The Third Hokage's Tacit Consent

The Third Hokage frowned:

"The Mangekyo Sharingan has side effects."

"Uchiha You has been using it frequently. He may not be able to hold on much longer."

A glint of cold light flashed through Danzo's lone eye.

"That is precisely why we must act now."

The Third Hokage froze.

Danzo continued:

"He has yet to fully integrate the Uchiha Clan."

"There are still divisions within the clan."

"Although Shisui is wavering, he has not completely abandoned the village."

"Itachi can still be used."

"Uchiha You's eye-power consumption is worsening."

"This is the best opportunity."

The Third Hokage fell silent.

Every word Danzo spoke drove into his heart like a nail.

He did not want to make a move against the Uchiha.

At the very least, he did not want to do it in the worst possible way.

But the reality was that the Uchiha Clan had indeed become increasingly dangerous.

Uchiha You's emergence had shattered every balance.

An Uchiha with a Mangekyo Sharingan, capable of suppressing Danzo, uniting the clan, and using the rules to counter the Hokage Building, was far too dangerous.

If they waited until he had completely taken control of the Uchiha, the price of dealing with him would be even greater.

Seeing the Third Hokage remain silent, Danzo continued applying pressure:

"Hiruzen, what are you still waiting for?"

"For Uchiha You to turn the clan grounds into a fortress?"

"For Shisui to stand completely at his side?"

"For Itachi to be persuaded by him as well?"

"Or for the Uchiha Clan to launch a coup while flames of war rise along the Land of Fire's borders?"

The Third Hokage's brow furrowed deeply.

"The Uchiha are still part of Konoha."

Danzo said coldly:

"Precisely because they are part of Konoha, we cannot allow them to tear Konoha apart."

"Konoha can exist without the Uchiha."

"But it cannot have an Uchiha Clan that may stage a coup at any moment."

The Third Hokage looked up, his voice low.

"What do you intend to do?"

A sinister gleam flashed through Danzo's eyes.

Finally.

Hiruzen had asked that question.

That meant he had already begun to waver.

"Use Itachi."

Danzo spoke slowly.

"Have Itachi continue infiltrating the Uchiha's inner circle."

"Confirm the exact situation with Fugaku, Uchiha You, and Shisui."

"If an Uchiha coup is already unavoidable, Itachi will cooperate with Root to eliminate the Uchiha leadership first."

The Third Hokage's expression changed.

"Eliminate the leadership?"

Danzo did not shy away from it.

"Fugaku."

"Uchiha You."

"Shisui."

"The radical faction within the Police Force."

"As long as these people die, the Uchiha will be leaderless."

"The rest can be controlled."

The Third Hokage said gravely:

"What about the ordinary clan members?"

Danzo replied coldly:

"The Uchiha's hatred will persist."

"Leaving too many alive will only leave future trouble."

The Third Hokage abruptly rose to his feet.

"Danzo!"

Danzo met his gaze without yielding.

"Hiruzen, how long will you keep deceiving yourself?"

"The relationship between the Uchiha and the village can no longer be repaired."

"If you spare them today, Konoha shinobi will die tomorrow."

"When that happens, how will you face the dead villagers?"

"How will you face the Konoha built by the First and Second Hokage?"

The Third Hokage's body trembled slightly.

The smoke in the office hung as heavily as a weight on the chest.

A long time passed.

The Third Hokage slowly sat back down.

His voice was weary and hoarse.

"Until the final step, no large-scale slaughter is permitted."

Danzo's lone eye narrowed slightly.

Those words sounded like a refusal.

In truth, they were already tacit consent.

Until the final step?

Who would decide what that final step was?

Naturally, the one carrying it out.

Danzo said in a low voice:

"I understand."

The Third Hokage closed his eyes.

"I need to speak with Itachi one more time."

Danzo did not object.

"Fine."

"But Hiruzen, you had better be quick."

"Uchiha You will not give us much time."

The Third Hokage did not answer.

Danzo turned and left the office.

The moment the door closed, a cold smile finally appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Uchiha You.

Your Mangekyo Sharingan was indeed troublesome.

But no matter how powerful those eyes were, they could not stand against the will of all Konoha.

When Uchiha Massacre Night arrived,

I would personally gouge out your eyes.

Uchiha Clan Grounds.

At the same time.

Uchiha You stood on a rooftop, looking toward the Hokage Building.

The night wind stirred his black hair.

A system notification sounded in his mind.

[Danzo has completed the replacement of his right arm.]

[Danzo has confirmed intelligence regarding the Mangekyo Sharingan's side effects and has determined that the host is in a period of high eye-power consumption.]

[Danzo has pressured Hiruzen Sarutobi.]

[Konoha's upper leadership has accelerated the advancement of the "Final Uchiha Disposal Plan."]

[The countdown to Uchiha Massacre Night has been moved forward.]

[Main quest: Stop Uchiha Massacre Night has entered an accelerated phase.]

Uchiha You's gaze sharpened slightly.

It had been brought forward.

Good.

Danzo had finally lost his patience.

He thought that replacing one arm meant he could return to the board.

He thought that uncovering the Mangekyo Sharingan's side effects meant he had grasped Uchiha You's fatal weakness.

He thought Itachi was still being controlled through Sasuke.

He thought the Third Hokage would ultimately give his tacit consent.

He thought the Uchiha were not ready yet.

A slow smile rose on Uchiha You's lips.

Unfortunately.

Everything he thought he knew was what Uchiha You had allowed him to think.

"Danzo."

"You replaced an arm."

"I prepared a grave for you."

The black-and-red Protective Umbrella Mangekyo flashed through his eyes before vanishing.

The next second.

The system panel unfolded.

[Current Behind-the-Scenes Points: 90000.]

[Consume Behind-the-Scenes Points for Eye-Power Maintenance?]

Uchiha You said blandly:

"Consume ten thousand."

[10000 Behind-the-Scenes Points consumed.]

[Mangekyo Sharingan eye-power damage being repaired...]

[Current eye-power status: Abundant.]

A cool force flowed into his eyes.

The faint burning pain vanished completely.

Uchiha You's vision became incomparably clear once more.

Danzo thought his eye-power consumption was severe.

But he did not know.

The system had already polished Uchiha You's Mangekyo Sharingan until it shone again.

That was the information gap.

And it was also the deadliest trap.

Uchiha You looked toward the depths of the clan grounds.

The evacuation of women and children was nearly ninety percent complete.

The combat squads were seventy percent deployed.

Shisui's genjutsu barrier had begun to take shape.

Itachi's false intelligence continued misleading the upper leadership.

Fugaku had finally stopped hesitating and begun secretly mobilizing the clan's elite.

Everything was accelerating.

Everything was moving toward that night.

And the Akatsuki in distant Hidden Rain were still awaiting his final signal.

They had to appear on Uchiha Massacre Night.

Because only by appearing at that moment could the effect be maximized.

Danzo led Root into the Uchiha Clan, thinking he would be greeted by Itachi, his inside man, and a group of utterly unprepared clansmen.

Instead, what awaited him was an Uchiha ambush, Itachi's betrayal, Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan.

And...

The arrival of the Akatsuki.

Uchiha You chuckled softly.

"Uchiha Massacre Night?"

"No."

"It would be the longest night of Danzo's life."

Under the night sky.

Konoha remained quiet.

Yet behind that silence, every piece had already begun to move.

The hunters sharpened their blades.

The prey dug their pits.

Danzo simply did not know.

From the moment he decided to strike first.

He had already stepped into the grave Uchiha You had prepared for him.