Chapter 50

Ability: Super Chakra Refining Technique [Chakra condensation speed increased by 300%]

Overall evaluation: Special Jonin

Although the system's evaluation was still stuck at special jonin, Sasuke knew full well that his training during this period had not been for nothing.

Especially that purification technique. Its effect was simply explosive.

His current strength had definitely left ordinary jonin several streets behind.

As for what he wanted to do next, to put it plainly, it came down to one word—

Make trouble!

That old bastard Danzo's strongest backing was the Root Organization, wasn't it?

But among those people, how many were truly following him willingly?

To put it bluntly, wasn't it just because curse marks had been planted on their bodies, leaving them with no courage to resist?

But now...

That curse mark, in the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke, was nothing but decoration. "Old ghost Danzo, are you ready?"

A cold smile tugged at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "I, Uchiha Sasuke, am coming to raid your foundations!"

With that, he grabbed the tomoe at his chest, and chakra surged fiercely into it...

***

Two days later.

Danzo sat in his house, his face drawn out long. "What's the situation on the Uchiha side?"

"That old fox Sarutobi, why hasn't he made a move even now?"

He looked at the intelligence his subordinate handed over, and even his temples ached.

The plan had clearly been flawless, yet it had gotten stuck right at the Uchiha.

He had already put the blade to their necks, but the Uchiha had actually stayed completely still.

They were even more cautious than before, leaving not a single leak when they spoke.

Uchiha Natsume, who was in charge of patrols, at most cursed a few times when provoked and did not make a move at all.

Yan Yan was still locked up in prison, yet the news of Hokage succession still had not been released.

The mood in the village had also changed. Quite a few people had begun pointing fingers at Danzo.

Even worse, over these past two days, Danzo had discovered that the intelligence he received was becoming less and less.

Several Root Organization members had simply gone missing.

The curse marks planted on their bodies were like they were dead, with not the slightest reaction.

This string of abnormalities made Danzo's heart crawl with unease. "My lord, why don't... I take people to ** ** the Uchiha again?"

A core member of the Root Organization leaned in and spoke in a lowered voice. "We'll go straight to their compound and stir up some noise. Even if they want to endure it, there's no way every single person in the clan can keep their composure."

"Those Uchiha people can't all hold themselves back."

They had used this move many times before and were extremely familiar with it.

On top of that, the cost was the smallest and the effect was the best.

Danzo was silent for quite a while.

Although uneasy inside, he still nodded. "Fine. Go."

"Take more people with you, and act carefully."

As long as he could force the Uchiha to make a move, this battle would be his win.

Besides, he had no way back now!

"Understood, my lord."

After that member finished speaking, his figure flashed and vanished outright.

In the darkness, more than a dozen Root Organization members gathered together. "This time's target is the Uchiha Clan."

"Don't go after the tough ones. Pick ordinary clansmen to attack."

"Even trash who haven't awakened the Sharingan is fine."

"Tonight's target is the Uchiha Clan's psychological line of defense. Strike hard enough, and move cleanly and decisively."

"Withdraw just as quickly."

"Move!"

The moment the leading ninja's words fell, more than a dozen black shadows vanished from where they stood.

The Uchiha territory was already remote to begin with, right next to the outermost edge of the village, so they simply dispensed with hiding altogether.

Once they left the core area, they immediately sped up and rushed toward that stretch of clan compound.

Tonight, as long as they set the fire in their hands alight, the Uchiha could forget about having any peace again.

On the crown of a large tree.

"Sasuke, the people over there have moved again."

Susanoo stood beside the youth, his tone perfectly calm.

"I saw."

"There are quite a few of them this time, so I'll have to trouble you again."

Sasuke's voice was faint, without any detectable fluctuation.

"Mm."

Susanoo nodded, and his figure flashed, disappearing without a trace.

Sasuke did not wait long. His toes lightly tapped the tree trunk, and his whole body drifted down beside the roots.

