Itachi Uchiha's Intelligence

Before Uchiha You turned to leave, he glanced once more at the files on the table.

"Right."

"Our Police Force will make copies of these files."

"For future review."

Utatane Koharu was just about to refuse.

But Uchiha You calmly added:

"After all, this matter involves Uchiha victims. The Police Force has the right to retain copies."

Utatane Koharu: "..."

Rules again.

Those damned rules again.

They had once used rules to suppress the Uchiha Clan.

Now Uchiha You used rules to push back against them every day.

The most disgusting part was that he actually had the right of it.

The Third Hokage nodded wearily.

"Fine."

Uchiha You picked up several Scrolls and handed them to Uchiha Chuan.

"Let's go."

The group left the Hokage Office.

The moment the door closed, Uchiha Chuan finally could not help asking in a low voice:

"You, are they trying to fob us off with worthless files?"

Uchiha You replied calmly:

"Of course."

"Danzo isn't an idiot."

"How could he possibly hand over Root's real evidence of wrongdoing?"

Uchiha Chuan frowned.

"Then why did we accept them?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"These files are incomplete."

"But as long as they contain records of Root monitoring the Uchiha Clan, that is enough for us to continue proving the higher-ups' hostility to the clan."

"Besides, Lord Hokage has already agreed to restrict ANBU and Root from entering clan territory."

"That buys us time to set up our defenses."

Uchiha Chuan's eyes lit up.

He understood.

Danzo thought he was using worthless files to stall the Uchiha Clan.

But Uchiha You had turned the matter into a reason for the Uchiha Clan to buy time.

The higher-ups wanted an investigation?

Fine.

Then during the investigation, they had to scale back their surveillance.

Otherwise, the suspects would still be in contact with the victims.

That move was ruthless.

Uchiha Chuan said quietly:

"They think they're delaying us."

The corner of Uchiha You's mouth rose slightly.

"Then let them delay us."

"The longer they drag it out, the more thoroughly we prepare."

"By the time they realize something is wrong, it will be too late."

Meanwhile.

Root Base.

Deep underground.

The air was filled with the pungent stench of disinfectant, blood, and medicine.

Danzo lay on an operating table, his face pale.

His right arm had been completely severed.

The arm corroded by Black Umbrella: Necrosis Mark had been sealed inside a special container.

Inside the container, black-red chakra still writhed slowly like a virus.

Several Root medical ninja stood nearby, their foreheads drenched in cold sweat.

"Lord Danzo, that chakra is far too corrosive."

"Although Hashirama Cells can suppress part of it, they cannot remove it completely."

"If the original right arm had been retained, the necrosis would have spread along the chakra pathways. It might even have affected your heart and chakra core."

Danzo's expression darkened.

That was why he had decisively abandoned his right arm.

He was not someone who could not bear to lose an arm.

As long as he lived.

As long as he could continue controlling Root.

What did one arm matter?

Besides, Root had long prepared backup plans.

Transplant experiments.

Hashirama Cells.

Even prosthetic materials that had not yet fully stabilized.

Danzo asked coldly:

"How is the new arm adapting?"

The medical ninja immediately answered:

"The preliminary transplant has been completed."

"This arm has been fused with tissue cultivated from Hashirama Cells, but the Sharingan implant slots have not yet been fully activated."

"For the time being, it cannot bear too many Sharingan."

"Otherwise, the rejection response will be extremely severe."

Danzo's gaze darkened.

"No matter."

"Restore my ability to move first."

"As for Sharingan, there will be plenty later."

When he spoke of Sharingan, Uchiha You's strange Mangekyō Sharingan surfaced in his mind.

A pattern like a protective umbrella.

Those eyes were far more dangerous than ordinary Sharingan.

And far more valuable.

If he could obtain them...

Greed flashed through Danzo's eyes.

But he swiftly forced the emotion down.

Uchiha You was not Shisui.

Shisui would hesitate.

He would believe in the village.

He would give Danzo an opportunity.

But Uchiha You would not.

That brat was as ruthless as a ferocious beast wearing human skin.

If he wanted to take his eyes, he could not do it the way he had with Shisui.

He had to kill him in a single strike.

Ideally, he would launch the encirclement after Uchiha You had overused his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Thinking of this, Danzo looked toward the Root ninja standing beside him.

"Any news from Itachi?"

The Root ninja immediately handed over a Scroll.

"This is the latest intelligence sent by Itachi Uchiha."

Danzo took the Scroll and slowly unrolled it.

The more he read, the colder his lone eye became.

The contents of the Scroll were not extensive.

But they were exactly what he most wanted to know.

[Uchiha You's left eye is suspected to possess the ability to corrode chakra, contaminate chakra pathways, and create virus-like chakra.]

[His right eye is suspected to possess cellular enhancement and self-repair abilities.]

[However, according to Uchiha Clan records, the Mangekyō Sharingan does not come without a price.]

[The more frequently it is used, the greater the consumption of ocular power, and vision will gradually decline.]

[Uchiha You has used his Mangekyō Sharingan repeatedly in recent days. The strain on his eyes should be extremely severe.]

[Some of the clan elders are concerned about this.]

At this point, Danzo's eyes finally lit up.

The Mangekyō's side effects.

That made sense.

Such a powerful ocular technique could not possibly come without a price.

Uchiha You had used those eyes too frequently lately.

The Land of Water mission.

Killing Root operatives.

Stopping the attempt to seize eyes.

Seriously injuring Danzo himself.

After several consecutive high-intensity uses, his ocular power had surely been greatly depleted.

The reason he still appeared so strong was likely only to intimidate the Uchiha Clan and the higher-ups.

His actual condition might no longer be as composed as it appeared.

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Danzo's mouth.

"Uchiha You."

"So you do have weaknesses."

The medical ninja was securing his new right arm.

Danzo endured the excruciating pain, but his lone eye grew ever colder.

The stronger the Mangekyō, the greater the consumption.

Then he could not give Uchiha You any more time.

If this continued, once Uchiha You truly united the Uchiha Clan, restored his ocular power, and joined forces with Shisui, Konoha's higher-ups would completely lose the initiative.

He had to strike first.

Before Uchiha You fully took control of the clan.

Before his Mangekyō's side effects continued to accumulate.

Before Itachi could no longer be used.

Before the Uchiha Clan completed all its defenses.

Eliminate them in one stroke.

Danzo asked coldly:

"How much longer before the new right arm fully fuses?"

The medical ninja lowered his head.

"Seven days at the earliest."

Danzo's gaze darkened.

"Too slow."

Cold sweat beaded on the medical ninja's forehead.

"Lord Danzo, Hashirama Cell fusion cannot be rushed, or there will be a backlash."

Danzo said coldly:

"Five days."

The medical ninja's face went pale.

"This..."

Danzo fixed him with his lone eye.

"I said five days."

The medical ninja immediately lowered his head.

"Yes!"

Danzo closed his eyes again.

Five days.

At most five days.

Once this right arm had partially recovered, he would pressure Hiruzen.

The Uchiha Clan could not be allowed to remain.

Especially Uchiha You.

That brat's existence would turn the entire Uchiha Clan into a blade pointed at Konoha's heart.

He had to break it before the blade was fully drawn.