage died too suddenly, so Hiruzen Sarutobi did not take office as the Third Hokage through a jonin vote. Instead, his position was established by the Hokage's last will, brought back by the Hokage Guard. Naturally, such an outcome could not convince everyone."

"So, in order to secure Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage, the members of the Hokage Guard banded together and weathered that turbulent period. In the end, the Third Hokage firmly secured his seat, while three elder advisors were added at the Hokage's side."

"Among those three advisors, Danzo is the most unusual. He controls Root. Officially, Root is a subordinate training institution of the ANBU, but in truth, it handles certain unsavory matters in the darkness. In terms of actual authority, it is not much weaker than the ANBU."

Shisui was even more confused after hearing that. "Then does that mean Danzo really only wanted to recruit us to serve the village today?"

After the words fell, Mo looked into Shisui's eyes and remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

"Back then, the Second Hokage and the Hokage Guard were trapped in Hidden Cloud by the elite forces of Kinkaku and Ginkaku. He said that if they wanted to survive, one person had to stay behind. Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward without hesitation, and that was why he became the Third Hokage."

"This matter has always been a knot in Danzo's heart. He believes he was merely half a beat too slow back then, and that his resolve was no worse than Hiruzen Sarutobi's."

"Danzo believes he is more suited to the position of Hokage than Hiruzen Sarutobi. He harbors an immense obsession with that position and considers himself the true inheritor of Tobirama Senju's will. And that led to one result..."

"That is, Danzo Shimura harbors an almost obsessive hatred for the Uchiha."

"This..."

Shisui recalled his brother's reaction when facing Danzo. Mo had gripped his ninja sword tightly, his fingers constantly tapping against the hilt. Shisui understood that this was an unconscious habit his brother had whenever he was considering how to kill someone.

No wonder Big Brother reacted so strongly when he saw Danzo make a move...

Shisui muttered to himself, then suddenly understood. "So you think Danzo must have ulterior motives in trying to bring us into Root?"

"That is inevitable." Mo did not deny it.

"And in truth, Danzo inherited not even a fraction of Tobirama Senju's will or methods. Nor could he ever do better than Hiruzen Sarutobi. He is merely a clown performing an ugly dance upon an empty stage, yet believing himself to be exquisitely skilled."

"..."

Immediately afterward, Shisui heard Uchiha Mo begin ruthlessly criticizing one of the village's elder advisors.

"It is an undeniable fact that Tobirama Senju loathed the Uchiha. Yet, much as I hate to admit it, he did not actually have much prejudice against the Uchiha. Or rather, the 'prejudice' he showed toward the Uchiha was a corresponding precaution based on an objective fact."

"That old Senju ghost did, in a sense, treat everyone equally, and he did not fear the Uchiha as if they were tigers. To those in power, an existence like the Uchiha was clearly a double-edged sword. As long as one could wield it, it would be an incomparably sharp divine weapon."

"That old Senju ghost believed he could keep the Uchiha under control, so the Uchiha did not have an especially difficult time during Hidden Leaf's founding years. Mediocrities like Danzo and the Third Hokage, however, only know how to seal a divine weapon in its sheath. Only when they need it do they hurriedly pull it out and wave it around a few times, before quickly sealing it away again, terrified that it might hurt them."

It was the first time Shisui had heard his brother speak this way. Based on Mo's usual behavior, Shisui had assumed he too was one of the old-school Uchiha who deeply hated the Second Hokage.