"Sasuke."

A low voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Father."

Sasuke turned his head and saw Uchiha Fugaku's face. "We just interrogated something new."

"That newly awakened eye technique of yours really is useful."

"Once the curse marks were removed, those Root Organization people spilled every filthy thing Danzo had done."

There was a trace of gratification in Uchiha Fugaku's tone, but then his words changed direction. "Only..."

Of course it was a good thing that his son could awaken an even stronger ability, but the intelligence they had gotten this time left him somewhat unable to sit still.

The matters involving Hiruzen Sarutobi became more troublesome the more he looked at them.

"Those things aren't for us to meddle in."

"Send the people to the Hokage, and he'll naturally know how to handle them."

Sasuke saw through what his father was worried about at a glance.

The Root Organization was originally the dark blade in the Hokage's hand that could not see the light, with countless dirty jobs hidden in the shadows.

There was a reason Danzo had always been called the "Shadow Hokage of the pot."

The rotten accounts between the higher-ups could be settled by the higher-ups themselves.

"I've already had people send those Root Organization fellows to the Hokage."

"Next, you..."

Uchiha Fugaku's gaze swept toward the direction where Susanoo had disappeared, and he stopped halfway through his sentence.

Sasuke had never mentioned exactly where Susanoo came from, and he did not intend to ask.

If a powerhouse of that level truly wanted to harm the Uchiha, this little brat Sasuke would have been dead long ago.

"Sasuke, have you considered applying for early graduation?"

After a few seconds of silence, Uchiha Fugaku changed the topic.

His son was only six years old now, but in terms of strength, brains, and ability to handle affairs, there was already no need for him to waste time in school.

If he graduated early, then as his father, he could arrange more suitable missions for Sasuke and help push his strength further upward.

"No need."

"I want to keep staying in school."

"No matter what, those guys in class are all my comrades."

The corners of Sasuke's mouth curved.

The twelve little guys of Konoha's current class all had potential, and behind them stood the major ninja clans.

Whether it was to pave the way for the future or to help the Uchiha draw in allies, he could not drop everything and leave now.

Of course, with the memories of his previous life and that cheat-like system, he had no intention of obediently spending several years cooped up in school either.

If he was going to drop out...

Then everyone had to leave together, neat and tidy.

"Fine."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded in satisfaction, then his figure swayed and vanished from where he stood.

He accepted his son's choice. Right now, he still had a pile of messes to clean up.

Only after Uchiha Fugaku had gone far away did Sasuke move his fingers.

He quickly formed seals, his body stretching taller, his outline widening, and in the blink of an eye, he had taken on the appearance of an adult man.

He fastened a mask over his face, sat down against the tree trunk, and waited for that Mr. Susanoo to return after finishing his work.

—

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already entered the Police Force's dungeon at this moment.

Konoha Village had a total of three places to imprison people: the Interrogation Department, the Police Force, and Konoha Prison beneath the village.

The place where he currently stood was the section managed by the Uchiha.

A group of people stood before him, all formerly members of the Root Organization. At this moment, there were no masks on their faces, and their true appearances were fully exposed. "Morishita, didn't you report yourself killed in action three years ago?"

"Fei Guo, you were actually in Root... You were clearly an Anbu member. You went missing while carrying out a mission, and I thought..."

"Gu Nian..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi called out the names one by one, his voice growing heavier and heavier.

He had originally thought that he had more or less grasped Root's details, and that Danzo could not stir up any waves.

But looking at it now, he had been absurdly wrong.

Over these years, Danzo had slowly taken the skilled people from around him, planted curse marks on them, and turned them all into his own chess pieces.

If he let Danzo drag this out a while longer, he feared that as Hokage, he would not even be able to pass down orders.

—

The Root members in the dungeon saw Hiruzen Sarutobi arrive, and one by one, they lowered their heads without speaking.

Back then, some had volunteered, and some had been **.

