Let's Raise Hell Together

Danzo was already utterly disgraced. Even if Ren killed him outright, Hiruzen Sarutobi might be furious, but there would be nothing he could do to Ren.

Just as Ren decided to make a move against Danzo,

a Konoha Military Police Force member reported that the shops on the commercial street had been attacked. Ren hurried over as soon as he received the news.

By the time Ren arrived, the place had already been reduced to ruins.

At first, Ren had worried that Danzo would strike directly, but there had been no movement for quite some time.

Later, after Danzo's reputation had been thoroughly ruined, Ren had moved the equipment to the commercial street.

The newspapers were printed directly there before being distributed throughout Konoha.

Now, the expensive equipment they had bought was completely destroyed, and the newspaper office had been burned to the ground.

Ren was not particularly concerned about those losses. Instead, he looked toward an elderly man who had lost an arm.

The old man was Uchiha Ye, from the same generation as Ren's grandfather. He had lived an unremarkable life until Ren began searching the clan for members suited to propaganda work.

Among the submitted writings, he had discovered Uchiha Ye. The old man did not possess Qiyue's extraordinary talent.

But his many years of life experience made his writing exceptionally biting. Everything he wrote stirred righteous indignation, and he had been one of the Konoha Daily's main forces in smearing Danzo.

Naturally, Ren had not left them entirely unprotected. He merely looked at Uchiha Ryusuke, standing nearby with one eye bleeding nonstop, beyond saving.

In the end, Ren did not blame Ryusuke for failing to protect them.

He then looked at the dozen or so clansmen around them, who had trusted him enough to move their shops from the clan grounds to the commercial street.

They could only stare blankly at the shops that had become a sea of flames. Their lost expressions filled Ren with self-reproach.

It was all because Ren had underestimated his enemy. Or rather, the smooth progress of everything had made him regard Danzo as a plaything in the palm of his hand.

Believing Danzo could no longer stir up any trouble, Ren had lowered his guard and immersed himself in the illusion of success.

He could have done better. He could have prevented this. Because of his carelessness, reality had slapped him viciously across the face.

Ren first comforted the clansmen who had lost their shops. He apologized while assuring them that the clan would cover all of their losses.

Then he walked over to Uchiha Ye. Looking at Ye, who had only one arm left, Ren could not bring himself to say any words of comfort.

Uchiha Ye saw the expression on Ren's face and said indifferently, "Clan Head, there is no need to blame yourself. This is a war. Some things are unavoidable."

"I, Uchiha Ye, have lived an unremarkable life. Before I stepped into my coffin, I met you, Clan Head. I am deeply grateful to have been able to make my own contribution to the clan."

"Clan Head, I believe that you will surely lead the Uchiha Clan toward a better future."

The one being comforted instead merely looked at a medical ninja nearby.

The medical ninja said helplessly, "Clan Head, Elder Ye was already advanced in years, and he isn't a ninja. The excessive blood loss has caused his internal organs to fail. Medical ninjutsu can no longer do anything."

Ren nodded, then looked at Uchiha Ye. "Rest assured, Elder Ye. Danzo will soon go down to accompany you. I swear it in the name of the Uchiha Clan Head."

Uchiha Ye's eyes filled with laughter at those words. "Clan Head, there is no need for you to stay here with me. You have more important things to do."

At that moment, another Konoha Military Police Force member informed Ren that Uchiha Shisui and the Flame Girl had also been attacked. Fortunately, Shisui had used Susanoo to protect the others and the audience.

The attackers had hurriedly withdrawn before the main Konoha Military Police Force contingent arrived.

Ren nodded, not taking Shisui's exposure of his Mangekyō Sharingan too seriously.

Ren had not originally held much ill will toward Danzo. Back when he had merely been an ordinary clansman, Danzo targeting the Uchiha Clan had been only natural.

They had been enemies from the beginning. Whatever an enemy did was bound to be aimed at you.

But after Ren became clan head, as his position changed, his heart no longer held only his family.

The unconditional trust and support of his clansmen made Ren feel the immense weight of his responsibility.

They were no longer merely names on a list, pieces he could discard at will to achieve his goals. They were living people, each with their own lives and loved ones they needed to protect.

These clansmen who trusted and respected him, who stood united around him, were family who shared the same bloodline as him.

Call Ren hypocritical or falsely benevolent if you wanted. He knew his abilities were limited. He was only the Uchiha Clan Head, and anyone who harmed his clansmen could only be asked to die.

Ren led the Konoha Military Police Force to a corner and looked at someone wearing a police uniform but a featureless mask.

"Senior Tongren, did you see it clearly?"

"Perfectly clearly, Clan Head Ren."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Tongren, to mark it on the map once you return."

"No problem."

This ninja was Tongren Hyuga, the contact Hiashi Hyuga had sent after Ren visited him. He would also provide Ren with whatever help he could.

Afterward, when Ren returned to the police headquarters, he saw Shisui, who had been waiting for a long time.

Ren summoned Shisui and the four captains of the Konoha Military Police Force, informing them that they would launch a true surprise attack on Danzo's hiding place that night.

The official pretext would be the suppression of illegal armed forces, and he told them all to make their preparations.

Afterward, Ren went to the clan grounds and headed directly to Fugaku's home, where he found Itachi Uchiha looking at him with deep respect.

Ren could not tell whether Itachi Uchiha was sincere or merely pretending, but he did not care. He had long since arranged Itachi Uchiha's path.

Once only Ren and Fugaku remained in the room, the tension drained completely from Ren's face, leaving behind nothing but guilt.

"Senior Fugaku, I used to think you were a weak and incompetent clan head. Now it seems that I am not a qualified clan head either."

Fugaku looked into Ren's eyes. "Clan Head, do not blame yourself too much. You are far more capable than I am. I never imagined that the Uchiha Clan could earn the admiration of the village's people."

"My initial goal was always to become Hokage. For the position of Hokage, I sent clansmen to the battlefield without hesitation, but those sacrifices accomplished nothing."

"The fact that you feel guilty over the deaths of your clansmen proves that you are gradually becoming a qualified clan head. This is a war between us and Konoha's higher-ups. There will always be sacrifices in war."

"Including myself, no ninja who sacrifices themselves for the clan will ever blame you, Clan Head."

Ren understood everything Fugaku said. He simply found it difficult, in that moment, to accept that clansmen had died because of his own mistakes. He did not want to reveal those emotions before his clansmen and only wanted to find someone to vent them to.

As the former clan head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku was Ren's choice.

Neither of them spoke after that, and the room fell silent.

Finally, Ren broke the silence. "I came here this time because there is something I want to ask of you, Senior Fugaku."

"Please, tell me."

"I will launch an encirclement operation against Root tonight. I would like to ask Senior Fugaku to gather the clan's ninjas and protect the clansmen."

"Clan Head, rest assured. I will protect the clansmen with my life."

As he spoke, Fugaku activated his Sharingan. Before long, the three tomoe spun rapidly, forming a strange pattern.

The Mangekyō Sharingan that Fugaku had never shown anyone was revealed, solely to put Ren at ease.

Ren felt greatly reassured. "Then I'll leave the clansmen in your care, Senior Fugaku."

At night, the members of the Konoha Military Police Force, who had long since assembled, waited quietly for their clan head.

After Ren arrived, he looked over the familiar faces—Shisui, Naoto, Xuanyue, Keita, Ryusuke...

A long-lost fire rose in his heart.

"Everyone, tonight, let's raise hell together!"