Danzo's Stinking Scheme, Anbu Surround the Uchiha!

Whoosh—!

Yoru's figure swayed slightly at the edge of the rooftop, then vanished soundlessly like a ghost melting into the night.

When he reappeared, he was already at the entrance to the Uchiha Clan compound.

At this moment, the eastern horizon had only just begun to show a pale hint of dawn, yet the atmosphere within the Uchiha compound was already as oppressive as storm clouds bearing down on a city.

Tension crackled in the air.

At a glance, there was a sea of black.

Several hundred Root ninjas wearing pure white masks and devoid of any emotional fluctuation, together with Leaf Village's regular Anbu, had sealed every entrance and exit of the Uchiha compound as tightly as an iron barrel.

At their head stood Shimura Danzo.

The old man's right arm was wrapped in bandages, clearly injured when he had been caught up in the Nine-Tails' rampage outside the village. Yet it did nothing to diminish his current arrogant bearing.

Leaning on his cane, half his face hidden in shadow, he fixed the Uchiha clansmen trapped inside with his exposed eye, which glinted with the sinister light of a hawk.

"Lord Danzo, the Uchiha Clan has always been utterly loyal to the village. We have never harbored any disloyalty!"

Clan head Fugaku Uchiha stood at the front with the elders, suppressing his fury as he spoke in a subdued tone.

"The Nine-Tails disaster caused our clan grievous losses as well. What reason do you have for bringing people to surround us now?"

"Reason?"

Danzo let out a hoarse, cold laugh and heavily struck the ground with his cane.

"The reason is that my men saw the reflection of the Sharingan in the rampaging Nine-Tails' eyes!"

"Now, the Hokage has authorized Root to conduct a suspicion investigation on every member of the Uchiha Clan!"

"Until the investigation is over, no one is allowed to take a single step out of the clan compound!"

What a convenient accusation.

Fugaku's face turned green, then white. His entire body trembled with rage.

The young Uchiha behind him had red eyes, their hands already resting on the hilts of their swords.

What was this?

They might as well have written the word "criminal" directly across the faces of the entire Uchiha Clan!

"What? Do you intend to resist?"

Danzo noticed the young men's movements, and the killing intent in his lone eye grew even stronger.

A Root ninja beside him, who appeared to be a minor leader, immediately understood.

With a clang, the man drew half his ninja blade and swaggered over to an Uchiha child who had been frightened into wailing.

"Brat, what are you crying for?!"

The Root ninja viciously shoved the child in the shoulder, sending him stumbling.

"Cry again, and I'll slaughter you right here!"

He raised his ninja blade, preparing to strike the child's cheek with its flat and make an example of him.

Mikoto Uchiha cried out in alarm and tried to step forward, only to be firmly blocked by the Anbu beside her.

Fugaku clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms. Yet for the sake of the bigger picture, he still hesitated over whether to order an attack.

And at that very critical moment.

A black afterimage tore through the silence before dawn without warning.

Smack!!!

An incomparably crisp, thunderous crack, even carrying the echo of shattering bone, suddenly exploded!

The arrogant Root ninja still had his cruel grin frozen at the corner of his mouth.

He did not even manage to let out a single scream.

His entire body flew backward like a cannonball at a speed that defied the laws of physics, as though a charging rhinoceros had slammed squarely into his face!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He smashed through three thick stone walls in succession before embedding himself in the fourth like a pile of mush, completely silent.

The entire scene fell deathly quiet.

Everyone's minds buzzed from that earth-shattering kick.

The dust slowly cleared.

Uchiha Yoru had somehow appeared before the terrified child.

He gently pulled the child behind him, blocking everything from his view.

Then, he slowly raised his head.

Those dark eyes held no anger, no roar.

There was only bottomless coldness and the indifference of someone looking at the dead.

His gaze passed over everyone before finally landing on Shimura Danzo's old face, twisted between shock and rage.

"Danzo, do you want to die?"