But no matter how they had entered, over these years they had indeed borne Root's name and done things even they themselves were unwilling to recall.

Those matters had already been fully confessed during the Police Force's interrogation.

Even for people who had committed wrongs, the same matter could not be repeatedly cut open and confessed to again and again. "Lord Hokage, I think their identities should be restored and they should continue being Konoha ninja."

"In the past, the curse marks suppressed them, so they had no choice but to listen to Danzo. Now that the curse marks have all been removed, they are only ordinary Konoha ninja."

Shisui Uchiha spoke up.

The people Danzo had set his sights on were never going to be lacking in ability.

If they were kept locked in the dungeon forever, it would be a huge loss for the village. "Is that truly what you think?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze for a moment, and the look he gave Shisui carried surprise.

Logically speaking, the Uchiha's hatred toward these ninja should only be deeper than his, the Hokage's.

Among the things these people had confessed to, nearly forty percent had been aimed at the Uchiha.

Yet Shisui had said such words. "This is not just my opinion. The entire Uchiha thinks this way."

"If hatred is passed down forever, there will never be an end."

"We Uchiha are willing to be the ones who stop the hatred here."

"The Uchiha... can bear it."

As Shisui spoke, his back was ramrod straight.

The two Uchiha clansmen behind him also lifted their heads, faces full of pride.

For the first time, the Uchiha felt honored in this kind of matter. "Good. Well said."

"It seems Minister Fugaku has taught you well."

"I'll take these people away."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand and pointed at the row of people, his tone settling.

Shisui nodded, took out the keys, opened the cell door, and removed the seals from them one by one.

Hiruzen Sarutobi led the people and left the dungeon directly.

When the crowd dispersed, the gazes that fell on the Uchiha were already completely different from before.

Amid the daze was a bit of gratitude. "Lord Hokage, are you planning to take them away?"

"These Root Organization members were kept in the Uchiha Clan Compound last night and interrogated."

"The curse marks have all been removed as well."

"Do you want to take them along too?"

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to leave, he ran head-on into Nagasawa Uchiha, who was bringing people over. "Together, then."

Sweeping a glance over those familiar faces, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt somewhat emotional.

But he still nodded and led everyone away.

At noon the next day.

Danzo paced back and forth in the courtyard, growing more and more uncertain inside.

An entire night had passed. Why was there not the slightest movement?

It was one thing if the Uchiha side did not react, but what about the Root Organization members he had sent out?

The key point was that, up to today, not a single Root member had come over to report the situation.

With things looking like this, something had definitely happened.

Then, connecting it with everything that had happened over these past few days, the worst possible thought surfaced in Danzo's mind—

"Root's men failed." "Lord Danzo, Lord Hokage requests your presence."

Anbu appeared without warning.

The group was led by Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal guards, twelve men in perfect order.

With a lineup like that, it was obvious he had no choice but to go. "Understood."

Danzo answered in a muffled voice, straightened his clothes, and followed the Anbu away.

It dragged on until deep into the night before Danzo finally emerged from the Hokage's office.

No one knew what Hiruzen Sarutobi had said to him.

But from the lost, dispirited look on his face when he left, anyone could tell the Third had definitely given him nothing good to swallow.

Yan Yan was also torn down that very night.

Word had it Danzo had done it himself.

But Sasuke had no interest in that kind of thing at all.

He was busy burying his head in barbecue. "Naruto, did training under Senior Kakashi feel special in any way?"

Rock Lee leaned over, his face full of curiosity.

That was right. Naruto and Kakashi had returned to the village.

The moment he got back, he called everyone out for barbecue. "It wasn't really any special training. We just went around outside for a bit."

"And trained my body along the way."

"To be honest, I kind of missed the days of training in the village."

"Sasuke..."

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—"

Before Naruto could finish, a bit of white light shot from Sasuke's fingertip and burrowed into his body.

A bout of twitching cut him off. "Sure enough, this kind of training method still suits me best... sizzle..."